2009 Volkswagen Jetta Sportwagen Quality Review

The 2009 Volkswagen Jetta Sportwagen features plenty of cargo space with the seats folded and the high-quality interior appointments that TheCarConnection.com has come to expect from Volkswagen.

The 2009 Volkswagen Jetta Sportwagen is able to seat five passengers in decent comfort, according to reviews read by TheCarConnection.com. The front bucket seats go over particularly well with reviewers, and ConsumerGuide gushes over the “great legroom from ultra-long seat tracks”; with the optional glass sunroof installed, “only the tallest riders will notice intrusion from the sunroof housing,” they note. Autoblog also raves about the seats in the Sportwagen Jetta, observing that, “in typical German fashion,” they are “comfortable and supportive—if somewhat confusing to adjust.” Motor Trend finds additional aspects of the front seating arrangement to praise, including the “tilt-telescoping wheel, and a perfectly placed dead pedal” that help the Volkswagen Jetta Sportwagen deliver “all the driver’s-car essentials.” Rear occupants haven’t been ignored by the VW designers either, and ConsumerGuide is pleased that there is “sufficient headroom and legroom for smaller adults, but six-footers will feel cramped.” Edmunds agrees, stating that “there’s an adequate amount of legroom in back, particularly compared to past Jettas.”

Most anyone who buys a station wagon such as the 2009 Volkswagen Jetta Sportwagen does so for the additional cargo room that the extended roof offers. So how does the Volkswagen Jetta Sportwagen compare when it comes to storage space? To put it simply, you won't be disappointed, at least not when the seats are folded. In full cargo-carrying mode, with the rear seats folded, Edmunds states that cargo volume in the Sportwagen Jetta measures “66.9 cubic feet,” though that figure drops to “32.8 cubic feet with the 60/40 rear seat up.” Car and Driver reviewers “like the great combination of hatchback practicality and responsible small-displacement fuel economy,” while ConsumerGuide raves that “Sportwagens rival many larger wagons and some SUVs for cargo space” and note that “in-cabin small-item storage is also good.”

Also receiving high praise from reviewers is the interior build and materials quality found on the Volkswagen Jetta Sportwagen, easily belying its sub-$20,000 starting price. Automobile reviewers mention the “nicely finished interior” as one of the reasons they name the 2009 Volkswagen Jetta Sportwagen a “good value in the small world of small station wagons.” ConsumerGuide also bestows high praise on the interior, proclaiming it is “among the best in class” and the “high-quality interior has many soft-touch surfaces and pleasing-looking plastics.” Edmunds points out that “the vinyl ‘leatherette’ upholstery found in most Jettas is finely stitched and does a good impression of real cowhide, with the added bonus of being easier to clean.” Volkswagen doesn't skimp on build quality on the 2009 Volkswagen Jetta Sportwagen either, which Motor Trend notices when they “detected not a squeak or shimmy from the rear quarters.”

High build quality on the 2009 Volkswagen Jetta Sportwagen has the added benefit of providing a generally quiet ride. However, ConsumerGuide reviewers note that “some wind rush from the front pillars and side windows is noticeable at highway speeds,” and Autoblog mentions that the five-cylinder engine suffers from a “rather coarse sound.”