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VW Jetta TDI

jocko_nc

jocko_nc

Super Member
The House of Jocko is making a few changes... Jocko is soon-to-be home and the Lady now has a commute to work.

My current company car is a Ford Fusion SEL V6. 2008. 20K miles. Though small, a real decent vehicle. That car gets returned in a few weeks. I get 28 mpg on the highway, which is 100% her commute. The buyout will be something like $14K.

If I were to buy a new car, it would probably be the Jetta TDI with the 6-speed manual. No fluff, just the basic car. I think it is the best value in transportation hands-down. I ran a similar 1978 VW Diesel to 300K plus miles without a single issue, other than the Ohio winters converting it to a pile of rust.

28 mpg versus 50 mpg for the diesel. As much as I like the idea of putting 200K miles on a Diesel, I cannot make the math work. $14K versus $23K. That is a lot of gasoline, even at $3.00 / gallon. It gripes me that Diesel fuel is more expensive than gasoline. All my life it was the other way.

Am I missing something? The Fusion is a very good car, a good value in its own right. A used TDI will still cost more than the Fusion. Very popular cars. As much as I like the idea, it does not work.

There is no advantage to financing, both purchases will come from the source.
 
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jocko_nc said:
The House of Jocko is making a few changes... Jocko is soon-to-be home and the Lady now has a commute to work.

My current company car is a Ford Fusion SEL V6. 2008. 20K miles. Though small, a real decent vehicle. That car gets returned in a few weeks. I get 28 mpg on the highway, which is 100% her commute. The buyout will be something like $14K.

If I were to buy a new car, it would probably be the Jetta TDI with the 6-speed manual. No fluff, just the basic car. I think it is the best value in transportation hands-down. I ran a similar 1978 VW Diesel to 300K plus miles without a single issue, other than the Ohio winters converting it to a pile of rust.

28 mpg versus 50 mpg for the diesel. As much as I like the idea of putting 200K miles on a Diesel, I cannot make the math work. $14K versus $23K. That is a lot of gasoline, even at $3.00 / gallon. It gripes me that Diesel fuel is more expensive than gasoline. All my life it was the other way.

Am I missing something? The Fusion is a very good car, a good value in its own right. A used TDI will still cost more than the Fusion. Very popular cars. As much as I like the idea, it does not work.

There is no advantage to financing, both purchases will come from the source.
Click to expand...

What's market value on the Fusion? If it's more than you owe, and you like the car...

OTOH, If you're upside down - I'd bail. (It is a lease, right?)
 
My wife has a Beatle TDI and gets about 50 mpg on the highway. It's a great little car and we hope to get 300K on it.
 
You have to figure in the commute, too. Those high mileage vehicles get their average on long trips. A short commute, even highway, may not pencil in with the extra cost to attain the mileage.
 
It is a company lease. I can choose to buy out the amount remaining on a straight-line depreciation. I estimate it will be $14K. Trade-in from NADA says $12,500 to $14,800. Clean retail $17,000. Split the difference, I'd guess the car is worth $15,500.

There is a $1300 tax credit for Diesel new car purchase on the books. IF there is any kind ADDITIONAL new car incentive that comes from this goofy legislation, that could make a real difference.

As it is, take the cheaper transportation and save the money. Fuel costs will not recoup the additional price anytime soon. I could figure the residual value down the road, but that does not help me now.

The commute is all rural I-40... Sixth gear and chug along at 75 mph.
 
I too was a VW fan. Had three. But the cost of ownership was extremely high. They were less than three years old and I was spending more than $2000.00 each car, each year to keep them on the road. I had a Jetta, a GTI, and a Touareg. Dumped them all. Great design but their parts suppliers all sucked big time. I hope VW sinks big time in this economy.:thumbsdn:
 
We have a VW Golf TDI. It runs great, and requires very little upkeep, especially compared to the Jetta VR6 that it replaced. It gets great gas milage, and we actualy like the interior more than the Jetta. There's more room to stow stuff, etc.
 
I don't know about the tax. Seems to me that more squeaky wheel syndrome is in play. So many more car drivers than there are truck drivers. Almost has to be the case as diesel doesn't get as much refining as gasoline does unless it has to do with the ULSD stuff.

That and $1.49 will get you a cup of coffee at McD's. :D
 
This topic I can comment on,
My sister recieved a 79`Rabbit for her graduation. It was a diesel and it served her well. the motor (original) blew a gasket 8 years ago so I bought it. I installed a 1600 and I have been driving it since.
I cannot complain one bit. Even when diesel was 5.00 a gallon all I did was change the oil regular and some injector cleaner every few months.
Every morning since it starts every time and I dont have to apologise when I get on the freeway. I do change the drive belts and do all the mainenance myself and that probably helps but if I had the room I would fill my driveway with rabbits.
Good cars!!
 
Here`s a pic of my beloved rabbit.

Picture1488.jpg
 
Wow, that's a beauty in a classic dorky kind of way. Love it.

It is amazing to me how many vehicles were similar to that Rabbit but are now long gone. Omni/Horizon. Chevette. I cannot even recall the Japanese names. Those all died a premature death. The Rabbit keeps going.

I had a gas model and a diesel model in college. Ran like a champ until they literally rusted in half. Both drove themselves to the 'Yard.
 
I am pretty sure the reliability of the current diesel models are not up to par with the good models from the past (excluding all old GM diesels). A big difference is that the modern diesels have all the electronic controls and sensors of a gas motor now as well as the same transmission and ancillary items as the gas powered cars. They also have lots of transmission killing torque and horsepower (unlike the old diesel VW's which had no power). It seems that today the engine rarely wears out before the rest of the car if it is well maintained regardless of gas/diesel.

