Why did you buy a TDI?

[Polo1400]

Was getting fed up with struggling to get my baby seat in and out of my old two door (petrol) car. A relative was selling their Polo TDI to fund purchase of a new Golf TDI. Four doors plus airconditioning plus the costly (from new) TDI option for a reasonable price added up to a car that suited my needs at the time, so I bought it.

I would say it's a fantastic engine in an average car. The interior of the Polo is basic and feels a bit cheap compared to the solid Golf but a few trim niggles aside it's been very reliable.

The 1.4 TDI engine though is brilliant. I would estimate that 80% of my driving is on the motorway doing 100-200 mile trips where it will sit happily at 70mph for mile on mile, plus there's plenty of oomph for overtaking. Realistically though it runs out of puff at about 85mph.

 

[domboy]

Original primary reason I bought my TDI: I wanted a car with the fuel economy of a hybrid, but with a manual transmission. I really dislike automatics...

Secondary reasons included wanting something different (diesel engine), growing up with VWs (mom's bus), childhood affinity for tractors translating into a fondness for the TDI engine sound.

If I had to do it again, reasons would also include: fun to drive, & ability to tow a small 1500lbs Aliner travel trailer sans SUV. I don't think I really grasped what a fun and useful car I was buying when I bought it.

 

[UFO]

So I can fuel my transportation with biodiesel. Cheap, domestic, renewable fuel.

 

[TornadoRed]

If I had to do it again, reasons would also include: fun to drive, & ability to tow a small 1500lbs Aliner travel trailer sans SUV. I don't think I really grasped what a fun and useful car I was buying when I bought it.

Ditto. Though I don't think my Golf was as much fun to drive when new as it is now. I've made a few changes.

Also, I never even imagined using it for towing. That changed when I needed to move cross-country and could not afford a Ryder truck. (That was the summer when diesel was ~$5.00/gallon.)

 

[EddyKilowatt]

Life's too short to drive boring cars.

 

[HysteriaRunRiot]

I bought it because I get close to if not better than hybrid mileage.

I only had to spend 12,000 to buy it used.

It has wonderful torque which makes it hard to beat in terms of fun to drive.

Also I was debating between a Yaris, and Golf tdi, it was the next closest thing that was gas, not hybrid and had great mileage, but it still didn't compare, the golf had an extra set of doors, bigger storage, better crash test and over all felt like a more solid car inside and out

O, and another thing, I'd like to try and find another car with this mileage that gives you such a deep mean exhaust note

 

[gorabbit]

i bought it to put it in my project car. i just wanted to have something different that most people have done. the car came along at the perfect time during the build. Plus they just sound bad ass too.

 

[flatlanded]

I drive alot, and I have to live away from family and friends for school. It allows me on a student's budget, to come home every weekend.

Economy .

 

[vdubJettaTDI_2010]

Diesel has a long history of keeping engine wear and tear low. Fuel and horsepower for economy and MPGs are a added boost.
Plus the more I hear about the Toyota problems the happier I get with my choice of a 'green vehicle'.

 

[securityguy]

Bought mine purely for the fuel economy. I drive 110 miles a day and wanted something cheap with great mileage. The Jetta fit the bill and FAR more fun to drive than the Prius I test drove Nothing like filling up once a week for less than $35.

 

[JB05]

I wanted to try a four cylinder foreign made car; I was driving a Grand Prix GTP. I too wanted something that was different, and to this day with so few TDI's in my area, I know I got it right. Two 800 mile tanks last Summer plus all the helpful info here on Fred's, who could go wrong?
Claudio, it sounds like you are very near to Lee Street, just off Mannheim Road.

 

[SD26]

Finallly bought one. Don't have it at home yet. Bought a used '98 Jetta TDI. My business had me pulling a big trailer. Required a big truck. Used an E350 Super Duty diesel for years, then moved to a more comfortable Excursion diesel. Sold that business and retired from my work in it.

