AutoblogGreen

Lionsfan- in certain vehicles, there is very little benefit left. In the case of the Golf/Jetta, the savings has always been closer to 40% with(now) a 20% penalty in in fuel price. The option used to be fairly reasonable, too, and is easily recovered upon resale. Some of us also look at range- at times I drive enough to make 5-600miles range very attractive. Last, look for the dispairity of gas and diesel to lessen over the summer- diesel demand will stay fairly flat, while heating oil (basically the same) goes to zero, and the more expensive summer gasoline hits the pump (why it costs more is a different dicussion). Cheers

Reply

"With the price premium for diesel over 87 octane, isn't the MPG boost pretty much wiped out?"

vs another hybrid...mostly.

vs any other car?
my 2004 tdi gets 42 mpg(city/highway combo), 49 on highway @ 80 mph(600 miles before the fuel light comes on).

good standard car?
3.70 gal/32 miles=11.56 cents a mile.

diesel?
4.10 gal/42 miles=9.76 cents a mile.

basically multiply your mileage per annum by .02 and you get your savings.

As for the prius?
You will NEVER be able to go 80 mph all the time. Pace one when you see it on the open road. I laugh everytime I see one struggling to go 65 up a hill. Enjoy your 10k markup for the sales price over a jetta, laugh when a tdi blows past you.

Reply

Just spoke with my dealer here in DC (well, McLean, VA). Said the gas powered sportwagons are actually in transit and will be on the lot early June. Didn't they would get the TDIs for another 3 months or so, and even then it would first be sedans followed a month or so later by the wagons.

Reply

Hybrid batteries aren't the main culprit for keeping the engine running on cold days. The main reason that the hybrid vehicles don't shut off ICE at low temp is because catalytic converters do not work at low temp. The ICE has to keep running to maintain the minimum catalyst temp. This is why at morning cold start, the engine rpm is high; it's programmed to light off the catalyst. At low temp, HC emission is very high due to this reason.

Reply

I read somewhere that they will get 60 mpg highway

Reply

Nice to see this thread gets off the start trying to compare biodiesel to regular diesel cold starting problems. Biodiesel will jell in itself causing the problem not the diesel fuel. There's cure's for biodiesel jelling as well. Nice looking 2008 car where all the new technology has been added over the years. I'm getting over 50+ MPG in a solid German feeling VW car compared to the tinny Honda hybrid I sold.

Reply

Would love a Vetta TDI, why not?

Your going to pay a preimum but if you pay well over sticker your an idiot!

Add some bomb wheels and lowering springs from the VW accesories catalog and I would be set.

Then a flash to turbn up the boost and put a larger exhaust on it, like the TDI Cup Jettas - 200hp/250+lbs of torque and still 45mpg out of boost...

Reply

To those of you waiting for the new Jetta Sportwagen I have an 05 Passat TDI wagon with virtually the same engine that I am selling...you might do well to look for one of these rather than waiting.

Reply

I have been trying to place an order for the 2009 Jetta Sportwagen TDI since it was announced. I currently have a 2000 Jetta TDI with 150,000 miles on it, which I dearly love. After months of calling around and being told they could not be ordered, and requesting to be first on the list, my actual order was taken at Santa Monica Volkswagen last week. I was told that cars are sitting in port waiting for a green light from the State of California over smog issues. It was the first time an order was accepted by the factory computer. The proviso was that the delivery date was "8 to 12 weeks", and the "price is still to be determined". I will keep this group, as well as the TDIClub informed of the progress of the order, as well as first impressions of the car.

Reply