2002 Volkswagen Jetta GLX Wagon

I was talking with some car industry analysts on the floor of the auto show in Detroit this past January when conversation turned to what will be hot among the newest generation of drivers. Are you ready for this? Station wagons.These guys (and they were all guys) told me the young want room to carry gear and friends (leaving the two-seater sports cars to us mid-life-crisis sorts, I guess.), but they still covet performance. Traditional sport utilities won’t do because that’s what Mom drives. Certainly not minivans.

But because station wagons have been relatively rare during this generation’s lives, these stretched cars look fresh to these young people. Wagons fill all the above requirements and, hence, are emerging as the hot ticket.

Obviously, these kids have no memories of carsick family vacations in the back of a VistaCruiser, or this notion would never sell.

But the new wagon bears no resemblance to those barges of yore. It is stylish, compact and a kick to drive, all the things that aptly describe this new Volkswagen Jetta GLX Wagon introduced in the U.S. in 2001 as a 2002 model.

Meet the future. It resembles the past.

The Good News
Station wagons have never gone out of style as passenger/cargo haulers in Europe, where people appreciate great handling and gas prices are out of the roof. These are the same reasons I love this Jetta wagon. It allows us to pack up our stuff and our friends in a vehicle that isn’t – and therefore doesn’t drive or drink gas like -- a truck.

You may not be able to put your bicycle upright in the back or stack up cases of your favorite beverage like in some compact sport utilities. But, considering the Jetta shares a platform with the hatchback Golf, its interior space is impressive. With 34 cubic feet of rear cargo space (71 with seats folded down) and extra lofty headroom, its capacity surpasses that of the Ford Focus wagon by 14 cubic feet, even though it’s smaller than the Ford. It also tops that of the BMW 3-Series wagon, the Volvo V40, Subaru Outback and Chrysler PT Cruiser. Not bad for a shrimp.

The Jetta wagon offers a selection of four engines and a choice of automatic or five-speed manual transmissions, same as the Jetta sedan. Mine was equipped with the 174-horse 2.8-liter VR6 that pumps as much power as you’d ever want through this little wagon. In fact, at times its 181 foot pounds of torque and over-eager acceleration seem to overwhelm this front-wheel-drive Jetta, initiating abrupt takeoffs and chirping tires. I suspect it’s something you adjust to. I also suspect the 1.8-liter twin cam turbo four, the engine I so loved in the New Beetle Turbo S, might be a smoother choice.

The best part about this Volkswagen wagon to me is its overall structural integrity. Like all VWs, it is tautly crafted top to bottom, impeccably finished inside and out, and seemingly built to endure. That integrity manifests in how crisply it handles, how firmly it rides and how securely it surrounds its passengers.

Compared to some thinly constructed compact sport utilities, this Jetta feels like a fortress, yet it drives like a well-tooled sport sedan.

The bad news
Of course, the graduating class isn’t the only market for this Jetta wagon. Families will also be intrigued. But they will likely be more disappointed because the Jetta’s cramped back seat leaves something to be desired – namely legroom. It’s the price VW paid for those impressive cargo stats.

The lower entry level also make working with car seats a rather back-aching affair compared to the straight-in convenience of sport utes and minivans. And extra cargo means you have to wrangle off the rear headrests before flattening the back seat, then finding the rear liftgate latch. They don’t make either easy.

Then there is price. My top-of-the-line, fully loaded GLX wagon with 6-cylinder engine, 8-speaker audio and leather heated seats checks out at $27,425 (up from a $25,400 base price). Compare that to $24,000 for a loaded Toyota RAV4 or a Honda CR-V EX at $21,000. Neither of those has V6 power, nor the level of luxury, safety and performance in this Jetta. But they do have all-wheel drive, 4-cylinder fuel economy and serve the same market as the Jetta wagon. So price is a consideration.

Gas mileage
EPA rated at 19 city/26 Highway

Is it worth it?
While America goes after this youth market with futuristic pods like the Pontiac Vibe and Ford Focus wagon, VW – and other Europeans – stick to the more traditional wagon, an extension of the sport sedan. For those who enjoy the convenience of all-in-one cargo/passenger room coupled with the exhilaration of whipping around tight corners and the comfort of settled, sedan-like highway cruising, the European wagon is clearly the way to go.

If the prognosticators are correct, we can expect to see even more wagons in the future. If those wagons are anything like this Jetta GLX, we’re in for a treat.

Beth Stein is a life-long car buff and free-lance journalist living in Nashville. She has reviewed new vehicles in print for 12 years as a weekly columnist for Nashville’s daily newspapers and on television for Road Test Magazine and Motor Trend Television. Currently, her reviews appear nationally on Car And Driver Television.