Fun topic -- Why did you choose your TDI?

[RDC98tdi]

I have been reading lots of somewhat downer posts here lately. I know it's the nature of automotive and technical forums -- people often join only to ask for technical help or to vent about their crappy experience. But luckily, on this forum, we only have a few that are consistently nasty (names omitted ). I think that says a lot about this forum and the TDI enthusiast community in general. Heck, even most VW's have a cult or at least passionate following.

But back to topic -- why did you choose your VW TDI? Why did you pick the Jetta over the similar but 3/5 door Golf, the roomier Passat, or the versatile JSW? Cost? Practicality? Enjoy the way they ride? Economy?
I'll start with a little background. My parents had always driven boring family haulers. There's nothing wrong with that because they were mostly reliable and made it from point A to point B without super expensive maintenance costs, hard to find parts, etc. Off the top of my head going back to the mid 80's when I was born, dad drove a Renault Alliance (yeck -- then again he was the sole income provider and just had his second child). Then a Ford Tempo (yeck again, but we just moved states and bought a nicer house and mom hadn't started working yet. Then finally, and 98 Jetta TDI 5 speed. Mom had a '91 Olds Cutless Ciera, then a 97 Jeep Cherokee that's still kicking after 190,000+ miles. Takes a lot to kill that straight 6. Anyway, when dad brought his new Jetta home, I was finally excited about a car other than my dream Lambos and Vipers. I had no idea you could fit a diesel motor in a car, and my parents never had a manual transmission car before. It wasn't fast, but we packed that thing to the brim with 2 adults and 3 kids on a trip to Florida from Kentucky and dad calculated out 49 MPG for the trip there. Even as a teen who was years away from driving, I was fascinated and bragged about it to all my friends like a dork.

Fast forward a few years to when I have my license and I get my sister's hand me down '94 Nissan Sentra with 110 HP and an autotragic slushbox. I can't complaint because it was free and got decent mileage and was fairly reliable, but it was boring. I made every excuse I could to get dad to let me drive the Jetta. Anyway, I eventually bought it off him for dirt cheap and drove it to ~280,000 miles before I totaled it sadly When looking for new cars (in a week since I had to be back at work quickly!) I was sure I wanted a VW and preferred a TDI, but on my budget the only ones within 100 miles had way too many miles. So I compromised and got a 2002.5 Passat GLS 5 speed with the 1.8T. It got pretty good mileage in the low 30s interstate and that 1.8T would haul ass on the top end (made it to 130 mph!), but those were dark years for VW. The car had countless problems. Every time I would sink $500 here, something else would break for a couple hundred more.

Then at my new job, I started commuting 160 miles a day and told work that I didn't feel safe driving my car (no lie!) They said it was fine and provided with with rentals since it was actually cheaper for them to get a weekly rate than pay me ~$400 a week in gas expenses @ .$50 a mile. I started off with a base 2012 Dodge Avenger. It was a decent car that was pretty roomy and seemed like maintenance costs would be reasonable. Price was low on those too. But I drive with a heavy foot and only averaged about 28-30 mpg purely highway, mid 20's mixed or city. Then interior was also cheesy and the automatic transmission left a lot to desire. Not something I could drive daily. Eventually, Enterprise called and said they sold that vehicle so swapped me into a 2012 Corolla base model. That thing could consistently get 30-35 with the way I drive, but again it was BORING. Cheap interior, anemic motor, constantly hunting transmission.

Finally after a nice bonus check in July last year, I started shopping for Jetta TDIs after my dad bought a 2013 Premium with DSG in April to rub it in haha. I ended up with a 2013 Premium 6MT and love it. When I was driving 160 miles a day and lots of city driving on the weekends, I was getting 45 MPG easy (pen and paper) with my lead foot. When I drove for economy, 48-49 was common and I had my share of 50 mpg tanks.

