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Long-Term Road Tests

2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI

July 4, 2009

2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI: Great Seating Position

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Waaaaaaaaaay back in November when the 2009 VW Jetta TDI was fresh meat around here Erin Riches posted about the sedan's excellent seating position. She had just road tripped the VeeDub to Vegas to break it in and returned raving about the Jetta's comfort and control placement. Near flawless she called it.

Well, nine months later I'm going to second her comments. The Jetta does have a near flawless seating position. But I'm not surprised, VW has always done this right. For decades the company has made it a priority.  

Continue reading...

July 1, 2009

Big List of Fuel Economy - June 2009

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Below are the fuel economy numbers for June 2009. We've listed the best, worst and overall average tanks.

As always, we were missing a few cars that were out of town or unavailable at the time of this writing. I'll continue to add them as they come in and let you know in the comments.

  Car
Best
Worst
Average
  2009 Audi A4 Avant
26.8
17.5
21.9
  2009 Audi S5
22.3
11.3
18.0
  2008 BMW 135i
27.7
13.9
19.8
  2009 BMW 750i
21.8
12.4
17.9
  2002 BMW M3
23.5
12.3
17.5
  2009 BMW M3
20.5
12.7
16.1
  2009 Ford Flex Limited
26.7
13.7
19.2
  2008 Ford Focus SES
40.6
16.6
26.7
  2007 Honda Civic GX
47.3
12.7
31.6
  2009 Honda Fit Sport
39.0
24.9
31.0
  2009 Hyundai Genesis
24.4
14.3
20.4
  2009 Infiniti FX50
21.8
10.7
16.9
  2009 Mazda 6
29.3
19.4
23.5
  2008 Mitsubishi Evo X GSR
22.6
11.0
17.0
  2009 Nissan 370Z
24.4
13.7
17.9
  2009 Nissan GT-R
21.8
11.5
16.4
  2008 Smart Fortwo Passion
43.4
23.5
33.6
  2009 Suzuki SX4
28.3
18.6
22.5
  2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI
43.0
28.0
34.6

After the jump you can see the list sorted by best average MPG.

Continue reading...

June 30, 2009

2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI: Not a Canyon Carver

Jetta-on-GMR.jpg

Last week I did two things I'll never do again. First and worst was the hour I spent watching the Batchlorette when my wife highjacked the living room TV. Damn Yankees had the night off.

Then I drove our long-term 2009 VW Jetta TDI up Glendora Mountain Road. While not as bad as an hour of Jillian-and-the-I-have-abs-but-no-brains-brigade, the TDI on GMR was no treat. This car is not a sports sedan despite its DSG transmission and abundant bottom end torque.  

Continue reading...

June 29, 2009

2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI: Cool Ride

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Summer is here and so is the relentless sun. Whether you live in the dry heat like we do in Southern California, or in the more humid climates, you need a good air conditioner in your car.

Our 2009 VW Jetta TDI has a powerful, cold A/C with vents that are in the right places and simple old-school dials for control. The vents are positioned high enough so you can direct them at your face without them hitting your hands on the steering wheel. And as Paul mentioned in an earlier post, the dials may be simple but they are logical and easy to operate.

Saturday, when I was driving around doing my errands at high noon and ended up parking in an outdoor lot for an hour, I really appreciated the strong steady cool air. And later that night when the marine layer misted in off the sea, I dialed on the seat heaters to keep me cozy.

Sometimes, simple is best.

Donna DeRosa, Managing Editor @ 16,590 miles

June 28, 2009

2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI: You Have Too Much Blood...

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"...Now let's get you covered in leeches." - Dr. Nick.

Unfortunately, they don't make a leech capable of sucking excess oil from the belly of a 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI. During a routine oil-and-tire-pressure check, Editor-in-Chief Oldham noticed the oil level on our oil-burning Jetta was nearly two quarts too full. The level was so high, in fact, that it was registering higher the plastic indicator allowed.

oilservice.jpg

No sense continuing driving around like that, I took it to Volkswagen of Santa Monica, where we had the initial service, to see what they had to say...

Continue reading...

June 27, 2009

2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI: Suddenly It Makes Sense

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Filled up our long-term VW Jetta TDI yesterday at a Volero station in Glendora, CA. Have you noticed that Diesel fuel is suddenly and significantly cheaper than even regular 87? Now this car makes sense. It pencils out as they say.

Scott Oldham, Inside Line Editor in Chief @ 16,041 miles

June 26, 2009

2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI: Which Generation Do You Like Best?

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I've already waxed poetic about how great our 2009 TDI is under the skin, but how about the styling? Though the current one has grown on me, I'd have to say that compared to all the generations of Jettas, it's second or maybe third place in the looks department. 

My favorite? That would be the previous generation, the 1999.5 to 2005. Clean, distinctly European lines, not a Corolla-like profile as with today's car. You know, like our recently departed 2005 long-termer. I also think the 1993-1999 generation is rather handsome (see pic above).

What's your fave?

John DiPietro, Automotive Editor 

June 17, 2009

2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI: You're The One That I Want

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This is a car I could own. I love the torquey diesel engine--especially the ability to put a quick pass-play on unsuspecting sport sedans. I like the clean, simple interior and roomy rear seat.

And with its $24,990 price tag, I could actually afford to buy it. Although, I think I'd throw in another $2K and add a nav.

Kelly Toepke, News Editor @ 16,700 miles

June 10, 2009

2009 VW Jetta TDI: Tell Me Why I'm Wrong

 

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Our VW Jetta TDI is averaging 35 mpg - had a tank best of 43 mpg. People should be all over this Jetta instead of the Prius or other hybrids. The extra complexity, cost and the (before and after sale) overall impact on the environment should be working against hybrids - especially considering the crowd who's buying them. Clean diesel cars like the 2009 VW Jetta TDI ought to be green darlings instead of hybrids.

Brian Moody, Automotive Editor

June 1, 2009

Big List of Fuel Economy - May Edition

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Here are the fuel economy numbers for 2009. We've listed the best, worst and overall average tanks.

As always, we were missing a few cars that were out of town or unavailable at the time of this writing. I'll add them as they come in and I'll let you know in the comments.

