Jetta TDI

poadeleted21

poadeleted21

Touchdown! Greaser!
Joined
Aug 18, 2011
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I put about 75 highway miles per day on a car. Thinking of getting a Jetta TDI for the mission. Other options considered are a corolla and possibly a Prius.

Advice?
 
Given that it does not appear that diesel is tracking unleaded in terms of prices, I'd say you may be better off with a gas hybrid like the Prius.
 
jtheune said:
Given that it does not appear that diesel is tracking unleaded in terms of prices, I'd say you may be better off with a gas hybrid like the Prius.
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Outlook is for gas to come back up and diesel to stabilize. At least according to the BLS. Not trying to make a knee jerk reaction based on the price of fuel this week. The plan is to keep this rig 10 years or so.

The Batteries on the Prius are going to probably need replacing down the line and I never drive in the city where a hybrid would shine. The Prius is considerably more expensive than the Jetta... About 5 AMUs.
 
bartmc said:
Outlook is for gas to come back up and diesel to stabilize. At least according to the BLS. Not trying to make a knee jerk reaction based on the price of fuel this week. The plan is to keep this rig 10 years or so.

The Batteries on the Prius are going to probably need replacing down the line and I never drive in the city where a hybrid would shine. The Prius is considerably more expensive than the Jetta... About 5 AMUs.
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Long term your best bet is the diesel. Gas will go back up. Diesel has stayed pretty stable price wise. Especially if you are doing mostly highway the diesel is the way to go
 
I can't talk about small cars too much because I'm a believer in a big boat for our Texas highways. But I'm getting away from diesel where I can.

Fuel is a dollar/gal. higher, you have two batteries in some vehicles, they hold twice as much oil and all the filters cost twice as much. They also stink and clatter. I don't care how well engineered they are, they're louder than a gas motor. And save the nitro pills in case your injector pump ever fails. You'll have a heart attack when the bill arrives.

No more diesels for me unless my mission changes to pulling something heavy over the Rocky mountains often. Then it's turbo-diesel absolutely. Rant over ...:redface:
 
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TrueDelta shows a significant reliability advantage to Prius over Jetta, despite the complexity of its hybrid drivetrain. Unfortunately, TD does not break out TDI in Jetta numbers for recent years. Absolute numbers are not bad, but they go progressively worse for older models, which suggests that Jetta grows old much quicker. If you look at something like 2007, it breaks 135 visits/100, which is worse than the first year Jeep Wrangler JK (it scores about 60 to 80).

I have a couple of unorthodox suggestions into the same ring: 2014 Accord with so-called "eCVT" and Ford Fiesta SFE with 1.0L turbo.

The Accord is, frankly, an astonishing car. Its hybrid system is completely different from all other hybrids by Honda (including hybrid Acuras). As a result, it matches or beats Prius in fuel economy, despite being a full-size car. The initial reliability was excellent, although it's still very new, of course.

The Fiesta SFE is different: it's a non-hybrid. As such, it loses to Prius c, but it's significantly better than any other subcompact. The biggest downside of it is that it only comes with a manual transmission. But it's cheap and it's the best commuter econobox that I can imagine. Breaks 40 mpg easily.
 
Diesel IMO will never again be cheaper than gas in the states because it can be used for heating the Northeast and of course commercial transportation demand. Right now I see around 35% premium in price vs. a long recent history of ~20%. Add the cost of DEF and other diesel maintenance and I would keep it simple, Prius.

I have two Prius' we use for estimating and errands an 07 and an 08, neither has ever required anything more than the simplest of maintenance. Amazing cars that deliver the mileage everyday.
 
We find that it's hard to make the math work on hybrids vs gas models of the same vehicle, the payback is very long term. For long highway commutes there are several vehicles that will get around 40 MPG. We always tell pilots that a few knots won't make much difference on their trips, same thing with cars a couple MPG is pretty insignificant over the course of a year. Buy what's comfortable that gets 35+ and you'll be happy.:D
20K @ 40 MPG is 500 gallons per year, 20K @ 35 MPG is 571 gallons, 71 gallons @ $2.30 is $163.00 per year.:D not a lot of difference if it's a more comfortable ride! :D
 
A used TDI or Corolla.

