SuperCommuting thread

soldierguy

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 13, 2004
Location
California
TDI
'15 Jetta TDI S DSG
I feel like I'm about to do an AA meeting intro, but I'm Dan, and I'm a SuperCommuter. Roughly 220-225 miles round-trip every day to get back and forth to work. I thought I'd start a thread for me and any other supercommuters or folks with lots of miles on their Jettas to share experiences, stories, issues, etc.

The car: 2015 Jetta TDI S with DSG. It's a buyback car that I picked up last weekend as a certified pre-owned with a little less than 12,500 miles on it. I've had it less than a week, and I've already put over 1,000 miles on it. In a typical month, I’ll put about 4500+ miles on the car, doing weekday commuting and a few errands on the weekend.

First impressions: it's a fantastic highway car. Quiet, smooth, well-controlled body motions without being harsh at all, comfy seats, easy-to-use climate and stereo controls, not much wind noise or road noise. I came out of a 2016 Prius that in less than 21 months, I put 93,500 miles on it. The climate controls and stereo controls drove me nuts on the Prius…8 buttons and 3 toggle switches for the climate control, it required looking at it to operate, and it would often choose to do something I didn’t want it to do. The stereo was a touch-screen, again requiring that you look at it to operate it, which bothered me a lot. It was great around town, but nowhere near as good as the Jetta on the highway. In the short time I’ve had the TDI, I’ve fallen in love with it…I know it is an object and a tool, but I love the grumbly engine, the torque, and I’m digging the DSG…it behaves like a manual that just happens to be electronically controlled. I’m smitten with the whole car. And the deal (purchase price and warranties) made it a no-brainer to move to the Jetta.

My commute has me driving just a few miles in town before jumping on the highway. One stop on the way to work to get more tea, then it's back on the highway until I'm about 5 miles away from work. On the way to work I gain 1500 feet in elevation, and the prevailing weather pattern has about a 5 mph headwind most of the way in to work. The way home is the opposite, but the prevailing weather pattern has me driving into a 15-20 mph headwind, a little less in the winter. Speeds are 68-70 mph for just over half of it, 70-73 mph for just under half. Temperatures are HUGE swings...it's mild where we live, but where I work sees huge swings...it's not unusual for me to see 50+ degree temperature swings each day in the summer, leaving the house in the low 50's in the morning, and leaving work in the afternoon at over 100 degrees. In the winter, it’s not unusual for me to leave the house in the morning at 45 degrees, and by the time I get to work it’s in the mid 20’s.

Why do the commute? After I retired from the Army, I ended up (unintentionally) spending a couple years renovating an old house that had been in the family since the 1960's. Fast forward: we got the house finished, and I started looking for a job. After finding out I got the job I'm in (a FANTASTIC job with great people and really good money), rather than move, we decided that we'd stay right there, I'd commute, and my husband would go back to school. He's just been offered a great job for when he graduates in May, so the commute will be ongoing for the foreseeable future. He's got a 10 minute ride on his motorcycle to get to school. We don't split the commute because there is truthfully nowhere in-between where we live and where I work where we'd want to live.

Anyway, as I rack up more miles, I'll add comments, and if anyone else wants to jump in with their stories/experiences, when you’ve replaced certain parts, problems, good things, etc…by all means do it!

Cheers!
 

soldierguy

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 13, 2004
Location
California
TDI
'15 Jetta TDI S DSG
Partway through my second week of commuting in the Jetta, and it's definitely growing on me. I like the comfort & quiet going down the highway...it's a MUCH better highway car than the Prius was.

I'm finding that I accelerate more quickly in the Jetta than I did in the Prius. Around town I'll either put it in sport mode, or manually hold gears longer than it does when left to its own devices in drive. Fuel economy so far is off the pace of the Prius, but I expected that. I had been averaging 47-48 in the Prius; given that I accelerate more quickly in the Jetta, the fuel economy difference is negligible for my mostly-highway commuting.

So far so good!
 

luke.weiser

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 17, 2017
Location
Portland, Maine
TDI
1998 Jetta MK3
I go around 140 miles a day (must seem like nothing to you guys, right?) to school, and I love my jetta. Its a mk3, not quite as plush as you guy's boats, but still a fun drive. That's what I love about my older VW. She feels less like a car and more like a race nugget. Love leaving tailgaters behind in a cloud of smoke. I actually look forward to sliding into my retro nuggy and firing her up, its the best part of my day. Thanks VW!
And i like the 48 mpg combined too. Can you say economy?
It was either a $3000 Prius or a $400 jet-black dino burner. I love toyota's, but I for sure made the right choice.
 