New work has me traveling close to 50 miles a day round trip. Using the Jetta on those days will be a great way to save cash and have fun while still having the Excursion for those days when we need it as a family or for bad weather.

 

[joeonetime]

1. Traded in an 02 Ford Explorer with 190k miles, and got $4500 under Cash for Clunkers
2. Got the $1300 Federal Tax Credit for the clean diesel
3. Got the tax deduction for sales tax
4. Nice carrying capacity (I have a new baby)
5. Averaging 35 MPG + in combined city/hwy driving

I look at the Prius too - and decided not to get it because:

1. It wasn't going to be large enough for what I needed
2. It has no acceleration to speak of
3. It didn't have an option for a sunroof

Truth is, I was under the impression that I would get better mileage than I do - but I can live with that. I really wish the JSW came with an option for all wheel drive (this is the first car I own that doesn't have it) - but getting nearly 3 times the mileage of my old car makes up for having to dig myself out of the snow every once in a while.

 

[blarg]

High reliability, low maintenance cost, ease of maintenance, fuel economy, and especially the sense of community with other TDI owners.

 

[IndigoBlueWagon]

High reliability, low maintenance cost, ease of maintenance, fuel economy, and especially the sense of community with other TDI owners.

So come to Ho5G on the 21st! Look in Eastern Regional Forums for more info.

 

[AlcoC420]

Wanted a fun-to-drive family car with good luggage space and with a manual transmission. Such a combination of factors is hard to find in this era and with the 2010 Jetta Sportwagen, only the TDI offered the manual transmission with upscale interior and features. If we'd have bought in '09, we'd have probably chosen the SE trim's 2.5L gasser, but it was dropped in '10. Nonetheless, we are enjoying the diesel experience very much and hope this technologically advanced diesel engine goes the distance without trouble.

 

[JASONP]

So come to Ho5G on the 21st! Look in Eastern Regional Forums for more info.

Hell, I'm thinking I need to do another road trip, and it's on my birtday

 

[blarg]

So come to Ho5G on the 21st! Look in Eastern Regional Forums for more info.

Woah! I'm gonna do my darndest to be there! Sweet!

 

[zoompastu]

I loved my 1996 Jetta that I had. I love the MK5 even more. Drove the 2.5L, GLI, and TDI. Found a 2006 Jetta TDI loaded with sunroof, navi (and real leather) 5-speed stick for $15,000 and 59,000 miles out of state. I love that they break a lot so I can fix them to be even better. My BMW's are just too reliable. Oh and I love the fuel economy too!!!

 

[nate379]

Was cheap to buy and gets good mileage... plus doesn't look ugly like some of the Hybreds, smart car, tin can on wheels, etc.

I was driving one of my trucks everyday. 15mpg, 80 miles a day.

I saved enough just from parking the truck to pay the loan, insurance and still put about $100 in my pocket a month!

 

[ssamalin]

Diesel isn't just great torque and mpg. For diesel, these don't come by skimping on steel. Diesel cars are well made and heavy, and in a road full of rocket powered gas guzzlers, I want not just power and mpg, but a chance to survive statistics such as 25% of crashes are side impacts you don't see coming.

 

[jnapier]

I bought mine for the MPG. Getting 54 MPG on the highway. She's not bad looking either. The New Beetle has nice lines and the interior has a nice contemporary look.

JN

 

[JC_1992]

Because I've always loved VW's and have wanted a TDI, finally found an 02 with 111,000 for $4700 at 8pm drove to Kentucky 7 hours away and bought it the next morning.

Of course for the fuel economy , but also the amount of mods/upgrades you can perform on these cars, the wealth of info from this site, and the hobbiests on this site and at GTG's that all enjoy these cars as much as I do.

 

[sidvil]

I picked a vw diesel because I love the idea that this engine is so strong that it produces power just by squeezing air and fuel together. I've always had a thing for power and diesels are all about that.

ps the 53mpg doesn't hurt either

 

[chandler583]

I bought a jetta for the mpg and, I LOVE DIESELS! The idea of being able to use fuels other than dino diesel is awesome. I was driving a Civic that got 30 mpg, it's just hard to find vehicles that get better than that.

