I've been noodling the idea of a new Jetta Sportwagen. It looks like a base (gas) 5-speed car is $20K, but they don't exist in reality.
Am I crazy not to spring for the tdi?
Am I just crazy?
Is there a cream I can rub on this to make it go away?
I've been noodling the idea of a new Jetta Sportwagen. It looks like a base (gas) 5-speed car is $20K, but they don't exist in reality.
Am I crazy not to spring for the tdi?
Am I just crazy?
Is there a cream I can rub on this to make it go away?
Go for the TDi. Get a flash and enjoy 50mpg
TDI or nothing. Isn't there a GRM rule somewhere that if a car line offers a diesel, especially a new car, that you have to buy that one?
Too awesome, want badly. Bought WRX instead because of fears over the TDI's high pressure fuel pump. That fear doesn't apply to gas Sportwagen...
SilverFleet wrote: TDI or nothing. Isn't there a GRM rule somewhere that if a car line offers a diesel, especially a new car, that you have to buy that one?
This^^^
otherwise...
We have a 2010 Golf Wagon with the 5-cyl 2.5L gas engine.
I think someone on here said this, "All the power of a 4 cyl, with the economy of a 6!"
The premium for the TDi moved the car out of our range of $$$'s, so we stuck with the gasser. In Canada you had to go up to the mid-level trim to get the TDi. Took a $24k car up to over $32k with the TDi and DSG.
I swear I read "WV Edition" like 5 times. Thought maybe you were eyeballin your sister or somethin. Carry on.
NGTD wrote: In Canada you had to go up to the mid-level trim to get the TDi. Took a $24k car up to over $32k with the TDi and DSG.
That's another issue (yes, despite banging on all doom and gloom over the HPFP thing, I still pay attention, and I still want one...). Our local dealer has something like 18 TDI Sportwagens, and I think one is a manual...
One magical day I'll wake up to hear that either the pump or the warranty's been beefed up, and I'll find a red, manual, sunroof, no-nav TDI Sportwagen in stock...
The next-gen's been spotted testing and will be, maybe, a 2014 model? No idea whether the drivetrain's been revised...
Got a 2011 TDI Sportwagen -- love it! Liked it so much I bought a 2012 GTI for my getaround car. I know sometimes there isn't much love on here for the late model VW's, but so far, with 2 years and almost 40k on the clock, the car and the dealer support have been very very good!
you have to get the diesel and I wouldn't worry about the hpfp if the car has a warranty.
other than that, i'd talk you out of new and say look for a used one and save a few bones. one will come up eventually.
Just had a 2.5S Sportwagen as a rental. Pretty nice car and was getting around 28 mpg around town, and on the highway even at 70+ it was cruising along at a low rpm and the avg mpg was good.
Definately would make a nice daily. But ill change my mind in a week what car I want next anyways.
Old school:
And get off my lawn!
Approaching 55K trouble free miles on our '09 TDI DSG Jetta we bought new. Utilized the first 30K miles worth of free service at the dealer. It had 2 or 3 recalls, and I took it to the dealer for it's 40K mile DSG service with fluids/filter I provided.
idparts.com & tidiclub.com have been pretty helpful with how-tos on maintenance. Since the free maintenance has been up I've done everything but the DSG service myself. If I had vagcom I'd probably have done that myself. My local O'Reilly's keeps a case of Mobil 1 5w30 ESP around just for me, and I've stuck to the recommended 10K oil change intervals.
I've read the horror stories about the HPFP failures, and the fearmongoring got me to running Stanadyne Performance Formula in our diesel about 90% of the time, SWMBO forgets from time to time.
I really, really, really want a 6 speed '10 Cup Edition with full Thunder Bunny kit for myself.
If you can swing it, TDi is the way to go, I wouldn't let the interwebs scare you away from them.
SilverFleet wrote: TDI or nothing. Isn't there a GRM rule somewhere that if a car line offers a diesel, especially a new car, that you have to buy that one?
Except for the Mini. Drove the diesel coupe over in Europe, it sucked big balls.
Last I heard vw was calling the HPFP failures gasoline contamination so they could deny warranty coverage (at least until the owners fight with them for months while their $30k car sits in their garage). Honestly it's probably not that big a deal, there have only been like 150 failures reported and they have redesigned the pump since then. But, if a company makes that much of a point to extend a large public middle finger to their customers, I see no reason to give them any money for one of those cars.
I have a 2003 TDi I bought new. It now has 302k miles. Over this time, it has needed far fewer repairs than the '91 Acura Integra it replaced over the half as many miles during the time I owned it. At nearly 10 years old, the VW is still going strong, everything works and non-maintenance components are still original. At 10 years old the Acura was pretty much ready to be stripped for race car duty as damn near everything other than the drivetrain was broken.
