Is a TDI right for me?

john224

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Joined
Apr 12, 2012
Location
Beaufort
TDI
not yet
I am new to the site and have been reading up on the TDI from the FAQ section and although I am in te market for a VW golf, I really don't know what I want to buy! I test drove a GTI and absolutely love the HB's handling, power, fit and finish. It gets decent mileage as well (21/31 on 91 octane). I like the idea of the massive fuel economy from the TDI motor, but was only able to test drive the Jetta TDI as they did not have a golf TDI on the lot. They are both priced the same but the finishing touch of the TDI is not as nice as the GTI. But I can get past that. Here is my question regarding the TDI: 90 % of my drive will be less than 15 miles from where i live to work. When I do need to drive somewhere farther with the wife and kids we take the minivan. With the commute being so short for the 5 days of the week I drive, the dealer is telling me that I won't even get the motor up to temperature for it to be efficient as it was designed before I arrive and shutdown the motor, which defeats the purpose of the TDI. I was told that the short distance driving like that over time can cause problem with unburned fuel...not sure I buy it. Since diesel is nearly 40 to 50 cents a gallon more than super unleaded, I don't know if the juice is worth the squeeze for the TDI. But I like the idea of being more green with that engine.
Thoughts?
Thanks, John
 
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dieseldorf

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 11, 2000
Location
MA
TDI
ex- 1996 wagon, ex-2000 Jetta
John, welcome aboard! How about a small Asian import that burns regular gasoline?
 

No More Buffalo

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 31, 2012
Location
Greenville, NC
TDI
Current: 2015 Golf SEL 6m Sold: 2012 Golf 2dr DSG
Golf TDI gets the same suspension, and mostly the same interior as the GTI. As far as the distance, I dunno. Too young to report any problems (Had mine 2 weeks, 1.5k miles on it), but I will say that in mild weather (~50F in the morning here), I'm up to full tempature (e.g. middle of the gauge, where it stays), before the halfway point of my commute. I do use it for longer trips though.

I'll admit that at present, the TDI _did not_ make sense from purely financially, as someone who drives about 15k a year, but it still ended up being the car for me.

A full-on GTI was a bit outside of my pricerange, and the TDI has all the handling bits anyway, and I really like the engine, it's just so driveable, even if it's not super-duper quick. Actually, with my right foot that's probably a good thing, for the sake of my insurance rates...
 
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Lex4TDI4Life

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jun 22, 2006
Location
NorCal
TDI
2001 Golf-Ute TDI GLS 5spd Manual
I am new to the site and have been reading up on the TDI from the FAQ section and although I am in te market for a VW golf, I really don't know what I want to buy! I test drove a GTI and absolutely love the HB's handling, power, fit and finish. It gets decent mileage as well (21/31 on 91 octane). I like the idea of the massive fuel economy from the TDI motor, but was only able to test drive the Jetta TDI as they did not have a golf TDI on the lot. They are both priced the same but the finishing touch of the TDI is not as nice as the GTI. But I can get past that. Here is my question regarding the TDI: 90 % of my drive will be less than 15 miles from where i live to work. When I do need to drive somewhere farther with the wife and kids we take the minivan. With the commute being so short for the 5 days of the week I drive, the dealer is telling me that I won't even get the motor up to temperature for it to be efficient as it was designed before I arrive and shutdown the motor, which defeats the purpose of the TDI. I was told that the short distance driving like that over time can cause problem with unburned fuel...not sure I buy it. Since diesel is nearly 40 to 50 cents a gallon more than super unleaded, I don't know if the juice is worth the squeeze for the TDI. But I like the idea of being more green with that engine.
Thoughts?
Thanks, John

My commute to work is 16.3 miles and, even in the dead of winter, my car gets up to temp within a couple miles. I assume you are in Beaufort, SC. In that case, you should have little trouble getting up to temp quickly. So, I wouldnt worry about your commute being harmful to the engine.

If that is all the driving you do, however, you may want to opt for a less expensive rice burner. The premium you pay for the engine and the more expensive fuel might not make economic sense. That being said, most of us buy the cars we do for reasons other than economic: fun factor, environmental concerns, just plain boredom with japanese econoboxes.

I don't think a TDI is a bad choice for you, but it might not be ideal, depending on your priorities.

