2009 Volkswagen City Jetta. Click image to enlarge

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Review and photos by Jil McIntosh

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2009 Volkswagen City models

Whenever a new model comes out, the vehicle it replaced is usually cast aside even before its successor turns a wheel. But when Volkswagen introduced new versions of its Jetta and Golf, it made an unusual move: it not only kept the outgoing models, but turned them into successes once again, creating the City Golf, and my tester, the 2009 City Jetta.

The City models came about for 2007, when new Jetta replaced old Jetta, and the Golf gave way to a new model, renamed Rabbit. Between the upcoming cars’ phase-in time and the temporary discontinuation of Volkswagen’s diesel – now revived as a clean, U.S.-compliant engine – the company lacked the entry-level models that had proved so popular with Canadian buyers. The answer was to continue importing the old models, strictly for Canada – they were never sold in the U.S. – with the “City” prefix. It proved to be a very savvy marketing decision. But they were only ever temporary measures, and their days are numbered: the 2009 City Jetta is in its final year, while the City Golf will carry into the 2010 model year, ending its sales run in the first part of next year.

Like the City Golf, the City Jetta comes with only one engine choice, and in a single trim line. It’s a naturally-aspirated, 2.0-litre, SOHC four-cylinder engine, and it’s a carryover that’s used exclusively in the City models; the 2.5-litre, turbocharged 2.0-litre and clean diesel in the new Jetta aren’t shared. The City Jetta also comes only as a four-door sedan, with no wagon variation available.

So why settle for an older design and so few choices? It’s all about the price. The City Jetta starts at $16,900, while the least-expensive 2009 Jetta is $21,975. That naturally gets you more features, but when matching my tester’s options as closely as possible to a 2.5-litre Jetta, my City version came out $2,065 less. That’s not quite as much of a difference, but it’s still several months’ worth of payments, and a major consideration if you’re on a budget.

The default transmission is a five-speed manual; a six-speed automatic includes a regular “Drive” mode, a “Sport” mode that keeps it in gear a bit longer for a sportier feel, and a manual shift mode, for an additional $1,400. That’s quite an impressive feature in this segment, and it was added for 2008, when the City models got a freshening-up.

Standard features include manual remote mirrors, 16-inch steel wheels, variable intermittent wipers, anti-theft alarm, floor mats, power locks with keyless entry, two 12-volt power outlets, CD/MP3 player with both auxiliary input and USB port, and wind-up windows.

2009 Volkswagen City Jetta. Click image to enlarge

Besides the automatic gearbox, stand-alone options are air conditioning, at $1,350; power sunroof, for $1,200; electronic stability control, for $450; curtain airbags, for $410; and front side airbags, for $160. There’s also a Comfort Package, at $975, which adds 16-inch alloy wheels, cruise control, heated power mirrors and power windows, and a $275 Cold Weather Package, with heated seats and washer nozzles.

I drove the City Jetta back-to-back with the City Golf, and while they had the same engine/transmission combination, I found the Jetta to be the better of the two; its engine didn’t seem quite as noisy, and its transmission served up smoother shifts, especially when it was cold. On paper, its 115 horsepower and 122 lb-ft of torque doesn’t sound all that impressive, but out on the street, it works quite well, especially when you consider the “city” name and the fact that it’s primarily intended to be an urban runabout. It steps away from a light smartly enough, and if the engine’s been eclipsed by the more sophisticated powerplants available in the new Jetta, that doesn’t mean it can’t do the job. While it can’t measure up to the new diesel, it gets better published mileage than the new 2.5-litre, rating at 9.9 L/100 km in the city and 6.9 on the highway with the automatic transmission. In cold-weather driving, I averaged 10.4 L/100 km.

What genuinely impresses about the City Jetta is the ride and handling. It’s far better than you’d expect for the price, handling the worst of potholes without banging or crashing over them, and offering up a comfortable ride that’s compliant without being wallowy. Even though the design is relatively old, most of its more up-to-date competitors don’t handle this well; it responds quickly and accurately to steering input, with more road feel than expected for the price. It’s well-planted on the highway, where it scoots along without the need to keep adjusting it to keep it straight. Four-wheel disc brakes with anti-lock are standard – vented fronts, solids behind – and they do an excellent job of halting everything, with confident pedal feel.

2009 Volkswagen City Jetta. Click image to enlarge

The City Jetta and City Golf share a similar interior, and there are good and bad points. On the plus side, panel fit is excellent, the materials look and feel like they belong on a more expensive vehicle, the optional five-position seat heaters get up to serious sizzle, the front seat cushions are longer than many and provide good thigh support (short cushions are an easy way for a manufacturer to make the interior look bigger, but you’ll feel the difference), the stereo comes with both auxiliary input and USB for music players, and the wheel is just the right size. On the down side, some ergonomics could be better: the heater dials are small and difficult to turn, they’re so low on the stack that you must reach around the shift lever for them, and the stereo’s on/off button is a tiny plastic nub off in the corner, not the more logical dial that controls the volume. The seats are set high in the Jetta, which can go either way; I thought they were fine, while my passenger complained that they were too tall for his liking. Seatback adjustment is done by a dial, which many prefer to a lever, but the control is set so far back on the seat that it’s difficult to reach it, and the seatbelt gets in the way.

I first complained that it was difficult to open the trunk lid; the key fob unlocks its power clasp, but the lid doesn’t spring up, and I had to squish my fingers under the lip to pull it open. Of course, the most important item on any vehicle is the owner’s manual, which let me in on the secret: push on the big VW emblem between the taillights and it flips out, providing a handle to get inside. The trunk is 105 cm long, and includes a little side compartment with net, but the lift-over is fairly high. The rear seats fold flat, opening the cargo space to 163 cm, but it’s not the simplest of chores. The bottom cushions flip up easily enough, but then you have to remove the head restraints before folding the seatbacks, and reaching the middle restraint is a chore. There’s also no place to store them once they’ve been removed.

In a world of “new-and-improved,” it’s easy to get caught up in the latest cars coming down the pipe. And that’s fine; the compact segment is a crowded one, and there are some excellent models, from manufacturers hailing from all corners of the globe. But while the City Jetta’s engine has long been eclipsed by smoother models, it still does exactly what it’s supposed to do, and it’s surrounded by an urban runabout package that also does what it’s supposed to do – and in some areas, better than much of its competition. The package is good and the price is reasonable. If you’re in the market, test-drive it now, before it’s gone.

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