That being said, my ride to my office is 100 miles each way. 200 miles a day of interstate at 80+ mph. I seriously considered getting a new TDI jetta to almost double my gas mileage until I realized that even with double the fuel mileage (almost) I would not make up the difference in depreciation. I did consider getting a used '05Mercedes E320CDI - it will get better mileage than my current car, is surprisingly fast, and be a much nicer ride; but when I did some research - reliability was not that high and at 50K+ a year I can't afford an unreliable car.
 
True, but there is NO way an electronically controlled diesel will be as reliable as an OM617 Mercedes engine. The injector pump is bomb proof on those, and there is simply nothing to break. Of course, there is no way that engine could match the low emmisions and fuel economy of a modern diesel.
 
The newest diesels have as many sensors and elctronics as a gas engine and the worst part is that these systems are new and have issues. My uncle had a Mercedes 320 diesel for a service loaner while his car was in the shop that car cooks 420 ftlbs of torque is no joke.
 
I'm very disappointed in the MPG ratings of all the new Diesels. They brag about 25-ish city and 35-ish highway, while my '84 Camry turbo-D with simple mechanical pump is rated 45/52, and the Corolla non-turbo was rated 49/58, and I proved 70 mpg on a trip across the desert from Barstow, CA to Bullhead City, AZ in an '84 Corolla. How come the new ones with all this sophisticated electronic stuff can't do anywhere near those 1980s small Diesel figures? Shoot; even our 10,000-lb '05 Chevy 3500 4x4 gets 15 mpg! Could the Jetta TDI even weigh 3000? It should be getting 65+. Go figure. I bet it's the smog crap and particulate filters causing the problem on the new small cars, or dare I suggest, the MPG ratings are sabotaged to promote hybrids (with their even more disappointing true mileage), where all the Fed money and engineering has been dumped in.

Charles
 
VW diesels will easily log in ~300K before needing much attention. botrytis is right on the weight issue too. In reference to VW's, newer ones have gained a lot.

There are TDi version for all of these -

Jetta MK3 = ~2700 lbs.
Jetta MK4 = ~2900 lbs.
Jetta MK5 = ~3200 lbs.

As an aside, friend has a MK3 Golf w/ TDi conversion. He's changed the injectors and runs a straight pipe only. He has also changed the 5th gear to a lower numerical ratio and gets ~49MPG highway. Everything else is stock including the turbo. The car however is as fast as our WRX. It pulls like a damn freight train. VW 1.9L goodness!
 
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botrytis said:
NOPE - you are so wrong I don't know where to begin. GM diesels (of the 80's) were repackaged gas engines and some others were also. Most diesels (NOW) are designed from the ground up to be diesels and diesels are sold more in europe than here (you can get a BMW 3 and 5 series with diesels in Europe but not here). That said the VW diesel is a 50 state emission car for a good reason - they designed it well.
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I think you missread my post. I specifically excluded GM Diesels because they rarely made it off the dealer lot without blowing a head gasket.

I am also very familiar with the Euro-diesels. I have spent a lot of time overseas and pretty much always had diesel cars over there.

Including my family, we have owned many diesels including modern VW diesels (2 new beetles) a 2005 E320 CDI as well as various ford trucks. The first new beetle diesel was bought back by VW due to unresolvable fuel system problems. The second one was pretty good but didn't get the gas mileage that the first one got (about 10mpg less). The E320 has had fuel leaks, fuel pump problems, electronic fuel control system problems as well as audio system problems, one headlight that doesn't auto adjust, etc. It now has almost 35K miles on it and is ready for another trip to Mercedes.


The modern diesel cars get great gas mileage. The E320 CDI is most impressive both in mileage and power, but it is not reliable. I traded in my last toyota truck with over 220K on the odometer and no failures since new. Ever. There is no way that the modern European diesels will have this kind of run. Sure the engine block will last 300K, so will my infiniti. So did my '89 grand voyager that I sold with 289K on it.

I really like the Jetta diesel. I seriously considered getting either a Jetta TDI or another E320 before I got the G35 that I have now, but reliability drove me away from German cars completely. Especially after the Audi experience I have been experiencing with my wifes 40K mile, 3 year old A4.

If you had an old European diesel from the 70's or 80's they would run forever and required almost no maintenance. They also only had barely enough horsepower to get the cars to highway speed - but it was very common, still is, to see those cars with well over 300K.
 
cbrworm said:
I am pretty sure the reliability of the current diesel models are not up to par with the good models from the past (excluding all old GM diesels). A big difference is that the modern diesels have all the electronic controls and sensors of a gas motor now as well as the same transmission and ancillary items as the gas powered cars. They also have lots of transmission killing torque and horsepower (unlike the old diesel VW's which had no power). It seems that today the engine rarely wears out before the rest of the car if it is well maintained regardless of gas/diesel.
Click to expand...

Well the Jetta transmission and driveline is good for at least 318 Hp and 493 FT Lbs at the wheels. would seem pretty stout to me.

http://www.dieselpowermag.com/features/0801dp_2002_vw_jetta/index.html
 
I am buying the Ford... Too good of a deal to pass up. Even at $4.00 / gallon I will never recoup the cash up front.

2008 Ford Fusion SEL V6. $11,500.00. 20K miles and I was the prior owner.
 
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