Volkswagen to Introduce 70 mpg Diesel-Electric Hybrid Golf

It doesn't sound bad, the problem is like with ethanol, too few gas stations selling diesel.

 

Using 69.9mpg for the VW and my 51.2mpg for the Prius diesel will have to be about $1/gallon more expensive than gas for the Prius to break even. So, even though diesel is more expensive the VW is still more economical to drive. I don't know how big a Golf is but from personal experience a Jetta's back seat doesn't provide usuable space. I wouldn't want to own one but it should place 1st or 2nd in a rally if driven properly.

 

You're kidding right? I've had my VW TDI for 5 years now and have never had a problem finding diesel. I would say about 40% of gas station sell diesel and now they even put "diesel" on the little highway exit signs to make it easy. I fill up my TDI every 600 miles so that gives you a very long time to find a station when traveling. Even if I'm not paying attention and wait until the low fuel light comes on I have 100 miles to find a station.

I hear the same thing from other people and what I have found is that people that don't buy diesel don't look for diesel. Usually only one pump at a station has diesel so you may be pumping at a station with diesel and not even know it.

 

These are no longer issues. My 2003 TDI has no problem starting when it's cold. I've started it as cold as -5 degrees F with no problem.

Diesel's with particulate filters have particulate emissions as low as 0. No one has to recycle the particulates. Particulate filters have sensors before and after to measure pressure. When the sensors detect too much back-pressure the ECU initiates a "regeneration" cycle that burns the accumulated particulates into smaller particulates that the EPA does not measure. (This is the same as gasoline engines. Gasoline engines don't have 0 particulate emissions, it is just that the particles are smaller than what the EPA measures)

That would be the new Jeep Grand Cherokee CDI. It has a particulate filter. None of the Mercedes cars sold in the US have particulate filters except for the very small number of 2008 E-Class sedans that are currently being leased in California.

Maybe the guy in the Mercedes was trying to impress you. I know quite a few people with diesel trucks that take great pride in the amount of smoke they put out at full throttle. They have "chipped" the ECI to increase power and defeat the emissions equipment. They equate smoke with power. (No different than the Civics with the "fart-can" mufflers that more than likely reduce power or the Harley's with straight pipes. To these people more noise = more power. :frusty

 

VW quality? Depends on what you want. My older brother has a VW Pheaton. This car puts US luxury cars to shame! Sure, it's a gas guzzler, but what comfort! Quiet! Great power, even if it only has the V8. Fit and finish are supurb!
He's trying to get a new one, but I'm pretty sure they don't sell them in the US anymore. He's trying to figure out how to get one over here. Might end up getting one shipped over.
These are really fine cars. I've driven it and it sure is sweet! More gadgets and geeky stuff than I could ever fit in my Prius.
But I'll take the easy mpg's I get anyday.
Guy in WNY

 

I have had 2 friends that had Golf's. One got stuck when he got off his drive way slightly on a rain day. After slinging some mud on his car he decided he needed a wrecker had it towed to the VW dealer. They saw the dirty car and said the warrantee would not pay for the damaged transmission. He wasn't an obusive person (a grand father). He took good care of his cars.

The other was traveling to College in Louisiana (not during Katrina). There was a rainny situation. He drove through 2" to 3" rain puddle. The car stalled so he called a wrecker and had it towed to the dealer. They informed him the motor and transmission had to be replaced and warrantee would not cover the work due to water damage. I know the man would not drive through high water. I have been told since by a few knowledgeable people the VW had a lot of transmission problems with the Golf at the time and warrantee was useless.

 

OF:
OK French cars are really the bad card electronically
but my neighbor got a alfa 156 or something and after 2 years the exhaust needed to be replaced because it was rusting away
now he got a VW golf and never better
the alfa also dit not return good 2e hand valeu
but maybe its country related?

there are a lot of topics discussing CO2 and nox etc with exhaust output measurements
that are the topics with the VW bluemotion in it!
and you can read that a small VW polo modern diesel is still wurst then a bigger prius petrol

 

VW "best build"? hahaha

VW reliability is terrible here in the US. If you subscribed to Consumer Reports, you can see the ratings at ConsumerReports.org - Consumer Reports Cars: Reliability and owner satisfaction at ConsumerReports.org. You can however see some highlights at ConsumerReports.org - Reliability trends
"Overall, Asian models still dominate in reliability, accounting for 34 of the 39 models in the Most reliable new car list. Thirty-one are Japanese and three are South Korean.

Despite Toyota's problems, the automaker still ranks third overall in reliability, behind only Honda and Subaru, with 17 models in the best list. Honda has seven with a smaller model lineup.

Only four domestic models made the Most reliable list: the Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, Pontiac Vibe, and the two-wheel-drive Ford F-150 with the V6 engine. U.S. makes, however, account for almost half the models--20 of 44--on the Least reliable list. There are 13 from GM, 6 from Chrysler, and 1 from Ford.

European makes account for 17 models on the Least reliable list. This includes six each from Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen/Audi."

You can also see where VW falls at Toyota slips and Ford gains in reliability rankings - USATODAY.com. Notice how many of them are under the least reliable column, how none are in the most reliable column and that they're well below average in reliability?