IMPORTANT, however. If you are the type of person that will never do your own maintenance and plan on having the dealership do everything, I would not get a TDI. While there are some good dealerships out there, the service departments have a generally poor reputation. VWs are not unreliable; like all cars, they have bugs and annoyances. The difference is that other car companies are more forthright in handling their bugs and other service issues.

Good luck and happy motoring :)
 

john224

New member
Joined
Apr 12, 2012
Location
Beaufort
TDI
not yet
John, welcome aboard! How about a small Asian import that burns regular gasoline?
I came from nothing but Asian imports...loved them, but there is something different about it with a German car. It feels different, it drives different. I am pretty sure I want this car...just got to figure out which motor.

Golf TDI gets the same suspension, and mostly the same interior as the GTI. As far as the distance, I dunno. Too young to report any problems (Had mine 2 weeks, 1.5k miles on it), but I will say that in mild weather (~50F in the morning here), I'm up to full tempature (e.g. middle of the gauge, where it stays), before the halfway point of my commute. I do use it for longer trips though.
I, was looking at the website and they say it's the similar but I was told The GTI has stiffer, more sport oriented suspension. Maybe springs rate are different or the absorbers are valved different? Not sure on that.
 

Powder Hound

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 25, 1999
Location
Under a Bridge, Crestview, FL, USA
TDI
'00 Golf 4dr White 5sp, '02 Jettachero 5sp, Wife's '03 NB Platinum Gray auto(!)
There's lots of ways to look at this, but I'll give you my jaundiced eye approach. Just note that this is a worst case scenario kind of look at it, so if my comments don't discourage you, then maybe the TDI is the way to go.

1. If you have to ask, the answer is no.
2. If you don't like to do maintenance, the answer is no. Not that TDIs are garage queens or anything like that, but they are kinda sensitive about having maintenance done on time and correctly. Having said that, dealers are not the preferred venue for maintenance nor most complex repairs. There are however, various well regarded individuals who are known for taking care of TDIs and doing it properly at much less than dealer rates. So if you are disinclined to do your own wrenching, there is probably one close by. If a good TDI guy isn't close by, and you refuse to drive there, and you won't turn your own wrenches, then the answer is no.
3. The engine not warming up in a 15 minute commute: yeah, and it can be a problem. Surprise, it is a big problem for gassers too, but since they reject so much more heat than a TDI does, they will warm up lots faster. Short cold commutes: I was doing that for a couple of years until the end of last summer, and it looks like I'll be in that situation again very soon. What I always did and will do is at least once a week, and sometimes more, is choose a scenic route home or to work, and drive it such that the total trip is 10 miles or more. One of the main problems in cold engines is that without warming up, moisture can collect in the oil pan or in other cavities and cause trouble in the oil or in corrosion elsewhere. Also, more wear happens when engines are cold. The wear problem is usually because of cold oil not flowing as well or being pressed out of bearings when settled and not running producing a moment (or longer) where the bearing is being run without lubrication. This is usually a transitory condition and is more a function of the number of cold starts than anything else. Better oils ameliorate this somewhat.
4. Not warming the engine sufficiently is hard on the oil and may necessitate oil changes more frequently than the recommended 10k mile OCI (oil change interval).
5. Mis-fueling your car will have drastic negative consequences. A gallon by mistake and then filling the tank with diesel and extra lube additive of your choice may be all it takes to keep you going OK, but a batch of bad diesel at a station will ruin your day.
6. The Prius crowd cannot manage the concept that you are at least as green (by some accounts more so) as they are. Don't think you'll ever get acceptance or sympathy.
7. "It's stinky!" - probably you won't hear this as much as I do since your catalytic converter would be new and actually working, but it might happen. Some people just don't realize that when the tables are turned, gassers are just plain toxic and can only be made marginally less so with perfect converter operation. And since all catalytic converters head south from there, that is just the way it is.
8. It's a VW. This can be thought of as both good and bad, and either way you're right. I'm not impressed with dealer stories, but all makes have dealers that do things badly. VW corporate (VWAG as well as VWoA), on the other hand, has every reason to enhance their product offerings in this country and bring over some very interesting product, yet they refuse to do so. Makes me think they (VWAG) really think of us 'muricans as some kind of inferior being. So... the upshot of this is don't think VW really means it when they advertise crap that sounds similar to 'we love our customers' because it plays more like "we love our customer's money but don't really care for the customer themselves."
 

john224

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Joined
Apr 12, 2012
Location
Beaufort
TDI
not yet
Cool, thanks for the great info! I'm going to test drive one tomorrow to make sure I have at least tried it before saying no to diesel. I think it's a great concept for the green side of things. It doesn't make sense to me how it could be that much more expensive since it goes through less process than refined gasoline...I guess the old supply and demand thing...the maintenance piece is a little concerning if it is that much sensitive. I don't mind doing my own maintenance, but I would rather have a worry free car.
 