So after all the cars I have driven or ridden in, I picked this one for many reasons. Sure, the cost of diesel (around here) is 10-15% more and that negates a good chunk of my savings. Sure I had to have a new intercooler installed after an icing incident. But I absolutely love driving my car every day. I love road trips. I don't mind running errands for my pregnant wife haha. I love the Malone tune and how fast I can pass on the highway in 6th gear at 2000 rpms. I love driving with the windows down so I can hear the motor purr, the turbo spool, and the vanes closing. I love rowing gears -- I never get sick of it, even in stop and go traffic -- gotta have control. I can't wait to get my sport springs installed to make it even more fun to drive and give it an aggressive look. Last but not least, I love how I can drive the p*ss out of the car and still get upper 30's MPG.

So what are your reasons?

 

[Stealth TDI]

Hello,

I was fascinated and bragged about it to all my friends like a dork.

Yup! I can relate... I did the same thing with my Mk3. Even in 2008 when fuel prices were through the roof, I remember a few office workers saying, "Gee, I bet you're kicking yourself now that diesel is so expensive." My response, "Why? You're only thinking with a short-sighted mindset. Sure, I just suffered my first $50 fill-up... and it hurts. But I won't have to do it again for over three weeks. What about you?" SILENCE... and then they walked away.

So I compromised and got a 2002.5 Passat GLS 5 speed with the 1.8T. The car had countless problems. Every time I would sink $500 here, something else would break for a couple hundred more.

We did the same thing. We wanted a bigger car for baby-duty. No diesel Passats were available when we bought our 2003. It was a good car for 11 years even though I hated working on it from the first oil change. It had been nickel and diming us for the past six months ("nickel and dime" equals $500 and $1000 in this case). I grew tired of the emotional and financial drama and suggested a new car. She really wanted a Passat; so did I. But it was not available with a manual transmission AND a sunroof (her requirements, not mine). She decided it was "okay to look" at the Jetta TDI w/Premium. That was the car! We got one.

I was so impressed with the car that I was driving it more than her. It was a recipe for a cage fight! HAHA! Just kidding (sort of). I'm being promoted on Monday and decided I can handle two car payments. So I got ANOTHER Jetta TDI w/Premium. I really like the car! And since I have my own, I know I don't have to worry about her resistance to me modding her car. Hers will stay stock and mine will receive mild upgrades. I considered the Sportwagen since I'm a cyclist and would easily use the extra cargo room and roof rails. But the Sportwagen has a shorter wheelbase which translates into less rear legroom and a potentially choppier ride. The Mk6 Jetta is smooooooth.

For now, the car has just 500 miles on it. It's been parked while I'm out of town. I look forward to getting its clear-bra next Wednesday and putting on the miles! See more about our cars and links to photo albums HERE.

That's our story.

Scott

 

[sclevine]

After 10 years in a Hyundai gasser at about 25 MPG, was looking for better mileage on my car, as we do a lot of road trips and weekly 50 mile highway drives. Focused initially on hybrids, but trunk space is very small, and that didn't work for me. Test drove the TDI and fell in love immediately with the ride and the mileage. Still very happy with the car, almost 3 years and 55,000 miles later. Yes, little gripes here and there, but at the price point, they are easy to live with.

 

[chaoscreature]

I owned/own a 2006 Jetta TDI Special Edition. When I got a new job with a long commute I had to get something practical for myself since my wife needed the MK5 Jetta for school.

I looked online and found a 2012 Jetta TDI Premium 6spd, black with the black/tan interior. My wife loved the color so we went down to the dealership, took it for a quick test drive and bought it.

On the way home I drove the MK6 and my wife drove the MK5 behind me. A little ways from the dealership she starts flicking her headlights at me so we pull over. She tells me "theres something weird hanging from your car." When I looked underneath and saw the Torsion Beam rear suspension my stomach sank... what did I do!!! I always research everything before buying, but the MK5 was such a great car that I didn't really look into the MK6's that much.

I was pretty depressed and pissed off with my new car for a little while but after a while I have come to really like it. It handles well and since it's FWD the rear suspension doesn't really make a difference in the handling much anyways. I am more disappointed now that the aftermarket is not really supporting the platform well. We could really use rear sway bars and upgraded bushings all around. At Fastivus I was catching GTI's and Golf R's in the corners, then losing them in the straights. That's with H&R Sport springs, stock shocks and GLI wheels with the OEM Dunlop SP Sport tires.

