Did you consider a Jetta TDI before going Prius?

If I may put in my $0.02 ... I have owned 2 Audi's (same shnit as VW), and with my mom and sister, we've had 5 Audi's total. They drive great, beautiful cars, silky smooth tranny, and very nice ergonomics inside. However, they seem to be as we say in Spanish "Una puta fina." They are prissy bitches (excuse the language). There is always something that goes wrong. A light bulb here, sunroof malfunctions, radio something, paint chips off buttons. Nothing ever really BIG like the tranny slipping or anything, but just pain in the butt crap that you need to take it into service for. I was thinking about the TDI, though it seems as though the Prius gets better mileage. If you dont care about the extra i think 8-10 mpg, and want something a little sportier, sure go with the TDI. I'm about to order a Gen III Prius III with Solar and Leather. I'm personally really excited about the mileage, and the fact my sunroof cools down my car and I can turn on my A/C by remote, but I'm a dork like that. I have a 300zx TT, so i feel kind of weird telling people I'm buying a Prius (it doesnt sound very "cool" to my friends haha).

The only reason I'm still considering the TDI, is because most of my driving is highway, and I heard the TDI does really well on the highway. But, it doesnt have a solar powered sun roof (im ecstatic about that lol). Plus, the information cluster thingy is super cool, I'm sure I'm going to crash into a tree just staring at all the cool displays and pressing the "mode" button over and over again to try and read the fuel rating and power and blah. lol.

I cant believe this post went 11 pages, in the end, its not the end of the world whichever way you go. I do agree with someone that Diesel will go up again. We have a diesel van to transport patients for our clinic, and it's a pain when diesel is $1+ more than gas. But, it's not like ur comparing a Prius to a V12 Benz or a H1 Hummer lol.

 

Not sure what year of VW TDI you were considering but the new 2010 Jetta TDI is a consumer's best buy. All red dots. Also the timing belt does not need to be changed until 130,000 miles.....not 60,000. The gasser version should be changed at 120,000 miles.

Just to let you know.

 

Really, that's all you could come up with?

How about the fact that MANY gas stations do not carry diesel. Of course if you live/travel along routes with a lot of trucks, you will have no problem.

How about the fact that diesel is usually more expensive than regular gas: Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update ...during much of 2008-2009, Diesel was about 75cents/gallon more than than regular gas.

How about the fact that VW's are well known as "chick cars". Really, they are.

Finally, how is this statement true? You said: "Mileage is close to 2010 Prius, the epa says 29-40 on the VW. How is this mpgs close to the EPA numbers for the Prius - 49/51 mpg?

 

Funny how opinions can become facts when you want them to.

1) Out here in So. California about every other station sells diesel.

2) Most of the time they sell it at or below the price of regular.Yes, some do sell it for more but not too many.

3) VWs are chick cars? Want a chick car buy a Prius.

4) VW TDI EPA #s 32 City. 42 Highway, 34 Combined. Most everyone knows the EPA numbers are low by at least 3 MPG. If it's MPG you want the Prius is a winner. But fun to drive? Hardly. If I drive slow enough to stay with a Prius (65) I routinely get 50/52 mpg and while cruising 75 it drops down to 45/47 mpg. Good enough to keep this guy happy.

5) The 2010 Jetta TDI is considered a 'best buy' by C/R and gets all red dots. Check it out for yourself.

You know, both cars do what the makers wanted them to do. The VW is intended for those who still love an 'autobahn' feel while getting decent mpg. No Flash, no hey look at me I'm so cool. It just does the job. Most would agree it does that.

The Prius was designed to stand out from the crowd and yell, hey, look at me, I'm driving a Hybrid and it delivers great mpg (many cars in Europe blow it away on mpg but we don't get them here in the US).

Both are well made cars and should give years of service but I really doubt you'll ever see 400/500K miles on one. Go to the TDI forum and you'll find many that do. It's all about what you want. No reason to put down each other for making a different choice. That's childish and immature don't you think?

Make it a great day..........don't depend on others to do it for you.

 

I still have this vehicle (TDI) on my radar when it comes time to replace my Prius. My friend just bought a 2010 Audi A3 TDI and it's still too soon to tell about reliability but so far my friend loves it. I've owned Audis/VW's in the past and they are excellent cars BUT they are expensive to maintain and repair. I find it interesting that Audi does not offer free maintenance for their warranty period (in the past they did) but VW DOES. When I owned a 2002 Audi Alroad and the brakes/rotors needed to be repaired at <10,000 miles (mixed driving) I decided it was time to sell the vehicle. I did not want the high repair bills after the warranty period. Another thing that annoys me is that VW rates at the bottom of the list with respect to frequency of repairs etc. Granted polls like that shouldn't always be a determining factor in your decision to buy a vehicle but it MUST be part of the equation.

