Mother Proof's view

I’ve always thought of the Volkswagen Jetta as a small starter car best suited for a single person. After test-driving the 2009 Jetta TDI, I can happily admit that I was wrong. This car is great for hauling around the family.

I was impressed by the Jetta TDI’s comfortable backseat, enormous trunk and distinctly European driving quality. I was equally pleased by its quiet clean-diesel engine and the 38 mpg combined mileage I averaged during my week-long test drive. The Jetta gets an EPA-estimated 30/41 mpg city/highway, but I got 45 mpg on a highway-only trip. If I’d really minded my speed on that trip, I bet I could have pushed the 50 mpg mark.

Apparently I’m not alone in my appreciation of the Jetta TDI’s gas-sipping ways. It won the Green Car Journal’s 2009 Green Car of the Year award at the 2008 L.A. auto show back in November, and Road & Travel Magazine awarded it the Earth, Wind and Power Car of the Year award.

The Jetta TDI comes in both sedan and wagon form. A lot of us at MotherProof.com aren’t shy about sharing that we love wagons! VW is one of the few, proud, non-apologetic manufacturers that understand the wagon isn’t dead to all of us out here in Mommyland.

Exterior

Well, this is going to seem downright silly, but the Jetta’s front looked like a smiling face, with the VW medallion in the grille for a cute nose. It made me smile each time I approached the car. It’s those little things, like an awesome paint color or a well-placed chrome accent, that fuel my obsession with cars.

After being greeted by the car’s smiley front end, I was a little stunned by the ginormous TDI/Clean Diesel sticker that took up almost the entire door. I didn’t like it. It seems car manufacturers think we want to promote our own greenness. Seriously, driving a fuel-efficient car is about doing what’s right for the planet, not a status symbol. I’m slinking away from the soapbox now.

After I pulled my eyes off the giant stickers, I discovered that the Jetta TDI has a surprisingly large trunk. I didn’t come close to filling up the cargo space with outdoor-adventure gear for my second-grader’s overnight trip or the week’s worth of groceries I shopped for in my spare time.

SENSE AND STYLE

Family Friendly (Not Really, Fair, Great, Excellent): Excellent

Fun-Factor (None, Some, Good Times, Groove-On): Groove On

Interior

I easily found a comfortable driving position in the Jetta; with its height-adjustable seat and tilt/telescoping steering wheel, I felt in command of the road. I loved the simplicity of the controls, and the nighttime blue-and-red color scheme was so cool I made up reasons to run errands at night.

The backseat’s legroom wasn’t ample, but I’d consider it adequate. I’d be cautious about asking an adult to sit in the backseat during a road trip if the front-seat occupants were unwilling to pull their seats forward a bit. Anyone riding behind me and my shortish frame would be fine, but a taller driver might encroach on the foot space of a rear passenger.

I have to admit that I was really impressed by the Jetta’s V-Tex seating surfaces. V-Tex is a fancy name for Volkswagen’s top-of-the-line vinyl seating surfaces. My initial reaction to the idea of a vinyl car seat was “No, thanks.” However, I was pleasantly surprised at how supple and comfortable the V-Tex seats were; this isn’t your mama’s vinyl. It was easy to clean and didn’t require any additional care (like conditioning) in the dry climate where I live. The quality made me less likely to discount vinyl options in the future.

My kids loved the rear center console that pulled out of the center seatback, and they thought the super-secret pop-out cupholder in the end of the console was nifty. I thought that same cupholder was flimsy, and I wouldn’t expect it to last more than a year or two before some child snapped a piece off it.

IT’S THE LITTLE THINGS THAT COUNT

Storage Compartments (Puny, Fair, Ample, Galore): Fair

Cargo/Trunk Space (Puny, Fair, Ample, Galore): Ample

Safety

The Jetta comes with front and seat-mounted side-impact airbags, as well as side curtain airbags for the first and second rows. Rear side-impact airbags are an option, which bothers me because I want as many standard safety features as possible. The Jetta earned a Good score in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s side-impact crash test, and it wasn’t equipped with the optional airbags. That score eases my mind, but I’d still shell out the 350 bones to add them to the car.

The Latch connectors are almost too accessible; they bare their soul to the world without a slip of fabric over the top of them. I’d expect them to fill up with all kinds of crumbs in no time. Don’t get me wrong, though; I’d much rather have easy-to-use, crumb-filled Latch connectors than something that’s nearly impossible to use.

Other standard safety features include antilock brakes, traction control, stability control and brake assist, which senses panic braking and electronically applies additional stopping power.

FAMILY LIFESTAGE

In Diapers: There’s lots of trunk space for your baby stroller and more.

In School: The Latch connectors are easily accessible, and the V-Tex seat upholstery is easy to clean.

Teens: They’ll love riding around in this stylish sedan.