"Practice what you preach" the old saying goes. As a Consumer Advice Associate for Edmunds.com, I did just that. I found a car that is fuel efficient, fun to drive, and even qualifies for a $1,700 tax credit. But if you had asked me what I'd be driving now, seven months ago, I wouldn't have a clue. It took a drive through the desert to realize that I wanted a diesel vehicle.
Vehicle: 2010 Volkswagen Golf TDI
Trim Level/Options: TDI Four-Door Hatchback, Six-speed DSG transmission; Navigation Package; Xenon headlamps with AFS; Power Sunroof; Dynaudio Advanced Sound; Bluetooth Connectivity
Purchase Price: $28,735
Current Edmunds TMV: $28,478
Modifications: None
Other Currently Owned Vehicles: None
Previous Vehicles Owned: 1984 Toyota Corolla, 1992 Honda Prelude Si
Unlike the other editors here, I haven't owned many vehicles in my lifetime. I held on to my last car, a 1992 Honda Prelude Si, for almost 12 years. In its final year, the car was beginning to show its age. It had over 220,000 miles, was a salvage title, and it didn't pass the smog inspection.
The repairs began to come in at a more frequent pace. I was tired of fixing it, so I sold the car to a teenager who was willing to put in the effort. The circle of car life was complete on my Prelude, but I wasn't financially prepared to buy a new car. For the next seven months, I took the bus to work and constantly fluctuated between different cars I might want to buy.
Around the same time, I was given the opportunity to be a driver on the second Fuel Sipper Smackdown. I drove a 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI a few times during the trip and I was able to see how it performed in a variety of conditions. It was the first time I was exposed to a modern diesel vehicle and I was impressed. I could get the fuel economy benefits of a hybrid, without the sacrifice in driving pleasure.
There was one problem, though. Though I really enjoyed the Jetta TDI, I've never really liked the looks of the latest generation. Thankfully, I soon found out that Volkswagen was making a Golf TDI, and I knew I wanted one.
This was going to be the first new car I had ever bought, and I didn't want to compromise on the color or options. My local Volkswagen dealerships hardly had any TDIs in stock, and even fewer if you wanted them with specific options. So I placed a special order for the vehicle and prepared for a three month wait.
A few weeks later, I got a call from the salesperson. As luck would have it, a deal had fallen through for a person that ordered a TDI with very similar options. Even the color (Blue Graphite Metallic) was the same. The only difference was an added sound package. I'm not much of an audiophile, but if it meant getting the car early, I was willing to pay the extra $476. I rushed to the dealership and bought the car.
I paid sticker price for the vehicle ($28,735). I shopped around the price by calling various dealerships, but no one was willing to come down from MSRP. This was reflected in the TMV price at the time (February of 2010), so I didn't feel too bad about it. The car had just been released a couple of months prior and dealerships were being allotted a set amount of TDI's. And as an added bonus, this car was eligible for a $1,700 federal tax credit.
I've heard numerous reports about Volkswagen's long term reliability issues, but it wasn't enough to dissuade me from buying this car. Every automaker goes through a bad patch, and you can't go through life worrying about what other people say. Sometimes you just need to find things out for yourself. In the meantime, I have three years of warranty and free maintenance on my side.
Since my purchase, I've placed about 1,250 miles on it and averaged about 32 mpg in mostly city driving. I've yet to take it on a road trip, but I know the TDI can easily get more than 40 mpg on the highway. I'll keep you updated in future posts!
Ron Montoya, Consumer Advice Associate Editor
By cruiserhead1
on April 14, 2010
10:13 AM
Nice choice!
I checked out the new GTI's and TDI's a few days ago and was impressed by how nice the interiors were.
I think there was talk of adding lubrication to the ULSD to make your engine last longer.
By your car history, buying at msrp means nothing. Keeping it long term, you will make up all your depreciation and then some.
Hope you can update at intervals with your experience!
By rsholland
on April 14, 2010
10:45 AM
I agree, you made a very nice choice here. I need to go and test-drive one.
