Volkswagen Jetta Sportwagen - More Everything

Some cars are the "next" one in the test cycle, but others, you look forward to. The Jetta Sportwagen is one of the first kind.

This is a car ideally suited to my needs and my tastes. Compact, but with room for five people, it has more than 66 cubic feet of carrying capacity in back with the second row seats folded. It's lively and fun to drive--especially when you get it with the six-speed manual transmission. And, for commuting, the TDI Diesel version, which I tested, brags of 42 miles per gallon on the highway.

My tester arrived in Tempest Blue--a color I might actually order if I were buying one. The design is smooth and pleasant, without any sharp edges or trendy angles or styling quirks. Volkswagen has stayed away from extremes, with more of a Brooks Brothers look than the runway fashion trend of the day. This design is actually a few years old, and has a softer presentation than the tailored look of the newest Jetta and Passat.

As Jettas have been for years now, this car is built in Puebla, Mexico, but it has a German engine and transmission. The Puebla plant, birthplace of millions of Beetles, has lots of experience, and the quality of assembly and materials is just fine, thanks.

The car's interior is what you'd expect with a VW--rather conservative--but that's really a virtue in a car that you plan to spend time in. There's nothing to distract you from your tasks. The gauges are clear and uncluttered. I did find the climate dials to be small and hard to decipher in their low position on the center console, but after I studied the settings (while parked) I got the hang of it. The brushed metal trim is nice.

My car was happy to pair with my iPhone, but I got more than I expected, when Bluetooth attached itself to some downloaded music. I kept getting the same song playing a few seconds after the car started, while the phone was connecting. After a push--or two--on the Satellite Radio button I was hearing what I wanted again.

The Jetta Sportwagen comes with either a 2.5-liter in-line five-cylinder engine or the super-mileage 2.0-liter TDI Diesel. The veteran 2.5-liter offers 170 horsepower and 177 lb.-ft. of torque, and is a perfectly good engine for driving around a 3,300-pound sedan or wagon. But the TDI Diesel, although it has "just" 140 horsepower, as Diesels do offers much more torque--236 lb.-ft. in this application. That means that the car feels stronger than you might expect. Combining the small engine size with the efficiency of Diesel means that I was able to get 40.3 miles per gallon during my week of commuting and errand running.

Diesels are rare in the U.S., still, but are common in Europe. The advent of low sulfur fuel has taken almost all of the negative aroma factor out of the fuel. It was priced at the same level as mid-grade gasoline during my test week--just about $4.00 even, but with that kind of economy, it's a real deal. And, with its 14.5-gallon tank, you can get about 600 miles without stopping to refill. Go ahead and take that trip from San Francisco to San Diego. Speaking of fueling, there are plenty of places to buy Diesel fuel, but not every station carries it, so it's good to start looking when you hit the quarter tank mark.

My tester came with the panoramic sunroof, and it's a fine device for letting in light and air. However, you can buy this car without it, saving $1,800 (you do have to sacrifice the lovely 17-inch alloy wheels in the bargain, however).

The base Sportwagen is the S, which starts at $21,390, with the 2.5-liter gas engine and manual six-speed transmission. This is by no means stripped down. You still get leather on the steering wheel, air conditioning, cruise control, Bluetooth, heated seats, and more. You can step up to the SE and add the comfy leatherette seating, a stronger audio system, alloy wheels, chrome trim and leather on the shift knob.

The TDI then arrives. Get it with or without a sunroof and at the top, or with sunroof and navigation. Even at the pinnacle of Sportwagens you're still a little under $30,000. My tester, without navigation, was $28,390.

Some cars are more fun to drive than others. Some are more economical. Some are more practical. The Jetta Sportwagen is really more everything -- except expensive.

VW Jetta - Now Available in Hybrid

I just had a chance to try the new Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid. That's right. Besides the standard gasoline and TDI Diesel models, there's now a gasoline/electric hybrid model, and it's very good indeed.

The Jetta is just about the perfect size of car for most people. It's a spacious sedan, but doesn't take up too much of the road. It is trim and sharp and was redone in 2011 with Americans in mind. It is built, conveniently, in Mexico, so the import taxes are less.

The Hybrid model is new for 2013. It comes in four ascending levels: Plain, SE, SEL, and SEL Premium. I was lucky enough to get the top level. If you want the plain version, you'll have to special order it.

The Hybrid looks like the "normal" Jetta, except for a few small items. It has a blue logo (blue is "green" in the automotive world, for some reason). It also has special badging and specific wheels and grille.

There are other things, though, under the skin, that make the Hybrid unique in the Jetta universe. The airflow is specially controlled for air coming under the hood. There are many aerodynamic changes, including a rear spoiler, front airdam, and, where you can't see them, various underbody devices to smooth the air around the car. This makes for a lower coefficient of drag (just .28), which is all part of improving miles per gallon.