A '95 Corolla with a stick can get 40 MPG (BTDT). And will cost you maybe $2000, especially if you get a Prizm instead (if you can remove the badges and still tell the difference, you're better than I am -- I routinely put Toyota parts on my Prizm because they were much easier to find).

Especially in the mid-2000's, cars got heavy and excessively feature rich. But it wasn't so bad for the "cheap" cars in the 90s.

If you could get a used Prius that was sensible, I'd add it to the list.
 
N747JB said:
We find that it's hard to make the math work on hybrids vs gas models of the same vehicle, the payback is very long term. For long highway commutes there are several vehicles that will get around 40 MPG. We always tell pilots that a few knots won't make much difference on their trips, same thing with cars a couple MPG is pretty insignificant over the course of a year. Buy what's comfortable that gets 35+ and you'll be happy.:D
20K @ 40 MPG is 500 gallons per year, 20K @ 35 MPG is 571 gallons, 71 gallons @ $2.30 is $163.00 per year.:D not a lot of difference if it's a more comfortable ride! :D
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Yeah, we've talked ourselves out of a hybrid.
 
I had a 2003 Jetta, an absolute delight to drive. Fast, handled, tight as a drum. Shoulda ditched it when it was five years old. No car I have ever had was as unreliable as this one when it had a few years on it- transmission, EFI, cooling system- you name it, it broke, expensively.
 
VW's are great when they are working, but very expensive when they break, the transmissions seem to be a real trouble source. We can't find anyone to repair them, it's factory remans or nothing and they cost about double other transmissions. :dunno:

SCCutler said:
I had a 2003 Jetta, an absolute delight to drive. Fast, handled, tight as a drum. Shoulda ditched it when it was five years old. No car I have ever had was as unreliable as this one when it had a few years on it- transmission, EFI, cooling system- you name it, it broke, expensively.
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N747JB said:
VW's are great when they are working, but very expensive when they break, the transmissions seem to be a real trouble source. We can't find anyone to repair them, it's factory remans or nothing and they cost about double other transmissions. :dunno:
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Yep. It's a Japanese transmission, when solenoid (of which there are something like 14) fails, dealers say, "New tranny!"

I found a shop which could actually troubleshoot, fixed it for a couple hundred bucks.
 
flyin'gator said:
I drive a 2013 Passat TDI.
Fantastic car.
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I got one as a rental for about a week recently. I usually rent smaller cars but this was the smallest they had that day. It turned out to be one of the nicest handling cars I have driven. But I can't say anything about the maintenance or reliability.
 
I own 5 Volkswagens all 2010 or newer...including a 2013 Jetta, only one I would not buy again...made to be cheap, built in Mexico. Perfect car for a kid who has the stereo so loud they cannot hear the rattles. The Passat built in Tennessee is so much better and not much more as a base S. The Golf still coming from Germany is better yet. Since 1976 I guess I have owned over 30 VW's although the drivetrain is great the body they put around it is not what you want...
 
Recently retired from a job where I was driving 80 miles each way, long day, but that's another story. Bought a Honda Fit for the drives, put will over 100K miles on it without a hitch, great vehicle for what it is......
 
I am on my second Corolla and I'm a fan. Both stick shift and I prefer it. Absolutely loved my '03. I put 228k miles on it, almost all of them highway, and never had a significant issue until the very end. There's a thread floating around here and I think the diagnosis was a transmission bearing. I sold the car to a friend of mine and it's actually still running as his daily driver. That bearing grinds a bit but it's still going strong. I was concerned about breaking down in the middle of the Everglades so I'm alright with having sold it, but I did love it.

I bought a '10 Corolla and I like it as well, but I do get the feeling that it's not quite as robust as my '03. That feeling could be misplaced.
 
I drive a 2006 TDI with 180k miles.

