Newer Jetta that's comparable to a 2004 Jetta TDI

So I've had my Jetta since the end of 2012. I've put over 100,000 miles on it and I've loved it so far. Its at around 233,000 miles currently. When my car is inevitably no more, I would like to get another Jetta TDI. The longer I wait however, the harder it will be to find another 2004. I'm still getting around 45 mpg, and it seems like the newer cars that are being made don't seem to improve gas mileage. I was wondering if there is a newer model that is comparable to the 2004 so I can start looking/saving up now.

Thanks!

My father in law bought a 2016 Jetta TSI with the 1.4L Turbo engine. I have to say I'm quite impressed with it. It only uses slightly more fuel than a TDI, costs thousands less to purchase, and does away with all the complicated and expensive TDI parts.

The early 2005 models are pretty comparable

Sorry, I had to. Free bump for you

At 25K miles a year you should be able to drive it for at least another 10 years if you keep it up. My '02 has 350K on it and its still my daily driver. I bought a leftover '15 GSW as my next car, but right now it sits in the garage. And if someone put a gun to my head and said you could only keep one car I'd choose the '02. Only worry I have is an accident ending its life.

Jaybird, if you take good care of your 2004, do all the regular maintenance, and replace all the worn parts that eventually come along (including the cam), it will last a very long time.

I've put on 448k miles since new, and there's no end in sight.

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If you like your car then spend money on keeping it in tip-top shape. Unless you buy new, which means a big depreciation hit right off the lot, you're going to have something that is very likely to need repairs (likely to have more unknowns than your current car).

If you look after the Jetta, there's no reason she can't last a very long time. I'd only go with something new if it feels right for you. There's nothing wrong with wanting a new car!

Mike_04GolfTDI said:

My father in law bought a 2016 Jetta TSI with the 1.4L Turbo engine. I have to say I'm quite impressed with it. It only uses slightly more fuel than a TDI, costs thousands less to purchase, and does away with all the complicated and expensive TDI parts.

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I met a tdiclub member a few weeks ago who turned in his 2009 TDI jetta and basically got a 2017 1.4TSI jetta as a free swap. He said he loved the 1.4 and was getting mid-40's mpg on the highway.

Not sure if there are any! I've driven the newer models but not extensively. I still really like my MK4's.

As for finding one, drive down here, lots of them are still around.

Thank you all for your replies. It's been very helpful. The main reason I was asking was because I wasn't sure if my car would turn into a money sink hole by buying a bunch of new parts. Or if I should save that money to put towards another car. I think I have my answer now. Thanks again.

I was at a TDIClub gathering yesterday and talking with a member who has a '05 Jetta Wagon with about 200K miles on it. I asked him if he thought about replacing it, and he said "what vehicle could I buy that will run on 100% biofuel? Oh, that's right, none!" So replacement is not an option for him. I drove my '15 GSW there which has all of 1,700 miles on it. And I told him that if someone put a gun to my head and said I could only keep one car, my '02 Wagon would be the one I'd keep.

Jaybird987, are you here in the PNW? A big killer of these, and all other cars, is rust. Not really a concern in the PNW.

If one does regular maintenance and keeps up on the suspension and brakes then there's really not much worry about, all will most certainly be cheaper than buying new (and, as I noted, buying a used car can be a crap-shoot).