I still own the MK5, and I realize the quality differences between the 2 cars every time I drive my wife's car. Hers is more refined and quieter. It's 8 years old and still doesn't rattle whereas my car requires me to listen to the radio at loud volume or I start poking and prodding at the dash and roof because of the rattles or pulling at my doorsill to stop the wind noise. The extra 40hp and the sportier feel of the MK6 make it more much more fun to drive than the MK5. When it comes time to trade one of the cars in it will be a tough choice!

 

[TDI smile]

Since I had all my life a VW at one time or another. Needed to go once a month from Vancouver to Edmonton (house to house 1,175 km) and back. The best and only choice was a VW GOLF TDI. Nothing went wrong on that car on those trips, even in winter it gave us no problems. We liked it so much, we want to keep it as long as we can. We had Jetta's before, and after a Rabbit lets try a GOLF Diesel.

 

[RDC98tdi]

Sounds great! Thanks for all the replies. I look for an excuse to go out and drive whenever I can haha. I would love an older 1.6TD or something just to play around with, but that wouldn't be too practical with our work schedules and a baby on the way.

I figured it would be a nice change of pace to have some positive points in here instead of the complaints and bickering we have been seeing lately.

 

[Wertles]

I got this car for my 10 year old son. In 6 or 7 years, he will have a nice, 1 owner vehicle that will get him around very well. I chose the Jetta for it's smaller size than the Passat and there were no JSW's in the area with a 6 speed manual.

On my short list of cars when shopping, I had the Corrola S (2nd place) and the Focus (way too cheap for me to think I would drive for the next 7 years). I have a Ram Dually diesel, a diesel lawn mower and a diesel compact tractor. I've always wanted a diesel car so the Jetta became the front runner.

 

[Stealth TDI]

Hello,

When I looked underneath and saw the Torsion Beam rear suspension my stomach sank... what did I do!!! I always research everything before buying, but the MK5 was such a great car that I didn't really look into the MK6's that much.

I was apprehensive about buying a car with a torsion beam. I still loved the car when I test drove it. Then, when taking photos for my album, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that my 2014 had IRS! Sweet! BTW, there's a topic or two in the Mk6 section at VWVortex where folks have swapped in IRS assy's from wrecked cars. It may be worth a look if you really like the idea.

Scott

 

[eddjmemg]

I was actually looking for a Golf TDI. Those seats were just too narrow for my slim 6'4" 215 lbs size. I walked and walked around the dealership trying to make my mind up with the sales guy following. I finally said no. The seats just won't work. He took me out back to show me the new Jetta TDI. They unloaded it off the truck. With the white plastic, styrofoam on the car and it still wasn't programmed (radio n nothing electronic worked) I test drove it and put 14 miles on it. I liked it but not as much as the Golf. The trunk space made up for it. I bought it 80k miles later I still have it and almost own it free n clear. A year later my wife's Q7 got serviced and after $2,000 brake job I refused to do cause that's just silly how much they cost to replace we waited for the new Passats. Test drove one and took home a while TDI SEL with every option checked. Big down grade from quad climate control, quad heated n cooled seats, panoramic sunroof, dynamic radar cruise, etc. but in the end the wife fell in love with the mileage. THEN after 2 years on a lease we figured a lease was the worst mistake on a family car that we can't drive anywhere cause we'd go over the miles so we traded it in for a Touareg TDI. Finally happy and keeping this one til it dies too. I hope mine does soon or hope it gets totaled while parked so I can buy that Audi I've been dying to have again. Lol


2011 Jetta TDI

 

[Dana Hanchett]

Had a 1998 New Beetle TDI that I drove for 320K miles. Yes I serviced it myself and got 46.5 MPH through out its life. I wanted more room and more power and an auto (70 yrs. old now). I choose a Jetta TDI with DSG and have been very happy with it. I still average 46.5 mpg so I gave up nothing and have all the power I need. I still look for reasons to drive it after 3 yrs. of ownership.

 

[JSWTDI09]

My original reason was that nothing else offered anywhere the combination of versatility (I have a JSW) and economy. Nothing else even came close. Combine this with fun to drive, and you can't loose.

Have Fun!