Yes, I'm still considering a TDI but more than likely my next vehicle will probably be a 201X Prius. I still find it AMAZING that I own a 2004 (early build) with close to 100,000 miles and all I've done to it was address the TSBs and change the oil. The car is simply amazing with respect to reliability. I'm just scared as hell that when I need to get things replaced it's going to cost me a fortune. I have the extended warranty but at the rate I'm driving, in three months my warranty will be over. Sooooo..... I may just get a 2011 before problems start happening with my beloved 2004. OR... I may bite the bullet and purchase a Golf TDI.

 

I don't know if this still applies anymore, but another factor is that many European models will be stripped down with fewer safety features, and even features that we've come to take for granted here in the US...like electric windows. All these extra features in US models adds weight....and everything else being equal... the less a car weighs, the better the mpgs.

I mean when they designed the G3, Toyota did everything possible to cut weight...so that they might get 50mpg. I do think that Toyota's efforts to reduce weight, has resulted in a "cheap feel in some things on the car. I suspect some of these European cars, with better mileage, have an even cheaper feel?

 

I now have 650 miles on my 2010 prius. I really love the car. I traded in a 2006 mini cooper S for the prius. I really liked the mini too. There is nothing on the road more "fun" than a mini cooper S--it handles well, accelerates like crazy, and has a unique style. I traded the mini in because the prius was cheaper (monthly payment wise) and because I am driving a lot more than when I bought the mini. Nothing like hard sport suspension to ruin a 37 mile commute, and I only got 30 MPG tops.

Prior to the mini, I had a 2000 Jetta (non-TDI). I cant compare MPGs (obviously), but the Jetta had many nagging problems. Things like: a fuel filter that fell off and caused me to leak gas all over beverly hills until the engine died, a cracked engine mount (within 200 miles of purchase), constantly breaking interior pieces (glove box handle, window rollers, etc...), and extremely short lived breaks (and the need for rotors every break change).

The mini, on the other hand, had no problems in 4 years of service.

I did, however, think briefly about a TDI when I traded in the mini. I actually like VW's styling (though every one said my jetta was a chick car) and the MPG is not bad. I ruled out a TDI because: Diesel is still very dirty; Diesel is hard to find and costs more in CA; I do not really trust VW enough to purchase from them (I leased the Jetta 3 years was enough); after a mini, the "fun" factor of a TDI is minimal (and when in PWR mode, the difference between the TDI and Prius was minimal); Prius was bigger inside and a hatchback (did not consider a station wagon, maybe I should have, but in SF, parking sucks for bigger cars); I may be able to turn the Prius into a plug-in at some point; and I wanted to support advancing tech, not diesel.

 

A very good friend of mine is/was the president of the Mid-Atlantic mini-club. I had a chance to drive some of the original (ie British) mini's. He collects mini's. WOW, what a kick they are to drive. Like driving a go-kart. Very low to the ground, stiff handling, and can turn on a dime.

I've heard that 2009 (?) mini's have had transmission problems. My neighbor has one, and she was the one who told me that her transmission is being replaced (luckily for her, still under warrenty).

 

In Maryland where Hockydad and I are, it is more like one in three stations sell diesel. It is almost always more.

[GASPRICE] - Find The Lowest Gas Prices Near BELTSVILLE, MD at MapQuest!

A quick check by me shows gas at $2.59-$2.79 (I regularly go to the $2.59 station), and diesel at $2.89 as the lowest price. For most of us diesel is 10% more expensive and three times harder to find.

 

Mark,

I was dead set on buying a TDI until a test drive in the 2010 Prius (I would pick it over the 2nd gen). The Prius is quieter and isn't much slower. The greatest feature for me is that I can leave the car running without burning gas (for the dog in the summer time), also the price difference isn't big enough for me to go with the TDI over the Prius. If I could have gotten the TDI for $21K (plus the tax rebate) instead of the $22900 I paid for my Prius, I think I would have gotten the TDI. Without a $2-3K gap, I don't see the point given the fact the Prius is bigger, quieter, more efficient and reliable.

I do like the 600 miles cruising range. With my heavy foot, I only average 350-400 miles max without running into the low fuel light. Sometimes I really hate the 9 gallons range you get with the Prius.

