Top 5 reasons you might want to check out the new Jetta TDI - green rides
by Josh Loposer
Sep 30th 2008 @ 10:31AM
Filed under: Cars and Transportation
Disclosure: Volkswagen invited a few eco-conscious bloggers to San Francisco for a weekend to get up-close and personal with the new 'clean diesel' Jetta TDI. I was one of them. But if you think that treating me to a weekend of chauffeurs, swanky hotels, and a test drive through the fantastic California wine country are enough to overcome my sense of objectivity -- you're dead wrong. It was the free booze that did it.
- Great gas mileage -- According to the EPA, the 2009 Jetta TDI Clean Diesel gets 30mpg city/41mpg highway. Which, in Volkswagen's opinion, was way too low. They then hired third-party tester AMCI, which came back with a much more impressive 38city/44hwy, putting the jetta in much closer competition with the Prius. After my test drive, I would settle for splitting the difference.
- It's Clean -- The 2009 Jetta is officially the first diesel passenger sedan to meet the California Tier 2 Bin 5 emissions standards, which are the most stringent diesel standards in the world. At the same time, diesel fuel is cleaning up its act in the US, reducing its sulfur content by 97%. That means US diesel has gone from being among the dirtiest in the world a few years ago, to being one of the cleanest.
- Affordability -- The 'clean diesel' Jetta starts at $21,990 with a 6-speed manual transmission, add $1,200 for an automatic. That's pretty much the exact same starting price as the Prius. Also, since VW convinced congress to consider ultra-low sulfur diesel a "alternative fuel," the Jetta qualifies for the $1,300 clean vehicle tax rebate.
- Durability -- There is one diesel stereotype that holds up in the case of the Jetta: durability. One of the concerns I have when it comes to hybrids is always how long does the battery really last? I've read that they need to be swapped after 5 years or some, and it's a fairly expensive ordeal. Diesels, on the other hand, have the reputation of doubling the life of gas engines.
- The Joy of Driving -- If you're going to drive and pollute the atmosphere with your carbon emission, it seems like a crime to do it without at least enjoying yourself. The driving experience with the Jetta TDI doesn't disappoint. In fact, it's fun. While it still retains a couple minor diesel quirks, this Jetta has a lot of tourque and plenty of horsepower on the highway, unlike the somewhat underpowered Prius. In other words, you're not giving up the performance that you're used to with a gas-powered Jetta.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
9-30-2008 @ 11:11AM
ryan said...
Gosh, I would say that you probably get HORRIBLE gas mileage out of the 09 Jetta TDI! I mean, it IS a diesel after all! You would be lucky to get a single mile out of it if it were running on gas!
I think by automatic, you meant to say DSG, which is an automated manual of sorts. It approaches fuel economy of a real manual transmission, while giving the driver the comfort of an automatic.
My 1998 Jetta TDI gets around 55-60mpg on the highway. The 09, with a little work and knowledge, after being broken in, should be able to do somewhere in the 50s.
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10-03-2008 @ 3:25PM
tdi_lust said...
I would love to get one of these vehicles just as soon as VW stops filtering the cars to the U.S. and the line for one goes down to single digits. So far every VW dealer I've gone to has a wait list. The smart ones put a downpayment on the car before it was released to the U.S. and some of them are just now getting them.
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