I need advice on what kind of TDI to get

My 2001 Golf TDI has 330K miles on it and it has some problems (bad compression on one cylinder, possibly needs a new head gasket, seat's uncomfortable, won't shift into 4th gear easily, AC doesn't work). I have primarily run it on B99/B100. Especially as I recently experienced diesel runaway on the hilly mountain freeway I use to commute to work, my wife really wants me to get a newer, more comfortable and reliable car. I care greatly about CO2 emissions; the reasons I bought the car in the first place are the good fuel economy and the ability to use a carbon-neutral fuel like biodiesel.

I know you can't use biodiesel in 2007 or newer TDIs due to the DPF that was added starting that year, but the fueling infrastructure is disappearing (no coincidence there). There is a more widely available product called HPR diesel or "renewable diesel" which can be used in newer TDIs. So I'm thinking that another TDI is still going to be the most eco-friendly commuter car I can find. Reasonably affordable EVs with sufficient range aren't on the market yet.

So now I'm trying to figure out if I should try to find a lower milage pre-2007 TDI or get a newer vehicle. It sounds like all the emissions stuff makes them less reliable and I'm unclear about what fixes different years require.

What years are good/bad? I only know the ALH engine. I know there is BEW, common rail, and different DPF equipped engines which have higher stock HP but possibly lower mpg and possibly reduced reliability (though a car with 330K miles isn't that reliable either). If I got a newer vehicle, would I want one equipped with a urea tank?

Sorry for the long post, but I'm really confused about what to do. Thanks!

I'd go for one with a common rail and preferably one you're going to love and take car of.

Personally, if I were to buy a 2nd hand TDI, I'd want a peek in and around the exhaust manifold for oil and turbo. Have a good listen to engine and cams and look for timing belt service records etc.

I've got a 2005 1.9 AXR which is much like a BEW in the US (I think) and while having blown two turbos, one after 8 years from new and then the 2nd hand one that lasted only a couple of years. So many horror stories about failing cam shafts etc it's hard to say if a pre common rail PD is worth the hassle. The 2005 on my car is vacuum driven with no electrical actuators on the Turbo, hence we're dealing with vacuum only driven by a solenoid block. Silly things like leaking vac lines or pressure ducts, MAP, MAF can affect the performance.

All said, I love my 2005 1.9 TDI, we bought her new and she's almost back to being perfect. The mileage on ours is awesome but we don't use BIODIESEL etc.

2 cents worth (Inc Tax)

I would buy gas engined since you are considering something relatively new enough to get into the CR line.
When my ALH cars are finally done there are no longer cost effective diesels to replace them with in my opinion. Sadly.
But, if diesel it MUST be, do some serious research on future repair costs.

What are your requirements?

I used a bicycle for many years because I lived in a city. I'm now out in the country and have long commutes, so diesel has made sense for me/my needs. I'd seriously consider an EV if their range were better (and, of course, lower cost).

UhOh said:

What are your requirements?

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Not much, really, I just want to know if there are engines/model years to avoid. I'd prefer it to be another Golf TDI.

1. Gets good mpg
2. At least somewhat more comfortable than my 330K 2001 Golf TDI with broken down foam in the cloth seats
3. Reasonably reliable, with a minimum of expensive required servicing
4. Not totally crippled by whatever emissions fix has been/needs to be applied

My wife refuses to learn to drive stick and would prefer I get an automatic but I'm open. It seems MT cars are somewhat hard to come by in newer models.

I've read the 2009 was not great. The early (1998-2003) avoid auto transmission. Well maintained 2004, 2005, some 2006 pretty good. No one seems to be in love with the newer ones, but maybe one of the newer buy backs might be best for you, satisfy wifey.
I might be temped to get along with a late A4, see what comes out in the next few years.

Buy a 2015 golf tdi. 165,000 mile warranty and enjoy.

East Coast quandry

I have many of the concerns that cephalopod expressed and looking the past few months for a replacement for my 03 wagon which has 334K. It ain't entirely broke, but the body's swiss cheese w/ rust, recently spent $$ to replace the rear axel d/t excessive wheel camber, and I'm hoping to bail b4 the next big expenditure (blown turbo?)

Could someone who owns a newer TDI speak to the urea issue. How expensive and time consuming? I often check my oil level. Would it be something quick and simple to manage?

Somewhere along in my reading I got the impression "something" changed for the worse w/ the '14 and new models. Should I be concerned and stick to the MY '13 and older in my search?

As you can see my overall mileage is 47 mpg for 75% hwy driving over 142K miles. How much of a hit will the mileage take in the newer TDI's?

It would be nice if someone who owned (or owns concurrently) an ALH and one of the newer TDIs would chime in w/ their sage advice/opinion.

Urea aint an issue at all. Every other oil change you pull up to the truck stop and fill it up. Done. Easy. The 2015 Golf or GSW are MBQ and def fills right next to fuel fill. Ots so easy its not a concern. And the entire emissions system is warrantied to 165,000 miles including turbo. Carefree driving as far as i can see. Milage is great 40 mpg average at 80 mph. 45 ish at 70 mph and 50+ at 55 mph. At 160,000 miles and the car goes "off road" i bet itll get mid 50s. Many issues i seen with the MK5 seem to be remidied with the MK7. Time will tell but i think its gona be smooth sailing. But a guy needs to stay up on maintenance to keep it going along.

Art van Law said:

Could someone who owns a newer TDI speak to the urea issue. How expensive and time consuming? I often check my oil level. Would it be something quick and simple to manage?

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Urea is easy. But it also isn't required for a newer TDI unless you go for a 2015. You can get a 2010 through 2014 with no urea. Assuming you want a wagon your choices are the 2010-2014 JSW which are mostly identical to each other and the 2015 GSW which is a completely different platform and engine. If you want a manual they are way easier to find in the JSW, but they are out there for the GSW if you do a bit of hunting.