My father bought a TDi Sportwagen this summer, 6-spd w/ nav. It's a nice car; I've driven it a few times and the engine feels fairly stout, and most of the rest seems reasonably well screwed together. It's not even broken in yet and 40mpg is not out of the question; from what I've heard efficiency only improves with age and mileage.
Let's hope it holds up better than the 05 Passat wagon it replaced.
So, I wandered down to the VW store yesterday and was greeted by an earnest young sales-clown we'll call "Dennis Bozo" (deleting just one letter from his name to protect his identity). It didn't go very well...
Bludroptop: I'm interested in a Sportwagen and I have a few questions about the gas engine version.
Bozo: It only comes with a diesel.
BDT: That's strange, Volkswagen's website shows a gas version.
Bozo: Nope, diesel only. I'm sure of it. (as the dim bulb of doubt starts to creep in, now shouting across the showroom to a fellow clown) Hey Jack, can you get a Sportwagen with a gas engine? You can?
Bozo: (turning back to me) ...but we don't have any here. I've never seen one.
BDT: (now realizing that Bozo is going to be zero help, as he knows nothing) Maybe you could find out about availability of the gas engine cars for me and I'll take a walk around the lot)
A FEW MINUTES LATER
Bozo: Well, there are two in route, a black and a red, but they are not in inventory yet.
BDT: Does that mean they are customer ordered cars, or are they up for graps?
Bozo: I dunno. All I know is that there are two cars on a ship somewhere headed to the US.
BDT: Thanks for your time. By the way, you have a black Sportwagen with a gas engine on your lot. And I'm sure it is gas, in spite of the "Diesel" sticker plastered across the windshield.
On the way home, I test drove a Mazdaspeed 3, accompanied by an equally clueless but far more attractive saleswoman-clown.
The Mazdaspeed 3 didn't float my boat.
In any case, now I'm leaning more towards the TDi anyway, in spite of the higher buy-in. So I'm at level 2 of being serious about this now - what part of "talk me down" aren't you guys getting??
If you survived Bozo and aren't talked down, I'm not sure what to do for you.
I'm having to take deep breaths just from being reminded what it's like to visit a dealership...
It's nice to know after 10 years some things haven't changed... Although when I bought my car, the salesperson had no clue about what a diesel was.
I only go my local VW dealer for coolant. Was just there yesterday. $27/gal... Ouch.
You probably won't like owning a car that uses $27 a gallon coolant. That right there should talk you down. otherwise you could look at it like this, driving the TDI is like driving a crappier version of the gas car but every so often someone throws a dollar bill at you. You just need to decide if those dollar bills make up for the fact that the car isn't as much fun as it could be.
bludroptop wrote: I've been noodling the idea of a new Jetta Sportwagen. It looks like a base (gas) 5-speed car is $20K, but they don't exist in reality. Am I crazy not to spring for the tdi? Am I just crazy? Is there a cream I can rub on this to make it go away?
1st buy a TDi, never ever buy a VW NEW that isn't a diesel you will get slaughtered by depreciation faster than the government can blow money.
mazdeuce wrote: otherwise you could look at it like this, driving the TDI is like driving a crappier version of the gas car but every so often someone throws a dollar bill at you. You just need to decide if those dollar bills make up for the fact that the car isn't as much fun as it could be.
I think you may have a skewed perception of current diesels.
Anti-stance wrote:mazdeuce wrote: otherwise you could look at it like this, driving the TDI is like driving a crappier version of the gas car but every so often someone throws a dollar bill at you. You just need to decide if those dollar bills make up for the fact that the car isn't as much fun as it could be.I think you may have a skewed perception of current diesels.
Not really, I'm just trying to talk him out of it. That's what he asked for. I desperately want to drive the new diesel mazda6. I want more diesels everywhere, mostly so I don't have to buy a VAG product to get one.
I actually think he should buy the TDI, its the much better choice.
mazdeuce wrote:Anti-stance wrote:Not really, I'm just trying to talk him out of it. That's what he asked for. I desperately want to drive the new diesel mazda6. I want more diesels everywhere, mostly so I don't have to buy a VAG product to get one. I actually think he should buy the TDI, its the much better choice.mazdeuce wrote: otherwise you could look at it like this, driving the TDI is like driving a crappier version of the gas car but every so often someone throws a dollar bill at you. You just need to decide if those dollar bills make up for the fact that the car isn't as much fun as it could be.I think you may have a skewed perception of current diesels.
I agree with your entire post there. Especially the not having to buy a VAG part. 
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