  Car
Best
Worst
Average
  2009 Audi A4 Avant
26.8
17.5
22.0
  2009 Audi S5
22.3
11.8
18.0
  2009 BMW 750i
21.8
12.4
18.2
  2002 BMW M3
23.5
12.3
17.5
  2009 BMW M3
18.8
9.6
15.4
  2008 Cadillac CTS
32.5
9.9
19.3
  2009 Dodge Challenger R/T
22.3
10.3
16.0
  2009 Ford Flex Limited
26.7
13.7
19.4
  2008 Ford Focus SES
40.6
16.6
26.7
  2007 Honda Civic GX
47.3
12.7
31.7
  2009 Honda Fit Sport
39.0
26.0
31.5
  2009 Hyundai Genesis
24.8
15.5
20.7
  2009 Infiniti FX50
21.8
10.7
17.0
  2009 Mazda 6
29.1
19.4
23.3
  2008 Mitsubishi Evo X MR
27.2
11.7
17.3
  2009 Nissan 370Z
24.4
13.7
18.2
  2009 Nissan GT-R
21.8
11.5
16.5
  2008 Pontiac G8 GT
24.0
12.0
17.5
  2008 Smart Fortwo Passion
43.4
23.5
33.4
  2009 Suzuki SX4
28.3
18.6
22.6
  2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI
43.0
28.7
35.0

After the jump you can see the list sorted by best average MPG.

Continue reading...

May 28, 2009

2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI: Nice Caboose

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This is what happens when you press the remote trunk release button on our long-term 2009 VW Jetta TDI's key fob. It's especially convenient when your hands are full, as there's no need to set down half your stuff in order to open the trunk. But even if you're just putting a suitcase back there, or setting your golf bag in after a round, it's pretty cool that the trunk lid pops open for you.

I'm surprised more trunks aren't like this. It's a real rarity in the family sedan segment, and even at twice the Jetta's price, there's no guarantee a sedan's trunk will perform this trick.

Help me out here. What sedans can you think of that share this feature?

Josh Sadlier, Associate Editor, Edmunds.com @ 15,464 miles

May 27, 2009

2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI: Audio Screen Dislikes Sunlight

vw jetta audio system display screen

We had some gloriously sunny days over the Memorial Day weekend here, which called to my attention that the black-text-on-gray/brown-screen setup of the Jetta's audio system is almost unreadable in direct sunlight. When the sun was high in the sky and I wanted to know what song was playing on the radio, I was SOL. "Ooh, what's that song? Hmm, looks like it's 'Glare' by Dim Letters on a Brown Background." (Of course, by the time I could snap a photo, the sky had grown overcast again, so this shot doesn't quite capture how obscured the text appeared to me in full, direct sunlight. You'll have to take my word for it.) Now, it wasn't totally washed out, but definitely couldn't read it if I only had time for a quick glance, like while driving on the freeway.

Bryn MacKinnon, Senior Editor, Edmunds.com @ 15,456 miles

May 23, 2009

Would I Buy One?

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Would I buy one? It's a question I ask myself whenever I slide behind the wheel of a car. Would I drop my hard earned money on one of these? Would I want to own it? Drive it for years? Look at it in my driveway? Tell people it's mine?

It's also the question you the reader ask me the most. So I've decided to go through all the cars we now have in our fleet and decide whether or not I would buy one. I also included a few recently departed vehicles. Seems appropriate since they just left us. 

Continue reading...

May 22, 2009

2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI: Suspension Walkaround

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Let me apologize in advance for the craptacular photos this week. My regular Nikon SLR walked off to document my daughter's dress rehersal for "Princess and the Pea." I've salvaged what I could with my meager photo-manipulation skills.

Anyway, the front suspension on our 2009 VW Jetta TDI is standard front-wheel drive econobox stuff. It's your basic coil-over strut suspension (green). Most, but certainly not all, modern interpretations of this design use a direct-acting stabilizer bar connected directly to the strut housing via a long, slender link (yellow). Engineering textbooks say a long link under compression, such as this link is in right turns, needs to have a "slenderness ratio" (eye-to-eye length divided by diameter) of no more than 30:1. But the slenderness ratio should be lower than that to ensure that the stabilzer's contribution is sharp, not soggy, at turn-in. This one looks OK.

The circle indicates the "color code" of the front spring. Diesel engines are heavier than gasoline ones, so this spring is probaly stiffer than other Jetta springs, and a color code helps those on the assembly line install the correct one. There are many springs to choose from because there are wagons, Rabbits, GTIs, diesels, gas engines, automatcis and manuals that share this basic strut hardware, and each could conceivably get a different spring.

 

Continue reading...

2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI: Giant Trunk

car-of-the-week-banner2.jpggigantic trunk in the 2009 vw jetta

The trunk of the 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI is massive. It's at least a four-body trunk. If that Edmunds license plate isn't giving you enough context, follow the jump for a more detailed look.

Continue reading...

2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI: Kid Duty

car-of-the-week-banner.jpgwe shall call him grover

Last night, for my time with the humble CotW, I pretended I have two kids who require child safety seats (instead of one) to see how our 2009 Jetta could handle it, say, if I were a parent of two who was trying to get by with a smaller, fun-to-drive, fuel efficient sedan instead of opting for a more traditional mid- or full-size family sedan or a crossover.

 Bryn MacKinnon, Senior Editor, Edmunds.com

Continue reading...

May 21, 2009

2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI: Seat Adjustment

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Our 2009 VW Jetta TDI has a combination of manual and power-adjustable driver seat controls.

To move forward or back, there is a handle underneath the front cushion. To move up and down, there is a handle on the side that you can pump. You get a power-operated button to adjust the backrest. Interesting way to give you lots of control without adding much to the price.

ford-focus-seat-2-250.jpgThe driver seat in our Ford Focus long-termer also has a pump-type handle to move the seat higher. It feels rather flimsy though. Whenever I use it, I'm always afraid it is going to snap off. It hasn't, so maybe it's just me. The handle in the Jetta, although smaller, feels much more substantial.

Donna DeRosa, Managing Editor

May 20, 2009

2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI: Don't Call Me Bluetec

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380 h barber comb fluid.jpg 380 h toilet bowl cleaner.jpg

At one point VW and Audi thought about attaching the Bluetec label to its new clean diesel products, as Mercedes has done. The German companies thought for a time that the promotion of their new clean diesel products would be more easily advanced by such a united front.