Don

 

[touaregv10tdi]

Tdi

My first car was a non running VW Rabbit 1977 Diesel. After replacing its head gasket practically without any tools and knowledge I fell in love with little diesels.
That was almost 30 years ago. But my story starts way back , in the 70s and early 80s in Brazil. My dad was a truck driver, on my school vacation I would be in the cab with him, there were many occasions where we fixed the trucks ourselves in the middle of nowhere.
Fast forwarding to present day, I have 3 Diesels and one VR6 I just finished rebuilding its engine.
My MKVI TDi has 500 miles on it.. lol just got it two weeks ago.
reason I picked up the Jetta was price and good MPG.
The Passat is lot roomier but heavier , sharing the same power plant with the Jetta and Golf , I picked up the Jetta few thousands cheaper than the Passat and the German Made Golf.
I am Happy with my fuel mileage ( I always been lol ) this is my 6th TDi .woohoo

 

[chaoscreature]

Stealth TDI,
I have looked into the swap but the parts yards around here want way too much for VW parts for some reason. I think they have them confused with Audis...

Anyways, the Torsion Beam really isn't a bad suspension setup. It's lighter than IRS and the car handles great with it so I am not going to swap mine out unless I get a donor car for nearly free.

 

[6DOF]

Guess I'm just a VW guy. Started with a brand new 1991 gas Jetta. Had that car 10 years and it never let me down. Then made the switch to TDI's and have not gone back

 

[JaredC01]

Because diesel.

Also because the 2011 model was cheaper than the only 2010 (used at that) model they had in stock, and said 2010 had been involved in an accident and had the tranny replaced. At that point the new Passat hadn't come out yet, or I probably would have picked up the Passat instead.

 

[PacketHauler]

Up until my Jetta, I've never owned a VW. For a long time I never was interested in these cars, I had always heard they were unreliable, and expensive to drive. However, with fuel prices being as volatile as they are, and I needed to get some equity out of my old car to pay off a debt to a family member, I took it as an opportunity to look at more fuel efficient options.

I test drove the Japanese, Korean and American compact cars. Then I test drove the Jetta TDI. I was blown away at the torque in the low-end, as I had never driven a diesel. I was immediately in love. I loved the way it handled, and how quiet it was versus every other car I drove. I was deciding between the Golf and the Jetta. My wife convinced me to get the Jetta since we have 2 little ones, and I wanted the flexibility to have both car seats in the car at the same time, and the Golf didn't allow that.

Fast forward almost a year later, I'm still loving this car. I take the long way home on country roads just because I enjoy the car so much.

 

[Locnar]

My first VW was a MKIII gasser Golf. Got it brand new after college because my Tercel was beginning to make far too many embarrassing noises when driving into the parking lot of my first 'big boy' job.

I had that Golf right up until I wrecked it in 2003. Having gotten married and had one child already with another on the way, I had to bite the bullet and use the insurance settlement for a minivan. I inherited my wife's 2000 Jetta 2.slow for a daily driver. I know the MKIV is a popular body style on this forum, but man that car was slow and plagued with electrical issues. Still...reliable and never failed to start up in the morning. After 7 years, however, I opted to trade it in for an Insight hybrid.

So after 2 years of soulless driving in that...I needed to find something that was both fuel efficient for commuting and fun to drive. Hello TDI.

The newer Jetta is the perfect fit for me even though I always liked to consider myself a hatchback guy. The MKVI Jetta is larger than any other passenger car I have owned, but still small enough to make me feel like I'm in complete control. I test drove the Passat...decent, but way too big and 'comfy' for me. I felt like I aged 10 years just sitting in it. Also, for all the crap the Jetta gets for cabin rattles...I found the Passat was far more creaky in my short time driving it.

The JSW and Golf are slick...but the back seat was a bit too snug in both for my tastes...and my daughters. They are getting older now and they have inherited their dad's height.

The Jetta is a great car and a perfect size for me - and my family when needed. TDIs are just really fun to drive and the shape is very sporty...icing on the cake as far as I'm concerned.

I think this was what you were looking for in this thread...hope it helps lighten the mood a bit.

May every weekend include at least one joyride this summer.

