getting a jetta TDI questions

I own a diesel NB and I am very happy with it. That said, don't expect diesel to always be less expensive than gasoline. Sometimes some places it is and the opposite is true at other times and places.

You can expect the diesel to get better mileage however. I can't tell you if it would be worth it in the long run. Too many things are likely to change.

Maintenance is different in some areas and the same in others. Overall maintenance is about the same work and cost.

It's a good car, and your questions could be bettered answered by stopping by the dealer? I bet they could even give you a price but don't expect to get much off the sticker. VW doesn't import many TDI's and with fuel prices high... you may have a hard time finding one.

Just be aware that it's very unlikely that you'll see the reliability in the accessories that you're used to in a typical Japanese car. The engine, tranny, etc will likely be just fine, but the electronics and body accessories may be problematic.

That said, I'm keeping my '95 Jetta GLS (original owner, 97kmi) for awhile, because I like how it drives better than most NEW cars. I'm going to wind up putting a couple $k into it for repairs this year, but that's still cheaper than car payments.

Mark

You would think so. However I stopped at a VW dealer this summer and was told the GTI was only available in a 4-cylinder.

Right group. Here is an archive search for you:

I have had a '97 Jetta TDI since new, currently 160k miles, and recommend you get one, but be prepared for it to not be Japanese.

The good news: The motor and drivetrain are indestructible by any sober person over the age of 17.

EPA Mileage are pretty reasonable in my experience. Without a/c it is easy to beat them.

Diesel trends between 20 cents under unleaded to about midgrade unleaded prices. You will always spend substantially less on fuel in terms of $ than with any other car that isnt a geo metro.

They are louder only at or near idling. On the road they are about the same as other jettas, maybe a little quieter at highwya speeds because of the lower rpms. My tdi at 80 mph was quieter than the 2 liter gas model when they were both new.

The tdi starts with absolute reliability in extreme cold, a pretty good engineering feat for diesels.

The bad news: Even though you need to do nothing special to it on a daily basis, buying diesel is a bit dirtier. The pumps tend to be greasier than gas pumps. Gas residue seems to evaporate while diesel doesnt; it just oozes to make a film on everything. You will have to go inside the filling station to wash your hands after every fillup to keep the inside of your car from smelling like diesel. Some fillling stations have little gloves but in Texas we dont have fufu stuff like that.

Likewise for the floor mats - get rubber ones to keep diesel grease residue from your shoes from accumulating and smelling up the car.

The fumes smell bad, but only briefly after startup if you back up the car into the dinosaur fumes.

Regular maintenance can be pricey and tedious. Quicky Lube type places will not carry your oil filter. I buy a stack of them from a few large auto parts stores when I find them. If the new tdi is like mine, it will need a hella-expensive timing belt change too often when compared to an accord or some other bland soulless japanese competitor.

Some concensus of opinion exists that the tdi is picky about oil. I have run Shell rotella synthetic with no problems, but the dealers will say very few widely available oils are up to spec.

Any 10 year old Volkswagen that isn't a garage queen will have electricial gremlins. The motor and tranny are made better than the rest of the car. I am dumping mine on its 10th birthday as it will be hitting 200k about the same time.

New tdi's are bigger and more powerful than mine, at the expense of fuel economy.

You may also want to check out the web pages and forum over at

If you are not trying to deduct this for a business, and if you do not necessarily want to be rid of the car at the end of the lease, I would look to buy. If you want to buy out the car at the end of the lease, there are expenses beyond what you might expect, such as title fees and sales tax. If you give the car back at the end, expect to pay to make any needed repairs.

That depends on where you fuel up. If you go to big truck stops suited to pump a couple hundred gallons a minute that's the case. Lots of stations around here (southern Ontario) carry diesel, and don't even have room for big rigs. They cater to all of the VWs, pickups and cube vans that run on diesel.

In 25 years of driving diesel and filling at self serves I don't think I've gotten smelly hands more than a couple times. I've never tracked fuel onto the car mats.

Ever since I was a little kid I've prefered the smell of diesel exhaust to gas exhaust. I've followed lots of gas powered vehicles that STINK.

There is NO room for error on oil in PD TDIs. Until the PDs came along things were more relaxed, but it's quite hard to find oil that matches VW's spec for PDs. Things have changed, and your information (and Shell Rotella) are out of date here.

The PDs have an extended period between oil changes, so this isn't a big cost factor.

Thank you all very much for your info, I'll check out TDIclub for some more info. I've looked at a few other sites, Vw.com obviously, done what research I can. the main reason I'm looking at leasing is because I can sell my car on my own (worth about 13k private sale) and put that money in my ING account (over 3% interest) and just pay my lease payments out of that while still getting interest. as far as getting prices down, my plan was to say I'm also interested in an accord hybrid or toyota prius. so they at least knwo they have some competition.

Do the stations have paper towels? If so, just use those to hold the pump handle that the pump slob has gotten fuel all over.

The Accord hybrid does not get near the TDI milage. Also, look carefully at the battery warranty on any hybrid. Once they go they'll cost thousands to replace.

I like my 2001 Golf a lot, but it's true about the engine and transmission being the best parts. Little electrical things, nothing major, were fixed under warranty the first year.

Noise is only a little more than a gas engine, nothing annoying. TDIs sold here certainly have plenty of zip when needed, thanks to the turbo. I never had an issue with refueling. Just make certain that if you let someone pump the fuel that they do not put in gasoline by mistake.

As the engine breaks in, fuel milage improves, though I don't have a newer PD engine and these may differ. I would certainly buy another TDI.

Maintenance-wise, tryo to hook up a.s.a.p. with a local tdiclub.com person who is a mechanic. I don't trust most dealers to wash my car, let alone maintain/repair one of the few diesels they ever see.

The Accord hybrid does not get near the TDI milage. Also, look carefully at the battery warranty on any hybrid. Once they go they'll cost thousands to replace.

I like my 2001 Golf a lot, but it's true about the engine and transmission being the best parts. Little electrical things, nothing major, were fixed under warranty the first year.

Noise is only a little more than a gas engine, nothing annoying. TDIs sold here certainly have plenty of zip when needed, thanks to the turbo. I never had an issue with refueling. Just make certain that if you let someone pump the fuel that they do not put in gasoline by mistake.

As the engine breaks in, fuel milage improves, though I don't have a newer PD engine and these may differ. I would certainly buy another TDI.

Maintenance-wise, try to hook up a.s.a.p. with a local tdiclub.com person who is a mechanic. I don't trust most dealers to wash my car, let alone maintain/repair one of the few diesels they ever see.