That didn't last. VW and Audi pulled out and decided to stick with their highly-marketable TDI designation, but with "clean diesel" appended in their promotional and sales materials.

Most of the new clean diesels do require a urea-based solution to reduce NOx emissions to reach the Tier II, Bin 5 levels required for sale in California and other CARB states. Blue in color, the solution goes by the name of AdBlue.

But our 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI (clean diesel) requires no mysterious "blue fluid" to meet Tier II, Bin 5 emissions cleanliness. Why? Turns out a lightly loaded diesel engine doesn't emit enough NOx to need a urea-based exhaust after-treatment system. Put this same engine in a Tiguan, however, and the urea solution may well become necessary to meet Tier II, Bin 5 levels.  

Nevertheless, our 2009 VW Jetta TDI still retains a tiny trace of its brief blue period with Mercedes...

555 TDI badge.jpg

 

Dan Edmunds, Director of Vehicle Testing @ 15,210 miles  

May 19, 2009

2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI: Open Thread

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Got questions? We got answers.

What do you want to know about the 2009 VW Jetta TDI?

Have you driven one? Write your own review in the comments section.

Donna DeRosa, Managing Editor

May 18, 2009

2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI: Minor Coneage

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You know how it is with omlettes and eggs: to make the former you've got to break the latter.

Well, one might say that testing is like that. In order to find the limits and make a good run, a few cones are going to come to grief along the way. But they don't go quietly. In addition to their helpless "thwap" sound, they sometimes leave a little bit of themselves smeared along the flanks of our test cars.

And so it is with our 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI, which put the hurt on one of the bigger 12" cones we use. But the defenseless cone got its revenge.

It almost never rises to the level of actual paint damage or a dent. No, most times it's a thin layer of orange plastic, like you see near the middle of the photo. There's usually a heaping helping of black, too, picked up from previous tire-only "thwaps".

But their is a solution to your cone-centric nightmares. And no, it does not involve a Shamwow! or a TV pitchman who shouts.

Continue reading...

2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI: What a Difference a Quarter-century Makes

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Our beloved Jetta TDI turned 15,000 miles over the weekend.  I would've caught the exact moment, had I not been cruising along the 10 freeway at 70 mph (a rare occurrence on a Friday afternoon that I didn't want to disturb).

Feeling nostalgic (as I often do about the '80s), I thought it would be interesting to see how far the Jetta diesel had come since it debuted in 1980. Let's compare the specs of a first-generation model with the latest... 

Continue reading...

May 17, 2009

2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI: Road Tripper

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Because it's capable of long runs between fuelings, our 2009 Jetta TDI is often chosen as a road trip vehicle. It's made a couple of trips to Las Vegas, a few Willow Springs runs, trips to the mountains, the in-laws, etc.

It's a good road trip buddy because it has a huge trunk, a comfortable interior and a decent audio system.

But despite all of those trips, there isn't very much to complain about. This is quite a likable little sedan, and it's our Car of the Week.

Donna DeRosa, Managing Editor

May 14, 2009

2009 VW Jetta TDI: Sound Level Comparison With Other Cars

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One common concern about buying a diesel engine is that it sounds like a truck. Well, let's take a look at the decibel readings for our long-term 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI versus a variety of other engines and cars. These were taken at our two test track locations with differing surface and wind conditions (nothing overly gusty), so these numbers aren't exactly precise down to the tenth of a decibel, but general comparisons can be made.

2009 VW Jetta TDI
Idle: 47.7
Full Throttle: 72.8
70-mph cruise: 70.0

Continue reading...

May 13, 2009

2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI: Electric Power Steering Needs Refining

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Every time I drive our long-term 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI, I am impressed by just how adequate this car is for $25,000. It has plenty of room, high-quality leatherette upholstery, solid-feeling switchgear, a pleasant ride quality and ample low-end torque, thanks to its direct-injected and turbocharged, 2.0-liter diesel four-cylinder rated at 236 lb-ft at 1,750 rpm. 

But there are going to be cost-cutting measures in a reasonably priced car that has so much going for it. One of these, I feel, is the VW Jetta TDI's electric power-assisted steering. Most of the time it feels like pretty average EPS. There's no feedback and the steering can feel pretty artificial and overboosted off center, but it feels fine on-center at highway speeds.

Sometimes, though, when I'm approaching full lock while reversing into a parallel spot, the power assist seems to drop away and the steering feels strangely heavy. It's a little annoying. The VW CC we tested recently also had EPS but seemed much more consistent in its assist levels.

P.S. This parking spot happens to be in the driveway for my apartment building, so if completed, this particular parking job would not violate any traffic laws.

Erin Riches, Senior Editor @ 14,782 miles

May 4, 2009

2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI: Would you rather?

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What's that switch in the middle of the speaker on top on the IP (instrument panel, the engineering term for what's more commonly known as the dashboard)? I've driven this car several times and this is the first time I've noticed it. What does that do -- activate the speaker or something?

Take a closer look (pic below). It looks like a ventilation icon, actually like a seat ventilation icon, but it would be strange to put it in the middle of a stereo speaker. Let's RTFM (read the friendly manual).

It turns out that the switch is to allow for indirect ventilation. The book said to close the face vents and open the top vent and now "Ventilation is indirect and draft-free." I've driven a lot of different vehicles and have never seen a register (vent) in that position.

Couldn't you just aim the face vents up and away for indirect ventilation?

I think I'd rather have a speaker there.

Albert Austria, Sr Vehicle Eval Engineer @ 14,515 miles

VW Jetta top register.jpg 

May 1, 2009

Big List of Fuel Economy - April Edition

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Here are the fuel economy figures for April 2009. As usual, we've listed the best and worst tanks and the average over the entire life of the vehicle.

We're missing a couple of cars that were out of town or unavailable at the time we took the readings.