 

[RDC98tdi]

Loving all the stories! I really think that the biggest reason I wanted one was because like a lot of people have said, they're fun. No, It'll never run a 120 mph 1/4 mile, but it feels fast and still beats the pants off most sedans in the price range. It really is just a fun car to drive.

 

[TDI_Coast2Coast]

Partially because I test "drove" a Prius. My quad handles better going sideways on a hill

I was due for new wheels and was looking at something that got good mileage because my parents live 3+ hours in opposite directions from me, so lots o driving for me...Adds up getting 15-20mpg. Plus I was planning a cross country trip, so I needed some room and comfort as well as mileage.

So I was looking around...Obviously heard about the Prius. I couldn't justify spending that much money on something that had 1 positive, IMO...Mileage. Maybe I drove a bad one, but it just didn't feel safe nor inspiring. So my search continued.

As I drove down the service rd, I noticed a Jetta outside with a big green sticker that said something like.."42mpg Ask inside" or something like that. Now mind you this dealer ripped me off when I was in high school(looong time ago), to the tune of almost 1k miles on my Scirocco that needed a freakin $12 ground cable. Needless to say I hadn't until then stepped foot on their parking lot. But, I had head they were under "new management"....Whatever, I'm not buying it from service I guess. Anyone working there when I was there last is probably dead...

So I took it for a test drive. I actually looked at the salesman and smiled(not good negotiating tactic BTW lol). I pretty much was going over the sale as we cruised around. I didn't want to take car back to dealer...I wanted it in my garage!

So, I ordered it. 2009 Sedan. They lied and sold me a factory installed navigation, then proceeded to install it at the dealer and...drum roll please....screwed it up. Long story short, I came to find out that they installed some ROSEN POS that was different than what was factory installed. That thing told me several times to drive down roads that had 50 year old trees growing in the middle of them(no joke). They took 2 weeks to almost get it working right

Oh they also went all crazy with the buffer and cooked the paint on the pillar. You could see the cracks in the paint. They blamed it on bird droppings. Never seen bird droppings that won't come off with compound...

So far so good

Anyway, got free sunroof visor and mudflaps and few other favors for roasting the paint and I accepted delivery...Finally!!!

Drove it from NY to Cali to Washington State and then back to NY. Car took everything I threw at it. Climbed Mt Rainier, St. Helens, Mt Hood, etc, etc. Not a single issue other than an occasional jerk of the DSG, which was fixed eventually by TSB. I beat the piss out of that car to be honest..."Like I stole it" I mean.

Was home 2 weeks, some kid blew a red at 65mph and totaled it with about 25k miles on it(it was like 2 months old poor thing)...Something like 21k in damage when they stopped adding it up, and that wouldn't have fixed it completely Car was fudged inside and out. But somehow didn't break a pane of glass lol...I think having sunroof open helped let pressure out. Roof was so torqued the sunroof wouldn't even attempt to close. You could have tried with a sledge hammer...That roof was not moving without roof being cut off lol

But anyway, to make a really long story, a little longer...

I ordered a new one(from same dealer) but cancelled order and got a 2010 wagon from another dealer. HA HA...Truth would have given the salesman 2 car sales from the same person in 2 months. Oh well, that's what you get for lying.

Anyway 140k miles and a Malone tune plus a few mods later, I couldn't be happier. Yeah, like all VW's it has it's little issues, but at least when I fix them I have a car I still thoroughly enjoy. Sucks to fix a car you hate to drive.

 

[PressEnter[]]

My previous car was a 2003 Mazda Protege5, and while I liked it as a car, it got terrible fuel economy for a 4-cylinder, and when I was looking to replace it I wanted something more fuel efficiant, but wasn't willing to get a very small car. The top contenders were the Mazda3 SkyActiv, the Chevy Cruze Eco, and the Jetta TDI, as they all had a 40+ mpg highway rating, and all came in 3-pedal varieties.

I test drove all 3 cars, and liked them all, and while the Jetta was the most expensive I looked at, it was also the best, largely because of the control layout, seat position, and the clutch feel. I thought the diesel was an interesting technology, but when I made my decision, it was not the primary factor.

