The best compact wagons: Useful, fun and eye-catching

If you want a fuel-efficient car with a little more personality and room than the typical compact sedan, consider a compact wagon.

Our favorites for 2009 -- the Kia Rondo, Scion xB and Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen -- are easy to maneuver and park and fun to drive.

Each comes with a powerful yet economical engine, front-wheel drive and all the kid- and cargo-hauling convenience of a hatchback.

Prices start in the upper teens, and a healthy menu of standard equipment means you won't spend much more than $20,000, even if you find some of the options irresistible.

Kia Rondo

We'll admit that the Rondo isn't much to look at, with a bulbous shape that's so common for these kinds of wagons.

But the cavernous interior can seat seven with an optional third-row seat ($500), and the overall quality is quite good despite some cheap-looking plastic parts.

An eager (if somewhat loud) 2.4-liter, four-cylinder engine huffs out 162 horsepower -- just 20 less than the Rondo's optional V6.

It's surprisingly entertaining to drive, thanks to its fully independent rear suspension and sharply tuned steering. With the standard four-speed automatic transmission, you'll get average fuel economy for a compact wagon -- 19 miles per gallon in the city and 26 on the highway.

All Rondos come with antilock brakes and all-important stability control (still optional on many more-expensive cars), while the interior is fitted with six standard airbags. The Rondo earns the government's top five-star frontal crash rating, too.

We recommend the LX version, which starts at $18,895 and includes air-conditioning and power windows and locks. It's kind of a shame Kia wants an extra $300 for cruise control and keyless remote entry.

We'd spend it, bringing the total sticker price for this fine little wagon to $19,195, including destination charge.

A final bonus is that the Rondo is backed by one of the best warranties you'll find anywhere -- five years or 60,000 miles bumper-to-bumper and 10 years or 100,000 miles on the powertrain.

Scion xB

Totally redesigned last year, Scion's xB is bigger in every significant dimension. Its growth spurt includes a full foot in overall length, with slight increases in width and wheelbase, and a roofline that's a whisper taller than before.

Less of a straight-ahead four-door box than its predecessor, but still no stranger to 90-degree angles in its shape, the new xB straddles an attitude in the area right between edgy and mature. Standard 16-inch wheels and wider, sportier tires play to this broad middle ground and add cornering credibility to the mix.

The first-generation xB was underpowered with a 1.5-liter, four-cylinder engine that developed only 103 h.p. The new version comes with a 2.4-liter, 158-h.p., four-cylinder engine that easily gets you onto the freeway and around slow-moving trucks.

But the bigger and better xB is also heavier and less fuel efficient. Whether you choose the five-speed manual transmission or the four-speed automatic, you'll get 22 m.p.g. city/28 highway.

Inside, a 6-foot-4 driver could get lost and four of his 6-foot-4 friends could ride along without once complaining about headroom or legroom. The seats are supportive over short and long distances, and the center-mounted digital instrumentation delivers the requisite info with deep-orange clarity. Outward visibility is expansive, as is cargo space -- two more points in favor of the box.

Standard features include a six-speaker, 160-watt Pioneer AM/FM/CD player, plus iPod and auxiliary audio jacks as well as air-conditioning and cruise control.

A monument to safety among its peers, the 2008 Scion xB standards include front and rear disc brakes, traction and stability control, front and side airbags for the driver and front-seat passenger and side-curtain airbags for both rows. Just reading that list makes us feel protected.

The base Scion xB starts at $16,370 with a manual transmission and $17,320 with the automatic, including destination charges. That's a ringing bargain for loads of versatility, a dash of character and Toyota's legendary quality.

Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen

The SportWagen is totally new and drives richer than its price.

The crisp but restrained styling is classic German and so is the SportWagen's responsive handling and taut ride. Higher-speed cruising is quiet and composed, just like the larger, more expensive cars from Volkswagen's big-bucks competitors.

You'll also get lots of usable space and many standard safety features, including stability control and antilock brakes

Although there are three interesting engines available, the 2.5-liter, five-cylinder that's standard for the least-costly S version is all you'll need. It develops 170 h.p. and is noticeably stronger than the four-cylinder engines typical in the class.

The 21 m.p.g city/29 highway rating for either manual or automatic transmissions also makes it the most fuel efficient of our three favorites.

Once you've included the sophisticated six-speed automatic transmission that's so worth the extra $1,100 and rear-seat side airbags (another $350), the sticker price for a SportsWagen S reaches $21,099, including delivery charges.

Yes, the SportWagen costs a little more than our other favorites (OK, it's almost four grand more than the Scion) but its sophistication justifies the extra money.

Volkswagen's recent history has earned it a reputation for spotty reliability, but the company is turning that around.

If you're not convinced, take reassurance in the SportWagen's five-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty and the no-cost scheduled maintenance program that's in effect for the full term of the three-year/36,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty.

By Bill Visnic

Interest.com Contributing Editor