Car
Best
Worst
Average
2009 Audi A4 Avant
26.8
17.5
22.3
2008 BMW 135i
27.7
9.5
19.8
2009 BMW 750i
21.8
14.6
19.1
2002 BMW M3
23.5
12.3
17.5
2009 BMW M3
16.8
9.6
14.8
2008 Cadillac CTS
32.5
9.9
19.2
2009 Dodge Challenger R/T
18.1
10.3
16.3
2009 Ford Flex Limited
26.7
13.7
19.6
2008 Ford Focus SES
40.6
16.6
26.7
2007 Honda Civic GX
47.3
12.7
31.7
2009 Honda Fit Sport
39.0
26.0
32.0
2009 Hyundai Genesis
24.8
15.5
20.7
2009 Infiniti FX50
21.8
10.7
17.1
2009 Mazda 6
29.1
19.5
23.5
2008 Mitsubishi Evo X GSR
22.6
11.0
17.2
2008 Mitsubishi Evo X MR
21.3
11.7
16.8
2009 Nissan GT-R
21.8
11.5
16.5
2008 Pontiac G8 GT
19.4
14.1
17.3
2008 Smart Fortwo Passion
43.4
23.5
33.7
2009 Suzuki SX4
25.0
18.6
22.5
2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI
43.0
28.7
35.3
2005 Volkswagen Jetta on Biodiesel
49.1
26.2
38.8

After the jump you can see the list sorted by best average MPG.

Donna DeRosa, Managing Editor

Continue reading...

April 27, 2009

2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI: Southbound and Down

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Down to San Diego and back in the Jedi this weekend, and though pretty much a freeway blitz, VW's anon-o-pod continues to impress. Rear seat room in this four-door might kindly be described as adequate, but like Dr. Who's phone booth, the trunk seems impossibly large. A nearly perfect car for jaunts like this, of the platform's 4-door iterations (Golf, Jetta, Jetta Sportwagen), why do I feel more comfortable in the Jetta when people can see my wife in the car as well? ("Is that a dude driving that..., oh, okay, it must be his wife's car.").

Continue reading...

April 21, 2009

2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI: Go Ahead, Twist My Arm

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As a guy who has a sometimes hurting lower back, I like plenty of lumbar adjustment.  So as soon as I hop into a car with that feature, I crank it up a few notches.  But I also like it when you don't have to be double-jointed to work the control.  The Jetta has an awkwardly placed knob (and it's not the only car guilty of this), that you spin about 130 degrees with each hand twist.  Evidently, it's geared pretty low as it takes no less than 20 twists of the knob to go from nada to full lumbar support.  

Granted, if it's your car and you don't share it with anyone, this isn't going to be as big a deal as it is when different people share the car.  Still, it can be a real pain in the...forearm for those that do.

John DiPietro, Automotive Editor @ 13,931 miles

April 14, 2009

2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI: Replacing the Windshield

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You'll remember Al's post from yesterday, the one that showed a very interesting ringed pattern caused by unknown debris going very quickly (or we were going quickly, math is tricky that way).

Lucky for us, Volkswagen of Santa Monica had replacement glass in stock and took our car this morning. Less than four hours after drop-off we got the call that our oil burner was done and could be picked up.

Parts: $330.65

Labor: $210.00

Tax: $30.59

Total Cost: $571.24 

Mike Magrath, Vehicle Testing Assistant @ 13,643 miles

Where's the Clipboard Damn It, I Need a Car!

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What's it like working at Inside Line?

I get this question almost daily from somebody, and my answer usually blows their mind. I say, "Well, everyday this guy Mike walks up to me with a clipboard that contains a list of 15 to 30 cars ranging from a Smart to a GT-R and he says, 'Scott, what do you want to drive home tonight.'"

It's true.   

Continue reading...

April 13, 2009

2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI: Decent car + That is not sweet at all!

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What the heck?! How did that happen? That is not sweet at all.

I picked up the Jetta TDI for the weekend and was greeted with this windshield damage.

I was told that something big hit the windshield, but the driver didn't know what it was. A rock, golf ball, avocado, who knows?

The strange thing is the concentric rings around the strike. I have never seen such a pattern -- you usually get lines or spider webs.

Oh, the car, right.  

The power from the 2.0L inline turbo-diesel four is acceptable (140hp), and it has good torque (236 lb-ft @ 1750~2500 rpm). But initial throttle tip-in is a bit sluggish. I don't know if this is due to tall gearing, turbo-lag, or what. When you punch it, it's fine. Overall engine performance is pretty good, except for some light clatter that you can hear at idle and at parking lot speeds.

And the ride is not floaty and better controlled than Accord and Camry. I'd take it over a Corolla (both are somewhat boring, but the Jetta less so) but not sure if I would say the same with respect to a Civic. 

At a list price of $25K, I'd say it's surprisingly decent.

Albert Austria, Sr Vehicle Eval Engineer @ 13,613 miles

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April 8, 2009

2009 VW Jetta TDI: Extending Visors

09 Jetta TDI Visors in Regular Position09 Jetta TDI visors extended

And now another tidbit for tall people. In most cars, side visors don't do much for me when the sun is directly to the left -- I'm sitting too far back. However, some cars feature visors that extend out and this current generation Jetta is one of them. The last generation didn't have them.

This is one of many thoughtful touches found in the Jetta TDI that are normally reserved for more expensive cars. These touches make it so much more than just a strong, efficient powertrain. While it may not be the flashiest or most desirable car in our fleet, the new Jetta TDI is one of the most pleasant commuting choices.

James Riswick, Automotive Editor @ 13,270 miles

April 1, 2009

Big List of Fuel Economy - March Edition

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Here are updated fuel economy figures for the month of March. We've listed the best, worst and average fuel economy numbers over the life of the vehicle. Keep in mind that some of these tanks may be based on a partial fill-up.

This is missing a few that were not available at the time I was compiling this list.

Car
Best
Worst
Average
2009 Audi A4 Avant
26.0
17.5
21.6
2002 BMW M3
23.5
12.3
17.6
2009 Dodge Challenger R/T
20.4
12.9
17.3
2008 Ford Focus
40.6
17.1
26.4
2007 Honda Civic GX
47.3
21.4
31.6
2009 Honda Fit Sport
39.0
28.0
32.1
2009 Hyundai Genesis
24.8
15.5
21.1
2009 Infiniti FX50
20.9
10.8
17.4
2009 Mazda 6
29.1
19.5
23.3
2008 Mitsubishi Evo X GSR
22.6
11.0
17.1
2008 Mitsubishi Evo X MR
24.7
15.0
16.8
2009 Nissan 370Z Touring
21.6
14.0
18.4
2008 Smart Fortwo
43.4
25.7
33.8
2009 Suzuki SX4
25.0
18.6
22.1
2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI
43.0
28.7
35.6
2005 Volkswagen Jetta on Biodiesel
43.9
35.5
39.3

After the jump you can see the list sorted by average MPG.