Because of my hypermiling experiments with my Mazda, I was pretty sure I could beat the EPA's 42 mpg highway rating. I had no idea it would be as economical as it has been.

 

[sinnettc]

My dad has owned vw diesels since about 1982. Rabbit, pickup, jetta, another pickup (used, still has it), passat. He's had good luck with them and they got outstanding mileage. The radio is wasted in the pickup though, good lord those things clatter!

We've owned 3 Hyundai Sonata's, 2002, 2004 and 2009. The first (black) one was under powered and had a bullseye on it (3 accidents in 6 months, none our fault). The second (black) one was a 6 cylinder and had over 100K when we turned it in; it only got in 1 accident. The 2009 was maroon, 4 cylinder, and the transmission started to fail at 106K. We live in Oregon, which tends to be a "green" state, and none of them got the kind of mileage I find myself wanting.

Based on Dad's experience and comments from a friend at work who has a '13 jetta wagon, I'd pretty much decided to go with a VW or a Subaru (for the AWD). There's a new VW dealer in town, so on the way home one Friday we stopped by (at closing time) to take a look at what they had. The next day we went in for a test drive and drove home in our new Tempest Blue Jetta TDI.

We used to fill the gas tank once a week (or more). Since we got the jetta we're getting 2 weeks or more between fill ups. Coming back from the lake on Tuesday night I got 41+ mpg according to the computer. That's at least 25% better than the best of the Sonata's got on the freeway. We definitely made the right choice as far as I'm concerned, and da wife is slowly coming around to my way of thinking.

Now if I could just get her to write the mileage on the slip when she fills the tank, so I could update fuelly, I'd really be happy!

 

[aja8888]

After I shot a hole in my 1980 Chevy Impala diesel in 1981, I sat quiet for 29 years and drove gassers. One day in 2008 or so, I drove a friend's Passat TDI and I liked it.

I thought to myself, "life has been good driving gassers and my tools are rusting from minimal use on those cars." So, I figured it was time for a little frustration and tool exercise, so I bought a Passat TDI.

My wife thinks I am nuts working on the diesel as frequently as I need to and that the German parts are too expensive. And the motor oil, OMG, $8 a quart she says! At least we have a Hyundai Santa Fe to keep one car on the road reliability.

( But I have a love affair with my Jetta, just don't tell my wife!)

 

[ottomatic]

because of this. http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=294059

 

[TDI_Coast2Coast]

At least we have a Hyundai Santa Fe to keep one car on the road reliability.

I have one as well...While I have found mine to be super reliable, but the parts may be on par(cost wise) with the VW.

 

[aslspiderman]

When I had a 150 mile round trip work commute in the 80's/90's I was driving older rabbit n/a diesels. started by purchasing two for a grand a piece and driving one till it grenaded then driving the other and searching for it's replacement.

Loved the fuel milage, 50+, hated the 0-60 in 30 minutes performance. Then the TDI's came along (heaven ). I no longer have my commute, actually ride my bike to work now. But I can't ever see getting rid of the two TDI's I have now.

They are paid for, and I love to tinker so they are now projects. Well my 98 is--my sweetie doesn't allow me to touch her 02 anymore.

 

[aja8888]

I have one as well...While I have found mine to be super reliable, but the parts may be on par(cost wise) with the VW.

All parts for all cars are costing more these days. That's one reason AutoZone stock is over $500 a share.

 

[nucklehead]

I bought my first VW in 1971 - a 68 Deluxe Bug. It came with air - probably from Az or somewhere like that. I pulled that off - no real need for it living in the Puget Sound area where a hot day is 80 according to most that live there. Its actually the humidity - and since I live in high desert now 90 isn't that bad. Anyway a 64 Deluxe Bug was acquired shortly after - I was driving a 50 Chevy half ton - beautiful PU but 50mph made that poor 216 babbitt bearing beater just about fly apart and I needed something that could keep up with traffic on the freeway. Wish I still had that truck. And both bugs.

