Wolfsburg Edition 4dr Sedan
2009 Volkswagen Jetta

2009 Jetta Photos
2009 VW Jetta Sportwagen – Click above for high-res gallery While we were in Virginia attending the inaugural race of the Jetta TDI cup series, Volkswagen provided us hacks with a some new Jetta Sportwagens with which to make the 45 minute morning and evening commute between the Berry Hill Inn and the race track. Like the last generation Jetta Wagon, the new Sportwagen is branded as a Jetta in North America because Jetta is Volkswagen's top-selling model here. The rest of the world, however, knows this estate-bodied Volkswagen as the Golf Variant. No matter, because the Golf/Rabbit and Jetta share all their important hardware and are, for all intents and purposes, the same car. In typical fashion, the new Sportwagen has grown since the previous model was retired and is now nearly as big as the last-gen Passat wagon. My first impression upon climbing into the Sportwagen was how it felt nearly as roomy as the 2000 Passat wagon that resides in half of my garage at home. VW provided an assortment of cars with both 5-speed three-pedal and 6-speed two-pedal transmission arrangements. Unfortunately, all were paired with the base 2.5L inline five-cylinder engine. Check out my impressions of the new Jetta Sportwagen after the jump. %Gallery-22061% Photos Copyright ©2008 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc. As I said, the interior volume of the newest Jetta is comparable to the last Passat even though its wheelbase and overall length are five and four inches shorter, respectively. The previous Passat shared its platform with the Audi A4 of the time, meaning its engine and transmission were mounted longitudinally, taking up more space in the front of the car. The smaller Jetta Sportwagen has the same transverse configuration that Jettas, Rabbits and Golfs have always had. The interior of the car, in typical Volkswagen fashion, is attractive and well laid out. The gauges are large and legible, and the HVAC controls consist of the classic, simple three-round-knobs setup. The seats, in typical German fashion, are also comfortable and supportive -- if somewhat confusing to adjust. One of the long-time complaints about many German cars that don't have full power adjustment is the wheel you have to twist to adjust the backrest angle. This delivers precise control of the angle, but ergonomically, it's terrible. The Jetta now has a power adjuster for the seatback but manual adjusters for the fore-aft position and the bottom cushion angle. Once you get the seat in position so you can reach the pedals, the steering wheel can be adjusted for both rake and reach. For those who like natural light, the Sportwagen has an available panoramic sunroof replaces almost the entire roof with glass. The front half pops up and slides back over the rear half. On the road, the Sportwagen is a bit of a dichotomy. The chassis clearly outclasses the standard five-cylinder engine. The suspension is well-articulated and seems to do a decent job of absorbing the road contours, although the worst pavement in …
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2009 VW Jetta Sportwagen – Click above for high-res gallery While we were in Virginia attending the inaugural race of the Jetta TDI cup series, Volkswagen provided us hacks with a some new Jetta Sportwagens with which to make the 45 minute morning and evening commute between the Berry Hill Inn and the race track. Like the last generation Jetta Wagon, the new Sportwagen is branded as a Jetta in North America because Jetta is Volkswagen's top-selling model here. The rest of the world, however, knows this estate-bodied Volkswagen as the Golf Variant. No matter, because the Golf/Rabbit and Jetta share all their important hardware and are, for all intents and purposes, the same car. In typical fashion, the new Sportwagen has grown since the previous model was retired and is now nearly as big as the last-gen Passat wagon. My first impression upon climbing into the Sportwagen was how it felt nearly as roomy as the 2000 Passat wagon that resides in half of my garage at home. VW provided an assortment of cars with both 5-speed three-pedal and 6-speed two-pedal transmission arrangements. Unfortunately, all were paired with the base 2.5L inline five-cylinder engine. Check out my impressions of the new Jetta Sportwagen after the jump. %Gallery-22061% Photos Copyright ©2008 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc. As I said, the interior volume of the newest Jetta is comparable to the last Passat even though its wheelbase and overall length are five and four inches shorter, respectively. The previous Passat shared its platform with the Audi A4 of the time, meaning its engine and transmission were mounted longitudinally, taking up more space in the front of the car. The smaller Jetta Sportwagen has the same transverse configuration that Jettas, Rabbits and Golfs have always had. The interior of the car, in typical Volkswagen fashion, is attractive and well laid out. The gauges are large and legible, and the HVAC controls consist of the classic, simple three-round-knobs setup. The seats, in typical German fashion, are also comfortable and supportive -- if somewhat confusing to adjust. One of the long-time complaints about many German cars that don't have full power adjustment is the wheel you have to twist to adjust the backrest angle. This delivers precise control of the angle, but ergonomically, it's terrible. The Jetta now has a power adjuster for the seatback but manual adjusters for the fore-aft position and the bottom cushion angle. Once you get the seat in position so you can reach the pedals, the steering wheel can be adjusted for both rake and reach. For those who like natural light, the Sportwagen has an available panoramic sunroof replaces almost the entire roof with glass. The front half pops up and slides back over the rear half. On the road, the Sportwagen is a bit of a dichotomy. The chassis clearly outclasses the standard five-cylinder engine. The suspension is well-articulated and seems to do a decent job of absorbing the road contours, although the worst pavement in …
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Retail Price

$21,345 MSRP / Window Sticker Price
Engine 2.0L I-4
MPG 21 City / 31 Hwy
Seating 5 Passengers
Transmission 6-spd man w/OD
Power 200 @ 5100 rpm
Drivetrain front-wheel
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