Donna DeRosa, Managing Editor

Continue reading...

March 30, 2009

2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI: MPG minded

jetta tdi blog.jpg

Sometime on Friday night, after about three hours of enjoying the low-end torque and super-smooth dual-clutch DSG transmission of our 2009 Jetta TDI, I looked down at the fuel gauge and saw that, despite the trip odometer registering 160 miles, the needle wasn't even at the 3/4 tank mark. Now clearly I had done some damage to the overall fuel economy of this tank after only a few dozen miles, but still, the nifty little trip computer was registering almost 30mpg. That's pretty good, I thought. But surely I could do better, much better, if I really set my mind to it.

I drove immediately to the nearest gas station with available diesel and filled up the tank. I filled it very, very slowly (diesel tends to foam if poured too quickly which can cause a premature nozzle click-off) and then waited for the fuel to settle itself and, as slowly as the pump would allow, topped it off. The '09 Jetta took 5.717 gallons after only 163.9 miles. Clearly someone else had been enjoying the torque, too.

While you may be familiar with the diesel Jetta's impressive fuel economy, you may not be so familiar with my less-than-stellar EPA rating: I'm from the East coast. I'm always in a rush. I live in the city and rarely stray onto anything resembling a freeway. This test was going to be a test of the Jetta as much as it was of my will power.

Easy on the throttle. Stay way away from the brakes. Keep moving at all costs. A/C off. Tom Gabel in the CD player-- if my lethargic pace caused my boilers to overpressurize, I wanted to have something I could scream along to while keeping my right foot rock-steady.

A/C off was the first rule broken. It was something like 85 on Saturday. That's too hot. A/C on for a good portion of the afternoon.

Easy on the throttle was next to go. That same day it seemed like every person on the road washed down their morning coffee with a handful of Xanax. How so many indifferent, directionless people could converge on the same roadways at the same time was beyond me. Only a healthy dose of throttle-- after 3 tracks of solid screaming-- could fix the problem. What can I say? I wasn't built to be a hypermiler. Or to sit idle when I could advance my position. 

Other than that, though, I was perfect. I timed the lights as best I could; coasted as much as was safely possible; accelerated on pace with most school busses and generally just tried to be as steady and smooth as traffic and safety would allow. ( I refused to be that guy going 50 in a 65 just to get 2mpg better economy.)  

After just over two days of careful driving, and a very careful refueling early Monday from the same pump I started with Friday night, these were the results:

Total city miles: 98.7

Total highway miles: 54.6

Total miles: 150.2   

Total Gallons: 3.562

Average MPG: 43.037

Looks like there might be something to this driving frugally thing after all. Now if only it were possible to do without screaming my vocal chords raw from the stress and boredom of hypermiling.

Mike Magrath, Vehicle Testing Assistant @ 12,910 miles

March 24, 2009

2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI: 10,000-mile Service

09.vw.jetta.tdi.f34-2.555.jpg

Okay, we're guilty of being late on this one. Our 2009 Jetta TDI told us awhile back that it was due for service. We went to the dealer just last week. Volkswagen of Santa Monica handled all VW service needs to our satisfaction in the past. This time there was a small hiccup.

It turns out the first service is complimentary on the 2009 Jetta TDI. But the VIN of our early production vehicle registered in the VW database as being a 2008. The 10k service on a 2008 would cost us 140 bucks. After several minutes our advisor gave up trying to fix the glitch in their system. He assured us we wouldn't be charged for the service. And we weren't.

Visual inspections, oil change, tire rotation and a car wash were complete a couple of hours later. That wasn't too bad considering we arrived without an appointment on an visibly busy Friday afternoon. We won't hesitate to use this dealer again.

Days out of service: None

Cost: None

Mike Schmidt, Vehicle Testing Manager @ 12,062 miles

March 20, 2009

2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI: Footrest Done Right

09 Jetta TDI footrest done right.jpg

Are you listening, Hyundai Genesis? Cadillac CTS? Pontiac G8? Subaru WRX STI, and every other Subaru I've driven lately?

This is how you do a dead pedal.

The angle: pleasantly upright, similar to the angle of the throttle (CTS, G8, Genesis all fail on this front).

The depth: on the same plane as the throttle, so I don't feel like my left leg's out straight and my right leg's bent (CTS: epic fail).

The height: ample even for my size-12 sneaker (or "Al Austria," as I affectionately call it; don't ask), with no Subaru-style lumps on top to prevent me from resting my foot flat on the pedal.

Result: I feel like I'm in the ready position on a basketball court. Balanced, stable, confident, comfortable. The dead pedal may seem like a minor feature, but it really makes a difference when they get it right.

Oh, and don't tell me the Jetta has an advantage over the STI because there are only two other pedals down there. Our '05 Jetta TDI has the same number of pedals as the STI, and its footrest is just as good as the '09's.

Josh Sadlier, Associate Editor, Edmunds.com @11,991 miles

March 9, 2009

2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI: Skiers' Delight

JettaTDIskimt.jpg

I chose the Jetta TDI for a recent ski day.  As we didn't want to spend half the day driving, we figured we'd try out Mountain High, located in Wrightwood, CA which is about 90 miles from Santa Monica.

This photo was taken at the North Peak location of Mountain High, which was closed but made for a better shot thanks to the car-less lot that allowed us to go right up to the trail map sign.  We skied the West Peak, which had plenty of snow.

So you want three solid reasons why the Jetta TDI was my first pick?  I'll give you four...

Continue reading...

March 2, 2009

Big List of Fuel Economy

smart-fortwo-fuel.jpg

Here is a list of most of our long-term vehicles with their best, worst and average fuel economy numbers over the life of the vehicle.

This list is missing a few that were not available at the time I was compiling this list.