I drove bugs for years after that - the 64 deluxe lasted until 79. I found a great deal on a 71 Super and started driving it until finally veering from VW in 1988 when I bought a new Chevy S-10 PU. I kept the 71 Super I'd been driving for the past 9 years for commuting since it ran so damned good. I did sell it a few years later to my ex. Between us and the original owner I bought it from that car had nearly 450,000 miles on it before it was finally decided enough was enough. It took 3 transaxles and 4 motors (plus the original) to get there - along with newer front seats from a Ford Cortina - and a paint job. Those were truly tough cars. I hope my 13' Jetta is half that tough!

I retired in 2003 and decided to buy a slightly used (7k) Chevy Tracker 4x4. Made by Suzuki - and drove it for the next 10 years racking up an astounding 61k (68k on the clock) doing it. It might sound like I don't drive much but in summer I do - but on two wheels. I had a 1995 Harley Ultra Classic when I retired - sold it to a buddy in the spring of 2005 - then bought a low miles 2001 Ultra Classic that I rode up until 2 years ago when prior back problems finally caught up with me. I made my last trip to Sturgis in 2005 on that bike - along with my buddy that bought the 1995 from me.

A few years ago I finally had to admit I could no longer swing a leg over my Harley without causing excruciating pain. Didn't always happen but its like getting shot - you don't want to have that happen if you can avoid it. So I reluctantly put my beautiful black and chrome Ultra up for sale - it sold in a few weeks. I was now a 'cager'! BUT then I discovered something called a maxi-scooter. So now I ride a Suzuki Burgman - a 650cc scooter that I can step through without pain. I miss the radio and cruise control - but not the back pain. And it can do 100mph according to my GPS! Not bad for a scooter.

♫♫♫ On the road again ♫♫♫ !

So anyway I've got this maxi-scooter and this SUV and the more I pour gas into the SUV the madder its making me. Best all round mileage has been 22mpg from a 2.5L V6 auto. Scooter gets 45-48. In the meantime I end up making an impulse buy - I picked up a 1971 Karmann Ghia (an air cooled VW for you whipper-snappers!) for a great price - lived its entire life in Spokane and the gal I buy it from bought ii from her mother when she could no longer drive. Neither of them ever drove it in winter - and seldom in rain! Its got 118k on the clock and NO rust anywhere except under the battery tray. An easy fix which has been replaced. The car has since been stripped of the interior - glass removed and tinted - my nephew did the body work and it looks great - paint is a very nice toreador red metallic - and while he was doing the body work/paint I built a fire breathing 2110cc dual two throat (44 IDF's) weber powered motor for it. It runs fine - drives like a new car (considering its 42 years old) and is a pleasure to drive. And did I mention I put an AC unit in it? Gets to 95+ in July/August. I wanna drive this baby.

So then I train my attention to the gas guzzling SUV which gets worse mileage than the Ghia. I'd been looking at new cars for about 6 months but spent more time (and money!) on the Ghia. Now that it was finished (well - mostly) I could concentrate on finding a new car - when it hit me - why not have bookends? I had bought other new cars and trucks but none of them were a VW. A golfing friend was always bragging about the pair of 2006 Jetta TDI's him and his wife had. He had always had nothing but praise for their 2 Jettas. I got to looking into them reading forums like this one and decided to take a look at the various models. I liked the Golf but found it a bit small in what it can carry vs the Jetta. The Passat name just doesn't do much for me to be honest - so I finally decided on a TDI Premium since I've never owned anything with a sunroof. I went to Costco's online Auto Program and fished around for a good quote for a Jetta TDI Premium - got one I liked - visited the dealer - no haggling whatever (love that part!) - wrote the check - and the rest is history. I've now got 'bookends'. But the Ghia gets the garage - the Jetta gets the carport - and the Scooter gets the carport in good weather and snuggles up to the Ghia for the winter. Both with their Battery Tenders of course. Guess which one will be worth more in 5 or 10 years.

 

[ChinaBob]

My new Jetta is my 6th diesel, but only the second with a turbo.

