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Volkswagen is in the midst of a product transformation. For model year 2011 it completely redesigned the popular Jetta and this year they are introducing a new Passat and Beetle. While giving the vehicles more precise lines there seems to be a strong determination to clean things up and simplify design and content while at the same time placing a great deal of urgency on “getting things right.”

We recently spent time in the new Jetta sedan and I believe they are “getting it right.”

Ours was a TDI model featuring a fuel-thrifty 2.0-liter 140hp turbodiesel inline four-cylinder engine in a front-drive configuration that was surprisingly swift. The inherent nature of turbodiesel engines gives them a low-end torque boost that equates to a feeling of enhanced acceleration when gripping the wheel.

Another benefit of the TDI powertrain in the Jetta is the 30 mpg we saw around town and more than 42 mpg out on the highway with the AC running full tilt.

OK, we were not looking for any Pony cars to test our driving skills against but with the six-speed manual gearbox and electronic differential lock we enjoyed a good bit of giddyup during our week.

As I mentioned earlier, it seems as if the makers of the “people’s car” have cleaned up the new models while simplifying design and content. This is not meant to be read as “cheapened” but some critics have expressed their opinions in that direction.

I suppose they make a point to a certain degree as the new models are, well, cheaper, beginning at just under 16 grand now. This makes Jetta an even better value and I did not find anything to denigrate when evaluating the new ride. Yes, designers have taken a different approach but what the model offers far outweighs the fact that it no longer “looks like a Jetta.”

The car is comfortable, roomy and simply works. It drove extremely well on the road both in town and out on the open stretches of wide open spaces we explored as we barely dipped into the 600-plus mile range of the TDI fuel tank. And the new TDI is 50-state compliant for emissions.

The new Jetta is rated a compact-class car but it feels like it is more mid-sized. While listing Honda Civic as a class competitor I would put its on-road feel leaning more towards that of Accord.

Trunk space is still cavernous and rearseat legroom is tops in its class and the new Jetta features all of the latest safety technology while also offering all the creature comforts we have become spoiled with.

Pricing for our TDI tester came in at $23,765 placing it at the upper end of the pricing scale for the new car. Should something a bit sportier be your flavor a new GLI model will be arriving in showrooms soon.

This all-new “cheaper” 2011 Volkswagen Jetta is by no means a cheapened car.

UPDATE: Just a week after running this review on a vehicle I really enjoyed, Volkswagen has issued this recall:

VOLKSWAGEN ANNOUNCES VOLUNTARY SAFETY RECALL

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2011_Honda_CR-Z_Compact_Sport_.zip (263 KB)

The CR-Z from Honda was a bit of a surprise for me: A surprise it took Honda so long to come out with a modern version of its popular little car; a surprise it came out as a hybrid; and a surprise that I found myself a little disappointed by the whole thing.

As a modern CR-X, it has gained a bit of size and heft and as a hybrid it comes up a bit short on gas mileage. The new CR-Z gets worse fuel economy (highway and averaged) than quite a few gasoline-only cars currently in the Honda fleet and even gets bested by both Civic and Insight hybrid stablemates.

I am surprised CR-Z offers a manual gearbox in addition to the CVT, a transmission that allows the car to get roughly 10 percent better gas mileage. And I am surprised that Honda has already had to issue a recall for the manual-equipped CR-Z models to fix a software glitch that could allow the electric motor to spin the opposite direction your shifter choice.

The car is billed as a sporty hybrid coupe with aggressive styling and while I agree on the styling point the CR-Z would not make my list of favorite sports cars. Give me a "Z" over the CR-Z any day.

I always felt the first-generation Insight hybrid from Honda paid homage to the CR-X. The current Insight almost looks too much like a knock-off of the Prius. Since Honda's real sport coupe S2000 was yanked off the line a couple of years ago perhaps the automaker should have concentrated its efforts there (like, say, an S3000).

The CR-Z uses Honda's Integrated Motor Assist technology which I have not been such a big fan of. The constant start/stop of the gasoline engine is not silky smooth and I wish Honda engineers could give their hybrid vehicles more of an extended EV range.

If you get used the start/stop nature of the IMA system (and you better because quite a few automakers will be coming out with this in new vehicles in the near future as another way to tweak a few mileage points on our way to 2025) the CR-Z operates just fine on the road. Until you look in the rearview mirror and discover the traffic behind you hidden by a large bar splitting the rear glass in the hatch.

The new CR-Z features a great design by Honda and I hope it does not go away soon. Just put your heads together to solidify a couple achilles heals like maybe offer a gas only option and reduce that rearward blindspot.

CR-Z is heavier than both the Civic Hybrid and the Insight but sports an extra 200cc of displacement in the gasoline engine for a bit more overall power so from the driver's seat performance is a wash.

The 2011 CR-Z EX model with NAVI that we tested came as loaded as one can get a CR-Z and rolls in at $23,310. For the record, fuel economy with the manual gearbox is 31 mpg city and 37 mpg highway – better around town than most gas only vehicles but the 37 highway is beaten by more than a handful these days. In terms of environmental footprint the CR-Z is rated a perfect 10 for global warming score and near-perfect 9 for its smog score.

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Long time passing…

(Apologies to Pete Seeger and his classic tune from 1961.)

Apparently station wagons fell from the good graces of the auto-buying public being replaced first with the minivan, then the SUV and now the crossover and hatchback.

But for those who have not lost the love for the “family truckster” look no further than your closest luxury car dealer.

Seems the place to find this segment is in the higher-end markets as brands such as Acura, Cadillac, and Mercedes all offer the long, low “sedans with a greenhouse.” Volkswagen still offers a wagon on the Jetta platform but most of the high-volume brands have gone the way of the hatch, crossover, sporthatch, sportcross or something their marketing departments have dreamed up. And some have gone to great lengths to deny the “walks like a duck, talks like a duck” train of thought (Magnum? Flex? Looking at you guys here.)

Recently we spent a little time with the new TSX Sport Wagon (OK, they interjected a sexier adjective like Cadillac does) from Acura. TSX here in the states is the equivalent of the Accord in Europe and many of you may remember Honda delivered a wagon for years on the Accord platform for North America.

Just about everywhere I went in the Acura wagon we had folks asking about the vehicle and commenting on its good looks. This certainly is no Country Squire.

And the sport wagon tagline is no advertising gimmick. Under the hood is the spirited iVTEC 2.4-liter four sporting 201hp via a smooth five-speed automatic gearbox with Sequential SportShift and yes, even steering wheel mounted shift paddles (on a wagon, yes).

OK, so I probably wouldn’t enter the TSX in the next autocross but its sport bucket seats up front are very supportive and keep you in place should any driving competition make your “to do” list.

Vehicle stability assist and side curtain airbags add to the “safety cocoon” aspect of the TSX sport wagon and all of the latest technology available from Acura figured prominently in our Tech model tester including real-time traffic and weather information (including radar). Sweet. One little feature went a bit overboard for me but someone like my mother would greatly appreciate it – power tailgate. I appreciate the power liftgates in those big honkin’ SUVs I also test but in this wagon I personally never found it necessary to use but I do appreciate its availability for those with their arms full of groceries or kids (or both).

Pricing for the slick new wagon from Acura starts at $30,960 with the final sticker of our 2011 TSX Wagon Tech model coming in at just over 35 grand. And for those not wanting to drive a “wagon” Acura does still offer its own sporthatchcrossthing in the ZDX.