I recently tested a five-cylinder 2.5-liter Jetta SportsWagen SE and found myself enjoying this vehicle more with every mile. It can carry my dog, my wife and loads of our stuff for hundreds of miles on a single tank of a petrol - that's 'gas' in European lingo.

 

There are three engine choices with the SportsWagen: the 2.5-liter inline five, the biggest engine in the bunch; the 2-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine; and the 2-liter diesel engine, which is VW's first 50-state diesel. While the diesel is the most expensive engine (also known as a diesel premium) and diesel fuel costs more (also known as highway robbery), the TDI model will carry you and a carload of goods 40 miles on the highway with each gallon. That number decisively whips all of the subcompacts sold in the U.S. More importantly, this vehicle is more than just functional.

 

My six-speed manual test vehicle was downright fun to drive. The transmission clicked quickly through its gears and the steering felt well weighted with an excellent return to center.

 

The independent suspension maintains the sport in SportsWagen, keeping the Jetta firmly planted on the road. There's little body roll through tight turns, and on the highway, the ride is smooth, though a touch noisy. (I turned up the stereo to compensate.) It doesn't take long before you find yourself challenging your skills on highway entrances and exit ramps. It's quick.

 

It also demonstrates that high horsepower numbers are not the only figures you need to have fun. The 2-liter turbocharged four-cylinder Jetta SportsWagen hits 200 horsepower. My test vehicle only had 170 horses under its hood and it never lacked power.

 

Some of this is tied to using the manual transmission. If I needed more power, I had the option of manually downshifting.

 

The looks of this Jetta don't blow me away. Its feel is more bureaucratic than artistic. There's a utilitarian feel to SportsWagen, with its body-colored door handles, bumper and mirrors, small 16-inch wheels tucked in the wheel wells and a neatly curved hood that sits low on the front end.

 

It's curvaceous but sexless.

 

The shiny chrome trim around the grille adds a touch of bling and makes it easier to identify new generation Jettas for the laymen.

 

Inside, this Jetta offers lots of space. The instrument panel offers two big gauges and the center stack is clean and easy to use. VW's one-touch electric window is a feature I wish every carmaker offered. It only makes sense.

 

The manually adjusted seats were comfortable and the driving position provided me excellent lines of sight. When you sit in the driver's seat, you feel ready to drive. Knocking out the first 100 miles in the Jetta SportsWagen is more comfortable than spending an hour watching 'I Survived a Japanese Game Show.'

 

And it's more entertaining.

 

If following the Europeans means we'll have more cars like the Jetta SportsWagen, I'm all for it. This is a good all-around car that can serve a family or single person well. There's nothing wrong with combining sporty and practical.

 

Even if it was some European's idea.