pleopard
Veteran Member
Well, after 147,453 short but sweet km, I had to part ways with my 2010 Jetta TDI. The mechatronics unit failed (spontaneous shifting into neutral - quite scary, really). The DSG gave me problems soon after delivery, but because the problems could not be replicated and because no codes were stored, there was little VW could do for me from the beginning. The problems (slamming into gear and not disengaging the clutches when coming to a complete stop) were also very infrequent. The most recent problem of shifting into neutral on the highway obviously rendered the vehicle inoperable. A $3000 bill was not something I wanted to swallow after I just replaced the ECM and couple small control modules for almost $3000 back in September. If it were possible to predict the future and know I would have a trouble-free car after the mechatronics replacement, then I would have kept the car, but obviously there are no assurances that further big ticket items wouldn't come up. I believe the DSG I had was a lemon.
My love for VW is too strong to consider any other makes. I still believe they are great cars. So, I traded in the Jetta for a Passat (a little more comfort and room for long trips and/or kids) a few weeks ago. I looked at the MQB Golf but the timing wasn't right with the new EA288 diesel not available until September. The Passat with the new 1.8 TSI offers quite sufficient fuel economy (nearly as efficient as my Jetta TDI when cruising steady state, at least according to the trip computer so far... hard to believe, but fill-up calculations will soon tell the real story). It's another unproven engine, but unless I went for a Jetta 2.0, there's no way to stay with solid, proven tech.
My wife doesn't drive standard, so I had to go for another automatic, which is a conventional automatic with the Passat TSI. So far my impression is that the car is incredibly refined and the power is more than sufficient, especially considering how small the engine is and how large the car is. The low end torque and pull isn't as strong as my with my Jetta, but it still has a very livable amount of torque with a nice wide rpm range. DSG problems aside, I think I preferred it over the conventional auto. There was a sharpness and precision to the DSG shifts that just can't be matched. The automatic in the Passat isn't as fast or even as performance oriented. The Passat auto is programmed to upshift even earlier, which is quite annoying. As long as it lasts, I don't care.
All things considered, I'm happy, but I do miss the TDI - a lot.
Now, if only I had purchased the car 3 weeks later... A major hail storm just recently hit and caused major damage to the hood, roof, and trunk, and some damage to nearly every other panel. C'est La Vie.
My love for VW is too strong to consider any other makes. I still believe they are great cars. So, I traded in the Jetta for a Passat (a little more comfort and room for long trips and/or kids) a few weeks ago. I looked at the MQB Golf but the timing wasn't right with the new EA288 diesel not available until September. The Passat with the new 1.8 TSI offers quite sufficient fuel economy (nearly as efficient as my Jetta TDI when cruising steady state, at least according to the trip computer so far... hard to believe, but fill-up calculations will soon tell the real story). It's another unproven engine, but unless I went for a Jetta 2.0, there's no way to stay with solid, proven tech.
My wife doesn't drive standard, so I had to go for another automatic, which is a conventional automatic with the Passat TSI. So far my impression is that the car is incredibly refined and the power is more than sufficient, especially considering how small the engine is and how large the car is. The low end torque and pull isn't as strong as my with my Jetta, but it still has a very livable amount of torque with a nice wide rpm range. DSG problems aside, I think I preferred it over the conventional auto. There was a sharpness and precision to the DSG shifts that just can't be matched. The automatic in the Passat isn't as fast or even as performance oriented. The Passat auto is programmed to upshift even earlier, which is quite annoying. As long as it lasts, I don't care.
All things considered, I'm happy, but I do miss the TDI - a lot.
Now, if only I had purchased the car 3 weeks later... A major hail storm just recently hit and caused major damage to the hood, roof, and trunk, and some damage to nearly every other panel. C'est La Vie.