OK: time for your TDI best/worst features

[pierreracine]

Beside fuel economy, which is too obvious, what are the best/worst features of your car, given your experience?

Mine: TDI Highline (Canada)

Best

1. Torque
2. 17" Joda wheels
3. Trunk space
4. Kessy
5. Value

Worst

1. People probably think I paid 17 000$ instead of 28 000$

2. ARMREST! (I'm trying to figure out how to retrofit an MK5 armrest)

3. Flimsy climate control

4. No windshield washer fluid empty light

5. And now this: there is a TDI taxi in my neighborhood! My ego took a hit

 

[DieselNerd]

Best:

1. Torque
2. Handling
3. Comfort
4. Value (I paid far less than $28,000)
5. Features
6. Trunk space
7. Rear seat space
8. Best automatic transmission I've ever experienced

Worst:
1. Fake leather
2. Service cost (once the free service is over)

 

[bucilini]

To add to the list.
Best:
1. The sound of the engine its music to my ears.

2. 1 touch window up/down operation.

Worst:
1. The armrest could have been moved forward a bit too difficult to get stuff out.

2. Simplicity of the of the dashboard speedometer. i would have liked the sportwagen one designed better.

3. Sunroof turn dial?? a simple switch would have been better.

 

[marc77777]

Based on my comfortline with multimedia option (Canada).

Best:
1. Torque
3. Trunk space
4. Rear seat space
5. One touch window up/down
6. Bluetooth
7. Fogs came standard

Worst:

1. Climate controls
2. No windshield washer low light
3. Horn
4. Wheels (I bought of set of 17" Goal Anthracite's to replace them)
5. Lack of options in the MFA
6. Wind noise on highway
7. There's a TDI taxi in that other guys neighborhood and we're from the same area!!

 

[Lexington]

I don't have mine yet, but I would like a lumbar support in the driver's seat without having to get the whole NAV package.

The torque is definitely a plus!

 

[BretAZ]

Adjustable lumbar should be standard. Auto headlights, which have been on every other car I have owned in the past 20 years.

 

[pipes p]

i may be in the minority, but i love the dsg, ive learned to minipulate it with the throttle especially in sport mode.

 

[marc77777]

Adjustable lumbar should be standard. Auto headlights, which have been on every other car I have owned in the past 20 years.

The auto headlights would fall in the N/A category.

But I do agree, they would be nice.

 

[frogman]

Best

• Running gear (engine & DSG trans)
• Roomy back seat
• trunk space
• styling
• comfy seats​
• gas mileage​

Worst​

• rim size (16")​
• headlight switch (non-euro)​
• outside mirror wind noise​

 

[JASONP]

OP;
are you sure about #4, had the same thing with my 2010 Tiguan and it turned out to be a faulty unit in the fluid tank that has been replaced under warranty and works now

 

[BarrieCommuter]

Best: No line at the diesel pump

Worst: No diesel at Costco

 

[FLSprtswgn]

i may be in the minority, but i love the dsg, ive learned to minipulate it with the throttle especially in sport mode.

I'd like to hear more about this...in another thread if you please..

 

[pipes p]

I'd like to hear more about this...in another thread if you please..

what i mean by it is that i like to run the engine between 2000-2500 rpm regardless of speed. some try to hyper-mile their vehicle and use drive which optimizes fuel economy 1100-1500 rpm while some swear to not running it under 2500 rpm. in city driving i tend to use sport mode which typically shifts 2800-3200 rpm under light throttle. depending on speed limit, sport mode sometimes cruises around the 2800 mark. to drop it to what i find is the sweet spot i just sqeeze the throttle a bit to pick up a couple of hundred rpm and then back off to pick a higher gear, you can also do the same thing to drop a gear. it behaves more like a manual in sport mode as the engine braking is more pronounced. i drive a semi for a living and i tranfered the same shifting principles from there. the only time i use the clutch at work is taking off from a dead start. i hope this explains what i meant. give it a try. p.s. yes i could have bought the manual trans. but i had driven that for the last 30 yrs. dsg is the best of both worlds imho.

 

[opticalmike]

Best: torque, handling, audio media, bluetooth,DSG,kessy,trunk space,rear seat room,gas mileage.

worst: no sub, whistle at highway speed that disappears with a penny's worth of scotch tape, no arm rest, speedo error,

 

[DC-IT]

Love:

1. Nicer design than MKV.
2. Great driving experience on the Highway.
3. Handling and performance.
4. Large interior and trunk space.
5. Can go over 800 KM per tank even when I drive @ 120~140KM/Hr.
6. DSG tranny.

Hate:

1. No auto on/off light.
2. Voice command for phone too loud when activated.
3. Would love a 70+L tank.
4. No options for Xenon HID lights.
5. Questionable reliability. Mine just developed suspected fuel leak issues when I can smell Diesel inside the car during driving and my in my garage.

 

[anotherTDI]

pros

1. engine/dsg tranny/mpg
2. love the sound of the engine. i leave the radio off just so i can hear it purr.
3. handling
4. comfortable seats. i hope they are durable.....they seem to be
5. new body style with extra leg room in the back
6. nice paint job comparable to my wife's Mercedes and better than my 2010 F150
7. love the mats
8. price of the car was about the same as the TDI Jetta i bought new in 2003.

cons

1. functionality and quality of sound with the bluetooth is marginal at best
2. the radio sound quality is mediocre even after adjusting bass/treble.
3. not being able to change functionality without a VAGCOM
4. the whistling mirror issue
5. quality of the glass on the windshield is below avg
6. i would really like to know what my engine/water temp is on the MFD on the cluster

i give the car an 8.5 on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being best. i am happy with the car and will likely keep it for a very long time.

