2012 & 2013 Volkswagen Wagon Reviews & Ratings

Volkswagen has been producing vehicles for over 80 years having been founded between the two World Wars in Germany. Volkswagen managed to throw off the tarnish it gained during the Second World War and became, along with Mini, one of the most iconic manufacturers of the 20th century, in particular with its VW Beetle and the famous hippy wagon, the Volkswagen Camper Van. Volkswagen have been making the Jetta Sportswagen, the only wagon in their range of cars currently, since 1979 with the Je... (full review continues below)

Volkswagen has been producing vehicles for over 80 years having been founded between the two World Wars in Germany. Volkswagen managed to throw off the tarnish it gained during the Second World War and became, along with Mini, one of the most iconic manufacturers of the 20th century, in particular with its VW Beetle and the famous hippy wagon, the Volkswagen Camper Van. Volkswagen have been making the Jetta Sportswagen, the only wagon in their range of cars currently, since 1979 with the Jetta A1 being the first model unveiled.

Wagons in general have been declining in popularity. Competition for the family car has increased dramatically due to the increased options available to families with the introduction of people carriers, SUVs, and trucks with family sized cabin space. The SUV in particular has been eating into the market share that was traditionally dominated by the family station wagon as SUV's are generally perceived to be "all purpose", can go more places and for many families the size and height of them gives the impression of much greater safety for the family.

Given the increase in competition from other types of vehicles, this has resulted in less competition within the wagon class itself as many manufacturers have either completely discontinued making wagon versions of their cars or like Volkswagen only produce one model. In fact, in general there is now a relatively large gap in the market for mid range wagons as the bulk of models still in production are either budget versions designed to undercut the SUV market or super luxury models for wealthier consumers who still like the stateliness of a station wagon. Key competitors for the Jetta now include the Subaru Outback, Kia Soul, Acura TSX and the Audi A4 Avant.

The Jetta Sportswagen comes in three trims, the S and SE which are petrol driven and the TDI diesel version. The base model the Jetta Sportswagen S starts at just over $20,000 putting it near the budget end of the market and comes with a 2.5 liter 5 cylinder fuel injected engine developing 170 horsepower at 5,700rpm and 177 foot pound of torque at 4,250rpm. The fuel economy is about average for the class managing 23mpg in cities and 33mpg on the highway. The more powerful petrol version is the sporty SE . It is almost the same but costs an extra $4,000with tightened suspension and generally a more powerful feel even though it is powered by the same engine.

The final model is the Jetta Sportwagen TDI diesel priced starting at $25,500 and features at 2.0 liter turbocharged 4 cylinder diesel engine with a 6 speed automatic transmission providing 140 horsepower at 4,000rpm and 236 foot pound of torque at 1,750rpm. The car manages a maximum range of 500 miles on one tank of diesel making it an excellent vehicle for long distance journeys and manages an impressive 30 mpg in cities and 34mpg on highways.