The Morning Call and Mcall.com's view

There was a time when Volkswagen outsold every other import while maintaining its status as a hip, happening brand. But like many a ’60s icon, it lost its way in the ’70s. It wasn’t until the new millennium that it found its way back, and soon, every hip twentysomething wanted or bought a Jetta.

Cue the music DJ.

But with the arrival of a new Jetta, will the oh-so-hip follow, or is VW now just yesterday’s trend?

The VW has garnered a fair amount of criticism for looking a lot like a Toyota Corolla. This is easy to understand, since the resemblance is hard to miss, but easy to understand. Most car designers come out of the same design schools, taught by the same teachers, using the same computer programs and modeling tools.

Those tail lamps, the blobby body shape — it looks a little too much like something that might have come from the land of the rising sun. VW does throw a large, blingy chrome grille up front and this sure helps distinguish the car.

Climb inside, and other details also remind you of that best-selling economy car, including the large audio system plopped exactly where it is in a Corolla.

Eek.

They say that as you grow older, you become your parents. Is your favorite car morphing into your parents’ sedate little sedan?

Nope.

Crank up the beatbox and throw it into gear.

The Jetta’s inline five-cylinder comes alive with a racket that only comes from the fatherland. The 2.5-liter inline five develops 150 horsepower and mates to a five-speed manual or six-speed automatic that can be shifted manually. The Jetta is available in a more expensive form when equipped with a 2-liter turbo four that also sees duty in the Audi A4, and a 1.9-liter turbo-diesel.

There is a less-expensive model than the 2.5 dubbed the ”Value Edition,” but certain safety items that are standard in the 2.5 are optional here and that makes the 2.5 the better deal. The safety gear is quite extensive, including front and side air bags, side curtain air bags, anti-slip regulation, electronic stability control, anti-lock brakes, electronic locking differential, disc brakes at all four corners and daytime running lights.

OK, that inline five is noisier than a city editor when a big story breaks. Just like that editor, it’s also not as quick as you’d expect. It’s not as anemic as last year’s base engine, but it’s not a whole lot better either. But the transmission is as civilized as Miss Manners, and the cabin is suitably hushed. The turbo four is a bit more fun than the inline five, which seems less responsive.

While the VW is more fun to drive than your average compact, it’s not as nimble as a Mazda3 or the older Jetta. At highway speeds both legal and illegal, the car’s manners are extremely good, better than most of its competition.

While watching the passing blur of foliage, you’ll find the new Jetta is almost as large as the A4, both inside and out. It’s seven inches longer than the old model and one inch wider. This makes the new Jetta a good choice for, gulp, family duties. I know that sounds very unhip, but hey, there’s actually foot room in the rear seat, something the old model couldn’t boast.

And trunk room? Marvy.

The test car had a $4,660 option package that included XM Satellite radio with three months service, leather seating surfaces, premium sound system, alloy wheels, power passenger seat, rear sunshade, wood trim, power driver’s seat with memory, garage door opener and fake wood trim. In other words, this was a little luxury car, but with a sticker price just a whisker over $26 grand.

This puts the Jetta at the value end of the European car market, although watch the options list. Pop for a higher trim level and it’s easy to push this car towards $30 grand. At that price, you can consider a BMW, an Audi or a larger VW, the Passat.

So will the young still swoon? I’m not so sure.

The base engine isn’t as quick as the competition and the Asian looks don’t help distinguish it. But its European road manners still distinguish it from the pack.

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lprintz@mcall.com

610-820-6713