Look also at where VW falls at 2007 Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS) | J.D. Power and Associates. Notice they're WELL below average and 5th from the bottom?

 

Just a reminder to all the "diesel is dirty" brigade...

There is no problem at all with creating a low NOx, SULEV diesel engine.

Green Car Congress: Ricardo Announces Demonstration of Tier 2 Bin 2 (SULEV) Diesel

 

no there is no problem
if people drive cleanER diesels by using hybrid systems thats OK
only thing that i am worrying about is that the diesel hybrid or clean diesel Will become more used then the petrol hybrid and petrol will stay cleaner
AND you can drive GAS ( so no petrol but GAS ) also called here LPG in a petrol engine and cleaner then that a burning fuel car can never get

 

For those commenting on the poor reliability of VW's. Yes, the previous gen had abysmal reliability - which just about killed off VW as a viable brand in the USA.

However, the current generation (Gen 5) has great reliability - starting with the second model year.

 

Not for US Volkswagens, according to Consumer Reports, a well respected magazine (which accepts no advertising, their budget is only supported by donations and subscriptions). With the exception of the Passat, Volkswagen models sold in the US scored only average to well below average when compared to other automobiles sold in the US. A quick scan of the reliability indicators for various components of the Volkswagen compares to the reliability of Chrysler autos (the American brand which is the epitome of poor engineering and reliability on a consistent basis).

Although I applaud Volkswagen for producing a hybrid, I find it hard to believe it will be anywhere near as trouble free and reliable as the Toyota hybrids on the market today.

Rick
#4 2006

 

Regarding the reliability issue, in Europe we generally consider VW to be a manufacturer of highly reliable vehicles.

You can get an objective measure of this from the UK's JD Power Survey:

JD Power Survey 2005 - Small cars - What Car?

 

when i drive my 2005 prius and then step into a VW from 2001 its more solid!!

still i agree that toyota and any Japanese car is the highest on reliability but german cars have a more solid feel to it!
and my prius dashboard just like any Japanese or Korean car makes noises when going over a bad street the VW Will never to that!

 

Don't forget the car dealer/service department experience. I have a low opinion of all car dealers but VW is far and away the worst for affordable cars (I don't have experience with BMW, MB, Caddy etc.) VW dealers are usually a monopoly for VW service wherever they are and act like it.

 

Prius gets 65.7 MPG in UK test cycle too. Since the diesel has 15% more energy and Golf is a smaller car, efficiency wise seems the same.

CO2 may be less but NOx, PM and other emissions will be higher on diesel hybrid.

We still don't know the performance and price of it.

 

Dutchman,

Thanks for posting this item.

I think it's great news, though perhaps more so for Europeans than for folks in North America.

I'm not sure what the situation is like now, but when I was last in Europe, diesel fuel was cheaper than gasoline, and its higher energy content made it the fuel of choice for lots of people.

The new common-rail diesels are quiet and clean, so combining one with a hybrid system makes lots of sense.

And it's always good to see major manufacturers adopting hybrid technology. That is, if this is a true hybrid, rather than one of those so-called hybrids being foisted on American drivers by the Detroit-based dinosaurs.

I've got a diesel engine on my sailboat, and I much prefer it to the gasoline-driven alternative. That said, I'm keeping my Prius.

--Joe

 

Lets see:
Rabbit / Golf hybrid mileage is 83 mpg (UK)
Prius mileage is ~66 mpg (UK)

83/66= 1.257 or 26% difference

EPA interior volume (passenger / cargo / total)
'08 Rabbit 94 / 15 / 109
'08 Prius 96 / 16 / 112

112 / 109 = 1.027 or 3% difference

So the Rabbit is 3% smaller but gets 26% better mileage.

As far as emissions I predict:
CO2 - Rabbit less
CO - Rabbit less
NOx - Rabbit more (But 50 state legal)
PM - Same (Rabbit will have particulate filter)

 

correct me if o am wrong
but the pm filter captures the particles and then burns them to even smaller particle and smaller Will be wurst for our longs
maybe you can not see the black dust getting out of the exhaust anymore with human eyes but then i prover the ticker particles instead of the smaller more dangerous for our longs

cargo is a lot smaller in the VW golf then my prius and back passenger there is a lot really LOT more room then the VW golf

and you can not compare a normal diesel with a petrol because there is more energy in side diesel and so you can not compare a hybrid diesel and petrol..
the thing is that diesel is overall not as clean
if people put the effort in it to produce cleaner petrol engines like people are doing everything to make diesel cleaner ( and stilll not better then petrol ) then the petrol Will stay ahead always..( i hope )

 

Yes you are correct. The PM filter burn the large particle and creates smaller particles. Gasoline vehicles have particulate emissions too, they are just smaller that the particulates from diesels.

Are you comparing the Prius to a 4th generation or the current 5th generation Golf?

The current 5th generation golf (rabbit in the US) has a rear seat that is very comfortable. I'm 5'11'' and have ridden in the rear seat of my friends Rabbit for an hour or more with no discomfort. The rear cargo area is shorter than the Prius but much taller. This is very helpful when carrying large boxes. Similar size but different shape.