Overview & Reviews

Because of the massive popularity of compact SUVs, few automakers bother offering a compact wagon these days. But Volkswagen has one exception with its popular Jetta Sportwagen. Just like the Jetta sedan, the Sportwagen offers classy European design, an upscale cabin and a sophisticated ride quality. And being a wagon, this Volkswagen can carry plenty of stuff. With about 67 cubic feet of maximum cargo capacity, the Sportwagen is even roomier in that respect than some bulkier compact crossovers. Beyond all those perks, the Jetta Sportwagen also offers the availability of fuel-sipping diesel power, resulting in real-world fuel economy approaching 40 mpg.

Note that with the following generation of this car, Volkswagen technically retired the Jetta Sportwagen nameplate and replaced it with the new Golf Sportwagen. But the Jetta Sportwagen has long been one of our favorite cars through the years -- wagon or not -- and we certainly recommend it as a used-car choice.

Used Volkswagen Jetta Sportwagen Models
The Volkswagen Jetta Sportwagen was produced for the 2009-'14 model years and was commonly available in S, SE and TDI trim levels. The S and SE models were powered by a 170-horsepower 2.5-liter inline five-cylinder. A five-speed manual was standard with this engine, while a six-speed automatic was optional.

The Jetta TDI featured a 2.0-liter turbodiesel engine that produced 140 hp and a healthy 236 pound-feet of torque. A choice of a six-speed manual or VW's DSG dual-clutch automated manual were offered for the TDI. The Sportwagen TDI earned an impressive EPA estimated 34 mpg for combined driving, and in real-world driving often yielded even higher numbers. Unless you're completely adverse to diesel, we recommend getting this engine over the gasoline five-cylinder.

The Volkswagen Jetta Sportwagen set itself apart from comparable domestic and Japanese wagons or crossovers by offering a distinctly European interior and feel to the driving experience. Not only did this Jetta provide better handling, but its cargo space was generally on par or better.

Note that for the Jetta Sportwagen's debut year of 2009, it was most closely related to that year's Jetta sedan. For 2010, the Volkswagen Jetta Sportwagen received many of the same changes carried out that year to the Golf. The Sportwagen's body shape, interior volume and powertrains were essentially carried over, but VW improved the interior, retuned the suspension and made minor exterior styling changes.

For 2009 only, VW offered an SEL trim that featured a variety of luxury items like a fully powered driver seat with lumbar adjustment and memory functions, dual-zone automatic climate control and upgraded speakers. It also came with a 200-hp 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder from the GTI and could be had with a manual transmission or the DSG. If you want the most sport from your Sportwagen, try to find one of these rare '09 SEL models.

The fourth-generation Volkswagen Jetta was available in a wagon body style from 2001-'05, though it wasn't known by the Sportwagen moniker. It was an entertaining car to drive and had top-notch materials quality and ample safety features. Scant rear-seat legroom was its major shortcoming.

As the base 2.0-liter engine offered weak acceleration and mediocre fuel economy, we recommend getting a fourth-generation Jetta with the turbocharged 1.8T four-cylinder introduced to the wagon for 2002 that produced 180 hp. The diesel-powered Jetta TDI was also offered in all but the first model year and provided mileage in the 40s. The 1.9-liter turbodiesel four-cylinder initially produced 90 hp and 155 lb-ft of torque and was upgraded to 100 hp and 177 lb-ft for 2004.

User Reviews:

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  Great Machine - 2011 Volkswagen JETTA SPORTWAGEN
  By robert perez - September 18 - 3:23 am

  I is one of the greatest pace of machine I even had.

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  Thumbs up - 2011 Volkswagen JETTA SPORTWAGEN
  By trex1200r - September 2 - 11:42 pm

  I was looking for a sporty, roomy vehicle that I could easily haul my dog in. The sportwagen has a large cargo area, and the heigth is easy to negotiate for our aging pup. While shopping around, I convinced myself I had to have a diesel for the torque and the mileage. Performance is good, not great. DSG likes to keep the revs low, so you need some planning and patience for the wave to arrive. Sometimes the wave is there, sometimes you wait. Gas Mileage. Averaging 38mpg over 9K miles. It takes a good 10 miles to get the mileage reading into the 30s, so not sure how it would do if you only take short trips. Probably not good.