Car
Best
Worst
Average
2008 Audi R8
20.3
11.7
15.3
2009 Audi A4 Avant
26.0
17.5
19.9
2008 BMW 135i
27.7
13.9
20.5
2002 BMW M3
23.5
12.3
17.5
2008 Dodge Grand Caravan
30.8
12.0
18.6
2009 Ford Flex
26.7
13.7
19.8
2008 Ford Focus
37.4
16.6
26.4
2007 Honda Civic GX
47.3
16.6
31.4
2009 Honda Fit Sport
37.1
28.0
32.1
2009 Hyundai Genesis
24.8
15.7
20.9
2009 Infiniti FX50
21.8
10.7
17.4
2009 Mazda 6
29.1
19.5
23.6
2008 Mitsubishi Evo X GSR
22.6
11.0
17.0
2008 Mitsubishi Evo X MR
24.7
11.7
16.8
2009 Nissan GT-R
21.8
11.5
16.6
2008 Pontiac G8 GT
24.0
12.0
17.4
2008 Smart Fortwo
43.2
29.7
33.7
2008 Subaru WRX STI
24.4
12.3
18.9
2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI
40.4
30.0
35.7
2005 Volkswagen Jetta Biodiesel
50.4
30.3
39.3

Follow the jump to see the list organized by average so you can see how they stack up against each other.

Donna DeRosa, Managing Editor

Continue reading...

February 18, 2009

2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI: Belated 10,000 mile birthday

milestone.jpg555 10.5k w 50mpg out.jpg

Our Jetta had its 10,000 mile birthday while in the hands of someone who drove it before me, but they didn't even bother to send a card.

Since it's still running on the same tank of fuel it had when it passed the milestone, our celebration isn't technically late. Stands to reason.

Go ahead. Try that one the next time you forget someone's birthday. It'll work almost as well as the excuse I tried on my mom once: "I was on my way to the post office with the card on my dashboard. But then I rolled down the window and it just flew right out."

I still take flak for that one.

Anyway, I finally refuelled with 514.6 miles on the Jetta's trip odometer, adding 14.46 gallons of diesel. And that wasn't the longest tank, either. The best range anyone has achived so far in this car is 531.7 miles. With a long run and a highway-only trip to somplace like Vegas or Phoenix, 600 miles seems achievable.

Turns out, the Jetta wasn't merely satisfied with a full tank of diesel. It wanted more.

Continue reading...

February 9, 2009

2009 VW Jetta TDI: More Fun Than It Looks

2009-VW-Jetta-TDI.jpg

I've been walking by our 2009 Jetta TDI for a few months now, never really giving it a second thought. But after driving it this weekend, I can't believe I haven't given it the love it deserves.

It's simple, understated look doesn't move me, but its 236 foot-pounds of torque sure does.

Good reminder that the new diesels can also be fun.

Kelly Toepke, News Editor @ 10,428 miles

February 2, 2009

2009 VW Jetta TDI: Fuel Economy Update

09vwjettatdieng.jpg

Having just updated the TDI's fuel log, here are the latest numbers:

High Tank: 40.4 mpg

Low Tank: 30.0 mpg

Average Thus Far: 36.0 mpg

So the comfortable, relatively fast and five-passenger capacity Jetta TDI is averaging nearly 3 mpg better than the herky-jerky, slow, two-passenger Smart. 

 

John DiPietro, Automotive Editor @ 9,938 miles 

January 29, 2009

2009 VW Jetta TDI: Will Joe Car Shopper Like DSG?

2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI DSG Transmission

I've been impressed with our long-term 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI's DSG transmission, a sophisticated piece of automotive hardware installed in the type of car you wouldn't expect it to be in. However, the buyer of a GT-R or an Evo MR is more likely to understand this dual-clutch automated manual technology and even seek it out. Joe and Jane Car Shopper, though, will be simply looking for a regular-old slushbox and may be turned off by this type of new fangled transmission.

On a test drive, the DSG would obviously act differently than a normal automatic, specifically in the way it doesn't creep forward in the same manner as when you lift off the brake in a regular auto-equipped car. It also behaves differently when you let off the gas, trimming speed more like a manual transmission. These are things you grow accustomed to (and like), but on a test drive, I see people dismissing the thing as defective and/or too different for its own good. The fact that it's attached to a diesel engine (something few drivers have experienced) would only exacerbate the potential problem.

Maybe it's not that big of a deal or people will shrug it off as "different cars do different things," but I still think it could be an issue.

James Riswick, Automotive Editor @ 9,737 miles

January 27, 2009

2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI: Lights out

2009 VW Jetta TDI headlamp switch

Are you kidding me? This thing doesn't have an Auto headlamp setting? I found that out last night when I left the car for a couple of hours. I locked it: usually that automatically turns the lights off. Or they will eventually timeout. Nope on both counts: I came back after two hours or so and they were still on. (It started. And I verified through RTFM -- but the book shows both an Auto and a foglight position. No picture or mention of manual lights. Weird.)

And it's not like I left the switch in parking lamp mode or something like that. If the car doesn't have an Auto headlamp position, they should at least turn off when you lock it, or timeout. Yeah, I know, the Skyline R35 doesn't have auto lamps either. But that car blows away everything else on the road and looks like a million bucks too, so I can overlook that. And the Jetta? You're kidding, right?

Albert Austria, Sr Vehicle Evaluation Engineer @ 9650mi

January 20, 2009

2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI: You're Screwed

Screw.jpg

Frequent readers of this space probably remember Jay's post last week on the if not when problem awaiting us when the Jetta gets a flat tire. Well guess what happened to me on Friday? You can see the problem for yourself above.

Luckily, this didn't immediately flatten the tire. Knowing the problem awaiting me in pulling the wheel roadside, I drove the few remaining miles home and began digging around looking for the ring-hook designed to help remove the lug bolt covers. It's supposed to reside in the trunk kit with the jack, jack handle and tow hook. It doesn't. So I built my own.

DYI-tool.jpg

It was easy enough to fashion a hook out a clothes hanger using a pair of needle-nose pliers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 This little guy is now resting comfortably in the Jetta's trunk kit for anyone else who happens to be as lucky as me. And it's most excellent at yanking off those infernal bolt covers.

Tool.jpg 

Josh Jacquot, Senior road test editor @ 9,903 miles

January 19, 2009

2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI: The Price of Diesel

VW2.0TDIbyVolkswagenAG.jpg

Now that diesel-powered German cars are finally here in America in real volume, there's been a burst of enthusiasm for the whole idea of the superior fuel economy that diesel offers - some 35 percent over a comparable gasoline-fueled powertrain in the case of the Jetta TDI, VW claims. J.D. Power & Associates forecasts that diesels will make up 15 percent of the American passenger-car market by 2020.

But the 2008 Volkswagen Jetta TDI might make you wonder whether these will be cheap-and-cheerful fuel-miserly runabouts or luxury cars.