Things that needed replacing:
- 1 DSG transmission after the flywheel came apart and cracked the case at 33k miles. Done on warranty, total bill around 11k.
- 1 anti-shudder valve ($180)
- 1 EGR valve ($120)
- 1 tandem pump ($580 part)
- 1 set of leaking fuel hoses ($125 or so)
(last three items at 175k)

In between, multiple episodes of check-engine lights and error codes. Most of them related to the cheap-ass electrical connectors the mexican VW plant uses. All of them fixable with a contact cleaner, a glass brush and some dielectric grease.

I also have a 2006 stick-shift Accord with about the same mileage. This is my wifes commuter.

Things that needed replacing:
- 1 dome light bulb
- 1 throttle position sensor ($150 or so with labor)
- 1 motor mount (done with the timing belt, maybe $250)

I am in the market for another daily driver. As much as I like the range (650mi in mixed use) and how the TDI drives, I wont buy another VW. It's not even the mechanical and electrical issues that drive me away from the brand, it is the crooked and incompetent local dealer and the difficult dealings with VWUSA for the inevitable warranty issues.
 
Well… for what it is worth…

Wife has a 2012 Golf TDI, now at 65k miles.

The total list of everything done to date:

6 oil and filter changes
1 transmission fluid change
4 new tires
2 air filters

She loves the car, fun to drive, handles very well, comfortable, and pretty peppy. Bit clunky when cold, but after it warms up, can't tell it's a diesel. Drives like a much larger car. 50 MPG on the highway at 65MPH. Guess we will see how this turns out as it gets older.

Gary
 
I have the plug in hybrid drivetrain in my Fusion. At a steady 75 mph, it gets about 37 mpg. Nice for a vehicle its size, but if all you do is highway driving, it's not a big enough of an improvement to justify the premium. Where a hybrid shines is in the city. It appears to me that it get around 45 mpg around town. I say appears because I mostly drive on battery in town. Battery miles are cheap, fuel wise. If I use overnight electricity, fuel cost per mile is less than 2 cents.

Long term, diesel tends to track about 15 percent higher than gasoline, more in the winter, less in the summer. I doubt you'll ever break even on the diesel in a passenger car.

If you like Toyotas, get a Corolla. They're really pretty roomy. I had a new 2014 for a rental, and it was a pleasant enough car, but not really to my tastes, I'd look at a Mazda 3, VW Golf, or a Focus if all I were doing is highway driving. Someone with a less sporting bent might like the Corolla, Cruze, or Civic.

About the Prius battery: they seem to be fairly trouble free, the replacement rate in older Priuses is low, and I think most of them will go to the scrapyard with the original battery.
 
Maint on a VW will make u feel like you own a twin.

Never buy German...unless you only keep it under warranty. Otherwise they will bite you. They are very nice when new...reliability not up to par with others you mentioned.
 
I recently ran the numbers for a friend, comparing the gas and diesel Jetta. When you factor in the higher cost of diesel, it's a dead wash. And, the diesel costs more upfront.

If you like VW, I'd get e new GTI, have a fast fun car that still gets good mileage.
 
TEFLONSEAN said:
Never buy German...unless you only keep it under warranty. Otherwise they will bite you. They are very nice when new...reliability not up to par with others you mentioned.
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BS, can't make blanket statements like that. Our 9 year old MB E class turbo diesel has 150k on it and drives beautifly. In warranty we had the dealer do the service, yes it was expensive. I've done all the service myself for the last 100k or so. Parts are cheap and it is quite easy to service. (everything is designed to be top serviced, no lift/ramps needed.

As for unexpected repairs, it's needed a therostat and water pump. Not bad for 150k.
 
TEFLONSEAN said:
Maint on a VW will make u feel like you own a twin.

Never buy German...unless you only keep it under warranty. Otherwise they will bite you. They are very nice when new...reliability not up to par with others you mentioned.
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My 1986 Wolfsburg Golf disagrees with that statement...so does my 2001 GTI VR6 with 200k miles.

Maintain your equipment, people.

EDIT: Also, I should add that VW can't make an auto transmission to save their own life, some of the more popular problems seem to stem from the DSG or slushbox transmissions...
 
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The two worst cars in my life were new VWs. 1975 Rabbit, and 1996 Jetta. I was a fool to think they changed for the better.........NEVER again!
 
