2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Review

Tag : Exhaust System
There’s nothing really new about the Jetta itself. This isthe car we’ve had for a few years, VW’s biggest sellerin the US. The news is the all-new clean diesel engine.
Of course another reason we American car buyers are not flocking todiesels is that diesel fuel costs considerably more than gasoline,which just about negates the savings due to mpg. Alan Schaeffer,executive director of the Diesel Technology Forum, explains thatthe world demand for diesel fuel is intense because of theburgeoning Asian economies that need it for construction equipmentand all the other uses that come with explosive economic growth.That’s not about to change, Mr. Schaeffer notes, however hehas counted more than 30 new vehicles coming to the US in the nearfuture that will be diesel powered.
Let’s move on with a little debunking. Modern diesels are nolonger dirty, smoky, smelly or slow. There’s no question theyused to be all of the above but because diesel fuel was cheaperthan gasoline and mileage was considerably better with a dieselengine making for a nicely extended range, many of us were willingto go that route, particularly my brother the MB 220D lover whosejob had him on the road a lot.
Diesel fuel is now what they call “ultra-low sulfur” -97% less sulfur than the old stuff. It was sulfur that made it sosmelly in the first place. Additionally, the smoke you saw comingfrom diesels in the past was primarily “particulate”carbon. That’s now being filtered out in the exhaust system.I counted at least 3 filtering systems and 3 separate catalyticsystems between the exhaust port and the outside air on VW’snew clean diesel. Independent engineers have told me that the aircoming out of the exhaust pipe is cleaner than the air going intothe engine’s intake. They don’t even have to vent theexhaust when working on the engine indoors.
You may have heard of the Bluetech diesel exhaust system used byMercedes and some other luxury brands to make them compliant withemissions regulation in all 50 states. The difference is that theBluetech system involves injecting urea into the exhaust system inaddition to all the other filters and catalysts. VW doesn’tneed to do that because of the size of the Jetta. On a car anylarger, they acknowledge, a urea injection system might be needed.
That sophisticated and complex exhaust system plus betterinsulation and probably some acoustic attenuation mean that thesediesels are no longer noisy either. Only an experienced ear willdetect that the power plant under the hood is of thecompression-ignition persuasion. In the old days the sound comingfrom under the hood was like a platoon of elves knocking away withtheir little hammers. Now it’s just a barely audibletickiness.
And with direct injection and turbo charging they are no longerslow. Zero-to-sixty times are quite adequate and turbo lag isbarely perceptible. The Jetta TDI comes standard with a smooth,quick six-speed stick transmission and the slick six-speed DSGautomatic is optional. Anyone who has driven the DSG (a dual-clutchdesign that shifts quicker than you can think about it) sings itspraises.
Among the TDI’s green credentials is that it uses less totalfuel per mile driven potentially saving that much more importedoil. If diesels really caught on here and a large percentage of usfavored that technology, as do the Europeans, we could savebillions of gallons from needing to be imported. The VW folks thinkwe may get to as much as 15% by 2015. There are a lot of variablesin that equation, I’d say.
After the technical presentations we mounted our diesel steeds infront of the hotel. The drive route would take us out for a couplehundred miles of winding canyon roads and along the famous PacificCoast Highway (Highway 1) through Malibu. We were challenged tomaximize our fuel mileage with the winning team being awarded anice prize. Well, my young codriver Jeff and I knew within 10 milesthat we wouldn’t be in contention. We just didn’t havethe self discipline to go easily and gently. After all, these aregreat driving roads and this is a VW.
The winner was a team of experienced journalists who took thischallenge very seriously. They managed just about 42-mpg climbingthe hills gently but charging fast downhill so as not to lose anymomentum approaching the next hill. We did about 32-mpg pushinghard and having fun. But just think about that. We were thrashingand pushing and downshifting at every opportunity and still got32-mpg in this competent, comfortable sedan.
The Jetta Clean Diesel TDI and Jetta Clean Diesel TDI Sport Wagonare at your VW dealers now. Prices start at $21,990 for the formerand $23,590 for the latter. The basic car comes very well equippedwith all the power stuff we expect, 6 air bags, stability control,six-speed manual transmission, leatherette seating, trip computer,split folding rear seats, Euro-tuned 4-wheel independentsuspension, 16-inch alloy wheels. The optional automatictransmission is the quick-shifting six-speed DSG with Tiptronicmanual mode. You can also get two extra airbags, a panoramicsunroof, navigation system, an integrated 30 GB hard drive, iPodadapter, 17-inch Avignon wheels
So, let’s run the numbers before we finish. The TDI costsabout $2,000 more than the comparable Jetta, but it’seligible for a $1,300 Federal tax credit – not a deduction .. . a credit. That makes the net about $700 extra, if my math iscorrect. The TDI’s fuel mileage is about 30% better than itsgasoline-powered sibling but diesel fuel costs usually about 15%more than gasoline.
With a negligible purchase cost differential, an amazing range,admirable durability, excellent performance and handling, and noneof the historical diesel disadvantages, this diesel might be thecar for you.