Continue reading...

January 14, 2009

2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI: Protect Your Nuts

wheel 555 arrow.JPG

Plastic lugnut protectors like these on our longterm 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI need to become extinct. They serve little worthwhile purpose to the end user other than to provide an additional obstacle to changing a wheel.

The problem arises when (not if) you lose the little ring-hook that Volkswagen includes in the trunk kit in order to yank those little bastards out. Then you're relegated to finding some scrap of metal by the side of the road or prying them out with the supplied screwdriver and risk mangling your nice alloy wheels. This was the situation when we were doing the Jetta's pre-test check which includes torquing the lugnuts.

As far as I can tell, these plastic caps exist so that automakers can use lugnuts that don't need to look nice. Ugly things cost less.

Give us nice lugnuts and spare us the caps. Go ahead, tack on an additional $0.03 per lugnut to the Jetta's MSRP.  It'd be well worth it in the aggravation saved.

Jason Kavanagh, Engineering Editor @ 8,372 miles.

January 5, 2009

2009 VW Jetta TDI: What A Difference A Few Little Years Make

I've driven our 2005 Jetta TDI around plenty in the last few weeks. To me the Jetta was a work horse, nothing fancy. Just doing it's job to get you from point A to B using the least amount of gas.

But once I jumped into our new '09 TDI, my viewpoint was radically changed.

I'm a big proponent of nice interiors since it's what you're going to be interacting with a lot. To me, our '05 is functionally basic. The small changes made to the Jetta interior over the last few years have made it semi-luxurious and very appealing to the eye.

differenceofthreeyears.jpg

Looking between the two, the addition of metal accents, improved material quality, a slight layout change and the addition of a sporty three spoke wheel make it seems worlds apart from the functional interior of old.

Besides being a little quieter, our new Jetta drives a lot like the old one. The new interior has sold me, making our new TDI a sought after set of keys for the night.

Scott Jacobs, Senior Photographer

December 22, 2008

2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI: Better Than Indiana Jones

555 interior by Scott Jacobs.jpg

Considering the truly drool-worthy cars in our long-term fleet, you'd think it would be easy to grab the keys to the 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI.

Not for me, it wasn't.

After almost three months of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, I finally nabbed the keys. But I was worried about what I call the Indiana Jones effect.

Let me explain.

When Raiders first came out, my friends raved about it after seeing it multiple times. "It's the best movie EVER," they said. I finally saw it a month later, and it utterly failed to meet expectations. I hated it, in fact, and I've been unable to enjoy any I.J. movie since.

I've heard a lot of good (and some bad) things about our Jetta. Would it suffer a similar fate?

Continue reading...

December 18, 2008

2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI: Family Sedan Substitutes, Vol. 2

Jetta TDI taillight blog.jpg

Awhile ago I exhorted family sedan shoppers to buy a G8 GT instead. If muscle cars aren't your thing, perhaps I could interest you in a 2009 VW Jetta TDI. I had the privilege of our long-term TDI's company for a couple nights this week, and I'm pretty much sold on this car as a family sedan substitute. It's fuel-efficient, it's quick, it's sized right, and it positively reeks of that "overengineering" thing for which German cars are justly known.

Continue reading...

December 16, 2008

2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI: Ein Stepless Volume Knob, Bitte

volume blog.jpg

Volume functions with discrete preset "steps," whether actuated by knobs or rocker switches, generally fill me with cubicle-trashing rage. Unless the steps are extraordinarily plentiful across the listenable decibel range, I inevitably find myself in between steps -- one's too soft, the other's too loud.

So it is with our long-term 2009 VW Jetta TDI's otherwise decent stereo. See the volume setting above? For CD playback, that's too soft. But the next step up is too loud. And unlike my parents' old '94 Accord, the Jetta won't let you perch the knob between detents to find a happy medium. It's one or the other, Herr Jetta Driver. That's unacceptable. 

On a related note, look at how low the volume setting is in the picture. How could that be on the verge of earsplitting? The radio volume calibration is more sensible -- I have to turn up the average FM station well beyond that point before it's uncomfortably loud, which mitigates the step issue somewhat. Dunno what's going on with the CD calibration.

Now laying waste to my cubicle,

Josh Sadlier, Associate Editor, Edmunds.com @ 7,123 miles

December 15, 2008

2009 VW Jetta TDI: Easy to live with

09.vw.jetta.tdi.act-f34-2.500.jpgThis weekend I took our newer Jetta TDI on a little family outing. From Long Beach we headed north on the 605 freeway to the edge of the foothills - roughly a 50 mile drive each way. Once in Glendora, we met family for dinner at Legends Classic Diner then took the kids to the most realistic, living Nativity I've ever seen - actors in period clothes, real animals, the whole deal.

Thankfully, the Jetta's long range meant I didn't have to get gas all weekend and the roomy interior meant no complaints from pint sized rear seat passengers. Foothill temps meant the multi level seat warmers were appreciated too.

This Jetta is fine around town but seemed to do its best work on the open highway. Overall, I like the Jetta but find the exterior look a little generic - still, once inside, the materials and way it drives make you feel like you've got something special. I could live with the new Jetta as a family car but it is just about the smallest car I'd feel comfortable with. Oh, my six-year old son only kicked the back of my seat about 4 times during our little trip - that's down from the usual small car total of, say, 20. MPG while in my care - 36.6.

Brian Moody, Senior Automotive Editor @ 7,032 miles.

December 8, 2008

2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI: Audio System

jetta_stereo1.JPG

Our 2009 Jetta comes standard with a 10-speaker audio system that includes a six-CD/MP3 changer, satellite radio, an auxiliary audio jack and steering-wheel-mounted audio controls. The head unit has a pleasingly simple layout, with the traditional volume/tuning knobs and individual dials for the various sound controls.

Continue reading...

December 5, 2008

2009 VW Jetta TDI: 36 MPG But A Dollar More

jetta_tdi.JPG

I calculated our 2009 Jetta TDI's mileage this morning. When we got the car, it already had about 2,000 miles on it. That fuel mileage isn't known to us. But for the 4,600 miles we've added since, we've averaged 36.4 mpg. My last three fill ups were right at 40 mpg, and I'll try to increase that for my next long drive.

