Loading ...2009 Volkswagen Jetta Sedan and SportWagen - Review
What’s new, highlights, and safety info for the 2009 Volkswagen Jetta.
Introduction
The Jetta shares much of its underpinnings with the Rabbit/GTI hatchbacks. It sits between the Rabbit and the Passat in Volkswagen’s lineup. The Jetta is the only non-luxury German small sedan and wagon for sale in the U.S., and offers a stiff chassis, sporty handling, and clean styling inside and out. The Jetta SportWagen—that’s VW-speak for station wagon—is new this year.
Both body styles are available in S, SE, and SEL trims. All such sedans and S and SE wagons use a 170-hp five-cylinder engine; all S and SE Jettas can be had with either a five-speed manual or an optional six-speed automatic transmission with manual shift mode, but the SEL sedan is automatic-only. The inline-five returns fuel economy of 20 city/29 highway mpg with the automatic and 21/30 with the manual.
If you want more punch for your Jetta, step up to the 2.0-liter turbocharged gasoline four-cylinder, which pumps out 200 hp and 207 lb-ft of torque. It’s a wonderfully responsive engine, and it’s available in the Jetta GLI—basically a sedan version of the much-loved, 10Best-winning GTI—and the SEL trim level of the SportWagen. Transmission options include a standard six-speed manual and an optional six-speed dual-clutch automated manual (called DSG) with launch control. The punchy turbo four is relatively economical, too, with fuel economy coming in at 21/31 in manual form and 22/29 with the DSG. In its most recent comparison test appearance, a Jetta GLI placed first in a pack of fun-to-drive, everyday sedans, beating the likes of the Acura TSX, Honda Accord, Mazdaspeed 6, and Pontiac G6. With a 0-to-60-mph time of 6.4 seconds, the GLI is easily the quickest of the Jettas, while its sporty suspension won our praise in the twisty bits.
Returning for 2009 is the diesel-fueled Jetta TDI, which is available as a sedan or wagon. The TDI packs a 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine that produces 140 hp and an impressive 236 lb-ft of torque. It can be mated either to a six-speed manual or VW’s six-speed DSG transmission. Perhaps most impressive, however, is the TDI’s ability to wring at least 40 miles out of every gallon of diesel on the highway: the EPA rates the Jetta TDI at 29/40 with the DSG and 30/41 with the manual. Sophisticated emission-control devices allow the TDI to be sold in all 50 states.
Full Story Via CarandDriver.com
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