Marion NY to Woodbury MN and back.

brucetmoose

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 20, 2006
Location
Rochester, NY
TDI
Used to own a 2002 Jetta TDI - Black/Black
I have made this trip at least 4 times now to visit a very special person in my life and my car has made it so easy. Most of the time I make one stop along the way but one time I did do the complete trip in one day.

What other car can go almost 1100 miles on two tanks of fuel ? If I start in Marion NY with a full tank, I fill up in Elkhart IN at the Milepost 92 rest stop where the fuel is cheap and then I can make it all the way to Woodbury MN.

It took 19 hours of driving but my car makes it ooh so comfortable. If you don't have the crushed velvet cloth seats, I pity you. The cold weather package really helps on the winter trips and the 6 changer CD Monsoon package makes long trips easy. Too bad IPod's weren't invented back then, would love to get a Monsoon 2009 upgrade and get MP3 capability. Stupid question to car companies - if you want to make some money, why not have your stuff mounted to a mounting rack in such a way that your sound systems can be hot swapped ? Drive in, get the "latest" for that year, and drive away.

How many cars do you know where you can drive 19 hours and not get out totally in pain?

Yes, this was all on my own - and yes I stop frequently for short stretch breaks and food/bathroom/etc
 

burpod

teh stallionz!!1
Joined
Nov 27, 2004
Location
cape cod, ma
TDI
82 rabbit vnt ahu, 98 jetta vnt ahu, 05 parts car, 88 scirocco.. :/
all you need is a tall 5th gear and a good chiptune to make it even better ;) i've made many trips between MA and MN, a couple times thru the upper penninsula of MI when going to bemidji up north. normally i drive straight thru. nothing like driving straight for 30-40hrs including pitstops and bad weather...

i absolutely love long road trips in these cars. have taken a couple long 5k trips out west as well... fun times...
 

brucetmoose

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 20, 2006
Location
Rochester, NY
TDI
Used to own a 2002 Jetta TDI - Black/Black
that's one of the mods I'm thinking of - chiptune and taller gears

A bit of chip tuning to tweak the power up a bit and then some taller gears.

I don't know about you, but I was pissed off when I found out the 2009's don't have those crushed velvet seats anymore. They are so so so comfortable in any weather - hot or cold. All they have now is that stupid synthetic leather crap - yuck !!! Next thing I know they'll take out those infinite adjusting seat backs and put in those ones that only go to preset points and then it will REALLY suck.

Or I just just keep the 2002 running and running and running and ...

burpod - do you have those kind of seats or something else ?
 

burpod

teh stallionz!!1
Joined
Nov 27, 2004
Location
cape cod, ma
TDI
82 rabbit vnt ahu, 98 jetta vnt ahu, 05 parts car, 88 scirocco.. :/
you mean the velour? i really like my plain stock velour seats. leatherette is FTL... one of the several things i don't like about the mk5...
 

brucetmoose

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 20, 2006
Location
Rochester, NY
TDI
Used to own a 2002 Jetta TDI - Black/Black
Yes, the crushed velour

I'm looking to start a letter writing campaign to VW to bring back the crushed velour seats as an option for all of their cars.

And yes, I CAN'T stand that leatherette crap.
 

CMB430

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 22, 2008
Location
HQ of "get nothing done"
TDI
2009 Jetta TDI
I had blue velour in my 1986 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme 2 door...my first car. Those seats were some comfortable, big, roomy and power. I do not know why car companies think everyone wants small, stiff racing style seats. Unless you buy a Buick, you can not get nice seats anymore. Even my 08 F350, 08 Frontier, 06 Malibu Maxx and 04 Dakota had horrible seats. The 06 Silverados had great seats minus a lumbar support. Just my opinion...

As for the road trip, I got the worst mileage when using Ohio turn-pike diesel. That Valero is crap. Let me know if you need any help when you get to MN. I live in the area.
 

DeafBug

Gone but Never Forgotten: Requiescat In Pace
Joined
Sep 22, 2000
Location
Twin Cities in MN
TDI
2001 NB
I made plenty long road trips. Mostly to Alabama or D.C. A couple were to Seattle. I don't have a problem sitting in the Beetle all day and enjoy the scenery. One time I went to Denver and back. Boy! that was a long drive as the fields were flat until you start seeing the mountains.

For music, I bought one of those tape things that you can connect the iPod to. It does just fine.
 

brucetmoose

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 20, 2006
Location
Rochester, NY
TDI
Used to own a 2002 Jetta TDI - Black/Black
CMB430 - I agree 1000% with you

I too have noticed that seat choices these days in cars SUCK. Maybe it's because you can get seat covers of lambswool, but the crap they call a seat these days is a joke.

I am so glad I had my 2002 repaired. I would have HATED to part with those seats. I purposely did NOT buy those leather seats with the 6 way lumbar support, it's too bad VW didn't have an option to have the crushed velour with those.

It's also possible that the crushed velour was only available with the cold weather package (which I have). That option is a lifesaver - heated rear view mirrors, heated seats, and heated windshield washer jets. Not only do the heated jets prevent freezeup there, they also heat the fluid to the point that it can melt ice right off the windshield - which around here can be a pain when it frosts.

Not sure when I'll be back in MN again, but I'll keep you guys informed
 
Last edited:

brucetmoose

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 20, 2006
Location
Rochester, NY
TDI
Used to own a 2002 Jetta TDI - Black/Black
is that a later model monsoon device or something totally different

Not to get off the beaten track of this thread, but since "tuneage" IMHO is a very integral part of ANY road trip, is that picture a later model monsoon or something from somebody else?

Or in other words, is it stock VW or not ?
 

Joe Fisher

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 27, 2002
Location
Kalispell, MT
TDI
NA
Must be something you get used to. I test drove a car with the velour, I ***hated*** it. I mean, once you sat down you were *stuck* in that position, no sliding. No way would I have bought a car with that velour.
(Unless you're talking about a different kind of velour)

brucetmoose said:
I'm looking to start a letter writing campaign to VW to bring back the crushed velour seats as an option for all of their cars.

And yes, I CAN'T stand that leatherette crap.
 

brucetmoose

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 20, 2006
Location
Rochester, NY
TDI
Used to own a 2002 Jetta TDI - Black/Black
Maybe we are talking different materials

I call it crushed velour - I'm not sure if it really is - it's a very soft comfortable cloth that isn't too hot and isn't too cold - even in Wisconsin/Minnesota winters.

And I and everyone else find it very easy to move around on it - maybe we're talking about a different kind of material. Mine came standard on my '02 - it's black in color.

I hate the stuff on the 2009's, I'd have to get seat covers for it.
 

SpamJ

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 6, 2001
Location
Cable, MN
TDI
Jetta Wagon 2002 Silver
You have MP3 options, a Biz safe adaptor will allow you to hook up a "Pod" and I'm running a Phatnoise (large VW MP3 removable drive) on mine. Both options will make you pull your 6 disc out, but well worth the hassle.
Another option that helped me on my recent trip to Cleveland was an I-Pass (Illinois Toll Pass) that allows you to either pause (Indiana Toll Road) or just roll through (Illinois Toll Roads). My record back from Cleveland, on summer fuel is 900 miles. So you should be able to get your mileage up with some longer gears (I have) and a chip (not yet). Hope this helps, Happy Motoring on the Freeway which is already in progess!
 
Top