I AM LOOKING AT THE JETTA SPORTS WAGON TDI . NEED TO IF THIS CAR IS A GOOD BUY OR AM I IN FOR A LOT OF SHOP TIME ?
The predicted reliability of this car in this generation is Average. Average is really pretty decent.
The fuel mileage on this car in conjunction with the utility/space it has no competition or equivalent to it.
I have a 2002 Golf that, at 90k miles, has been pretty much bullet-proof. It’s the only 1 out of the 4 VW’s I’ve owned that was a keeper. The other 3 VW’s I’ve owned (a 97 Golf, a 2000 Jetta, and a 2004 Passat V6) have been complete nightmares. They are awesome cars to drive, but I don’t think I would ever buy one again…not if reliability was my main concern at any rate. Bear in mind that maintenance and repair costs for VW’s are usually a little higher than for a Japanese or domestic make. Just my 2 cents.
I believe it takes a special owner to get the best out of owning a Volkswagen. As per other posts, the maintenance will be more expensive; special oil, filters,etc. The reliability will depend much on how you treat it and stick to the maintenance schedule religiously. From the many posts we ahve seen, I would recommend changing oil more frequently (4000 mles or so) than the manual calls for, changing coolant every 50,000 miles or 4 years, and changing the timing belt on time or earlier.
Think of owning a VW as having a child with special needs. If you are a typical car owner who forgets about maintenance itemss, this car will be a real money pit and owner’s nightmare.
One of the problems is that German drivers get rid of their cars at about 100,000 miles, and many are experted to Africa. Americans tend to “use up” their cars, and go many more miles before they dispose of their vehicles. Volkwagen still has not caught on to this fact, while Japanese manufacturers have.
Having said all this, the fuel mileage will provide great savings, so your cost/mile will be reasonable.
We consider the VW Jetta to be a “Gas Saver” in terms of selling points, at around 30 MPG highway and 22 in town. The TDI (although we have none on our lots currently) will be comparable but slightly less in MPG. I’d agree with the previous posters regarding servicing and higher maintenance costs, as they tend to require a bit more TLC than an average car. You’ll see less shop time if you keep up with it too. If you’re willing to spend the extra time and money, your investment will be worth it.
Ricart Auto
Your answer doesn’t even make sense. VW’s TDI is a diesel, and the 2009 Jetta TDIs are rated at 30/41 city/highway. That’s not less fuel efficient than the gasoline-powered Jettas.
As to the OP’s question, I know a couple VW owners who had good luck with their cars, and a few who would never buy another one again after the problems they had (like window motor regulators failing, allowing the windows to crash into the door). You might get a good one, or you might not. It’s up to you whether the gamble is worth it.
in england, a colleage of mine gets 40mpg in town and 60 mpg on the motorway when cruising at 60mph out of his tdi!!i know our gallon is 4.5 litres compared to your 3.8 liter gallon,but a tdi jetta will be very economical,and nice to drive with all that torque available at only 1800rpm!and for reliability? …average…and uk vws are sourced from germany.
North American VWs, except for the Passat, have been mostly built in Mexico and now Brazil. Cars built there have had more quality and reliability problems than those built in Germany.
TDI (although we have none on our lots currently) will be comparable but slightly less in MPG.
I think you have that backwards. The TDI (Turbo Diesel Injected) will get better mileage under normal conditions. Enough better to more than cancel out the current price premium on diesel.The Brazilian Golf’s at least are quite reliable. I know a few owners with early 2000’s Golf/GTI sourced from Brazil at 150k miles. No serious issues, few electrical nags and some trim that fell off but fixed by dealer without charge. They are beyond happy. I know nothing of the cars built in Mexico though.
Nice to hear that; the original FOX exported from that country was a dismal car. Some of the newer models for North America, like the Rabbit will come from Brazil, I believe, I would wait till some history builds up before buying one.
Go to www.vwvortex.com and www.tdiclub.com. Lots of VW knowledge at those sites especially tdiclub.com.
A major issue for some VW owners is the dealership’s after-sale service, sometimes fine, sometimes abysmal. Try to find other people who have bought frome your dealership, see if they’re happy. Also, even though the mpgs are good, fuel price is higher and dealers might be asking for a major premium bump in price. Just make sure you’re actually going to same money. Don’t expect lower maintenance costs, these are complex vehicles.