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  Great Car with some annoying issues - 2011 Volkswagen JETTA SPORTWAGEN
  By teaton1 - August 1 - 2:02 pm

  Bought in May 2011 in Wisconsin. Brought the car to Central Europe where we now live. Very comfortable and tolerates the many bad roads in our region with aplomb.

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  great car - 2012 Volkswagen JETTA SPORTWAGEN
  By firstvw - August 14 - 1:37 pm

  I have owned my jetta sportwagen TDI for 4 months and am very happy with it. Great combination of handling and fuel economy. I have averaged 40 mpg over the 4000 miles put on the car so far. I love not having to go to the gas station! Good performance--it hauls a$# when I hit the gas! I dont love the exterior design, but it was a reasonable compromise to get the fuel economy and performance.

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  the wheels havent fallen off yet. - 2011 Volkswagen JETTA SPORTWAGEN
  By rakiura - June 28 - 6:05 pm

  Fun to drive on the twisties. Not Mini Cooper S fun, but good enough for a wagon. MPG so far is in the 40s. Has adequate power in the mountains , and plenty of power for passing and merging into highway traffic. It was hard to keep the RPMs low during the 1000 mi break in period.

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  Roomy plus good mileage too - 2014 Volkswagen JETTA SPORTWAGEN
  By lagniapperob - May 20 - 3:56 pm

  We looked for the a SportWagen TDI for a while. We usually buy a 1 or 2 year old car to avoid the initial hit from driving it off the lot. There just arent many of those out there, and those that were out there were almost as much as new. These cars tend to last, and their owners hold on to them. So we bought new.

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  Beware the ABS Module failure - 2011 Volkswagen JETTA SPORTWAGEN
  By ca_dryheat - April 27 - 10:15 pm

  July 3, 2014 on I-5 in Los Angeles, the ABS module failed on our 2011 Sportwagen TDI. The module controls the power steering, a/c, brakes, airbags, etc... We get off the freeway, and drop off car at McKenna VW in Cerritos. Problem diagnosed July 5, and Im told the repair will be $3200. Service rep tells me to call Customer Care. I do this and start a case #. Four days later, I get a call - VW will contribute $700. "And we dont have to do a thing, since youre out of warranty," I am told. The car has 50,000 miles on the odo. 12 July - we finally get a call that the car is ready. $1860 is the final bill. Took VW 5 days to get ABS module from Texas to California.

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  Great automobile - 2011 Volkswagen JETTA SPORTWAGEN
  By rchkah - January 11 - 12:14 am

  Purchased the car in April and have just over 14,000 miles on it. Always averaging 42 mpg. Love everything about the car. If I have an issue it would be somewhat jerky in town driving like it is searching for the right gear. Mine is an automatic so I can always downshift it to increase the RPMs. Snow season will soon be coming and I hope winter traction is good.

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  Is this a typical VW experience? - 2011 Volkswagen JETTA SPORTWAGEN
  By eyebiz - May 20 - 4:05 am

  This is my first experience with a VW. While I love to drive it and the gas mileage is great, I have had 3 repairs since my warranty expired. First my hatchback latch broke. At 41,000 miles a glow plug had to be replaced. Lastly, the car quit on me at 49,00 miles. The fuel injection pump failed and there were metal shavings in the fuel line. Apparently there is a technical bulletin for the 2009 model. Thankfully VW of Pasadena paid for the replacement at no cost to me.

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  great car, not so great service - 2012 Volkswagen JETTA SPORTWAGEN
  By kayakhow - March 14 - 4:12 am

  Love the car, I get mileage thats better than advertised. I had a hitch installed with enthusiastic encouragement from the dealer , thats when the fun began. I had a brake light issue, and although I was told the wire harness was properly installed they did not honor the warranty and hosed me good for the repair which was a labor only repair. So avoid installing any after market equipment on the car, especially where towing is involved. If your car is out of warranty, go for it, there are techs out there who work cheaper than the VW shop. Basically, the service experience soured me a bit, thery treated me better at the Chevy dealer when I had the truck.