SCCutler said:
Yep. It's a Japanese transmission, when solenoid (of which there are something like 14) fails, dealers say, "New tranny!"

I found a shop which could actually troubleshoot, fixed it for a couple hundred bucks.
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I wish we could find a shop around here to work on them, even the local transmission shops won't touch them if it's anything internal, it's reman or nothing! :hairraise:
 
I drive a 97 Jetta TDI. Over the four years I have owned it I have an average of 45mpg between city, highway, and towing 2,000lb trailers. Only thing I have done other than oil changes and tires is a timing belt. It's paid for itself about 4x just in fuel savings over my truck. My Jetta+utility trailer = 45mpg half ton truck.
 
If you go VW get a really good extended warranty and plan for shop time. Loved driving Karen's when it was new. $13K in repairs later and 7-8 years and we dumped it at a dealer as a trade in. Someone would have needed to put new motor mounts in it soon or it was going to have bigger problems.


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New, stick shift TDI... very nice. I would consider buying one someday.

If you want an econo box you're better off going with a new honda civic. Hard to get excited about, but I think the long term cost of ownership would be less than a TDI. They can have some expensive issues.

A friend bought a new TDi jetta that was under warranty when the fuel system took a dump and the replacement of said fuel system was estimated at over $10,000. Those pumps aint cheap. The dealer claimed it was ruined because regular gas had been put in it. Immediately went down and got a fuel sample, it was pure diesel, and the problem was covered under warranty.

I've owned both a TDI jetta and a Saab. I got them both cheap because the owners were shocked at the repair bill. There are ways to fix em inexpensively. I drove each car for awhile and made $$ when I sold each one.
 
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So basically you knew what you wanted from the start.
 
zaitcev said:
So basically you knew what you wanted from the start.
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Nah, intent was to buy a Prius. Drove a couple of corollas, kinda flimsy. Looked at some ford fusions. Found this manual tranny this morning and pulled the trigger. Considered a Camry too. wife wanted the VW and liked the 6 speed. I walked out of the dealership after low balling them. Wife sent me back.
 
One oft-overlook consideration in choosing small cars with high MPG is the practicality of the low-rider front ends. My wife's Prius cuts it close on speed bumps, and can't even straddle road kill on the freeway. My mother-in-law's Corolla is much better, and mileage isn't much worse on the freeway.

The battery replacement concern is bogus. I did research before we bought the Prius. The batteries seem to be good for 200K+ miles, and are a "soft fail" if they do go. As they degrade you'll notice fuel mileage getting worse in hilly country of city driving, but they won't suddenly strand you. The Prius drivetrain seems pretty well engineered.

Volkswagen used to be known for its arrogant dealer service network. In the '70s, there was a small, independent shop in every major city that worked on VWs, supported by all the customers who'd been treated shabbily at dealers. Today, technology means you're usually stuck with the dealer, but VW USA doesn't seem to have solved the arrogance issue, whether it's real or perception.
 
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Wifey had a CPO '06 New Beetle Convertible for 3.5 years.

In 32 years of owning and maintaining my own cars, I've never had one that kicked my a$$ like that thing.

It was like mechanical whack a mole. Too many issues to even list them all. Rube Goldberg would've been proud of the systems on that car.

There was ALWAYS something wrong with it. Repairing it (heck, even getting parts for it) was a nightmare, but it was less pain than trying to get them to honor the CPO warranty. Even the factory Bentley repair manual was damn near worthless.

I finally cried uncle at around 60K and took a bath on it (and was ecstatic to be rid of it) when we traded it for a Honda 2 years ago.

I, literally, still have nightmares about that thing. Pure garbage.

Never again......
 
Congratulations !


Now go and buy a RossTech VAGCom :)
 
PW_Plack said:
One oft-overlook consideration in choosing small cars with high MPG is the practicality of the low-rider front ends. My wife's Prius cuts it close on speed bumps, and can't even straddle road kill on the freeway. My mother-in-law's Corolla is much better, and mileage isn't much worse on the freeway.
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A key upgrade to any Jetta/golf/newbeetle is a aluminum skidplate to protect the magnesium oil-pan that will crack on impact with anything from a dead racoon on up.
 
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