Corp000085 Posted November 15, 2008 Posted November 15, 2008 I posted a similar thread at sabrespace last weekend, and I have promised to attach some pictures, which i'll do later today after I clean the thing. I would like to preach about this car. First of all, this diesel is nothing like the diesel engines of the past. It is quiet, fast, no blue/black smoke, no smell, more powerful in 1st and 2nd gears than my old 1.8 liter gas vw passat, and very very efficient. True: diesel costs more than gas. I was home in buffalo last weekend and I wanted to get an accurate mileage estimate for the car, so i topped it off with 2.2 gallons of diesel after driving the car 70 miles. That's about 32 mpg, city driving. All I did was drive around downtown buffalo, and I got 32 mpg. The next fillup was in beckley, west virginia, after roughly 500 miles and i only filled up 3/4 of the tank. Roughly 48mpg. Diesel does cost more th an gas. However, i put about $35 worth of diesel in the car to get it from buffalo to fayetteville, nc. It took me roughly $100 and 3 fillups to get my gas passat from fayetteville to buffalo. I've already turrned a profit after one tank. I will not speak about the jetta in general. There's plenty of good reviews on the body, accessories, and the junk inside the car. It's a $20000 car that could pass for $30000 at a quick glance. The only difference between the tdi version of the jetta and the various gas versions is the engine itself. This thing is so so so much better than any hybrid out there. It will outperform a prius or honda civic hybrid, it costs way less, and it's just plain cool. I wish that more automakers would engineer clean diesel technology. It's definitely not breaking the foreign oil dependence, but its a step in the right direction. I'm looking forward to putting a few thousand miles on the car, breaking in the engine, and seeing if my fuel economy rises, as it should. Another thing to consider, since we are mainly from buffalo here, is the cold weather issues that diesel engines are known for. In previous VW diesel engines, as well as any diesel to begin with, they have a very hard time starting int he cold. For those who don't know, unline a gas engine which uses an electric spark to ignite the compressed fuel/air mixture, a diesel engine compresses at a much higher rate, which increases the temperature of the fuel, and causes a chain reaction. In the cold though, the engines are really hard to start. This car has some nice glow plugs that heat for approximately 5-10 seconds (unlike the old cars that require a 30+ second glow plug cycle), it also has a heating element in the fuel line to pre warm the fuel entering the engine. I did a cold start in buffalo last monday when it was about 29 or 30 degrees and it started right up. A small amount of diesel clatter, but that lasted a few seconds. If you really want to go green, and not break the bank for an overall inefficient hybrid, take a look at VW/audi now or in the next couple of years. Jetta is the only car with the TDI, however, i have a feeling that there will be more engines available for more of the car and suv lineup for vw and audi.
stuckincincy Posted November 15, 2008 Posted November 15, 2008 I posted a similar thread at sabrespace last weekend, and I have promised to attach some pictures, which i'll do later today after I clean the thing. I would like to preach about this car. First of all, this diesel is nothing like the diesel engines of the past. It is quiet, fast, no blue/black smoke, no smell, more powerful in 1st and 2nd gears than my old 1.8 liter gas vw passat, and very very efficient. True: diesel costs more than gas. I was home in buffalo last weekend and I wanted to get an accurate mileage estimate for the car, so i topped it off with 2.2 gallons of diesel after driving the car 70 miles. That's about 32 mpg, city driving. All I did was drive around downtown buffalo, and I got 32 mpg. The next fillup was in beckley, west virginia, after roughly 500 miles and i only filled up 3/4 of the tank. Roughly 48mpg. Diesel does cost more th an gas. However, i put about $35 worth of diesel in the car to get it from buffalo to fayetteville, nc. It took me roughly $100 and 3 fillups to get my gas passat from fayetteville to buffalo. I've already turrned a profit after one tank. I will not speak about the jetta in general. There's plenty of good reviews on the body, accessories, and the junk inside the car. It's a $20000 car that could pass for $30000 at a quick glance. The only difference between the tdi version of the jetta and the various gas versions is the engine itself. This thing is so so so much better than any hybrid out there. It will outperform a prius or honda civic hybrid, it costs way less, and it's just plain cool. I wish that more automakers would engineer clean diesel technology. It's definitely not breaking the foreign oil dependence, but its a step in the right direction. I'm looking forward to putting a few thousand miles on the car, breaking in the engine, and seeing if my fuel economy rises, as it should. Another thing to consider, since we are mainly from buffalo here, is the cold