I'm interested in the TDI mainly because Subaru has a 2.0 boxer diesel, which hopefully will make it's way here soon. AWD and a turbo diesel, sort of like having your cake and being able to eat it too. :)
By blueguydotcom
on April 14, 2010
10:54 AM
Nice car. I was ever so close to buying one. My fear of VW products (our current Audi and all of our VWs have been awful) pushed me away. I really wish I could trust VW because the 4 door Golf TDI is a near perfect car.
By vwblues
on April 14, 2010
01:35 PM
I hope your local dealer is nice, you will be seeing a lot of him. I say this as a current VW owner. They are fun to drive though, and the interiors are top notch. Enjoy, I hope your experience is a good one.
By auto4fun
on April 14, 2010
01:41 PM
A very nice car indeed! And to counter some of the VW reliability problems that other people have mentioned, my wife bought a Rabbit over 3 years ago and has put over 50k miles on it already. She's only taken it in for scheduled service...it's been the most reliable car I've ever seen. The only issue we've had is that the rear brake pads wear out more quickly than expected.
By greenpony
on April 14, 2010
06:36 PM
I see your TDI is referenced here: http://www.edmunds.com/advice/buying/articles/120208/article.html
I've never custom ordered a car, but I'm set on doing it for my next vehicle. Assuming the dealer can't find your exact car anywhere, when is the negotiation done? When the car is ordered, or after it has been delivered to the dealer? Do you often end up paying MSRP, or is there some wiggle room?
By par_avion
on April 15, 2010
06:44 AM
Congrats! I hope it holds up long-term like your old Honda!
By blueguydotcom
on April 15, 2010
07:26 AM
@green,
You don't really custom order a VW. They look over the manufacturing lists and find the car that most closely matches what you want. Same nonsense with Lexus, Infiniti, and a bunch of other brands. Seems only a few manus are still left that allow for custom orders (BMW, Mini, etc).
By seppoboy
on April 15, 2010
08:52 AM
Congratulations on your new Golf TDI, I hope you enjoy it very much, as you should.
VW reliability varies, but my 2006 Jetta TDI with the older 1.9L has been just fine. Under warranty, a passenger airbag was replaced and the the satellite radio needed software reflash at the same visit. Two headlight bulbs have burnt out and needed replaced.
That's it, in 110,000 miles. I still have the original brake pads, and have never had original rotors last 100k miles in any car I've owned, much less the pads.
My trusty independent mechanic does the maintenance service, and the awful local dealership who did the early warranty work was sold to a new owner who has drastically improved their service department.
Here's hoping your experience is as good as mine.
By rm2008
on April 15, 2010
09:33 AM
Green Pony,
You'll want to negotitate as if the car were on the lot. Get whatever arrangements you discuss in writing.If you plan on using incentives, you can only use what's available at the time of delivery.
blueguydotcom,
I did custom order my VW. I placed a deposit for it and was prepared to wait the 3 months. I just got lucky and one was available in a few weeks.
-Ron Montoya
By blueguydotcom
on April 15, 2010
10:03 AM
-Ron,
It was made specifically for you? You got the build number? I'm surprised if this is so.
Great news though.
By ahightower
on April 15, 2010
12:35 PM
Great color. I like VW's a lot better with the new front clips. I also worry about VW reliability, but you know any TDI is going to have excellent resale value, so if you does turn out to be a lemon after the warranty expires, you can easily sell it to some nerd who wants to convert it to run on veggie oil.
By opfreakx
on April 16, 2010
06:23 AM
I bought the Golf, err rabbit, as a 2008 model. middle of the road equipment, 2dr/auto. And paid ~18k OTD. Yes this one has a few nicer bits. And while its not a TDI.
$10,000 MORE for the TDI version buys alot of fuel.
Just looking at the new ones, the TDI engine costs you 2 grand more (after your tax credit)
By blueguydotcom
on April 16, 2010
09:37 PM
opt, a TDI can be had for low to mid 20s. It also has a better interior and suspension than a standard rabbit. At about 22.5k (the one I looked at), it was a helluva deal, imho. It would have been about 25k OTD. That's a 7k division although the tax was deductible this year. As regular slides right beyond $3 a gallon, 10+ MPGs per gallon means more and more even with diesel being 20 cents more a gallon. At
Further, the $1300 tax credit is different for everybody. How so? Well for the average American family with a joint household 50k income it's like a 9k tax deduction (reducing taxes owed from 6600 to 5300).