Our 2009 VW Jetta TDI was on holiday travel duty the past few days. I drove my wife and daughter to visit the in-laws for Thanksgiving, which entailed a round trip from central California to Orange County as well as a side trip to San Diego. Further details about how the Jetta did on the trip, including its fuel mileage for the 700 miles driven, follow after the jump.
Comfort: Like Erin and John noted recently, the Jetta's driver seat is very comfortable for long-distance driving. My wife sat in back with our one-year-old daughter. She commented that the rear seat was generally comfortable, but head room would be tight for anyone more than 6 feet tall. I moved the front passenger seat up for her, so rear leg room wasn't an issue.
Cargo: Initially, I was concerned about not having enough space for all the stuff we had to bring. In addition to the usual things (which is always a lot when traveling with a one-year-old), we had a lot of food to bring as well. Thankfully, the Jetta's large 16-cubic-foot trunk was big enough to hold most of it. In the photo, the large suitcase on the left and yellow/black garment bag should give you an idea of the trunk's capacity.
Fuel economy: This trip was about 700 miles of mostly highway driving. Cruising speeds were generally around 75 mph. I averaged 40.2 miles per gallon, which matches what the EPA estimates for highway fuel economy. The range is great, too, with 500 miles being no problem from a tank of fuel.
Power: No surprise here -- the Jetta TDI is peppy around town but runs out of oomph at higher speeds. When driving up I5's mountainous Tejon Pass (the Grapevine), though, the diesel's turbo and torque was a boon. Almost all cars I drive on this route need to drop down at least one gear for the long grades. But the Jetta, which was likely helped by the low (60F) ambient air temperature, was able to maintain its speed even in top gear.
Image: We've often noted that the Jetta has a more premium image than the typical economy car's. This proved to be true for my trip. Relatives attending the Thanksgiving Day festivities seemed to be impressed with the Jetta, and they became even more curious about it when they heard it was a diesel.
Overall, I really liked having the Jetta TDI on this trip. Vehicles like our long-term Dodge Grand Carvan or Ford Flex make trips easier and more convenient thanks to their size. But the Jetta still held all our stuff while also being more enjoyable to drive and dramatically more fuel efficient.
Brent Romans, Senior Automotive Editor @ 6061 miles
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I don't think the Jetta is an economy car - the VW Rabbit is. The fact the TDI gets such great mileage doesn't mean it's an economy car. I view the Jetta as a smaller family sedan. Once upon a time, the Jetta would be considered a mid-size family sedan, but now with the typical family sedan such as the Accord and Camry having grown much larger than their predecessors, the Jetta is a small sedan. But not an economy car.
this is a small midsize car. The size and price mean its beyond the small car segment. There was a time when the Jetta seemed to have more premium content than comparable cars but that really isnt the case today when leather and auto climate control are available on virtually any car in the $25k range.
"I don't think the Jetta is an economy car - the VW Rabbit is"
They are the same car except for the truck.
You're right though, it's not in the economy class anymore.
VW needs an economy car like it sells in other markets.... and with a smaller diesel. 40 mpg is good but not great.
"this is a small midsize car"
???
It's a small car, just like the blue Corolla in the background and every one of it's competitors. They are the same size but the Jetta is slightly more expensive (but a little more content).
The Corolla has grown in size too.
I just think back to when I bought my 1996 Ford Contour SE new in '96. It was a smaller mid-size sporty sedan, and it competed with the VW Jetta back then, which was almost the same size and price. It was NOT an economy car though - the Focus fit that role. Over the years, many of the Jetta's competitors in 1996 grew in size considerably, while the Jetta has pretty much remained the same size (and price). That doesn't mean it has become an economy car. A fully loaded Jetta is a nice piece with a lot of features you can't find in an economy car. And don't forget, the Audi A4 is simply a luxed-out Jetta (or at least it was until the latest A4, which is now A5 based).
The Jetta has grown considerably in it's latest iteration as most cars have. I had a Jetta 2 and my wife had a Jetta 3 (and they were virtually the same size)... Small and tight.
And the Audi A4 B6/B7 platform is not a Jetta. The engine goes the wrong way on the Jetta.
rabbit and jetta are off the same platform. (just got a rabbit).
While my rabbit doesn't have the range. It does use the currently cheaper gas. Which in my neck of the woods is much much cheaper then desiel.
regular gas = 1.65, diesel - 2.87, difference = 1.12 or 74% more.
my rabbit = 30mpg on highway, jetta would have to average 52mpg to equal my rabbits gas cost
stingray-
"It was NOT an economy car though - the Focus fit that role."
You mean the Escort. There was no 1996 Focus in the U.S. The Focus was introduced in the U.S. for the 2000 model year. Oddly, you could pick either an Escort or a Focus for the 2000-2002 model years.
"Oddly, you could pick either an Escort or a Focus for the 2000-2002 model years. "
No different then when VW decided to continue to sell the previous generation Jetta under the name Jetta City even though the next generation was out. It's just a way to sell a low price model whose R&D is already paid for.
http://www.canadiandriver.com/testdrives/07cityjetta.htm
I'd like to know more about what kind of mileage you get in town. I'm a little underwhelmed by what you're reporting for highway mileage. I easily get 40 mpg on the highway with a 2006 Honda Civic, at 75 mph. I love the idea of the diesel engine, but it's hard to justify if it can't outdue a similar sized four door gas engine vehicle.