Just In: 2010 Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen TDI

As you might expect, we often wind up getting asked for car buying advice from family and friends. In recent months, we've found ourselves suggesting Volkswagen Jetta TDI SportWagens to enthusiast-leaning acquaintances. This is a bit curious, you might note, because while we've tested a Golf TDI and a Jetta SportWagen and both have scored well, we've never tested a SportWagen TDI. 

We decided to remedy that omission. Although the recent VW news has been dominated by the upcoming bigger-and-cheaper redesigned Jetta sedan, this new platform lacks a wagon version. That means the Jetta SportWagen will soldier on in its current form for a while.

We tested a SportWagen with the 2.5-liter five-cylinder gasoline engine back in 2009 and found it to be a pleasant, well-rounded car. But much to our surprise--and likely VW's--the vast majority of SportWagens (over 75 percent) are sold with the TDI diesel engine. Since our last test, the Jetta also had a light freshening, with a new front fascia and dashboard similar to that of the updated Golf.

Our new TDI SportWagen has a six-speed manual transmission; this model has a relatively high take rate in three-pedal form. We got a $1,300 panoramic sunroof that I suspect might make for a warm summer-time interior with the black leatherette seats. There is also a "Sport and Protection Kit" that includes rubber mats and a heavy trunk liner, along with iPod integration. All total, our White Gold SportWagen cost us $27,204.

Two delivery issues cooled our enthusiasm a bit. The VW dealer stacked the cold-weather floor mats atop the carpeted mats, a no-no due to the increased risk of pedal entrapment. And we got a check engine light two days after delivery that required a trip to the dealer to replace a bad oxygen sensor. (Just a reminder: our car reliability data is based on responses to our annual subscriber survey, not our particular test car.)  

Hopefully this marks the end of any issues we have with the Jetta SportWagen TDI, as we're looking forward to spending time with this high-mileage practical package.