Colorado, here I come!

I am going to CO in July (Colorado Springs) to see our oldest son, stationed at Ft. Carson. So here's the big question: which TDI should I drive out there (we live in Florida)? My choices are a 2005 Passat TDI or a 2006 Jetta TDI. The Passat has 28K miles and the Jetta has 11.5K. Which would be better in the mountains in CO? I know the Jetta will get better mileage, but for our trip, my rough calculations say that I will only use 17-20 gallons more fuel for the whole trip if I drive the Passat. Don't care about prices because I have a company gas card, so that is not even a concern. I am just wondering if the bigger engine in the Passat would make a difference in the mountains or would the Passat's weight diminish any performance benefits over the Jetta's 1.9l engine? Anyone who lives in the mountains and has driven both vehicles care to comment?

You can't go wrong with either vehicle. The 06 TDI will have no problem with the steepest mountain grades whatsoever.

You decision should be be based on which vehicle is more comfortable and best suits your needs.

If you need some restaurant tips and things to do, shoot me a message.

Take the Passat! It's the ultimate highway cruiser, smoother, quieter & roomier than your jetta. Why own the passat unless you're going to use it for what it's designed for? Save the jetta for shorter, around-town trips.

I can't compare mountain driving because i) don't own a jetta, ii) haven't been in the mountains yet. But our passat has no problems on some steep hills around here. The diesel torque just pulls it up without downshifting from fifth gear.

We're driving to Denver in a few weeks too, but via Chicago and will eventually end up in Boise and Seattle before returning. I'm really looking forward to that trip; we'll be taking the Passat Wagen loaded down with gear and bikes. There will be a lot of mountain driving, but I can't imagine any problems, especially with the TDI.

Just my biased opinion .

Bruce

Wow- to have the problems you do! If fuel isn't an issue (hard to imagine what that's like!), then the Passat obviously has more room and power. But either car will handle those mountains just fine.

One of the things that sold me on the tdi was the number of them I saw passing with ease through the mountains during a long trip out west in the summer of '01- when many of the gassers (like my mini-van) were working very hard. My own "mountain" experiences in a tdi is limited to the hills of Pennsylvania and upstate NY, but I would not have any concerns about how the Jetta can handle any grade out west.

Sounds like a great trip. Good luck!

DrewD said:

If you need some restaurant tips and things to do, shoot me a message.

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Would you be referring to my favorite watering hole, Judge Baldwin's?

I'd go with the Passat. I have the 06 Jetta and it's a SWEET ride, but my buddy has an 05 Passat gasser and it's even sweeter, comfort-wise. Since gas isn't a concern, take the comfier of the cars.

WHIFF said:

Would you be referring to my favorite watering hole, Judge Baldwin's?

I'd go with the Passat. I have the 06 Jetta and it's a SWEET ride, but my buddy has an 05 Passat gasser and it's even sweeter, comfort-wise. Since gas isn't a concern, take the comfier of the cars.

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Judge B's has awesome onion rings but I'm partial to Phantom Canyon brewery across the street

I will be heading to denver from Orlando on Wednesday in my Jetta. I plan on taking the long way through Durango to visit some old friends and check on my rockcrawler jeep that's in storage there.

July 4th weekend, I fly back to Atlanta from Denver and will meet my wife and daughter for the final trip. We will drive the Passat TDI to Denver and plan on going through St Louis on I-70.

I am really looking forward to both trips. This is all part of our relocation to Denver. I have a friend in Denver with a 2003 TDI jetta and he says the car has no problems with the mountain passes and easily pulls the hills way over the speed limit.

Good luck on your trip 06JettaTDIdsg. That drive from Durango east over the continental divide is a beautiful one, for sure!

If your jetta is a sedan (mk5), it actually has 20 mm more room in the back than your B.5.

I drove from Dallas to Colorado Spring and back for a family vacation. The Jetta with the DSG is pretty awesome in the mountain. I left my tuning box setting at "F" and have no problem and minumum smoke. Plenty of power at climbing hill and around curve.

I'm sure either car will do fine. If I had a Passat I'd take it. Coming from the East you won't have the fun of driving through the Rockies in a TDI unless you decide to go for an extra trip. I'm going Los Angeles to Denver next week and this time the Golf will be hauling a trailer. Never had any problems taking the hills. Going up Vail Pass is fun as long as there's nobody going slower in the way; the same holds true for the approach to Eisenhower Tunnel. But this time I'll probably be in the slow lane because of the payload.

I used to to be stationed at Ft. Carson, I loved Colorado. There's really no real mountain driving on the way there, its more of a gradual incline all the way there. It gets mountainous west of Colorado Springs. If you decide to go to sight seeing places like Pikes Peak the dirt road to get up there can be rough in a few spots, I kept scraping my undercarrage in my 99.5 jetta. So ground clearance could be taken into account

I just got off a fairly long trip with my Passat and I agree that its the ultimate highway cruiser. My best mileage in South Dakota long straight interstates was 46.12mpg going west. My worst was 42mpg. The Passat was excellent climbing up the mountain passes by Mount Rushmore, Badlands National park, Devil's Tower and the Grandad Bluff Park in LaCrosse, WI. It was sure footed, easy to handle and the AC worked well. Of course some credit should be given to my rear mounted 6 cd changer and my iPod (run through the cassette deck). It loves cruising at 80mph on the interstate! Take the Passat! I saw only one other B5.5 Passat and that was in Rapid City, SD, a reflex silver one. Saw lots of Jetta TDI cars (okay what I mean by lots is I saw about 6 of 'em, ok?)

the Passat would offer more leg room for the ride across Texas.

I just got back from that area:
Pikes Peak (yes she is a dirty dirty girl, but you try driving 15 miles of dirt road going up from 8k-14k feet and stay clean)



The Jettas and Golfs have plenty of power in the mountains(i.e. above 10k feet) if you keep the engine revs above 2000 RPM's... Gotta have Boost to have any power.

only trouble I had was maintaining speed without downshifting from my .681 5th gear on some of the 70MPH 10%+ grades, I dropped 5 MPH.
but could hold 30MPH going up Pikes peak Easily. (except for the back seat driver telling me to slowdown.)