soldierguy

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 13, 2004
Location
California
TDI
'15 Jetta TDI S DSG
I go around 140 miles a day (must seem like nothing to you guys, right?) to school, and I love my jetta. Its a mk3, not quite as plush as you guy's boats, but still a fun drive. That's what I love about my older VW. She feels less like a car and more like a race nugget. Love leaving tailgaters behind in a cloud of smoke. I actually look forward to sliding into my retro nuggy and firing her up, its the best part of my day. Thanks VW!
And i like the 48 mpg combined too. Can you say economy?
It was either a $3000 Prius or a $400 jet-black dino burner. I love toyota's, but I for sure made the right choice.
I've got a soft spot for the MK3. Back in '96 I went to a VW dealer looking for a Jetta TDI, but none were around. Ended up driving home in a Jetta GLX...Tornado Red, 5-speed manual, black leather interior. I absolutely loved that car...that VR6 engine was so sweet, and sounded amazing!

140 miles a day is definitely a lot! Hope you and your car treat each other well!
 

CTD_Chevrolet

Veteran Member
Joined
May 31, 2011
Location
Montucky
TDI
'15 Jetta S DSG, '02 Jetta ALH 5spd
Do you disclose how many miles you drive when you get insurance, and if so, how much more expensive is it?

I always say 10,000, but this year having a new TDI and not a lot to do, I'm going to go WAAAAY over. I plan on calling my agent but I'm not excited to find out how much it's going to cost.
 

soldierguy

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 13, 2004
Location
California
TDI
'15 Jetta TDI S DSG
Do you disclose how many miles you drive when you get insurance, and if so, how much more expensive is it?

I always say 10,000, but this year having a new TDI and not a lot to do, I'm going to go WAAAAY over. I plan on calling my agent but I'm not excited to find out how much it's going to cost.
I do disclose, and it's only a few dollars more....I don't remember exactly how much more, but it is something less than $20 every 6 months. I have USAA.
 

IndigoBlueWagon

TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Location
South of Boston
TDI
'97 Passat, '99.5 Golf, '02 Jetta Wagon, '15 GSW
The drive you're doing is probably perfect for best performance from a TDI. Long distances, moderate temperatures. I think you'll see good FE as well as long emissions system life as you'll get full regens that most likely won't be interrupted.

Jettas are remarkable long-distance cars. I still enjoy driving my '02 Wagon on long trips, despite its age and miles (just turned 360K). Tracking and stability on the highway is where they shine.

I don't envy your commute, mostly because of the time it must take out of each day. I traveled (by air mostly) extensively for years, and it seemed OK (well, maybe not entirely OK) until I stopped. Now I wonder what I was thinking. But it sounds like you have excellent reasons, and the drive sounds reasonably easy.

Enjoy the TDI!
 

16vjohn

Vendor , w/Business number
Joined
Jul 12, 2007
Location
Salt Lake City, UT
TDI
EA288 CVCA 6MT
Do you disclose how many miles you drive when you get insurance, and if so, how much more expensive is it?

I always say 10,000, but this year having a new TDI and not a lot to do, I'm going to go WAAAAY over. I plan on calling my agent but I'm not excited to find out how much it's going to cost.
Does your insurance actually check your odometer? I heard of Triple A doing that 20 years ago. USAA and Geico both just ask for estimates. I've messed with the calculator before and it only made a $13 difference on a 6-month policy to double the miles from 12,000 to 24,000.
 

soldierguy

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 13, 2004
Location
California
TDI
'15 Jetta TDI S DSG
Does your insurance actually check your odometer? I heard of Triple A doing that 20 years ago. USAA and Geico both just ask for estimates. I've messed with the calculator before and it only made a $13 difference on a 6-month policy to double the miles from 12,000 to 24,000.
I've been with USAA since 1996 (give or take a couple years) and they've never seen any of my cars, much less checked an odometer. No reason to lie about the mileage, and I'd rather be up front about it.
 

soldierguy

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 13, 2004
Location
California
TDI
'15 Jetta TDI S DSG
The drive you're doing is probably perfect for best performance from a TDI. Long distances, moderate temperatures. I think you'll see good FE as well as long emissions system life as you'll get full regens that most likely won't be interrupted.

Jettas are remarkable long-distance cars. I still enjoy driving my '02 Wagon on long trips, despite its age and miles (just turned 360K). Tracking and stability on the highway is where they shine.

I don't envy your commute, mostly because of the time it must take out of each day. I traveled (by air mostly) extensively for years, and it seemed OK (well, maybe not entirely OK) until I stopped. Now I wonder what I was thinking. But it sounds like you have excellent reasons, and the drive sounds reasonably easy.