weather issues that diesel engines are known for. In previous VW diesel engines, as well as any diesel to begin with, they have a very hard time starting int he cold. For those who don't know, unline a gas engine which uses an electric spark to ignite the compressed fuel/air mixture, a diesel engine compresses at a much higher rate, which increases the temperature of the fuel, and causes a chain reaction. In the cold though, the engines are really hard to start. This car has some nice glow plugs that heat for approximately 5-10 seconds (unlike the old cars that require a 30+ second glow plug cycle), it also has a heating element in the fuel line to pre warm the fuel entering the engine. I did a cold start in buffalo last monday when it was about 29 or 30 degrees and it started right up. A small amount of diesel clatter, but that lasted a few seconds. If you really want to go green, and not break the bank for an overall inefficient hybrid, take a look at VW/audi now or in the next couple of years. Jetta is the only car with the TDI, however, i have a feeling that there will be more engines available for more of the car and suv lineup for vw and audi. Very nice - I understand that they will be only importing small numbers of the '09 new TDI. In Europe, diesels are just over 50% in overall new sales - and not just small cars...big BMWs, Mercedes', Lexus, and so on. Not in nanny America, unfortunately. I have familiarity with VW's earlier non-direct injection diesel motors, both normally-aspirated and turbocharged. That motor had wide application...marine usage, free-standing hvac units, and industrial applications. I don't know about TDIs, but in really cold weather, a tip is to turn on the "ignition" to heat the glow plugs. Then turn it off, and pre-heat the plugs a second time.
Steely Dan Posted November 15, 2008 Posted November 15, 2008 I posted a similar thread at sabrespace last weekend, and I have promised to attach some pictures, which i'll do later today after I clean the thing. I would like to preach about this car. First of all, this diesel is nothing like the diesel engines of the past. It is quiet, fast, no blue/black smoke, no smell, more powerful in 1st and 2nd gears than my old 1.8 liter gas vw passat, and very very efficient. True: diesel costs more than gas. I was home in buffalo last weekend and I wanted to get an accurate mileage estimate for the car, so i topped it off with 2.2 gallons of diesel after driving the car 70 miles. That's about 32 mpg, city driving. All I did was drive around downtown buffalo, and I got 32 mpg. The next fillup was in beckley, west virginia, after roughly 500 miles and i only filled up 3/4 of the tank. Roughly 48mpg. Diesel does cost more th an gas. However, i put about $35 worth of diesel in the car to get it from buffalo to fayetteville, nc. It took me roughly $100 and 3 fillups to get my gas passat from fayetteville to buffalo. I've already turrned a profit after one tank. I will not speak about the jetta in general. There's plenty of good reviews on the body, accessories, and the junk inside the car. It's a $20000 car that could pass for $30000 at a quick glance. The only difference between the tdi version of the jetta and the various gas versions is the engine itself. This thing is so so so much better than any hybrid out there. It will outperform a prius or honda civic hybrid, it costs way less, and it's just plain cool. I wish that more automakers would engineer clean diesel technology. It's definitely not breaking the foreign oil dependence, but its a step in the right direction. I'm looking forward to putting a few thousand miles on the car, breaking in the engine, and seeing if my fuel economy rises, as it should. Another thing to consider, since we are mainly from buffalo here, is the cold weather issues that diesel engines are known for. In previous VW diesel engines, as well as any diesel to begin with, they have a very hard time starting int he cold. For those who don't know, unline a gas engine which uses an electric spark to ignite the compressed fuel/air mixture, a diesel engine compresses at a much higher rate, which increases the temperature of the fuel, and causes a chain reaction. In the cold though, the engines are really hard to start. This car has some nice glow plugs that heat for approximately 5-10 seconds (unlike the old cars that require a 30+ second glow plug cycle), it also has a heating element in the fuel line to pre warm the fuel entering the engine. I did a cold start in buffalo last monday when it was about 29 or 30 degrees and it started right up. A small amount of diesel clatter, but that lasted a few seconds. If you really want to go green, and not break the bank for an overall inefficient hybrid, take a look at VW/audi now or in the next couple of years. Jetta is the only car with the TDI, however, i have a feeling that there will be more engines available for more of the car and suv lineup for vw and audi. Let me know what dealership you work for please and we'll talk. Diesels have come a long way. Back in the 70's and eighties they were clunky sounding and smelly. Nice to know they've improved a lot.
