Hello,
This may be a relatively easy one,
right now i have a 2000 jetta tdi with about 280k miles on it,
besides the electrical junk failing in these cars
and a bad IP pump, everything has been normal stuff
I am on the east cost and it is starting to rust,
i was thinking of getting a 2009+ , but i have a few questions
Are they as simple to work on as the 1.9?
Should they last as long as a 1.9?
are they reliable?
anything else would be great,
also kinda wondering what would happen with this whole diesel gate,
Seeing that i would not be the first owner how would it work
i read some place that the first owner gets money too? but what if i dont want to sell it back to VW
any input i great,
thank you,
dave
Loaded question, and you'll get lots of opinion as answers. Here is what I can tell you as a guy that works on them every day:
Newer means more complex, which means more opportunity for fragile stuff to need attention. It also means a LOT more stuff in the same areas, so less room.
I feel the A4 cars are really the best blend of old and new in the A-platform VAG cars, in specific those available here with a TDI engine. They started with a clean slate, so the A3's globbed on systems and equipment that was essentially a bloated A2 is gone, and in its place is a more sophisticated electrical system with FAR better OBD capabilities, better driveline mounting, and all new 4 cyl engine that kept the good of the old engines and made them better, much easier lock carrier assembly R&R and just generally a better layout. Better brakes, too. And the TDI engines available in the A4, either the ALH or the BEW, are really amazingly good, with a slight nod in favor of the ALH due to its simplicity and general ease of service. I'd say the only turd in the punchbowl of that layout is the optional 01M automatic transmission, and that is just with the ALH, the BEW gets a better 09A Jatco which is not only proving to be much more durable, is less of a hit on performance and fuel economy over the 01M given it has an extra gear.
The A5 is again a clean slate, bigger, heavier, and more refined in general. They drive better, especially on twisty roads, uneven surfaces, etc. They have a superior suspension layout, even better brakes, and even some better OBD arrangement as well as some really nice things like removable door skins (seriously, the A5 Golf/Jetta is the most awesome car to do anything inside the doors on, they are super easy to work on). The rest of the car is pretty easy to work on too. Lock carrier assembly is even easier to remove, electric steering makes removal of the subframe with rack VERY easy, and the PD TDI engine in them is well laid out for the most part and not terribly bad to service and repair no matter what it might need. Downside to the BRM is that it is no more powerful than the BEW, and it is in a heavier car. Fortunately, the two-pedal version got the 02E DSG transmission, which is a 6 speed, and does an admirable job of making the best use of the engine's power and if you can get used to the sometimes strange shifting habits they work well and deliver decent fuel economy.
The later A5, 2009 and 2010 (as well as all the wagons through '14), and really the A6 Golf which isn't much different than the A5 just a further refinement of the same basic arrangement, which is what I think you are asking about specifically, brings a really great running engine with a LOT more power and refinement to the already excellent chassis.... BUT... with that commonrail TDI engine comes a LOT more complexity. And it is all stuffed into the same hole the BRM occupied. So not only are most all items more complex if you compare apples to apples, like a thermostat for instance (takes thrice as long on the CJAA as it does a BRM), but the CR engines have more items that the earlier TDIs simply do not have.
You'll never have to worry about your ALH needing an oxygen sensor.... doesn't have one. The CR engines have TWO. ALH has no EGT sensor... CR engines have THREE. CR engines also have two completely independent EGR systems, both of which are electronic. Your ALH just has one, that is worked by a simple PWM solenoid working on a vacuum actuator. The entire ALH EGR system can be swapped out inside of an hour, and not cost very much. The CR's EGR systemS would take more than a day and would cost a couple grand.
ALH has a simple one way non-monitored catalyst. The CR has a monitored catalyst, a monitored diesel particle filter (complete with its own failure prone pressure sensor), and since it needs to regenerate that DPF from time to time, it ramps up fueling on the exhaust cycle to do so, which if you know your turbo diesel engine anatomy, you'll know that the turbocharger is between the engine and the DPF. Guess what the CR turbo has to endure that the ALH never does? Obscene high exhaust temps. So, turbochargers fail on CR engines probably at a 10x higher rate than the earlier engines. The CKRA engine in the Passat was so bad that Volkswagen offered a warranty extension on those.
The ALH's intake manifold is a simple chunk of cast aluminum. The CR's intake is a blend of aluminum, plastic, a whole bunch of butterfly plates on a shaft, operated by an electric motor with a built in sensor. The whole assembly probably consists of 100 individual parts. 1 vs. 100. Which do you think will break first?
ALH has simple glow plugs. And they are easy to diagnose, test, and change. And the whole system is very simple, and inexpensive. The CR uses glow plugs with pressure sensors built into them. So not only does one plug cost as much as all four in the ALH, but they are attached with VERY fragile little connectors on top of the engine that just love to break and/or have poor connections.
Your ALH has one fuel pump (technically two in one, but essentially the whole fuel system is right on the front of the engine, in the injection pump/injectors). The CR engines have a lift pump in the tank, an auxiliary electric pump under the hood, and then a high pressure mechanical pump on the engine.
So.... I think the newer CR cars are excellent cars, but much of that excellence comes at a price. And given the fact that VAG cheated to bring this excellence to us and it was all for nothing, I'm not sure what to think. However, despite the rhetoric, they DO run very clean... in the sense that most people would define clean. They do not stink, they do not smoke, their tailpipes are squeaky clean (provided everything is working properly), they are quiet, peppy, efficient, and generally an amazing car to drive. But if you want to get from A to B for the least amount of money, there are better choices out there. You just may not like to drive them.
I drive a 2000 Golf every day. I have a 2010 Jetta too. The '10 is faster, smoother, quieter, roomier, and can almost get the same fuel economy. But I know my '00 will be cheaper to operate, now and into the future, and that is even considering it has a 10 year/350k mile difference (disadvantage?) on my '10.