 

[grizzlydiesel]

At the time, i was driving an 89 IROC money pit, and a 6000lbs diesel truck. with the truck being my daily driver. My parents were pushing me to sell the Camaro and get something reliable, and economical... aka a Honda Civic. The idea made my skin crawl. I love my diesel truck, and like running biodiesel for many reasons personal and political, so i started looking at options for a car to run it. I started looking at the old mercedes diesels, and even found a 300CD (coupe) that i was really interested in, but those darned things are so underpowered, and only came in automatics with the larger 5 cylinder engine. I also feared repair bills for a Mercedes if they popped up.

In my searching i stumbled across the TDI cars. I really didnt know alot about them, but the more i read the more i was impressed. I had friends who drove VW's and loved them, and finally started test driving the cars. They were small (which is good, try parking a 6000lbs diesel truck in the city), comforateable, had quality engineering, and from everything i read they were reliable. Only problem was i was shopping when fuel was $4/gal, so the TDI jetta and golfs, and even beetles in my area were way out of my price range $10-17. I got very very lucky, and found a guy in a pinch selling his for $4700, drove it, fell in love with it, and bought it that day. I have loved that car ever since and havent had so much as a CEL *knock on wood*

That and its a handsom car, with room for me and three of my friends, that will do 100mph without breaking a sweat, has a HUGE trunk for such a little thing, allows me to visit my friends up and down the eastern coast without breaking the bank, and i can actually pick up a girl and have her not think immediatly that im an inbred redneck. it takes a special girl to go on a second date if i picked her up in either of my other vehicles.... youd have to see them to understand

 

[panzer]

When i chnaged to my present job, i doubled my commute. The '71 Super Bettle just wouldn't cut it without heat and A/C for carpooling. So i went with an '89 jetta diesel. Slow as molasses but grat mileage. Then bought a '79 300D for the wife but she hated it. I liked it and the lack of power was no biggie for me. Rode nice and would cruise all day! So, after i broke my jetta i was VW-less for a year driving an '88 Prelude to work. Decided to get a VW again but no golf TDIs at the time and couldn't afford a Jetta TDI with one still in college so we bought an '08 Rabbit. Continued to pine away for a TDI and snap judgement bought a '10 Golf TDI when the last one graduated. took it in the shorts but have only owned one new car in my life prior to these VWs and I haven't regretted it one bit!

I love this thing and the mileage keeps improving!

 

[ccs32]

My '02 Jetta is the MOST sporty car I have driven (aside from a porsche twin turbo... Im a grad student and reasonable...). Certainly the fastest, most fun that I have owned. I love the ability to mod and still maintain incredible mpg (52.5 under full load with the windows and sun roof open). My wife and I needed it for long road trips to Fl and TX... The ability to run WVO and biodiesel.

I also love the life you have to adopt to make a diesel work for you. This site is an incredible wealth of knowledge that allows me to undertake the EXPENSIVE repairs and maintenance.

I always wanted another VW after my first two '66 beetles... I never knew it would be the infamous TDI.

 

[benIV]

I bought my tdi because I love diesels and wanted among other things, the wonderful efficiency of a diesel engine. I had an 81 300D MB and the turbo on my tdi 03 jetta is much more fun to drive, but i can't wait to get the chance to buy another 300D or maybe a little older 240D or something.

 

[cowgirl007]

I decided on a Jetta long before I found out about TDI. There's something about the styling of the exterior, that sporty look with the boxy end I still love. I hate the new body style. But when I found out I could get a Jetta that gets 50mpg, potentially runs on homemade biodiesel and has long engine life, I was sold.

I also checked out this forum before I bought mine in 2003 and decided only the really cool kids have one. It looks just like every other Jetta on the road, but TDIs had that extra "insider" aspect. I still get a thrill when I go to fill up and people say "That's a diesel?" and every time you run across another tdi owner you can give them a nod and ask "What's your best MPG?"