The newly redesigned Volkswagen Jetta came as a disappointment to a number of car enthusiasts. A change of philosophy resulted in the Jetta being built with an eye towards practicality and affordability, rather than performance or luxury. The Volkswagen strategy seems to have worked. Fortunately, Volkswagen didn鈥檛 entirely forget about true Jetta fans, and for those in the market for a wagon, the 2013 Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen is still a great choice. In addition to the roominess you鈥檇 expect from a wagon, the Jetta SportWagen was not subject to the same cost cutting measures as the traditional Jetta, meaning it kept the Jetta鈥檚 higher quality interior materials and extras. Ride quality has also been maintained, and if you liked the way the old Jetta drove, you鈥檒l probably really enjoy driving the Jetta SportWagen. This combination of comfortable handling and roominess makes the 2013 Jetta SportWagen a great alternative to a crossover.
It fits very neatly into that niche between sedan and small SUV. In fact, the Jetta SportWagen actually has more cargo space than some of the smaller crossovers. If you鈥檝e been stuck on which car to buy because a sedan doesn鈥檛 quite meet your needs but you鈥檙e not ready to dive into the SUV culture, there鈥檚 a good chance the Jetta SportWagen is your solution. The 2013 Jetta SportWagen comes in the standard S model and the SE trim. It鈥檚 also available as a PZEV for both the S and SE trims, and comes in a fuel-saving TDI model. There are no major changes to the Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen for 2013. For those who have seen the evolution of the standard Jetta to a more economical model, this is largely regarded as a good thing. The exterior of the Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen has the look of a solid, stylish wagon.
It features roof rails, keyless entry and 16 inch wheels. Alloy wheels are optional and standard on the SE and TDI models. The SE and TDI offer upgrades to a panoramic sunroof and 17 inch alloy wheels. A roof edge spoiler is also an option. While smaller than an SUV, the SportWagen does offer 5.4 inches of ground clearance and measures 14鈥?1.1? Body colors for the 2013 Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen include Reflex Silver Metallic, Platinum Gray Metallic, Black Uni, Candy White and Tornado Red. The wagon is a traditional family car, which makes safety extremely important. As you would expect from a Volkswagen, the Jetta SportWagen does extremely well on this score. On Insurance Institute of Highway Safety tests, the 2013 Jetta SportWagen earned a top rating of ? The Jetta SportWagen has a full slate of vital safety features, including four-wheel antilock brakes, traction and stability control, emergency brake assist and electronic brake force distribution, with ventilated front disc and solid rear disc brakes.
You鈥檒l find front and rear head airbags and dual front side-mounted airbags in the Jetta SportWagen, as well as child safety locks and child seat anchors, an alarm system and engine immobilizer and tire pressure monitoring. SportWagen is a bit misleading. This suspension isn鈥檛 quite stiff enough for any daredevil stunts behind the wheel, but you鈥檙e going to get the drive experience you expect in a wagon, a safe, smooth, comfortable, quiet ride. If you鈥檙e looking for something a little more responsive, go with the five-speed manual transmission rather than the six-speed automatic. The front wheel drive Jetta Sportswomen鈥檚 2.5-Liter five cylinder engine provides 170 horsepower and 177 lb-ft. 23/33 mpg city/highway, 24/31 mpg city/highway with the shiftable automatic. If course, if you鈥檙e really looking for a gas camel in your SportWagen, you鈥檒l go with the TDI, which gets a wallet-friendly 30/42 mpg city/highway out of its diesel-fueled engine. That 2.0-Liter four cylinder engine doesn鈥檛 provide quite as much punch, delivering 140 horsepower and 236 lb-ft. 鈥檙e buying a TDI SportWagen, power is probably not your top priority. The TDI comes linked to a six-speed manual transmission or six-speed automated manual transmission.
The 2013 Subaru Outback is a great SUV that is supposed to find its place on the market among the fierce competition of SUVs, such as the Toyota Matrix, the Volkswagen Jetta Sportwagen, and the Acura TSX. It's a vehicle that was specifically designed to appeal to the American consumer, with a powerful engine, good fuel efficiency and good performances on off-road terrains. This latest generation Outback, which uses the same platform as the mid-sized Subaru Legacy, has several improvements over its predecessors, mostly concerning the fuel economy and the engine power. This 4-wheel-drive SUV comes with a 2.5-liter, 4-cylinder Boxer engine, with Dual Active Valve Control System, providing 173 horsepower, and 174 lb-ft of torque. It has a 6-speed manual transmission, but you can opt for a continuously variable transmission, as well. Standard systems that cater to traction and stability control include the Vehicle Dynamics Control (VDC) and the Traction Control System.
