Used 2011 Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen Review

Over the past many decades, the Volkswagen jet is eager, handling, nicely appointed interior, and overall Germans has earned it a loyal following. Sounds like a winning formula. In a move reminiscent of the Cola Wars, VW has decided to change the recipe with its sixth generation Jetta.

So is this larger, less expensive Volkswagen Jetta A hit like Coke Zero or a miss like Crystal Pepsi? Let’s find out

if you’re old enough. You might remember a series of commercials where VW extol the virtues of Far Vic Newgen, a German phrase that means driving. It was a goofy slogan, but spend a little time driving the Volkswagen Jetta. And it’s clear the Germans take driving joy. Seriously, the steering feels crisp and the chassis is impressively capable, which is awesome, but also kind of a surprise.

You see, during the sixth gen redesign, the jetta’s rear suspension actually took a technological step backwards, ditching the independent multilink of the previous model in favor of a cheaper twist beam rear suspension. Yet somehow it works. So we’re not. Add to that a quiet cabin and firm, but not overly jarring ride, and you’ve got a compelling dynamic package.

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Powertrain is more of a mixed bag at the low end. Jetta’s features a two-liter four-cylinder, pumping out 115 horsepower. For perspective, my 95 Honda Del Soul si was more powerful. Zero to 60 acceleration with the manual is slightly less than 10 seconds. Even worse with the automatic and though the highway fuel economy is good with numbers in the mid thirties.

Cars like the Hyundai Elantra and Chevy Cruze. Return around 40 miles per gallon. The picture is much sier in the higher SE and SEL trims, where a 2.5 liter five cylinder bumps the horsepower number to 170 and torque to a solid 177 pound feet. The extra power helps bring the Jetta to life in a car’s equipped with the manual transmission.

It comes with a modest one mile per gallon penalty.

I’m a bit of a traditionalist when it comes to how many cylinders of cars should have even numbers please, but for some reason, the five. Works for the Jetta, hauls it around fine around town and in full throttle. It kind of sounds like a light cycle. Buyers looking for maximum efficiency might consider the Jetta TDI model with its two liter turbocharged diesel engine returning 30 M PPG in the city and 42 on the highway.

The TDI produces 236 pound feet of torque and delivers performance on par with the gas powered 2.5 liter five cylinder. As long as we’re talking about efficiency, it’s worth noting that the Jetta managed to lose a couple hundred pounds during its redesign. A doubly impressive feed considering a cars rarely lose weight when they’re redesigned, and B, the new Jetta is physically larger than the old Jetta.

However they did it. EW managed to produce a car that’s both lighter and larger. The exercise showing immediate benefits in the backseat in addition to best-in-class rear seat legroom. The Jetta also boasts a huge trunk for such a small car. Fun fact, with 15.5 cubic feet of space, the Jetta’s trunk is actually roomier than a Jaguar xjs unless you leave the Jag spare tire at home.

On the other hand, Volkswagen’s efforts to make a cheap projeta mean they’ve switched from complex hinges to simpler goose neck hinges In. So slide your fabric at a collection to the center. If you don’t want it to get crushed, move back to the cabin. And things look nice for a Jetta interior, assuming you look with your eyes, not with your hands, start poking around and it’s pretty clear where Volkswagens save money.

The previous Jetta benefited from a lot of soft touch material. The new Jetta does not. If you’re a Jetta aficionado, you may lament the change. If you spent all your time in Honda Civics and Toyota Corollas, you probably think the Jetta interior is pretty nice.

One area we’re slowly coming to terms with is the jetta’s exterior styling. At first glance, it seems a little plain, but the longer we spend with it, the more we think the clean design will wear well over. Put another way. If the VW Jetta were human, it would probably skip the skinny gene fad and opt for pants that won’t be featured on a VH1 clip show in five years.

With historically strong residual numbers and prices on par with leading compact sedans, the Jetta looks to be a solid value. A decent amount of cash you could use to buy food textbooks or rent a jet ski. So the quirky German compact with the luxurious interior has faded into the night.

Replaced by a mainstream car built to compete head-to-head with the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla. It’s a little sad to see VW leave behind the semi-premium niche at carved with the Jetta, but we can’t be surprised after all folks. Vains are literally cars for people. We think the Jetta’s, larger interior, eager handling, and German spirit will play well with the masses, in a sense, making it the truest kind of Volkswagen. Find out about the Used 2011 Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen 4dr DSG TDI for sale here in our Used Ames Cars inventory. Also, be make sure to check out our Used 2013 Chevrolet Equinox FWD 4dr LT w/1LT Review and Used 2014 Jeep Compass FWD 4dr Sport Review here!