The experience of driving a hybrid vehicle is pretty much the same everywhere. The car uses a gasoline engine and an electric motor to move down the road. The engine in the Volkswagen is much like that in a Toyota Prius, working much of the time but letting the electric motor take over when it's a good time to do it. Sometimes the engine and the motor work together, sometimes it's gasoline engine only. The car's computer controls it. Interesting that the electric motor, like the gas engine, is water cooled.

The driving experience is not diminished, as the 140-horsepower gas engine and the 27-horsepower motor are enoughto move the car along without struggle.

You can monitor your driving efficiency right on the dash. The left gauge in the Hybrid is configured to be a "Power Meter" rather than a tachometer. It starts out at zero, and then goes through a "green regenerator" section, followed by a zero, for when the gauge starts moving. There's a blue section after that showing the best times to be driving, using both gas and electricity. After that is a section of the gauge that shows engine activity only. At the far reaches of the gauge are the boost mode, when you're really high-tailing it and not worrying about efficiency.

This is a hybrid for turbo fans, as it says on the window sticker. One doesn't think of boost with a Prius, but the Jetta Hybrid offers some exciting performance potential. The small, single-spool turbocharger and intercooler are neatly integrated. The electric motor and clutch are partnered for efficiency, too. The car puts out a maximum of 170 horsepower and 184 lb.-ft. of torque at as low as 1,000 rpm when engine and motor are working. You get smooth acceleration.

To prove that the Jetta is no ordinary hybrid, VW took it to the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah for testing. A modified car set a number of records last October, and holds the H/PS class record—for production-based cars with engines of less than 1.5 liters that use forced induction—at 186.313 mph, as well as the highest top speed ever recorded for a hybrid, at 187.607 mph.

Efficiency? How does an EPA average of 45 mpg sound? I averaged 40.1 mpg during my test week. Interesting that the TDI Diesel Jetta I tested a couple of years ago (and a recent TDI Beetle) earned just over that--42 mpg. VW has more than one way to tackle the fuel economy issue.

This is an extremely clean car--with a 9 for Smog and a 10 for Greenhouse Gas, it earns the SmartWay Elite status from the EPA. See fueleconomy.gov for more detailed information on the Jetta Hybrid--and every other car you can buy today.

The Jetta sedan is VW's entry-level car in the U.S. market, but the Hybrid is not that model. The basic Jetta starts at $17,515. The special-order base Hybrid model begins at $25,790. My SEL Premium model came to $32,010. All prices include $795 for shipping.

The Jetta has changed over the years, but today's model is sharp looking, fun to drive, and offers various ways to drive efficiently--and have fun doing it.

New VW Beetle Even More Fun

Sure, I'd love to own it.

Some cars are just plain fun to have. Beyond the driving experience, their very presence in your driveway and your presence inside them makes you happy. My recent week with a Yellow Rush 2013 Volkswagen Beetle was memorable for the joy of it.

We all know that the original Beetle was Adolf Hitler's idea of a people's car. Despite those origins, the Bug sold in the tens of millions worldwide, finally ending sales in the U.S. back in 1979 (but continuing elsewhere until surprisingly recently).

In 1998 the New Beetle showed up, with a water-cooled, front-mounted engine (unlike the Beetle's air-cooled rear unit.) Based on a concept car, it gave some identity to the VW brand for years.

The 2012 Beetle was all new, still based on the Golf. It retains all the styling cues, but in some ways is more like the original car (although the engine remains in front, with a radiator). Beetle maniacs will note the more upright windshield, flatter roof, and completely different taillamps.

Inside, the car gets an all-new interior that evokes elements of the old favorite--a flatter dash, with plastic panels the color of the exterior, mimic the metal dash of old. There are two glove boxes--and the top one flips upward. There's even a clever multi-faced surface on the windshield pillars that makes them seem about half of their substantial (safety-enhancing) width. They even provided me with leatherette seats and doors--that's the material my old '64 Beetle had.

A central circular speedometer is old-fashioned, but pretty much everything else around it is 2013. For example, while driving, I noted the up- and downshift display. It's part of teaching you to shift at the right time for maximum fuel efficiency. The secret, though, was that I had the remarkable TDI model. VW offers other engine choices in the Beetle, but the 140-horsepower turbodiesel is fabulous for fuel economy--and it's slightly louder sound evokes the ancient Beetle sound a little, too. Diesels have higher torque for their size--this engine generates 236 lb.-ft. of it--so you can easily drive along at just 1,500 rpm. That means better fuel economy--and a quieter driving experience.

Mileage is just one of the delights of Diesel motoring. I averaged a smile-inducing 41.8 mpg over the week of mixed driving, but using the two-way information panel in the dash, I tracked individual trips. I routinely hit 50 miles per gallon on the freeway on my 30-mile treks to work. At one point, the display read an incredible 57.3 mpg!

Unfortunately, Diesel is running a little more than premium gas at the moment, unfortunately, and despite technological advances in clean Diesel fuel and engine efficiency, it is not the absolute cleanest way to generate mobility. It still manages to get a 7 for Greenhouse Gas and 6 for Smog in the EPA's test--in the solid middle.