Masonjar

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 7, 2012
Location
Ottawa
TDI
2005 Jetta Wagon GL
I originally got into mine (both Golfs - 1996 and 2001) because of a long commute. But I have to say that even in the city, the 2001 we still have and it is still good on fuel, even in the (Canadian) winter. My commute is down to 20 minutes or less if I can catch the lights, and I still get decent mileage even in the winter.

However, the GTI would sure be fun for those 15 miles... ;-)

Andrew
 

elitdi

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 2, 2004
Location
Springfield, Ohio
TDI
04 Jetta GL Wheat Beige
John,
I have an '04 TDI with 229,000. I am getting ready to put the second set of brakes on it. I drive a lot of highway and back country road miles, so brake wear would be different for your application.
Yes, there are certain things us TDI drivers tend to be particular about because the car will let you know if you cheap out. Case in point, when I changed my front brakes at 114,000 miles, I bought the Autozone parts. When it is in heavy rain or slushy conditions, you get a bit of a dead feel in the brake pedal for a moment before the brakes start grabbing. This doesn't occur when you use OEM replacement parts. I just ordered OEM parts to do my upcoming brake job, and the parts were $218 total for all 4 corners. I priced Autozone for their parts, and it was $137. It is well worht the money to go with the OEM parts and better braking.
Also, you may want to take into consideration that with the TDI, you don't have spark plugs and wires etc, so you don't have that cost.
My maintenance is something like this... oil changes every 10k, fuel filter change every 20k, air filter every 40k, tires every 65 to 70k timing belt 100k.
These cars can be tinkered with, if thats what you like to do. I know there were lots of Jettas and Golfs on here that have had European spec parts installed in place of NA parts, but lots of that stuff is just people personalizing their cars. As long as you pay attention to this forum and see what the quirks are, and the best ways to handle them, it shouldn't be any more maintenance intensive than lots of other cars on the road.
 

ecks

Member
Joined
Mar 9, 2012
Location
new jersey
TDI
'06 Jetta 5 speed (TDI of course!)
My 2 cents. In NJ diesel is not much more expensive than premium gas. Most importantly, diesel car/truck owning is a way of life. If you don't get excited by the sounds and smells and logging your mpg's in a notebook then just get the gas engine.
 

AndyBees

Top Post Dawg
Joined
May 27, 2003
Location
Southeast Kentucky
TDI
Silver 2003 Jetta TDI, Silver 2000 Jetta TDI (sold), '84 Vanagon with '02 ALH engine
John, unless I missed it, are you looking at a new car or used?

With the VW TDI you do have 100k mile worry free intervals........then you need a new TB and all the asscociated parts, etc., for another 100k miles. Everything else pretty much is the same for it as with any other vehicle!

A 15 mile commute one-way will be enough distance to bring the engine up to full operating temp.

Who uses Super Unleaded?

My two cents!
 

OntarioVW_TDI

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 14, 2011
Location
Ontario
TDI
2013 jetta highline
Who uses Super Unleaded?
allot of turbo gas cars need to run high octane gase or else the will detonate (pre ignition)... I had an eagle tallon (super ricer car) before my tdi and I had to use premium in it.

If you buying new and only driving 15 mile to work then 15 miles home I personally wouldn't get a TDI, I wold probably get the 1.8T just cause as much fun as TDI's are to drive the 1.8 would be just a little more fun. And the cost you save in diesel you will probably not even notice. That being said the tdi would be better on the enviorment and you wil have these forums instead of "the other vw forums" *cough* vortex :rolleyes:

At the end of the day it's your decision but that's my couple cents on it.

Edit: I'm slightly stoopid cause I forgot that 15 miles is allot further than 15 kilometers :rolleyes: so you probably would save a bit over a 1.8, do they make a golf with a 2.5? Maybe check one of them out.
 
