VW Diesel Push Pays Off in March

[BleachedBora]

As posted here:

http://wardsauto.com/north-america/vw-diesel-push-pays-march

I remember when we were saying 30,000 TDI's a year was amazing - VW is on track for 4 times that this year!

-BB

 

[Debra Morgan]

Fantastic news.

 

[PacketHauler]

This doesn't surprise me. When we took delivery of our JSW in February, all the cars we saw prepped and delivered were TDIs. Great to see the sales numbers back that up.

 

[Joeym4692]

Great to see TDI sales going up!

 

[ezshift5]

not just sales are trending upward........

....CarsDirect.com (I used them 9 years back; they beat almost all contenders) shows the 6M JSW TDI with First Aid Kit + TDI rubber mat kit (mats, trunk liner and CarGo blocks for securing groceries, et al) at about $26235 - sans tax, license, doc fee.......

That's more than my cost for the 2013 version.

Perhaps the BU Camera is the culprit.

ez

 

[Scoutx]

Add my niece as one of those. She picked up her baseline TDI Jetta last weekend.

<yoda_voice = on>

"Once you start down the diesel path, forever will it dominate your destiny"

<yoda_voice = off>

PS, and she's loving it.

 

[52172]

Best news ever!!! I'm waiting for a diesel electric GOLF.

 

[tomo366]

The problem with this is these cars aren't for everyone......and you will see a lot of them for sale down the road

 

[BleachedBora]

Still it's nice to see more on the road Tomo
(Where's our AWD TDI? - why does BMW have to be first in North America (for a car))?

 

[IndigoBlueWagon]

When I looked up sales figures on the B4 sedans, it totaled about 6,400 for '96 and '97. Now VW is selling that many in less than 6 months. Good news.

 

[pparks1]

The problem with this is these cars aren't for everyone......and you will see a lot of them for sale down the road

Exactly, there will be tons of people who don't realize a lot of things. For example

#1). You cannot buy diesel everywhere
#2). Diesel foams and is stinky
#3). These cars don't heat up near as well in the winter
#4). Every so often when you turn the car off, the fans keep running.


I thought that I was pretty well informed when I bought my car. My dealer didn't really give me any pros and cons with the TDI. I honestly feel pretty let down in that respect. But nothing that I encountered turned out to be a show stopper for me and I have no intention of going to another car.

 

[52172]

Diesel for life once you learn all about them.

 

[sdubois]

#4). Every so often when you turn the car off, the fans keep running.

Just FYI this happens with nearly every vehicle that has electric fans when they get hot enough

 

[tomo366]

Diesel for life once you learn all about them.

Not necessarily.....I bought a Jetta Hybrid SEL Premium last year.....It is fun to drive Quick and gets better Gas mileage overall than the TDI did quite a bit better.......But still have 2 Diesels at home!!

 

[tadawson]

Exactly, there will be tons of people who don't realize a lot of things. For example

#1). You cannot buy diesel everywhere
#2). Diesel foams and is stinky
#3). These cars don't heat up near as well in the winter
#4). Every so often when you turn the car off, the fans keep running.


I thought that I was pretty well informed when I bought my car. My dealer didn't really give me any pros and cons with the TDI. I honestly feel pretty let down in that respect. But nothing that I encountered turned out to be a show stopper for me and I have no intention of going to another car.

#1) But at least 80% is fine.
#2) Gas may not foam, but also stinks.
#3) Mine seems to. . .
#4) I have not owned a gasoline car for about 20 years that did not also do this.

Bottom line: BFD, these are insignificant items at best . . .

- Tim

 

[pparks1]

#1) But at least 80% is fine.
#2) Gas may not foam, but also stinks.
#3) Mine seems to. . .
#4) I have not owned a gasoline car for about 20 years that did not also do this.

Bottom line: BFD, these are insignificant items at best . . .