By the way, the handling on the 3rd gen Prius is not that bad. You will know you are in a family sedan regardless if you are driving the Toyota or VW. I raced my Prius a few times, it honestly didn't feel much worse than a regular family sedan. Sure it would be nice to have the ability to turn off the traction control and have a LSD, but you can't have everything.

 

EPA # are low? Are you kidding me, you are not getting the EPA # unless you are driving like a turtle. I have never come close to the 51/49 that the Prius advertised, I also didn't get the 18/26 my Corvette had listed. Most EPA # are rated higher than regular people driving average, you are really not getting that number without trying to save gas.

The only car I had that beat the EPA average was my 350Z on the highway. I was averaging 29mpg in a cruise, I think it had listed 24 or 25mpg back in 2004

 

The EPA recentlty changed their proceedure to produce mpg figures that are much loser to what most peole get, under realistic driving conditions.

That said, I can easily surpass the EPA numbers with my G3 - without even trying - when the weather is warmer (which is when the EPA tests are conducted), and we are not running on "winter blend" gas here on the East Coast.

Most recently, I've been using the PWR mode setting on my 27 mile comute (each way) to work in my G3. Average daytime temperatures during my comute have been below freezing. The lowest numbers I've gotten was 46mpg...but usually, right at 50mpg. I try to maintain the speed limit...sometime faster, and sometimes slower. That's the displayed number, which has been reported on this site to be about 3-5% high when compared to the measured mpg numbers.

Bottom line - for my comute, staying at/near the speed limit, I have no problems exceeding the EPA numbers during warmer months. In the Winter, when ALL cars have lower mileage, I still get in the mid-40's. I have over 7k on my G3, and have never had a tank below 45mpg - at any time.

 

I'm curious. Do Prius owners frequent Jetta TDI websites and try to promote the Prius to those who are already ardent fans fo the Jetta TDI? Seems like an odd behavior to me- kind of like the antithesis of "preaching to the choir". I would never join such a group and have no interest in posting there amidst their rank which only seems to rile up the locals...

What's the purpose for such posts? Is it to really find out information, or is it just to overturn some applecarts? Or, is it just boredom? I really am curious- I've seen this happen before with other diesel folk, and I'm wondering if this attention-grabbing attempt ever goes the other way? I'm wondering if they're all just so bored they have to find something exciting somewhere, or if they secretly have a huge need to defend their purchase and justify it somehow with "the competition" to make themselves feel better/faster/bigger/powerful/manly/whatever.

Why do they seem to like kicking sand in our faces while we're just laying here on our beach towels soaking up the rays???

 

Never. HONDA accord or aka Acura TL is what I had in mind. Prius won.

 

You spell out a good case for your buying decision and I have to agree with most of your points. The Prius is quieter at rest than my TDI but during say highway cruising I think there about the same.

Reliability issues with VW are a consideration. According to C/R the new 2010 is rated a 'best buy' and received all red dots....so hopefully the problems of the past are behind them ..... and me.

As for mpg. Last evening I drove from Escondido, CA (near San Diego) to Westminster, CA (85 miles) with the cruise control set at 65 and the mpg as I turned off the freeway (405) was 49.6....my best to date. The car has just over 5300 miles.

 

If we are talking reliability then 2010 cannot be used for quality assurance. The car has not been in operation long enough. I like the new TDis but I wouldn't go so far as to say they are a top pick for reliability yet.

 

You raise some good points. For me. I was, as you say, bored and looking around the net when I fell upon this forum. Reading some posts I came across this thread. The title caught my eye and I started reading and read the C/D comments and it got to me. These guys totally missed the boat in their review and I responded thinking perhaps your readers would be interested in hearing why I chose the Jetta. Guess I was wrong. Were it not for the title of this thread I would have never posted.

If I came across in any of my posts as someone kicking sand in your face I apologize right now. I was only making my point as to why I made my purchase. Only time will tell if it was the right decision.

 

EPA's cycle still calls for 65-70mph driving on highway. Most people don't drive that sorry. I have never seen more than 43-44mpg, my wife is a lot easier and she can only get 46mpg. That's pretty much it. It is what it is. I have done 50+ in short bursts going 45mph, that's pretty much it. We also have a lot more hills and elevation changes in New England, requires a little more gas

 

I am also a former VW owner who witnessed every front bushing of my Golf went at 50K miles, no thanks. The 2L also burnt 1 quart every 1000 miles since new, and yes it is normal.