It all started in the late 70s with the fuel crisis, when Rabbit diesels were so hot that waiting lists were months long and those patient enough to get one could immediately resell it for thousands more than they paid, and many did. I got lucky. For the white ’77 with a sunroof and 7500 miles on it, I only paid the original owner what he paid for it, around $4800. For the second one, a bright yellow ’79 with black interior, “The Bumblebee,” the original owner, whole also owned a large construction company in New Hampshire and who obviously didn’t read the papers enough to know what the car was worth, drove it 1,000 miles, hated it, and parked it in his barn for a year. His accountant advertised it in the Sunday paper for exactly what he’d paid for it and I showed up first thing Monday morning, cash in hand. I could have sold it the next day for about a $4000 profit, but didn’t.

Those two rabbits were great on fuel economy, which my wife and I both loved, (48 MPG when diesel was 48 cents a gallon = one cent a mile for fuel) but for me there was something more. It was the feeling I was driving something a bit different in a funky sort of way, and, frankly, the feeling that knew a little bit more about cars than the average Joe. The shaking and rattling, especially in cold weather, was an added bonus: when our colicky baby wouldn’t stop howling, we popped her in one of the Rabbits and drove her around the block and she was out like a light within minutes. (This was rural New Hampshire so they were really long blocks.) It sure beat putting her on top of the clothes dryer as suggested in the baby books.

A few years later, things had changed a lot in the VW world and there was a time when diesel Jettas were actually selling for a couple of hundred bucks less than gas. We snapped up a red one which we kept for 8 years and 125,000 miles, even taking it to Europe where I had a job teaching for a couple of years. The fourth diesel was a Mazda 626 we bought new in Belgium. It was a steal considering the level of equipment you could get compared to, say, a Passat, because the Belgians were very reluctant to buy anything other than German cars. It had the most comfortable driver’s seat I have ever had, but sadly we had to sell there when we returned to the States because there was no way it was going to meet US safety and emission standards. We did bring back the Jetta, though.

For the next couple of decades diesel ownership didn’t make sense to us anymore. I don’t remember all the reasons, but I do remember calculating the breakeven point between gas and diesel being close to 100,000 miles. And there were reliability issues, too, if I remember. For us came a succession of Japanese cars, mostly Camrys, though the Inifiniti G20 was really a bright spot.

Coming up to 2012 I found myself a widower, living and teaching in China, thinking about retirement back to the States, and, naturally, thinking once again about cars. I wanted a comfortable long-distance hauler that I could enjoy driving all over the USA and Canada to see in my dotage all the things I had missed in my youth. I initially focused on the Camry XLE (No hybrids for me, thank you. They just never made any sense to me.) but when I saw that Passats now came in diesel and at a sort-of reasonable price, that was the end of my Camry fantasies. I'd never considered a Jetta.

I spent at least a year reading all I could get my hands on about the Passats and picked up a TDI SEL at the end of June last year, as soon as I got back from China. I drove it for eight months and 26,000 miles all over the Eastern seaboard and Midwest before admitting that it really wasn’t working out for me. As I reported in previous posts, both in the Jetta and Passat forums, I just couldn’t get comfortable in it, largely because the seating position aggravated an old injury I had to my left shoulder.

Thus I traded the Passat for the Jetta, my sixth and hopefully last car for a good long time. Not only is it easier on my left shoulder, it’s a heck of a lot more fun to drive. The years of driving Camrys had numbed me to the notion that fun and driving were not necessarily mutually exclusive. The Jetta begged comparison to the Infiniti G20 and to the BMWs I’d had in the early 70s as well as my early diesels. It goes like a 70s BMW, gets mileage like an original diesel Rabbit and has the overall high quality/small car feel of an Infiniti G20. And, mostly, it’s a bit different, in a funky sort of way.

 

[sapgar]

I was on the fence between the new 1.8t and the TDI. I chose the TDI because of:
1) I drive 20k+ miles a year and residual is better than gas
2) I could get the 6MT and sunroof/premium
3) TDI had a soft touch dash, and only SEL gas model had it
4) Fuel economy
5) With the clean diesel incentive, my TDI premium was only $800 more than the 1.8t SE Connectivity and Sunroof
*I like the Jetta in general and could have gone with the 1.8t with Auto (nice combo on the one I drove), but figured I'd give the TDI a shot.

 

[eddjmemg]

CLEAN DIESEL INCENTIVE ?. They canceled that right before I bought my car in 2011. I guess it's back.