- Tim

When you live in the North, as I do in Michigan, and you have winters where the temps are -20F.....you are going to notice #3 quite a bit. My TDI does produce heat, but NOWHERE near as fast as my 2002 Passat gasser or my wife's Dodge Durango, or her Chrysler Town and Country's, or her Jeep Grand Cherokee's, or my Previous Dodge Stratus or my Dodge Magnum.

Just the sheer number of block heater and Frost Heater conversations should indicate that #3 is an issue. And also that these cars don't get near the mileage when fridig as when they are warmed up. If you think that's also insignificant, I would also pay attention to the threads of lower MPG in the winter and the "sticky, PSA for lower fuel mileage in the winter".

So, I wouldn't necessarily call #3 insignificant. Perhaps far less of an issue for somebody in Texas.


As far as #4 goes, seems lots ask why their fans continue to run in their diesels when they first buy them. So, like it did for me, it comes as a surprise to these people. None of my gas cars have kept the fans on once the car is shut off.

 

[n1das]

Still it's nice to see more on the road Tomo
(Where's our AWD TDI? - why does BMW have to be first in North America (for a car))?

Amen. After 12 years of TDI ownership, VW has lost me to BMW. Check out my sig below.

One area of diesel mythbusting that needs to happen is diesel owners need to help bust the myth of diesel fuel being hard to find. I find the myth of hard to find fuel keeps getting perpetuated by gasser drivers. Whenever somebody asks about my diesel vehicles, I almost always get asked if I've ever had trouble finding fuel. In other conversations I've asked a person if they would ever be interested in owning a diesel vehicle and of those that said YES, their number one reason for ultimately not doing so is they didn't want to have to worry about finding fuel!

 

[IndigoBlueWagon]

I've only had trouble finding fuel once in recent memory, and that was when driving through Buffalo NY on a Sunday AM. If I'd been willing to pay the price on the NYS Thruway it wouldn't have been an issue. And I drove my Rabbit cross country in 1979: even then we had no trouble finding fuel. I had the M-B book of diesel stations, for those of you who remember that.

 

[tadawson]

When you live in the North, as I do in Michigan, and you have winters where the temps are -20F.....you are going to notice #3 quite a bit. My TDI does produce heat, but NOWHERE near as fast as my 2002 Passat gasser or my wife's Dodge Durango, or her Chrysler Town and Country's, or her Jeep Grand Cherokee's, or my Previous Dodge Stratus or my Dodge Magnum.

Just the sheer number of block heater and Frost Heater conversations should indicate that #3 is an issue. And also that these cars don't get near the mileage when fridig as when they are warmed up. If you think that's also insignificant, I would also pay attention to the threads of lower MPG in the winter and the "sticky, PSA for lower fuel mileage in the winter".

So, I wouldn't necessarily call #3 insignificant. Perhaps far less of an issue for somebody in Texas.


As far as #4 goes, seems lots ask why their fans continue to run in their diesels when they first buy them. So, like it did for me, it comes as a surprise to these people. None of my gas cars have kept the fans on once the car is shut off.

25 years in upper Michigan, and back at least 4x annually, so I think where I live now is pretty irrelevant . . . and comparatively speaking you are in the deep south . . .

- Tim

 

[Bill W]

One area of diesel mythbusting that needs to happen is diesel owners need to help bust the myth of diesel fuel being hard to find. I find the myth of hard to find fuel keeps getting perpetuated by gasser drivers. Whenever somebody asks about my diesel vehicles, I almost always get asked if I've ever had trouble finding fuel. In other conversations I've asked a person if they would ever be interested in owning a diesel vehicle and of those that said YES, their number one reason for ultimately not doing so is they didn't want to have to worry about finding fuel!

Whenever people start talking about finding fuel, no one ever points out that with a range upwards of 795 miles in the new Passat for example, you have LOTS of time to find fuel if you're worried about it. Start looking once the needle hits 1/4 tank left and you've still got a couple hundred miles to look for one. If you can't find a fuel station in 200 miles, perhaps you should have planned ahead before you got on that back country road.

