I’m considering a VW Sportwagon TDI. The car is nice and the diesel sounds like a good thing but what problems might I have that VW isn’t telling me and what has the reliability been like for the TDI?
Have you checked out the latest Consumer Reports mag?
VW is always on the bottom of the pile concerning quality and reliability.
VW has made progress with reliability. Check out TDIClub.com for more. I have to wonder if Consumer Reports with their vehicle reliability prediction capability has picked up on this.
I checked the CR Apr 09 Auto issue, and they lump all Jettas (5 cyl) together in their ratings. Overall an average rating is achieved, and trans/engine ratings are extremely good. Poor ratings include body hardware, climate sys, electrical, audio & power equipment.
Not familiar enough with VW to know if this info is meaningful, or not.
On the web they break out the TDI separately, it’s avg/better than average, but that’s the older version ('01-'06), new one might be different.
You pay $3000 extra and you get an underpowered, noisy stink-wagon…
You pay $3000 extra and you get an underpowered, noisy stink-wagon…
Somehow I don’t believe you have an accurate idea on this one.
That said, Diesels in general are not for every car owner.
The price is higher than gasoline cars, but you may or may not, get it back from reduced fuel cost.
I don’t have reliable numbers on cost. The best information I have seen or experienced (I have had two VW diesels and one non-diesel as well as several other cars. real accurate numbers are difficult to find.
I would have to guess that they may be less reliable than other cars, but the real cost of owership is a >little< higher. I would guess the overall cost of ownership will be better or worse depending on the driver and their use.
With only a few exceptions I believe that the major factor af the cost of car ownership is mostly the personal who owns and drives it, not the make or model.
236 ft-lbs peak torque at 1700-2200 rpm and up the RPM range, it is not underpowered and gets around 38mph average according to a friend.
It actually is fun to drive but not sure of maintenance or reliability(lets hope).
It also meets clean car emissions for all 50 states.
I concur in the past
You are ill informed, Caddyman. I bought the 2010 TDI and it doesn’t stink and is as quiet as a gas power plant. In fact it’s emissions are as good as a Prius hybrid. It isn’t slow either. Acceleration not what my Saab Turbo was but the TDI has plenty of pep to keep ahead of the crazy drivers here in CT even those in Caddies. As for paying an extra $3000 check out incentives in your state. In CT there is NO SALES TAX on the TDI because of it’s being a “green car.” On top of this there is a $1300 federal tax credit on your return. Negotiate a good deal with the dealer and it’s a no-brainer. Getting 50 MPG highway mileage and high 30’s around town (which I am) ices the cake!
I just got the latest Car and Driver in the mail, and their concluding article about the Jetta diesel they drove for about 40,000 miles was not very encouraging. They particularly had problems with the ‘DSG’ transmission, with a few instances of it almost causing a crash due to very poor response when they pushed on the ‘gas’. I’d want to check that out very carefully before I got one.
We debate the subject of diesels vs. gas engines occasionally here in the forum and it all comes down to preference.
I congratulate you on having reached out for input and then made your own decision.
Enjoy your new TDI.
Please post back at the 80,000-100,000 mile mark and let us know how it holds up. Also keep track of your out-of-pocket maintenance expenses over this period and the number of hours the car spends at the dealership…
236 X 2200 /5252= 97 horsepower… I wonder how they got it to meet NOx and particulate emissions…That’s quite a feat…