Questioning capable MPGs for 2003 Jetta wagon - auto trans

SRHeer

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 26, 2007
Location
Houston, Texas USA
TDI
1999.5 Golf - 2001 Beetle
I am thinking of buying a 2003 Jetta wagon - the owner claims it gets insane 50MPGs but I disagree because it has an automatic transmission and with the 1.9TDI I am thinking it would get more like 40-43 with highway driving. Has anyone else ever gotten close to 50MPG highway with a Mk4 VW TDI using the auto trans?
 

belome

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Apr 8, 2010
Location
Mid MI
TDI
2002 Jetta GLS TDI 5-speed
Probably a hyper miler with a side of fibbing. Which, really makes me wonder about the condition of the trans. Chances are he is always popping it in and out of gear as he slowly coasts up to stop signs.
 

fnj2

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 1, 1999
Location
Wellfleet, Massachusetts, USA
Probably a hyper miler with a side of fibbing. Which, really makes me wonder about the condition of the trans. Chances are he is always popping it in and out of gear as he slowly coasts up to stop signs.
No, he's merely a clueless fool at best or a liar at worst. Fact: the engine uses less fuel coasting in gear than it does in neutral.
 

fnj2

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 1, 1999
Location
Wellfleet, Massachusetts, USA
I am thinking of buying a 2003 Jetta wagon - the owner claims it gets insane 50MPGs but I disagree because it has an automatic transmission and with the 1.9TDI I am thinking it would get more like 40-43 with highway driving. Has anyone else ever gotten close to 50MPG highway with a Mk4 VW TDI using the auto trans?
40-43 sounds about right for not-in-town. I have a 1999.5 Golf 4-door automatic and averaged 42-44 over many tanks when I used to maintain meticulous records. That was a mix of almost all highway and rural roads, 35-55 mph, plus very very little in-town stop-and-go.

Anything that drops it out of 4th gear with torque converter locked up murders the mileage. That includes a lead foot on the highway, because the tranny LOVES to drop out of lockup with acceleration even at highway speed. But if you drive like there is an egg on the accelerator, you can tease it to stay in 4th and locked up all the way down to 35-40, as long as you barely crack the pedal when speeding back up.
 

belome

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Apr 8, 2010
Location
Mid MI
TDI
2002 Jetta GLS TDI 5-speed
the engine uses less fuel coasting in gear than it does in neutral.
Not if it is shut off.

As for the OP, cross posting is disallowed. Keep your questions in one area, not two.
 

jettawreck

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 2, 2004
Location
Northern Minnesota-55744
TDI
2001 Jetta and 2003 Jetta
I am thinking of buying a 2003 Jetta wagon - the owner claims it gets insane 50MPGs but I disagree because it has an automatic transmission and with the 1.9TDI I am thinking it would get more like 40-43 with highway driving. Has anyone else ever gotten close to 50MPG highway with a Mk4 VW TDI using the auto trans?

Think carefully about buying any used VW with the 01M. You should know (vetran member status) they can be very problematic and randomly fail, some with relatively low miles.
If you can't drive it, it doesn't matter how good/bad the mileage is (or is supposed to be) or not. Repairs for most any such (or other unrelated maintainence) issues cost more than fuel savings.
Can it get 50 mpg? Given the right driving conditions and driver, probably. Will it consistently average 50 mpg/tank? No.
 
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jokila

Vendor
Joined
Dec 3, 2004
Location
Houston, Texas
TDI
2003 Jetta GLS, Manual
VW stats on the manual transmission on a wagon was 42 city/50 hwy, the automatic was something like 34 city/42 hwy if i recall correctly. The hwy for auto was the same as the city mpg for manual. The wagon had an extra 1 mpg over the sedan on the hwy miles for a manual trans. Never understood why, but that's VW.

He is probably getting 38 mpg on average with an auto. Sure, he could have a fill-up that got him into the mid 40s, but to get above 42mpg he would have to be doing a lot of hypermiling or took a long road trip and kept the speed maxed at 60mph. To even get 42 he would be doing no more than 65mph , no AC, and cruise control.

You could hypermile any car to something beyond what was indicated by the manufacturer, but that's specific behavior is beyond normal. And there is one more thing that could throw the whole thing off is that he changed the tires to something different than is standard thereby throwing off the distance he drives. Aside from that, he may not know how to calculate mpg correctly.
 
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turbovan+tdi

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Mar 23, 2014
Location
Abbotsford, BC.
TDI
2003 TDI 2.0L ALH, auto, silver wagon, lowered, Colt stage 2 cam, ported head,205 injectors, 1756 turbo, Malone 2.0, 3" exhaust, 18" BBS RC GLI rims. 2004 blue GSW TDI, 5 speed, lowered, GLI BBS wheels painted black, Malone stage 2, Aerotur
What they said. My stock 2000 auto Sedan averaged 36 ish until I modded it, then it averaged 40 mpg combined. I also had a shift kit in it and it would not unlock until almost WOT. My wife's new to us 2003 auto ALH wagon averages 35 mpg, its never been good, even when we bought it. Haven't really had time to dig into it.

These trans aren't that bad, they have issues but many live a good life, mind all had over 360K on them.
 
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JB05

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 20, 2005
Location
Il.USA
TDI
Golf,2005,anthracite blue
My Ultra Gauge will go up to 50+ mpg's on the highway, but that is only for a short duration. I do have a different auto trans, the 09A, than does the OP.
 

fruitcakesa

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Feb 18, 2007
Location
Vermont
TDI
04 jetta 5 spd wagon
When the 02 wagon auto was my DD, it had a lifetime average of 41+ mpg over 150k miles. High's 46+ and lows 33 mpg.
Since losing reverse gear, it is strictly very local driving and I have seen lows of 30 mpg with the turbo vanes seized.
After fixing the turbo, mpgs have climbed back into mid 30's.
The car never goes more than 10 miles from home.:p
 

jokila

Vendor
Joined
Dec 3, 2004
Location
Houston, Texas
TDI
2003 Jetta GLS, Manual
My Ultra Gauge will go up to 50+ mpg's on the highway, but that is only for a short duration. I do have a different auto trans, the 09A, than does the OP.
Yup. You have a 5th gear. Lower rpms for the given highway speed = more mpg.
 

Tdijarhead

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Joined
Nov 10, 2013
Location
Lawrenceville PA
TDI
2003 TDI Jetta Daughters Car, 2001 TDI Beetle, Wife’s car, 2005 Golf TDI Mine, all 5 spds
The seller is probably trying to put the best face on his cars mpg capability. He's probably read that these cars are capable of 50mpg and that's good enough for him, and his selling pitch to you. My 2000 with the o1m would get around 40 in rural driving, occasionally 44 and during the winter down in the low 30's.

What he actually has is a car with a motor that will last forever(almost) and a transmission that will probably give up the ghost within a year of purchase. He's not hyper milling, he's engaging in hyperbole to come up with that 50mpg number.
 
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