Not to mention, most people will only fill up at one station which is probably closest to your home. With just a little prior planning, you can fuel up earlier than normal if you know you're going to be in unknown territory when your normal fueling point hits.

 

[SxS16ga]

Exactly, there will be tons of people who don't realize a lot of things. For example

#1). You cannot buy diesel everywhere
#2). Diesel foams and is stinky
#3). These cars don't heat up near as well in the winter
#4). Every so often when you turn the car off, the fans keep running.


I thought that I was pretty well informed when I bought my car. My dealer didn't really give me any pros and cons with the TDI. I honestly feel pretty let down in that respect. But nothing that I encountered turned out to be a show stopper for me and I have no intention of going to another car.

#1). You cannot buy diesel everywhere ....here in Montana most stations now have Diesel.

#2). Diesel foams and is stinky.......gas smells and expands in summer so can leak. While Diesel does foam I'm used to it with 4 Diesels.

#3). These cars don't heat up near as well in the winter...... here in Montana with 8 cars & trucks the VW TDI Jetta heats up quicker and has a better heater than our Honda, Fords, or Chevy's. Even at -30 below F.

#4). Every so often when you turn the car off, the fans keep running...... This true of most cars with an electric cooling fans.

The biggest con is in my book is Higher maintenance costs. And Higher Diesel costs with the USA shipping Diesel to Europe and no mew Refineries in over 40 years

 

[BeetleGo]

#3. That's why most of us have heated seats!

 

[twopassats-one-TDI]

#1). You cannot buy diesel everywhere ....here in Montana most stations now have Diesel.

#2). Diesel foams and is stinky.......gas smells and expands in summer so can leak. While Diesel does foam I'm used to it with 4 Diesels.

#3). These cars don't heat up near as well in the winter...... here in Montana with 8 cars & trucks the VW TDI Jetta heats up quicker and has a better heater than our Honda, Fords, or Chevy's. Even at -30 below F.

#4). Every so often when you turn the car off, the fans keep running...... This true of most cars with an electric cooling fans.

The biggest con is in my book is Higher maintenance costs. And Higher Diesel costs with the USA shipping Diesel to Europe and no mew Refineries in over 40 years

Well said!

Great response!

 

[tee-dee-eye]

I think a lot of uninformed people who have short commutes and live in the middle of the city will have a bad time with the TDIs. Not knowing about the regen cycle, they'll probably be content to drive their TDIs 2 miles of pure stop and go to work, unknowingly destroying their DPFs and getting 23 MPG

 

[TNriverjet]

I think a lot of uninformed people who have short commutes and live in the middle of the city will have a bad time with the TDIs. Not knowing about the regen cycle, they'll probably be content to drive their TDIs 2 miles of pure stop and go to work, unknowingly destroying their DPFs and getting 23 MPG

...and there you have the perfect person for a hybrid...

 

[Joeym4692]

I purchased mine for work and going out to stores. Getting over 40 mpg is a lot better than 15-17 in my jeep.
The mall and major stores are roughly 30-45 min away from my house besides grocery stores and walmart. Also work is about a 30 min aways as well.

 

[tee-dee-eye]

...and there you have the perfect person for a hybrid...

Exactly!

 

[wxman]

Volkswagen of America reports best April and YTD diesel sales; Passat diesel take rate at 42.1%

 

[Alex3000GT]

Just FYI this happens with nearly every vehicle that has electric fans when they get hot enough

This mostly happens when the car is in regen when you turn off the car.

Pay attention to when your idle bumps up to 1,000 RPM and you can smell soot - your car is in regen! (aka cleaning the particulate filter by BURNING IT... HOT.... FANS ON....)

 

[BadMonKey]

...and there you have the perfect person for a hybrid...

This is also a myth, hybrids suck at short commutes too. Your best option is a naturally aspirated eco 4cyl or full electric vehicle. Turbo's seem to run incredibly rich fuel mixtures until they get warmed up.