Let’s see, the Prius costs about the same as the Jetta TDI but has more room, gets better fuel economy and on cheaper fuel.
The Jetta may look better to some and probably drives better according to enthusiasts.
The Honda Insight should get about the same fuel economy but on less expensive fuel as the Jetta, be about the same size and cost thousands less.
And if VW expands into a larger line like a Camry or Ford Fusion size they will be in the same comparitive boat (costs the same but uses more expensive fuel). The Fusion is likely to be more reliable than the VW also. Still the diesel technology will help them keep their 10% share of the market. (IMHO)

If you are looking purely at the mileage numbers, you can do a little better with the Prius than you can with the Jetta TDI. But if you’ve driven both cars, you’d know that the Jetta TDI is a far superior car over the Prius. The Jetta TDI could quite possibly be the best car ever made. 300-400K miles is not uncommon from these cars. Try getting that from a Prius. I am a Jetta TDI wagon owner and wouldn’t trade it for a Prius even if you threw in an extra $10K.

Oh great; more noisy diesels….just what the world needs !!

VW is going to have to overcome their atrocious repair record. Anyone who is doing spreadsheet-level comparisons of cars will come across reports like this :

“Most Volkswagen models were rated far below average for reliability. The all-wheel drive Volkswagen Passat received the lowest reliability rating of any vehicle in the survey.”

…which I found on CNNMoney with 10 seconds of google-aided searching.

Note that last bit – lowest of *ANY VEHICLE* in the survey.

Yes, the Deutsche Diesels will get rave reviews from the pseudo-sophisticate go-fast automotive press, and lots of people will be talking about superior German engineering and fun and frolic, and the like. We’ve owned seven German cars so we know the lines.

But my advice is: go for the extended warranty. Also, don’t lose your mechanics’ phone numbers, and don’t think you are buying a practical, hard-wired-durable efficiencymobile.

But enough practicality. Fun they may be, their image is just so cool, and they use good grades of plastic on the interior. If they bring in an entertaining car like the convertible they should do well in this market.

I think that petrol cars age better than diesel cars: there’s nothing worse than getting stuck behind some old clapped out diesel going up a hill. Alright these cars are great now – what about down the line? Hybrids are better.

To the people that frequent this site if you are truly interested in green cars, check out the European Ford Fiesta ECOnetic 1.6L TDCi turbodiesel. This car has a combined driving rating of 64 mpg. This car has received rave reviews, and numerous awards all over Europe. If you really want to look at the big ecological picture think about jets, trains, tractors, trucks, and any other diesel powered equipment. I believe clean diesel technology is a logical segue to Utopian vehicles and energy distribution. I don’t understand why there isn’t more interest in companies like Solazyme that are developing and producing renewable algae based biofuels.

Hans-Juergen:
Thanks for your input.
The site you mentioned seems to be a collection of individual self-reported user inputs, with all the good points and bad points of this method.
Yes, the diesels seem to make great sense in Europe. However, in the US, the cost of diesel relative to gasoline is significantly high, although this too is subject to change. In the past, diesel fuel has often been cheaper than gasoline. When I look at the mileage of the Benz and BMW diesels, especially the SUV’s, I am disappointed, but they seem to do very well in Europe (I have driven in Europe and this is not just the difference in gallon size, etc.).
I think the Europeans also have the better idea with regard to fuel taxes and the responsibilities of drivers, no doubt.
In addition, as many people have pointed out on this and other sites, diesel engines themselves are likely to be durable (perhaps as durable as the hybrid systems), but in other areas of cost (like repair records and cost of repairs), the European makes have not done so well in the US (perhaps they are built better for the home markets).

I apologize to you, because your statements are outdated. You need to go test-drive a Clean Diesel vehicle. Then come back & comment with your experience. Clean Diesel vehicles do not emit odors or smoke. The exhaust pipe is squeaky clean. As for under-powered the new Clean Diesels have soooo much acceleration. I out accelerate other luxury vehicles uphill while I drive my TDI. I love my TDI.