Personally I'd never try to sell a TDI based the low cost of ownership. That would be dishonest,, plain and simple.
I have to agree. I enjoyed driving my TDI for many reasons. First of all, I had always driven diesel cars, so that's what I was used to. The low end torque is wonderful! Even though my current daily driver (a Scion xD) has about 42% more horsepower than my TDI (when it was stock), the TDI had much more oomph at 2,000 RPMs. The Scion can beat it in a 0-60 contest, but who drives like that, anyway?
I also liked the feel of the car itself, which had nothing to do with the fact that it was a diesel. VWs are just a lot more solid than a Toyota. Quieter, more sure-footed, better steering response, fewer rattles, etc.
Having said all of that, I will say that TDIs are a little quirkier than most other cars. Even a bit quirkier than a gasser VW, and they are quirkier than the average car. If you are the type who takes a car to the dealership for all service, forget about a TDI. Well, since the OP lives in Canada, I will say that the dealerships up there have a better reputation with TDIs than down here in the states.
If you work on your own car... and
enjoy working on your own car... then a TDI might be right for you. No, they're not breaking down all the time... but they need work from time to time, and you can save big bucks by doing it yourself. With the help of this forum, you can do it
better than a dealership.
If your number one priority is cost of ownership, you probably want a Honda or Toyota. Yes, you will probably get lower fuel economy... but when it is all said and done, you will probably come out ahead. On top of that, you will probably have spent a lot more time with the hood closed, too. Are Hondas and Toyotas as solid and fun to drive as a VW? No. Not really. You'll be dealing with a tinny-sounding engine and more rattles and clunks. With minimal care, you'll have a car that will take you to 250,000 miles... probably well beyond 300,000 miles if you keep it long enough.
Yes, you could have catastrophic failures on ANY car. However, the likelihood of having a $2,000+ failure on a Honda or Toyota is much lower than on a TDI. Then again, if a catastrophic failure happens to you with any car, then that brings it up to a 1:1 chance, doesn't it?
When my TDI started to get flaky, I couldn't find a diesel car that was in my budget. I had the following priorities:
- New
- 35+ MPG
- 4dr Hatchback
- Ability to tow at least 1,500 pounds
- Manual trans
- Stability control
The best value I could find on a car that had all of those features was the Scion xD. Most other cars would nickel and dime you on certain options... especially stability control. I looked at a Honda Fit, but they make you bu $3,600 worth of option packages before you can get stability control. I find that to be pretty lame, since stability control has to be standard on all cars by 2012. Anyway, the xD has served me well... although it doesn't feel like a German car.