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rotarykid

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Apr 27, 2003
Location
Piedmont of N.C. & the plains of Colorado
TDI
1997 Passat TDI White,99.5 Blue Jetta TDI
If you are looking for savings at the pump for the least amount spent, go with a Corolla or similar or a Yaris or similar with a manual trans. But if you are looking for a fun to drive car that will hold it's resale value better than anything else on the road a TDI is a good choice. the current EPA ratings on gas or diesel powered cars today are less than useless for getting sense of real costs per mile. And do not ever believe the garbage claimed today in the rating of there being almost no automatic trans consumption penalty, this is a totally bullsh!). There is and always will be a 30% minimum penalty in consumption, more on city only loops on a automatic version compared to same engine in the same car if it is equipped with a manual trans.

And if you are looking for the reigning champ in the current 2.0 TDI stable it has a manual trans. The DSG, VW/Audi's automatically shifted manual gearbox has at least a 15-30 % and more real world consumption penalty compared to exact same car with a TDI with a manual trans, higher on city only loops.

And out of this stable of 7 models with diesel power that come with the current 2.0 140hp/236 lb-ft TDI engine the Jetta, Jetta Sport Wagon, Golf, NB, Passat, and A3 all with the 2.0 TDI-CR engine the Passat TDI-CR with a manual trans is the most fuel efficient. Next is going to be the Golf, then the Audi A3, then the Jetta, the Jetta Sport Wagon and last on the consumption board is going the just arriving New Beetle with the TDI engine.

And has been pointed out VW diesels suffer fools and procrastinators badly. The maintenance schedules and lubrication standards are not to be taken lightly or ignored. You follow all lubrication requirements and maintenance schedules ownership will be an enjoyable experience. You don't and ownership will be a nightmare like you have not ever dreamed of...........
 

john224

New member
Joined
Apr 12, 2012
Location
Beaufort
TDI
not yet
Thanks for replying everyone, I went down to the dealership today and after much debate I went against the TDI for this time. It is great for all the reasons everyone mentioned here but the short commute and little mileage I put on yearly don't add up.

Thanks again for your feedbacks
John
 

TimeTrap

Active member
Joined
Aug 3, 2011
Location
Philadelphia, PA
TDI
2011 6M TDI
There's lots of ways to look at this, but I'll give you my jaundiced eye approach. Just note that this is a worst case scenario kind of look at it, so if my comments don't discourage you, then maybe the TDI is the way to go.

1. If you have to ask, the answer is no.
2. If you don't like to do maintenance, the answer is no. Not that TDIs are garage queens or anything like that, but they are kinda sensitive about having maintenance done on time and correctly. Having said that, dealers are not the preferred venue for maintenance nor most complex repairs. There are however, various well regarded individuals who are known for taking care of TDIs and doing it properly at much less than dealer rates. So if you are disinclined to do your own wrenching, there is probably one close by. If a good TDI guy isn't close by, and you refuse to drive there, and you won't turn your own wrenches, then the answer is no.
...
I've heard this before about TDIs--if you don't plan on working on them, TDIs aren't for you. This kindof concerns me because I don't do any work on my car but I'm about to buy a used 2011 golf tdi. Could it be that if you want to own your car for 10-12 years you'll want to do the work on your own? Powder Hound I noticed you have a couple of '00s, so I would guess if has made sense for you to do your own work because it's probably really inexpensive to have cars that are that old when you've done all the maintenance.

I also know of a couple that owns a pair of Jetta TDIs and they like them and don't do any of their own work.

So would it be better to say that after x number of years you want to be doing the work yourself but for the first 5 or so years you're ok?
 

TDIMcChanic

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 12, 2011
Location
WI
TDI
02 Jetta
Here is my question regarding the TDI: 90 % of my drive will be less than 15 miles from where i live to work.Thanks, John
Eh, I have a 3 mile commute to work and a 4 mile commute to school. 41mpg was my lowest tank ever, mostly because I pulled a trailer quite a bit. Now that summer is here I will ride the moped most of the time though, can't beat 90mpg :)
 

chard

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 21, 2004
Location
Portsmouth Hampshire England
TDI
GT TDI 110 AHF Engine
On a modern TDI ( one that's equipped with a DPF) used mainly for short journeys.......this would quickly clog the DPF and would hence require deliberate/manual regeneration. For this reason, I wouldn't buy a TDI for such short mileage use. I have been considering the same scenario and been strongly advised against it for this reason.

Looks like you made the correct decision to go for petrol.
 
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