As we've noted recently with our 2005 Jetta, however, the higher price of diesel (or biodiesel) means that high mpg doesn't turn into dollars saved at the pump. Nationally, diesel is about a $1 more than regular according to AAA. The last station I filled up at had regular at $1.89 and diesel for $2.89. If you run the numbers comparing annual fuel costs of the TDI versus a regular 2009 Jetta 2.5, both are pretty similar, with the TDI being slightly more expensive.

Brent Romans, Senior Automotive Editor

December 1, 2008

2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI: Thanksgiving Day Travels

jetta_gas.jpg

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.

Continue reading...

November 24, 2008

2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI: Righteous Road Trip Car

newjettatdiprof.jpg

When I saw that I had an upcoming biz trip to Vegas, I opted to drive rather than fly.  And just like my colleague Erin Riches did a few weeks ago, I requested our new Jetta TDI.  I anticipated that the TDI would be comfortable, great on gas (sorry, diesel) and perform just fine.  So how did it measure up?

Continue reading...

November 17, 2008

2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI: Heft vs. Tech

 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI

Our Jetta TDI served yeoman's duty this weekend, shuttling Joanne Helperin, Glenn McClanan and I out to the Steets of Willow track in Rosamond, California, for our mandatory annual Driver's Ed course. Wildfire road closures nearly put a hold on the outing, but smoke and ash filled L.A. gave way to crystalline blue skies as we climbed into the high desert near Edwards Air Force Base. At school, Helperin put us all to shame, though McClanan proved master of the Blues Brothers parking maneuver (part of the wet skidpad drills). The Jetta TDI did not take to the track (Fast Lane's Toyota fleet instead suffering our abuse), but it performed admirably as a swift and pleasant highway companion.

Continue reading...

November 12, 2008

2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI: Pedal to the Metal? Pretty Much

Jetta Brake Pedal.jpgOur new 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI offers exceptional fuel mileage, a comfortable and upscale interior, plus excellent driving dynamics...except for brake pedal feel.

Basically, the pedal is just plain squishy. We noticed this shortly after buying the car, so a trip to the dealer was scheduled. Santa Monica Volkswagen agreed with our description (pedal sometimes goes all the way to the floor and generally feels squishy).

After a technical diagnoses and multiple test drives the dealer replaced the master cylinder, the ABS control module and the hydraulic brake unit. Then they bled the brakes and gave the car back to us.

Continue reading...

November 7, 2008

2009 VW Jetta TDI: Good Seats, Near Flawless Driving Position

jettacockpit.jpg

During this week's road trip to Vegas, I was very content in our 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI's driver seat. The driving position in this car is more ergonomically right than in any car I've driven in the last year or two. There's nothing I don't like about it, and I didn't use the cruise control at all during the trip -- a rarity for me -- because my right foot and leg didn't need a break.

The seat itself is on the firm side and that suits me just fine. It's a pretty flat seat, but there's some shaping to it, and for interstate cruising, you don't need much lateral bolstering anyway.

The only thing I find (slightly) problematic about the front seats is the strange mix of manual and power adjustments.

Continue reading...

November 6, 2008

2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI: Diesel Power, American Style

jettaaloneinvegas.jpg

I've been in Vegas for the 2008 SEMA Show and I made the drive in our long-term 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI. The ride quality is as comfortable as it is controlled, and just feels perfectly matched to conditions in LA, Vegas and every patch of concrete and asphault in-between.

Yeah, I know most cars ride fine these days, but the Jetta stands apart from recent long-term cars I've road-tripped. Maybe it's the 205/55R16 tires I like so much, even if they're the antithesis of SEMA rubber.

Of course, the 2.0-liter TDI powerplant is pretty nice, too. It's quiet for a diesel and has a wider powerband than I'd expected. I happen to know, for example, that it's revving at about 3,600 in 6th gear if you're cruising at 100 mph. Yet, there's still plenty of meat left at this point.

I have mixed feelings about the dual-clutch transmission. I was complaining about it to a friend, noting that gearchanges have a slow, halting quality when I'm accelerating in traffic at low speeds. But then my friend pointed out how smoothly we were getting around West Lost Angeles at this particular moment and I had to stop and think.

And I think... the DSG only feels jerky when I'm making authoritative moves in traffic -- something I try to avoid doing to excess when I have a passenger. Alone again in Vegas and aggravated by the long traffic-light cycles, I got irritated at the transmission once more. I'm not surprised it's like this, of course, because I'd expect to shift frequently in a conventional manual-shift diesel car. Just because a computer is making the decisions here doesn't change that need.

No such problems on Interstate 15, though. I'll have a few more thoughts and trip fuel economy in tomorrow's post.

Erin Riches, Senior Editor @ 3,851 miles

October 24, 2008

2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI: Introduction

vw-jetta-tdi-555.jpg

Two Evos, blah blah blah. Well, guess what? We have two Jettas, too.

So, what would the plural of Jetta be? Jedi?

Our 2009 VW Jetta has a clean-burning diesel engine that ekes out 140 horsepower but can produce 236 pound-feet of torque at only 1,750 rpm. Ours has the optional DSG automatic transmission.

So, what should we name our two Jedi? Luke and Vader? Han and Lando?

Read the 2009 VW Jetta TDI Introduction on Inside Line.

Donna DeRosa, Managing Editor

October 10, 2008

2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI: Diesel Jetta Take 2

2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI -- Photo by Scott Jacobs

Last year we wanted to try out living with a diesel-powered car. Sadly, none were sold here in California, so we bought a used 2005 Jetta TDI instead. Since then, it's held a warm place in our collective hearts with its torquey engine, 40+ mpg fuel economy, fun handling and classic turn-of-the-century German styling. But it was dirty. Every time you lay into the throttle, it deposits a load of soot like a crop duster upon the pavement below.

After a hiatus, the Jetta TDI is back; complete with clean diesel technology that allows it to be sold in all 50 states and hopefully nixes the crop dusting. Plus, it doesn't require that urea scrubbing stuff Mercedes does. We just had to add a 2009 Jetta TDI to our fleet, so we did. We threw in the DSG automanual to try that out too.

This is the first time we've had two vehicles of the same nameplate in the long-term fleet at the same time, but being from two generations, it should be interesting to see the comparisons between old and new.

Read the Full Introduction to our long-term 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI

James Riswick, Automotive Editor @ 1,356 miles

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