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Background:
I have to ditch my cooper in November as our family is growing to the point the Cooper S is not reasonable for me.Car:
2009 Jetta TDI
Competition (for my dollar):
2009 Clubman S
2009 4 Door GTI
2009 A4 Sedan/Avant
2009 A3
2005 330i ZHP

Likes: smooth power, great gas mileage, good fit and finish
Dislikes: soft suspension, VW trannies, FWD, lack of xenon headlights

I'm not gonna touch the exterior as the VW family, like BMW's lineup (including Minis) are pretty bland looking cars.
On the inside everything feels a notch or two better than my Cooper's cheap interior components. Still not high quality but it's all very solid, functional and Germanic.

Turn the key and the little 2.0TDI comes to life. Wow, that's pretty quiet. Seriously, the engine at idle is quieter than my Cooper S.
Good seats too. I like these seats more than the GTI's cloth covered seats. They feel more substantial than my Cooper's seats too. Love the power motion but why manual fore/aft? Weird. Anyway, they're pretty comfy and got a big thumbs up from my wife. I still prefer my 2003 BMW's seats to any car I've been in over the past 10 years.

Back to the car. Sadly I had to drive the automatic. Like our A3 it's a DSG and like our A3 it has great points and low points. It's silky smooth to shift gears; it seems to resist moving for a few seconds when you depress the throttle. With 235 ft-lbs in a relatively heavy car, the take off is never forceful but it does occur quickly. The tranny slides into gear and the car glides away.

Acceleration was shockingly good once underway. It doesn't seem as free-revving or as forceful as our 2.0T but press the gas and this sucker just goes without fuss. I think I would miss the frantic way the Cooper's turbo applies overboost as I found the engine's linear smoothness less than inviting (like my 2006 330i's anemic inline 6).

At highway speeds the TDI seemed reluctant to really take off with WOT but I blame this more on the DSG. With so much torque I expected the TDI to feel more like the shove-you-back diesels I drove in years past. Still, I wish I'd had a proper transmission to drive but such is life.
Road noise was low and the car tracked nicely, with little jitter/bounce over San Diego's pockmarked roads (it's like we live in Beirut). In terms of in-cabin noise at 70-80, the car was far quieter than our A3 (which still wears nasty all-seasons) or my Cooper's summer performance tires. Unlike the A3 I didn't hear a steady rumble from the rear.

My wife loved the smooth ride; I found it okay. She detests the cooper S and felt the Clubman S was tolerable. While the TDI felt very VW (somewhat firm, tracks nicely, conveys some road feel), I can tell if I go TDI i'm gonna need to play with the suspension. With the understeer and soft suspension the car soaks up bumps and never lets you forget the target market is anyone who doesn't own a sports sedan or sports hatch.

Space is fine and we like the rear vents. Trunk space is huge compared to my Cooper and the Clubman S. The backseat felt comfy and roomy. The sportwagon felt more comfortable inside than my sister's flabby 328ti. Stats be damned, the wagen has more comfortable rear seat space than a e9x BMW wagon for certain.

Regardless we drove the TDI sedan as no wagon TDIs were on the lot. Can't see I'd go for the wagon after sitting in one and seeing its girth in person. Sure the space is good but the vehicle feels too large for my tastes.

Overall i was impressed with the engine and felt it's a pretty solid deal for 23k. I'll never warm to the exterior. The interior feels better than my Cooper but still not an interior I think is laid out nicely. The idea of getting 35 mpg combined appeals to me some (though 29-30 with a Clubman S makes the fuel savings pretty slim). Sadly, the soft suspension, lack of frantic oomph and xenons (aftermarket mods on lights is not something I will do) may keep me from pulling the trigger.

While the TDI only gained in my estimation tonight, this still appears to be a race mostly between the Clubman S and GTI 4 door, with a used 2005 330i ZHP reserved as the most emotionally attractive car to drive daily (no warranty, 23 mpg combined, difficult rear seat access handicap it).
If they had a TDI engine in the GTI 4 door this would be an easier choice for me - better interior layout, better suspension and a few features I want (xenons).

My wife insists I should go with the Clubman S as I like my 07 Cooper S quite a bit. I could do without the Clubman's cheesey interior and FWD but overall it's fun. Clubby as I outfitted it will be 29k. TDI 23k. GTI 23k. The cash won't make the difference though.