Enjoy the TDI!
Thanks! I'm definitely enjoying it!

Funny you should mention most regens not being interrupted. I don't know how many I've had since I started commuting in it (about 3000 miles so far since I got it at the end of January), but I've interrupted two regens. Both have happened on my way in to work, in the last 5-6 miles of the commute after leaving the freeway. One last week, and one yesterday. I wish there was a way to know when one is coming up, and that there were a way to force one a little early, rather than have it be interrupted.
 

soldierguy

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 13, 2004
Location
California
TDI
'15 Jetta TDI S DSG
Funny thing happened at the car wash this morning. A woman was getting her new Audi A4 dried, and my Jetta was right behind here. She walked over to the passenger window, peeked inside, then walked back to where we were both waiting.

“Is that your Jetta?”

“Yes.”

“Want to trade cars?”

She then told me that she just traded her Golf for the A4, but she hated the cup holders, because only a tiny cup would fit, and if it spilled, it would ruin the switches all around the cup holders. Then she said that the A4 drives the same as her old Golf.

I looked at hers, and sure enough, the dashboard overhangs the cup holders, and my coffee mug would never fit.

Thanks, but I’ll keep the Jetta.
 

soldierguy

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 13, 2004
Location
California
TDI
'15 Jetta TDI S DSG
20,000 mile service performed today (at 20,650 miles), and they fixed the rattle under light load (TSB 80-15-01), all for no charge. A little over 8000 miles driven in the roughly 7 weeks I've had the car.

The TDI is running great! Very pleased with the car. Now that the 20K service is done, the husband and I are taking off for the weekend, since I took a couple days off from work.
 

Blue_Hen_TDI

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 23, 2005
Location
Slower, DE
TDI
owned: 96 B4V, 06 Golf, 12 NMS, 15 GSW
I used to drive 35,000 miles a year, but I discovered a commuter bus that shaves the final 40 miles off of what used to be a 95-mile (each way) commute into DC.

So now I'm down to 110 miles round trip. I drive slow and steady on predominantly 2-lane rural roads and am returning a hair over 55 mpg so far through 25,000 miles in my GSW.

As far as insurance, I never disclose my real mileage to my insurance company. I just say 15,000 on my GSW and 5,000 on my GTI.

Also, I was with USAA since 1996 and switched to GEICO in 2015. GEICO was almost 50% lower than USAA, which blew my mind. USAA is not nearly as good as they were back in the day when it was officers only. They've taken on too much risk opening it up to everyone.
 

tleader

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 10, 2008
Location
San Antonio, Texas
TDI
None
I'm in the neighborhood of 195-200 miles a day RT, depending on the route I take and traffic. Gets old some days when the traffic is heavy.
 

soldierguy

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 13, 2004
Location
California
TDI
'15 Jetta TDI S DSG
I'm in the neighborhood of 195-200 miles a day RT, depending on the route I take and traffic. Gets old some days when the traffic is heavy.
Thankfully I don't run into traffic at all in the morning (I leave the house around 4 AM), and in the afternoon I'm heading in the opposite direction of most of the traffic.

But since you're another high-mileage commuter, you might run into a similar issue as I do.

I've been running under the assumption based on what I've read around here (and what I've been noticing) that regens occur about every 250 miles, give or take a bit. For me, that's just beyond my daily drive (about 225-ish miles), so I'm guessing I do about 4-5 regens per week. I've noticed that for the most part, I don't know when the regens are happening. However, every so often I get into a cycle of a few days when regens will occur just before I get home, then I'll end up interrupting one or two, and then I don't notice them at all for a while.

I've stopped worrying about interrupting a regen, because unless I interrupt one on a Friday evening in the driveway at home, the next day's drive will be more than enough to finish the interrupted regen.

Do you ever interrupt them? What's your take on it?
 

tleader

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 10, 2008
Location
San Antonio, Texas
TDI
None
I don't have to worry about the regens with my 06, but when I had my 10 JSW, it would do it sometimes right as I pulled into work. I'd sit and let it complete the regen and cool off before shutting down the vehicle. I had a Scangauge II for that to show me the temps when the regen would start. Once all that was eliminated with a tune and DPF delete, no worries on regens then too.
 

soldierguy

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 13, 2004
Location
California
TDI
'15 Jetta TDI S DSG
It's been almost 12 weeks since I bought my 2015 Jetta TDI S with DSG, and I've put on just over 12,000 miles, so I figured it's time for an update & observations.

It's now got 24,600 miles on it (bought it at 12,500 on the odometer). Nothing has really gone wrong. I did have the low-rpm rattle, which the dealer fixed at the 20,000 mile service, but there have been no check engine lights, and the car has started & run beautifully every single day.

