This is the first TDI/dual-clutch automatic I've driven in a few years, and the pair works remarkably well together. Half-throttle acceleration runs and downshifts are particularly slick and quick. I'm not as enamored of this combination as Phil, however, and if it were my money, I'd rather save the $1100 and enjoy rowing my own gears (and if this were your car, you'd eventually get used to the quiet turbo-diesel's relatively low shift points and narrow torque band). I, too, missed the paddle shifters installed in most DSG-equipped VWs and Audis.
The wagon looks a bit funny, but I'm very glad that Volkswagen offers it (and at a pretty decent price). The Jetta sedan has a huge trunk, but this easily accessible cargo area is absolutely enormous, especially considering the smallish size of the Jetta. My weekend's worth of luggage and beer barely made a dent in the back, but it pretty much filled every nook and cranny of our Four Seasons Audi R8.
Rusty Blackwell, Copy Editor ...next page >>