Suitability Parameters:
Speed Merchants: No
Fashion Victims: Yes
Treehuggers: No
Mack Daddies: No
Tuner Crowd: No
Hairdressers: Yes
Penny Pinchers: No
Euro Snobs: Yes
Working Stiffs: Yes
Technogeeks: No
Poseurs: No
Soccer Moms: Yes
Nascar Dads: No
Golfing Grandparents: Yes

Also Consider:
• VW Jetta SportWagen TDI
• VW Jetta SportWagen 2.0T
• Mazda6 Wagon, if you can find one
• Subaru WRX
• Audi A3

Vitals:
• Manufacturer: Volkswagen
• Model year: 2009
• Base Price: Good Question
• Price as Tested: Better Question
• Engine type: 2.5L DOHC I5
• Horsepower: 170 @ 5,700 RPM
• Torque: 177 @ 4,250 RPM
• Transmission: 5-Speed Manual
• LxWxH: 179.3" x 70.1" 57.4"
• Wheelbase: 101.5"
• EPA Fuel economy city/highway: 21/29
• NHTSA crash test rating: ****/**** (Driver/Passenger)

Also see:

• 2009 Jetta Sportwagen, Part One
• 2009 Jetta SportWagen, Part Two

Acceleration:**
We can't wait to see the performance numbers for the wagon with the new 2.0-Liter TDI four banger, which looks to put out 235 lb/ft of torque. This is my nice way of saying that while the 170-horsepower 2.5-Liter I5 provides enough power to keep up with your neighbors, you'll need a little more to outpace them.

Braking:***
Despite the added heft of the wagon, its four-wheel disc brakes provide easy and predictable stopping power. This came in handy when driving through Wrigleyville, with its high concentration of bars, and playing my favorite game: dodge the drunk. I didn't run over anyone who didn't deserve it.

Ride:***
It is a testament to the designers that the SportWagen maintains the sportier-than-thou handling that Volkswagens are known for without sacrificing ride quality. Though the suspension is tuned stiffer than your dad's Country Squire, you'll still be able to apply EZ Cheese to your pretzels without making a mess as you cross the country on the way to your family reunion.

Handling:***
Speaking of the Country Squire, this Jetta could drive circles around it with an independent suspension up front consisting of McPherson struts and a rear multi-link rear setup. It is genuinely fun to toss the SportWagen about and doesn't suffer from a case of the leans in heavy cornering. The steering response is wonderful, providing a level of feedback much higher than you'd expect from a car in this class.

Gearbox:***
The five-speed manual transmission, like much else on this vehicle, provides predictable and precise performance. Even with sloppy shifting and some experimenting with the throttle I never felt the threat of slippage. Fourth gear felt a touch tall given that fifth gear is setup for highway driving, but that's a minor complaint given how much we enjoy the novelty of having a fun manual transmission in a wagon for sale in the US.

Audio:***
The standard eight-speaker stereo provides great sound throughout the open cabin. Chicago is a nightmare for people who listen to non-satellite radio but the Diversity Antenna, which switches between two physical antennae, never let me down. All that's separating this system from that extra star is the fact that the base audio system in this model features an input for an iPod but no discernible way of using it. Pod teases.

Toys:***
This particular model isn't heavy on toys but there are a few nice additions, including three power outlets, fully automatic windows for all passengers, integrated turn signal mirrors and dual reflector headlights that feature tiny VW logos.

Value:***
Yesterday I hinted that the base price was going to be somewhere near $20,000. Though I don't have an "as tested" price for this model, it looks like the base price could be as low as $19,900 and as high as $24,500. I still believe this is a reasonable amount to pay for the product (especially at the lower end), but the real value may come with the TDI model.

Overall: ***
Though not a knockout in either performance or looks, I was sad to see the SportWagen go. I've always had a soft spot in my heart for that extra pillar and being able to enjoy a wagon designed to the higher standards of our snooty European brothers and sisters without a slush box is a rare treat. Paired with a clean turbodiesel capable of an EPA estimated 41 mpg highway (though we expect a higher real world experience), the SportWagen could be a real contender.

Also see:

• 2009 Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen, Part One
• 2009 Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen, Part Three

Though I find this move disappointing, the indistinctness of the Jetta is mostly inoffensive and in SportWagen form the car loses the dorky symmetrical greenhouse for a slightly angled beltline that finishes with a thick pillar a la Cayenne. If you're into the sort of thing. And even if you aren't, as with the houses, you'll be spending more time inside enjoying it than outside staring at it. In my case this "enjoying" means the fun of toying with solid German engineering and not the pain of trying to lounge in the specially designed though miserably uncomfortable Wright furniture.

The inside of this car is a comfortable place to be even though this particular SportWagen was the basest of base models, equipped with a five-speed manual transmission and the 2.5-liter inline-five engine. Volkswagen likes to tout the fact that this engine is half of a Lamborghini V10 (they share a head-design) which is true in the way that ELO Part 2 was half of ELO. Despite its over-hyped origin the 170 horsepower and 177 lbs-ft of torque provide sufficient power. Those not content with sufficiency will have the option of the 2.0-liter turbo or 50-state legal TDI fourbanger when the car goes on sale in a few months.

Driving home from Target with a load of soymilk, toilet paper and the assorted basic needs of a modern life the VW encouraged confidence with enough power available to get me from stoplight to stoplight without worrying I'd find a lead-footed cabbie in the spacious hatch. However, while trying to sprint up a long highway onramp I nearly ran out of room before having to give way to a Compact SUV. Racing down the highway to reclaim my manhood, in a wagon no less, I was able to smoothly guide the quickly yielding shifter into third before it ran out of breath. I guess I could take comfort in the fact that with nearly 67 cubic feet of storage space the Jetta could easily haul more gear than the SUV.

I felt better when the Jetta reached the outer limits of Cook County along a stretch of road leading up to the aforementioned Glencoe, one of the locations used by John Hughes in Ferris Bueller's Day Off to represent upper-class comfort. All of a sudden the monotonous straightness gives way to a patch of road that doesn't stay straight for longer than 60 yards and includes a number of blind curves. Though there was a suggestion for lower speed, the Jetta shrugged it off. This generation features an independent suspension at all corners, including a rear multilink setup "borrowed" from Ford's capable C1-platform (they hired the same designers), which I was easily able to put to good use charting a sharp, fast line like a caterer late for a Junior League tea.

Weaving my way past the carefully manicured lawns and opulent homes it struck me that any shortcomings could be easily forgotten if you consider that this is a well-built, well-handling and attractive station wagon with German heritage and a manual transmission that should sell for somewhat less than most of these people spend to send their bratty kids to preschool (we hear close to $20K when it goes on sale).

Say what you will about the relatively bland new look, the 2009 Jetta SportWagen feels both unique and structurally sound. That's more than we can say for all of Wright's work. The famous Fallingwater may be one-of-a-kind, but the property has been saddled with problems ranging from rampant mold to balconies that started to bend due to insufficient reinforcement. That small detail and the general progression of taste meant the enclave of Prairie-style design in Glencoe is a historic neighborhood, no longer replicated. And with the impending demise of the Mazda6 wagon in North America, the SportWagen could be the last of a dying breed of fun, relatively cheap wagons.

Also see:

• 2009 Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen, Part Two
• 2009 Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen, Part Three

"We looked at that, but the amount of change to meet US regulations was going to be quite a lot of money...and the sad truth is, as much as some of us like 'sportwagons', they just don't sell in the US.

"How often do you see an Audi wagon? How often do you see a BMW wagon? How often do you see a Mercedes wagon? The answer is, almost never...they're just not fashionable. I can't explain why."