I am very consistently getting 44 mpg...sometimes slightly less, sometimes slightly more. The consistency of MPG is a big change from my previous car, a 2016 Prius. The Prius MPG was all over the map, fluctuating significantly in response to speed, outside wind speed & direction, and temperature. I'd get anywhere between 40-56 mpg in the Prius (lifetime average with the Prius was 47 mpg), largely dependent on the prevailing winds, and impacted by whether I'd cruise at 68 mph or 73 mph. The wind is definitely a factor in my commute. Most days, going to work I have a slight headwind (maybe 2-5 mph), and on the return trip I'll have anywhere from a 10-30 mph headwind...that's the reality of the prevailing daily wind conditions on my commute. So given what I experienced in the Prius, I've been pleasantly surprised by the consistency of MPG with the Jetta. In the Prius I used to drive as gently as possible, trying to get good MPG while not being too much of a rolling road block. In the Jetta, I don't even try for good mileage, and tend to accelerate quicker than other cars around me, whereas in the Prius I would accelerate slower than the cars around me. Driving normally and only seeing a 3 mpg loss as compared to the Prius? I'll take it.

The Jetta is proving to be a great commuter car. The seat is very comfortable for me...I can set it and forget it. In the Prius, I was always adjusting the seat and moving around to be more comfortable. It's not that the Prius was uncomfortable, but the Jetta is definitely more comfortable than the Prius. Less road & wind noise too, along with much better stability in crosswinds.

I will say that I'm not fond of the programming of the DSG in three respects. (1) When left in Drive, it upshifts too soon and downshifts under throttle are slow & sluggish. Sport mode is much better in that respect, but then (2) the off-throttle downshifts happen at higher rpm and are more noticeable, as when slowing down for a stop light. (3) When upshifting manually, the upshifts are slurred a bit if I'm using light throttle, rather than being crisp & quick like they are in Drive or Sport mode, or under heavier throttle. So I'm working the shifter a fair amount when I drive around town...accelerate in sport mode (or sometimes manual mode), decelerate in drive mode, and I use manual mode when I want to hold or select a particular gear in response to traffic & road conditions. I don't mind working the shifter...it adds to the entertainment of driving the car...but I do wish the programming was a little different.

Overall though, the car has been great, and I enjoy driving it. It's good to be back in a VW (I've owned a bunch over the years), and if it holds up well, I could see myself replacing it with another VW at some point.
 
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Slurry Pumper

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 13, 2012
Location
Allentown PA
TDI
2010 Jetta Sedan
I too drive a paltry 140 miles round trip 3 times a week from the burbs of Philly to Philly. The other two days a week I negotiated a work from home scheme. I used to do about 140 a day from the burbs of philly to the north east portion of PA, otherwise known as the land that time forgot, or depression land. Anyway, I have around 205K on the clock and I still can't get enough of the car. It eats highway miles like no other car I've owned. Being in PA, we don't care about global warming that much so I'm rollin coal and getting around 50 mpg even in the winter when I jam pipe insulation In the grill. I decided to roll coal when my dpf choked up and the bill was way more than I wanted to pay, so I can't give any info on regens since that stuff has been lost. I can say that I am quite impressed with the structural integrity and corresponding ride. In PA most roads might as well be unpaved, which would make it O.K. for me because technically I can only ride next to the road.

The interior is well thought out. There are nice sized cup holders and even the door pockets can double as a wine bottle holder (750 mL). My only complaint is the radio with the touch screen. Well thankfully that died on me about 2 years ago so that gave me a good excuse to get a nice Alpine with actual buttons.

I also no several people who have given their cars back to get something else only to wish they still had the TDI.
 

Slurry Pumper

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 13, 2012
Location
Allentown PA
TDI
2010 Jetta Sedan
yeah I broke up my comments into 2 so it doesn't seem like it is too long.

Anyway, since I drive mostly in PA and the northeast, I drive just like the rest of us here where aggressiveness is rewarded. We will chase pedestrians back up onto the sidewalk where they belong, especially during rush hour. So even driving the car like I stole it I can get 50 out of it regularly. I have the stick shift and since the car was tuned, it acts like a real car with decent pickup when you need to pull out in front of the tractor trailer coming down the road, or need that hole shot to merge onto the highway. I think if I soft pedaled it, I might be able to get 55 or even 60 if conditions are right.
 