 

[mo_focus]

Based on my comfortline with multimedia option (Canada).

7. There's a TDI taxi in that other guys neighborhood and we're from the same area!!

haha! i've seen one in cornwall as well, but i remember in Montreal there used to me lot of mk3 and mk4 tdi's as well.

The guy in cornwall had a highline model that bothered me! i guess its bc of the leather seats

 

[marc77777]

haha! i've seen one in cornwall as well, but i remember in Montreal there used to me lot of mk3 and mk4 tdi's as well.

The guy in cornwall had a highline model that bothered me! i guess its bc of the leather seats

If I recall correctly the reason for the crazy amount of Jetta taxis back in the day was because of a great warranty vw had offered back then. Oh the good 'ol days.

 

[dbwill]

Best: torque, handling, audio media, bluetooth,DSG,kessy,trunk space,rear seat room,gas mileage.

worst: no sub, whistle at highway speed that disappears with a penny's worth of scotch tape, no arm rest, speedo error,

So where does the tape go?

 

[opticalmike]

How to end the whistle for a cost of one cent worth of tape

So where does the tape go?

On the top of the drivers side mirror there is a 1/4" channel that is clearly visible. It divides the black inner mirror and the colored shell. Use a good brand of invisible scotch tape. The tape covers the 1/4" gap and goes from the black across to the colored top part of the mirror. I did both side mirrors but found no sound difference when I removed the passenger side tape. So just do the drivers mirror. I just did the top only.

 

[DieselNerd]

2. the radio sound quality is mediocre even after adjusting bass/treble.

I agree. One would think that in 2011, we could get decent speakers and a decent stock amp. I'd trade in all the touch screen gadgetry for a top shelf set of speakers, a sub, and a decent amp from the factory.

 

[mattp123]

I agree. One would think that in 2011, we could get decent speakers and a decent stock amp. I'd trade in all the touch screen gadgetry for a top shelf set of speakers, a sub, and a decent amp from the factory.

maybe the cheaper plastics and other materials dont resonate as well. they might have even cut out some sound insulation?

 

[sydneycb]

So where does the tape go?

Take it to the dealer.....they will do a proper fix... no charge...no tape!!

 

[sydneycb]

maybe the cheaper plastics and other materials dont resonate as well. they might have even cut out some sound insulation?

American models must have a cheaper stereo. Mine sounds great. Matter of fact, it's one of the things I like most about the car. Great sound!

 

[gergg]

what i mean by it is that i like to run the engine between 2000-2500 rpm regardless of speed. some try to hyper-mile their vehicle and use drive which optimizes fuel economy 1100-1500 rpm while some swear to not running it under 2500 rpm. in city driving i tend to use sport mode which typically shifts 2800-3200 rpm under light throttle. depending on speed limit, sport mode sometimes cruises around the 2800 mark. to drop it to what i find is the sweet spot i just sqeeze the throttle a bit to pick up a couple of hundred rpm and then back off to pick a higher gear, you can also do the same thing to drop a gear. it behaves more like a manual in sport mode as the engine braking is more pronounced

Yeah, I do the same with mine, just no clutch to push in. I guess one could use the TIP mode to accomplish the same thing.

 

[BlueGraphite'10TDI]

American models must have a cheaper stereo. Mine sounds great. Matter of fact, it's one of the things I like most about the car. Great sound!

Don't the 11's only have 6 or 8 speakers? Thats a downgrade from the MKV's in itself. While my 10 speaker sound isn't the best, and the lows do not hit hard enough, it is decent for a stock system. It is in dire need of a sub.

 

[anotherTDI]

American models must have a cheaper stereo. Mine sounds great. Matter of fact, it's one of the things I like most about the car. Great sound!

sound quality is such a subjective thing. for me it is undoubtedly influenced by my 2010 f150 Lariat, and wife's Mercedes, both of which have a factory installed sub.

i actually don't mind the sound quality as i would prefer to pay less for the car initially and upgrade later if desired.

 

[opticalmike]

My sub install

I tucked a 10" alpine sub into the back corner of the trunk and mounted a 500watt amp to the enclosure and the sound is an incredible improvement.The stock system is pretty decent if volume is below 1/3 as the stock amp is only 20 or 30 watts.

 

[mattp123]

sound quality is such a subjective thing. for me it is undoubtedly influenced by my 2010 f150 Lariat, and wife's Mercedes, both of which have a factory installed sub.

i actually don't mind the sound quality as i would prefer to pay less for the car initially and upgrade later if desired.

yep. sound quality is only as good as your ears and what youre used to. and HDTV is only as good as your eyes. and your brakes are only as good as your tires... etc. theres many things that are statistically better on paper, but wether or not you can tell the difference is another story.

getting back to the radio... i have always had a very musical background and good ears, so i can hear subtle things in music like certain instruments, harmonies, background effects etc. so its really frustrating when im listening to something and i cant hear the things i know are there. a good test would be to listen to pink floyd's dark side of the moon.

 

[Jamus]

i have always had a very musical background and good ears, so i can hear subtle things in music like certain instruments, harmonies, background effects etc. so its really frustrating when im listening to something and i cant hear the things i know are there.

Your blessing sounds more like a curse. I love the music--not the voice/hands-free lady--that comes out of my speakers; along with the DSG/TDI combo. My favorite thing of all is that this is my first Jetta and I do not have anything to miss from previous models. Ignorance is bliss in both topics I suppose.