Corp000085 Posted November 15, 2008 Author Posted November 15, 2008 I don't work for a dealership at all... as for the glow plug thing, they're quick heating and very efficient. I don't believe that you need to cycle them twice, but i'll soon see. I'll be driving the car back up to NY for christmas, and hopefully i'll get to test some super cold startups. I ordered the car in august and it arrived last week. they weren't taking any more orders and are sold out pretty much nationwide. Hopefully this car will be successful and the 2010 model year will be more plentiful. One last thing i failed to mention, it can run on B5 biodiesel, however, i haven't found a gas station that carries the stuff, so i guess i'll have to wait till i drive the car to nebraska or somewhere that actually has biodiesel
PromoTheRobot Posted November 15, 2008 Posted November 15, 2008 Back in the 80's I had a Ford pickup that was costing me $300/mo in gas. So I traded it in for a '84 diesel Rabbit. Car payment: $200/mo. Fuel: $50/mo. Savings: $50/mo. I wound up putting 250,000 miles on that car and it got 55 mpg to the bitter end. PTR
JinVA Posted November 15, 2008 Posted November 15, 2008 Back in the 70's and eighties they were clunky sounding and smelly. Nice to know they've improved a lot. Diesels are proof that if you stick with something long enough it makes sense.
erynthered Posted November 15, 2008 Posted November 15, 2008 My brother thanks you. He works for VOA. The threat of a merger sent VW stock soaring recently, in case no one noticed. Enjoy that German engineering.
ExiledInIllinois Posted November 15, 2008 Posted November 15, 2008 Very nice - I understand that they will be only importing small numbers of the '09 new TDI.I don't know about TDIs, but in really cold weather, a tip is to turn on the "ignition" to heat the glow plugs. Then turn it off, and pre-heat the plugs a second time. Good post Cincy! Nice car Corp! You know how we keep our diesel generators/air compressors (for our bubblers... To keep the ice broken up) running through the winter... We don't have ether inject or glow plugs... We just start them and let them run for a half-hour, every 2 hours... In really cold weather, if we are not already trying to keep ice from forming, we start them and run them every hour. Ah... The old fashioned way... And if that fails, grab the can of starting fluid! I am trying to convince them to have "automatic exercisers" installed on them! Our new John Deere tractor has glow plugs though (and closed cab with heat and A/C!)... In regards to that beast, we are in heaven!
Corp000085 Posted February 13, 2009 Author Posted February 13, 2009 As per a request, I have revived this thread. I have now had the car for roughly 4 and a half months, and it still is awesome. I would specifically like to comment on how the engine has faired now that it is well underway to being broken in. I honestly can't really notice a difference in how the engine runs now compared to when I first got it. It does not run smoother, more harsh, or anything. You can't even really tell its a diesel at all if you're behind the wheel unless your windows are rolled down or you're under an overhang at an ATM or drive through window. You really can hear the whirl of the turbo and the diesel clatter when you roll the car forward, but it's incredibly mild and honestly, if you're not a car person, you wouldn't know the difference between the sound of this engine and a similar gas engine. I have noticed that my mileage has increased ever so slightly. I don't have any raw data yet, but I "believe" that I've been able to stretch a tank slightly farther than I was able to in november or december. Believe it or not, I have yet to fill the tank up under normal driving conditions. I filled the tank up in november in Buffalo, back here near fayetteville, and that tank lasted till I had to fill up to drive home for christmas, and the tank that I filled up driving back just ran out a couple weeks ago. This current tank of diesel will be the first complete tank burned on city driving. I've gone back and forth to college, which is a 15 mile round trip drive, plus work and here and there and have gone 260 miles on between 3/8 and 1/2 tank. As for the cold weather winter conditions. The car itself runs just fine in the show. I've driven jeeps, explorers, trucks, even school busses in the snow and crappy conditions, but the best cars that I have been in have been various audis and VWs. The engine itself? Well, the weekend before christmas, the air temperature was -8 one morning in Youngstown, OH. The car had been out all night. If this were an older diesel, it would have literally taken minutes to get the glow plugs warmed up and the engine cranked. This car? The glow plug light stayed on for about 20 seconds, and the engine cranked like it did when it was 70. Needless to say, I was impressed. One last thing: gas prices have gone up over the past month. Diesel, here at least, has gone down. I think gas is about $1.91 and diesel is about $2.15. It's very cost effective, and clean. Call me a hippie, but I fully endorse this car, and I fully endorse the auto industry getting on the environmentally friendly diesel bandwagen, pun intended!
ajzepp Posted February 13, 2009 Posted February 13, 2009 I've been wanting to buy a VW for almost twenty years. Each time I've been in the market, however, there's been a better choice. Now that VW seems to have their QC issues behind them and putting out excellent vehicles, I'm hopefully going to end up in one next time around. I really like those new GTIs....and the Jetta and Passat styling is very classy. Next to the Audi A4, those are the classiest looking sedans, IMO.