soldierguy

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 13, 2004
Location
California
TDI
'15 Jetta TDI S DSG
My only complaint is the radio with the touch screen. Well thankfully that died on me about 2 years ago so that gave me a good excuse to get a nice Alpine with actual buttons.
Mine is the S trim, so my radio has buttons. I like having buttons, and simple knobs & a couple of buttons for climate controls. The Prius drove me nuts in that respect...touch screen radio that required too much time with eyes off the road to operate. The climate controls on the Prius were terrible...WAY too many buttons, too much time with eyes off the road to operate it, it would require multiple button presses to do simple things like change from defrost to face vents or change the temperature, and it would often do something different than what I told it I wanted it to do. I'm much happier with the simple knobs & buttons in the Jetta.
 

soldierguy

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 13, 2004
Location
California
TDI
'15 Jetta TDI S DSG
I got busy and didn't post a week or two ago when I had the 30K service. Nothing really new...the car continues to run flawlessly. MPG has gone down, but that's due to the prevailing weather patterns in the area I drive through daily. Summer brings warmer hot weather and a killer headwind for the drive home, usually somewhere around 15-20+ mph, for roughly 90-95 miles of the 112 mile drive home.

So far so good!
 

16vjohn

Vendor , w/Business number
Joined
Jul 12, 2007
Location
Salt Lake City, UT
TDI
EA288 CVCA 6MT
Also, I was with USAA since 1996 and switched to GEICO in 2015. GEICO was almost 50% lower than USAA, which blew my mind. USAA is not nearly as good as they were back in the day when it was officers only. They've taken on too much risk opening it up to everyone.
I did the exact same thing. It was like this on my older 98 Jetta:

USAA:
Liability only, $500 deductible.

Geico:
Full coverage, higher coverage limits, towing/labor/rental reimbursement, and a $100 deductible

Both were the same price. When I called to cancel my USAA policy, they asked if I had compared the coverages. I gave them the same outline and they said... well, sorry to see you go. I thought I'd have a poorer customer service experience with Geico, and it is to an extent. But, I can manage pretty much everything from the Geico Android app, including claims. USAA's app was pretty good, but not that good. I still bank with USAA, and they still have my homeowner's policy.

Anyway... yeah. Geico can't be touched on price.
 
Joined
Jul 2, 2018
Location
Northern Indiana
TDI
2015 Jetta SEL
Rebooting the thread...just got my TDI a couple days ago. I drive a lot of highway miles for my job. The ‘15 Jetta seemed like a practical change from a gas chugging suv. Looking forward to not hanging out at gas stations as much. :)
 

soldierguy

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 13, 2004
Location
California
TDI
'15 Jetta TDI S DSG
I haven't been on here much lately...life, work, and my motorcycles have been occupying my time. Also, the Jetta has been humming right along, giving me no reason to post.

Had the 40K service done yesterday, at 39,500 miles. A tiny bit early, but I'll hit 40K by Wednesday this week. No issues at the service, but the DSG seems to shift smoother now. The stock Continental tires seem to be holding up pretty well...lots of tread left, but since I'm nearing the wear bars, they'll probably get replaced at the next service.
 

soldierguy

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 13, 2004
Location
California
TDI
'15 Jetta TDI S DSG
The Jetta has been absolutely reliable, so I almost got excited when I thought something was going wrong! The auto up & down on the front passenger window started acting weird after I got it back from the 40K service...it'd go all the way up, then immediately come back down, then it stopped working the other day, although the window would still go up and down if I held the button.

Turns out all I had to do was reset the auto up & down by holding the window button in the down position for 5 seconds after opening it, then closing it and holding the window button in the up position for another 5 seconds. Issue easily solved.
 

soldierguy

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 13, 2004
Location
California
TDI
'15 Jetta TDI S DSG
I'm at about 45,000 miles now, and unexpectedly had to get new tires today. The stock Continentals would have lasted another 5-10,000 miles, but I picked up a nail yesterday at work. I decided that since the tires were going to need replacing soon anyway that I'd just do them all now. Unfortunately due to time being tight, I didn't have much choice on tires. I went with General Altimax RT-43 tires...generally good reviews on tire rack and they performed well in their testing, so we'll see how they work out for me.
 

IndigoBlueWagon

TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Location
South of Boston
TDI
'97 Passat, '99.5 Golf, '02 Jetta Wagon, '15 GSW
I have RT43s on my Jetta Wagon and my B4 Passat and love them. Quiet, better grip than Michelins, and ride great. Also good in the rain, not that it matters to you in CA. :)
 

Rodmiser

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 22, 2015
Location
N/A
TDI
Jetta s\DSG 2015 & 1&2 FIX
And replace all rubber vacuum lines, and EGR line to. Every 50,000 miles
That way you will make sure the DPF KEEPS working.
 
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