I don't know the engine codes to reference but people seem to be split between the JSW and GSW. The main reason that I went for a JSW is for the manual and the less complicated emissions system. But urea does allow the GSW's to get better mileage. I also prefer the interiors of the JSW but that is pretty subjective. At this point you can get one for the very low teens if you get a 2011 or 2012.

They both have great warranties. GSW is 11 year 162k mile. JSW is 10 year 126k miles.

Thanks Kitewagon and Green Lantern for that input. I've been getting a few promotional emails via cars.com which features offerings from Paul Clark VW (Brockton, MA) which is local for me. Anyone have any stories about their experience w/ them?
I'm gonna have to make the time and find the courage to go there. I'm thinking it's time for me to at least test drive a newer TDI.

Although they are getting rare, there are still a few "low mileage" ALH cars out there, have you considered that? Seeing as how you already have a "parts car" you might consider another ALH.

You can look over here- TDI Model Specific Discussions Areas for problems with newer models. Keep in mind folks usually go to forums cause they have problems.

Art van Law said:

Thanks Kitewagon and Green Lantern for that input. I've been getting a few promotional emails via cars.com which features offerings from Paul Clark VW (Brockton, MA) which is local for me. Anyone have any stories about their experience w/ them?
I'm gonna have to make the time and find the courage to go there. I'm thinking it's time for me to at least test drive a newer TDI.

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I haven't bought from them, but I did "online shop" them and I can tell you that they have some of the best advertised pricing that I saw anywhere in NE. I almost took the trip to get a car from them, but ultimately decided the convenience of using my local dealer was worth a few hundred dollars vs. driving two hours to get it. They also appeared to have a good amount of inventory if you want a JSW.

Also, if you buy a CPO one and qualify, VW Credit is offering 1.99% on CPO vehicles until the end of the month. Just FYI.

Deal or no deal?

Fresh from a test drive of a 2013 JSW base model (no sunroof) manual tranny, 57K, out the door price would be $12,495 after a brief "negotiation."
I did think about another ALH, actually been looking at cars via CL for 9 months. Nothing compelling that's why I went to the dealership.
Now I'm gonna delve into he specifics of that model year, the EA189 5th generation engine.
I dunno, and considering the purchase. (2y unlimited mileage warranty.)
Deal or no deal, time will tell.

I'll say not great . . . we just got a 2015 CPO jetta SE for our daughter with 23,000 on it and perfect condition for $14.5K . . . . granted, not a JSW, but I think the prices should be comparable . . .

tadawson said:

I'll say not great . . . we just got a 2015 CPO jetta SE for our daughter with 23,000 on it and perfect condition for $14.5K . . . . granted, not a JSW, but I think the prices should be comparable . . .

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GTK, thanks!

tadawson said:

I'll say not great . . . we just got a 2015 CPO jetta SE for our daughter with 23,000 on it and perfect condition for $14.5K . . . . granted, not a JSW, but I think the prices should be comparable . . .

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Oh, but a Jetta SE isn't a TDI, correct?

Art van Law said:

Fresh from a test drive of a 2013 JSW base model (no sunroof) manual tranny, 57K, out the door price would be $12,495 after a brief "negotiation."
I did think about another ALH, actually been looking at cars via CL for 9 months. Nothing compelling that's why I went to the dealership.
Now I'm gonna delve into he specifics of that model year, the EA189 5th generation engine.
I dunno, and considering the purchase. (2y unlimited mileage warranty.)
Deal or no deal, time will tell.

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That's a steal. Don't think about it too long.

Art van Law said:

Oh, but a Jetta SE isn't a TDI, correct?

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SE is the trim level. Pretty sure he means a TDI based on context.

Art van Law said:

Oh, but a Jetta SE isn't a TDI, correct?

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Yes it is - billed as 'Jetta TDI SE with Connectivity" . . . .

SE is just a trim level, not a particular engine type . . . . at least in all the lines I have looked at . . . Levels are typically "S", "SE", and "SEL" with a few intermediate variations at times . . .

(And I guess I assumed that since this is TDIclub after all, that a VW is a TDI unless stated otherwise . . . my bad . . .).

tadawson said:

Yes it is - billed as 'Jetta TDI SE with Connectivity" . . . .
SE is just a trim level, not a particular engine type . . . . at least in all the lines I have looked at . . . Levels are typically "S", "SE", and "SEL" with a few intermediate variations at times . . .
(And I guess I assumed that since this is TDIclub after all, that a VW is a TDI unless stated otherwise . . . my bad . . .).

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Yes, thanks for that clarification. I try not to assume nuttin, and now I know what SE means.
Hey kitewagon, mostly on your encouragement, I am in the process of buying that 2013 JSW w/ 57K on the clock. I hope to acquire it soon, and then put my fine wreck of a '03 wagon up for sale. There are so many things wrong w/ it. It's been my daily driver since I acquired it in Jan 2011. We've been through so much together, but it's time to move on up. Sure hope I won't regret it.

Well we have several Jetta models and have owned a 2011 that isn't listed in my signature.

I wouldn't be reluctant to look at a newer common rail style Jetta or Golf. I drive our 2001 regularly to pick up parts etc. Then once in a while drive our 2014. The difference between the two is very noticeable. While the 2001 is very adequate for what I do the 2014 is noticeably more comfortable and quicker.

My long term plan is to slowly fix up the two 2001 Jettas and upgrade them to a common rail car. I enjoy fixing up cars back to a reliable condition. Descent ALH Jettas for sale on Kijiji are still asking top dollar.

Hope this answers some of your questions.