Stussy109 Posted February 15, 2009 Posted February 15, 2009 I've been wanting to buy a VW for almost twenty years. Each time I've been in the market, however, there's been a better choice. Now that VW seems to have their QC issues behind them and putting out excellent vehicles, I'm hopefully going to end up in one next time around. I really like those new GTIs....and the Jetta and Passat styling is very classy. Next to the Audi A4, those are the classiest looking sedans, IMO. I have an 08 Audi A6, I love it. Its by far the best car I've owned. had an acura, and a bmw before it. I was turned onto VW/Audi when I had a VW Jetta for a rental car in Buffalo one weekend during the season. test drove the A6 and fell in love with it. The AWD is amazing with snow/puddles. thre is no hydroplaning or drift. I manage to get 28mpg on the HWY doing 80, hits 30/31 if i slow down.
ajzepp Posted February 15, 2009 Posted February 15, 2009 I have an 08 Audi A6, I love it. Its by far the best car I've owned. had an acura, and a bmw before it. I was turned onto VW/Audi when I had a VW Jetta for a rental car in Buffalo one weekend during the season. test drove the A6 and fell in love with it. The AWD is amazing with snow/puddles. thre is no hydroplaning or drift. I manage to get 28mpg on the HWY doing 80, hits 30/31 if i slow down. I can only imagine how awesome it is...I'm typically a "get me from A to B" type of person when it comes to vehicles, but I'd pay a few more bucks for an Audi. It surprised me how inexpensive some of the preowned A4s can be, so I've definitely been tempted. Is the maintenance a pain in the butt on those things, or not a big deal?
cantankerous Posted February 15, 2009 Posted February 15, 2009 If only Toyota make a mid size diesel truck that got 30mpg. We should have the choice damnit!
sweet baboo Posted February 16, 2009 Posted February 16, 2009 I've been hoping a good diesel car would come out soon. I'd also really like to purchase either an Audi or VW, however their terrible reliability keeps me from pulling the trigger. If Honda ever releases their Accord diesel, I'll be all over it.
John Adams Posted February 16, 2009 Posted February 16, 2009 I've been hoping a good diesel car would come out soon. I'd also really like to purchase either an Audi or VW, however their terrible reliability keeps me from pulling the trigger. If Honda ever releases their Accord diesel, I'll be all over it. I have been suspect of VWs for that reason too but the Jetta gets good scores from Consumer Reports (better than the other VW models). In fact, if you look at hte turbo diesel's reliability, it's even higher than the normal gas Jetta. It's not Lexus-reliable but it's in the CR "good" category. Many other VW and Audi models are in the less than average and bad categories.
Stussy109 Posted February 16, 2009 Posted February 16, 2009 I can only imagine how awesome it is...I'm typically a "get me from A to B" type of person when it comes to vehicles, but I'd pay a few more bucks for an Audi. It surprised me how inexpensive some of the preowned A4s can be, so I've definitely been tempted. Is the maintenance a pain in the butt on those things, or not a big deal? Honestly, I bought it certified preowned with 9500 miles on it (it was a corporate lease from CA.) its basically better than new because the warranty extends out to 6yrs 100k miles. i paid something like 650 upfront for the next 4 services (they are every 10k miles). So i prepaid for the 15k, 25k, 35k, 45k services, and have my warranty to boot, so shouldn't have anything out of pocket for awhile. From my few months of owning it it has been great. I get in the car and wish I had known how good it was years ago. I found the best deals on vehix.com and autotrader.com, and used those quotes against several dealerships until I got the best deal overall.
H2o Posted February 16, 2009 Posted February 16, 2009 Let me know what dealership you work for please and we'll talk. Diesels have come a long way. Back in the 70's and eighties they were clunky sounding and smelly. Nice to know they've improved a lot. V-Dub...................On the engineering tip.
ajzepp Posted February 16, 2009 Posted February 16, 2009 Honestly, I bought it certified preowned with 9500 miles on it (it was a corporate lease from CA.) its basically better than new because the warranty extends out to 6yrs 100k miles. i paid something like 650 upfront for the next 4 services (they are every 10k miles). So i prepaid for the 15k, 25k, 35k, 45k services, and have my warranty to boot, so shouldn't have anything out of pocket for awhile. From my few months of owning it it has been great. I get in the car and wish I had known how good it was years ago. I found the best deals on vehix.com and autotrader.com, and used those quotes against several dealerships until I got the best deal overall. Wow, if I could find an A4 with that few miles, I'd be tempted to do exactly as you did. That sounds like a great deal you have there....thanks for the info, bro
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