My yellow car was a real joy to drive. The wide expanses of yellow sunny plastic on dash and doors made me happy during a cold and sometimes rainy winter week. The car starts right up--and greets you with "Welcome to Your Beetle" on the instrument panel. The Diesel engine is not silent, but you only hear it, really, if you stand in front of the car while it's running. Inside, it's essentially silent.

On the upper dash, there's a centrally mounted set of gauges--quite sporty looking. The left is for oil temperature--important in a Diesel and part of a "real" sports car, too. The central gauge is a stopwatch, presumably for timing your quarter-mile runs, but I never used it. On the right, a turbo boost gauge lets you see what you can feel when you stomp your foot. Of course, if you're going to maximize fuel economy, you'd best keep from going to the turbo well too often.

Part of the fun for me was using the smooth and accurate six-speed manual transmission. Granted, manuals are a dying breed in the U.S., but my '64 had a four-on-the-floor with a long, bent handle an a tiny plastic knob like a drawer pull, and that was fun--in its day. I followed the up/down guidance much of the time--you don't need to rev a Diesel--and found that there was plenty of power to zoom up hills, pass on the freeway, and cruise comfortably at 70. Of course, an automatic is available and will likely be the gearbox of choice.

The gasoline Beetles come with other engines. The standard engine is a 170-horsepower 2.5-liter four, with either transmission. For higher performance, you can choose the 2.0-liter turbo, which bumps output to 200 horsepower.

As before the Beetle is available as a convertible, too. This model, which just appeared, looks like big fun, comes in some interesting decade-themed models ('50s, '60s, '70's) and promise even more fun on sunny days.

My only complaints were minor. The seatbelt seemed to ride a little high on my shoulder and it is not adjustable for height (although the seat is). Also, the songs on my iPod stuttered when each one began. 

Prices start at $20,790 for the 2.5 Beetle with manual transmission. Prices go up from there. You can add a sunroof, Fender (yes, the guitar company) audio system, and much more. My TDI, with only floor mats, the unusual heavy duty trunk mats with "CarGo Blocks" and a first aid kit as options, came to $24,360. That may sound like a lot for a Beetle, but the car is no longer the starting model of the brand, and it comes with a lot of standard equipment, including heated seats, Sirius/XM Satellite Radio, cruise control, Bluetooth, and more. All prices include shipping.

The Beetle is a hatchback, and although the rear seats don't fold flat, I had no problem placing a bass back there, so it would work for me as a personal car. The driving fun, fuel economy and driving pleasure make this one a real favorite, and should help VW continue its upward surge of sales.

New Jetta Still Has the Right Feel

Photo by Joy Schaefer

The Jetta has always been kind of a cool car to drive and own. In a sea of Hondas and Toyotas, it delivers German engineering and a sportier feel.

So, when I read about the new Jetta four-door sedan I was a little concerned. There were comments about "cheaper plastic" in the interior and the external design language seemed a little simplified. But before long, new Jettas started appearing everywhere I looked. As it turns out, the new car is a success.

I had the opportunity to pilot a Jetta GLI, which earns its three distinctive letters by featuring a 2.0-liter TSI turbocharged engine under the hood. It's good for a solid 200 horsepower and 207 lb.-ft. of torque. That's like the one in my wife's Audi A4--and it's plenty potent in a car this size.

This is one car you can still get with a manual transmission, in this case a six-speed. The DSG automatic shifts very quickly, but there's nothing quite like a manual--at least for me. 

The track-tuned independent suspension includes a multilink rear setup, re-tuned spring and damper settings and a 0.6-inch lower ride height. Volkswagen’s XDS® cross differential system, which debuted on the GTI, is standard on the Jetta GLI. It helps prevent inside wheelspin during hard cornering.

The GLI, as the performance Jetta since 1984, wears more aggressive clothes than standard models. It's decked out in a new honeycomb grille, flaunts a more pronounced front spoiler and gets vertical foglights like the ones on the GTI hatchback. Yes, those are red brake calipers tucked behind those wheels.

Inside, the car still feels like a VW. Of course, there's that unique logo at the center of the wheel, but the no-nonsense, angular dash surface, padded in this case, still seems like it should. The gauges tell you what you want to know with a minimum of fuss, a welcome feeling in this age when so many compact cars are giving you the shiny, cell phone look.

Side-bolstered sport bucket seats feature bright-red stitching; there’s matching red stitching on the flat-bottom steering wheel; and aluminum pedals, shift knob, dash and door trim. 

The Autobahn model--the upper level one--offers an upgrade to 18-inch wheels and a Fender audio system. I was not as impressed by the sound as by the distinctive Fender logos on the windshield-pillar-mounted tweeters, but it may be that I insisted on playing oldies instead of new stuff from my iPod.

Prices start at $23,745 for the base GLI, but by the time you move up to the Autobahn model with the navigation system, you're looking at $26,695 (plus shipping).

It's big fun, and much less expensive than an Audi. And the feeling is still fine in this German-designed, Mexican-built product.