Comments on: First Drive: 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI

By: Chuck

Chuck — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 10:44:45 +0000

It does cost more. However, a diesel engine will outlive a gasoline one by at least 100,000 miles if it is properly maintained. The carbon footprint is so much smaller. The tested MPG is lower than actual MPG (ask any TDi owner, including me). The availability of biodiesel will increase substantially once gasoline returns to the stratospheric price of this past summer. That will lessen our dependence upon oil from the Middle East which will, in turn, reduce the amount of money we give to folks who generally don’t care much for us Americans. Plus, it’s cool to go to the diesel pump!

By: Geoff

Geoff — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 13:15:33 +0000

I just purchased a 2009 Jetta TDi with 2.0L Turbo Diesel, this is an awesome car, I am a regional sales manager and drive 25-30K per year, with trips between 1-5 hour in drive time each way, a hybrid would probably not have the range ? and I would be asked to sacrifice some perfomrnace over the jetta. My previours car was the 1.8L Turbo Passat, which got around 32MPG, I am expecting more like 48-50MPG from the Jetta on the open road. I opted for the 6 speed version, the torqe is amazing cruising at 65 mph, the RPM is only 2000, it will crusie happliy all the way down to 1500 rpm, and still allow you to accelerate without having to shift down.
Not having to stop to fill up on a trip from Indy to cleveland and back is real plus, how many cars can do that ?

By: Philip Hilgersom

Philip Hilgersom — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 16:30:07 +0000

Could not agree with Patrick more. Europe is full of clean diesels and most brands launch a diesel version of most new models simultaneously with a gas engine model. Espcially in Holland, where I am originally from, diesels are extremely popular, as diesel fuel is somewhat cheaper than gasoline, but road tax is much more than gas engine equipped cars. The fuel economy, paired with the torque is probably the main reason people choose these vehicles. And with the present state of the diesel engine, there is no more or very little "diesel disadvantage" such as smell, sound etc. etc.
We drive a Jetta Sportwagon (no diesel version yet here, so a gasoline 2.5 liter 5 cylinder), whic is an awesome car. The Touareg we also have is jealous!!

By: Davi Ottenheimer

Davi Ottenheimer — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 20:44:48 +0000

I've been driving a TDI 2.0 liter engine for almost four years now and what most people fail to understand is the *massive* power in this engine coupled with efficiency.

The torque is more than most pickups such as the Ford F-150. Imagine for a moment if the so-called "utility" and "worker" trucks were replaced with TDI station wagons. You would move a huge average from below 15 to above 35 mpg. More comfortable, more room, better handling/safety, and far better economy in a large segment of the population.

Moreover, getting 600 miles out of a 15 gallon tank of gas saves an unbelievable amount of time. On road-trips pulling a trailer I shave hours down by eliminating the need to stop for refueling. Even this Jetta has enough torque to tow a nice sized trailer.

I have nothing against the ultra-light city vehicles like the civics and prius hybrids, but if you want high efficiency without sacrificing performance or power to haul around people and gear (like we Americans tend to do), diesel is the real answer. Personally if I wanted something light and efficient for commuting, I'd just ride an electric motorbike.

No need for food-based fuel, thanks. Just recycle the oil waste headed for landfill/tallow or start using algae (only 1-2 percent of existing US crop land needed to meet 50 percent of US demand). 0 food impact. We don't need to go to 100 percent to make a big difference. Small steps start the marathon.

By: Dell

Dell — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 20:09:44 +0000

The extra cost of diesel prohibits any real savings to the consumer so a hybrid car is still your best option particularly the Toyota Prius.
I drive a Honda and that is a great alternative too. Toyota and Honda beat Volkswagen in overall ownership costs and are cheaper to maintain. I also do not like the attitude you get from Volkswagen dealerships and their cars are usually the most expensive cars in their class with comparable options.

By: Dom

Dom — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 13:22:41 +0000

Hmm… do you eat algae?? Biodiesel can be made from all sorts of plants, many of which are not human’s primary food source. And of course regular diesel comes from oil. So does gasoline. Oh, and by the way, hybrids run on gasoline.

By: ex-EV1 driver

ex-EV1 driver — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 03:16:59 +0000

Diesel comes from oil or food.
Need I say more?

By: harry

harry — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 21:14:49 +0000

I live in Germany and can say that Volkswagen is really great in Diesel.

The TDI is fantastic to drive. Till now i drive a Diesel from Mercedes.

The car is not worth its money.

Since Porsche is a part-owner of Volkwagen, its the best car for its money value.

By: Dom

Dom — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 17:40:38 +0000

Biodiesel is a complicated question. The official answer is only B5 (5% biodiesel) blends or less are currently supported by VW (won’t void your warranty). This has been the limit for several years. Most 2006 and older models run higher blends just fine. The jury is still out on the new ones as this is a new engine. That said, a biodiesel distributor is running a very meticulous test running a new 09 TDI on B100 biodiesel to see what affects it will have on the engine and emission systems:

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=224644

Price for biodiesel varies just like diesel prices do. Some places have it cheaper, some more expensive. I’ve run B20 in my 03 Golf TDI a couple of times and I really didn’t notice a difference in power or mpg. YMMV I’d say.

By: MilwaukeeT

MilwaukeeT — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 14:41:47 +0000

I have heard different opinions on the use of biodiesel. 1) Use it only after the warranty expires? 2) The price for bio-D is actually as high or higher than petro-diesel? 3) Performance and mileage are the same or better with biodiesel? Any of these true?

I love VWs and would buy another if it were A) a hybrid or B) I could run biodiesel.