Jetta TDI vs. Prius, San Francisco on a tank?

658 miles? umm i've only seen one pic on here of a 700 mile tank and that was a known commute and an experienced driver

neither car should make it, unless the TDI has a 50% larger tank than the Prius

 

The TDI should make it easily with its 14 gallon tank. The Prius will have a tougher time but can still make it if it's driven correctly -- look at Wayne Gerdes' run from Chicago to New York. Audi recently had a fuel economy challenge with the A4 TDI in Europe (same engine as the Jetta, but a larger car). 11 cars managed between 64 and 71 mpg US on a route between Basel and Vienna.

 

i was getting roughtly 55mpg in my prius while cruising through san francisco the other day. granted.. i was warmed up... but i have the ev swich so if i were to live there, i would use it while going down hills. (that shouldnt' be too hard to do)

 

Unless they are matching the size of the fuel tanks this is a rediculously stupid idea. The Prius on average holds not more than about 10 gallons before requiring a refill and the Jetta, assuming this is a newer one, holds over 14 gallons (14.5). Is this a test of fuel efficiency or a test of "who has the biggest tank"?

 

To make this test relevant, why don't they do a week of commute in the Bay Area to test real world fuel econmy. Last I checked 90% of miles are driven on the commute to work rather than long road trips.

So I suggest a San Francisco to San Jose commute for a week during peak traffic hours. Or Oakland to San Francisco over the bay bridge during peak traffic hours. That will be a much more meaningful test than these useless road trips, whcih accounts for minimal miles dirven by most drivers.

But we already know what that result would be. Especially since mosy stick drivers will quickly convert to auto after that and the auto diesel will look even worse.

 

its a freeway test so it greatly benefits the jetta. to make it a real test, they need to burn a tank cruising town after they get there, then drive back. 1700+ miles should be enough to compare. drive 60 mph all the way down there, it could be done

 

i don't get the following :

" With gas prices nearing $5.00 per gallon, Volkswagens new generation of turbo diesels are poised to take over the market "

diesel is more expensive then petrol so wy?

 

Sent an email to this mob( Fueled Creative ) asking about their fuel tank comparison, see what if anything I get back from them.

 

There are some very good points being made here... if they are just trying to show that more fuel (14 gal.) will take you further, what's the point? Why not make the test more relevant by highlighting how much it costs for each vehicle to make the trip, and how much fuel is actually consumed?

 

They should see which one spends more money on fuel.

G

 

Because Volkswagen are paying for it.
Just like GM paid for the dust to dust report crap.

 

This is the same miles-per-tank schtick that is used to sell gas guzzlers. Give both drivers US $35.00 for fuel, security tape the gas caps after filling and let's see who wins. No waste/donated veggie oil allowed for the Diesel.

 

655 Miles ..If they drive the prius correctly they can make it, but I am betting they don't want the prius to make it so they will not drive it like we would..I could have made it on my best tank, but not on most tanks ..Last pip just started blinking when I got gas and took this picture..

 

Something tells me that a test conducted by a VW dealership with the announced goal of showing off their "new diesel" technology against the "outdated battery pack technology" of the Prius is going to be something of a joke. I am guessing that they will have the Prius driven by one of their service bay employees who will drive it in such a way that it will be lucky to make it to the California border before running out of fuel.

Perhaps a Toyota dealership might want to grab a headline and put together a test of their own? I think we could help with that

 

I have an 06 Jetta TDI and an 07 Prius.

Both cars should make it with no problems. You can expect hi 60's from both cars with a little effort.

In my opinion the Jetta will get better Fuel Economy then the Prius at highway speeds now. In my current situation, the 06 Jetta and 07 Prius are almost equal in highway fuel economy. The new Jetta with it's more efficient engine, should be much better then the Prius on the highway.

 

Actually, no. Despite improvements to the engine itself, system alterations to meet the more stringent emission requirements have reduced overall efficiency.

And of course, comparing that to the new Prius available sometime next year widens the difference gap.

.

 

I would have to disagree. My current Jetta does about the same in Fuel Economy as my Prius at highway speeds. The new, Jetta according to the EPA, does better than my current Jetta.

I am hoping the new Prius will have better numbers, but we will have to wait and see.

 

I wonder if the VW dealer will also show their prospective customers this informative little chart? See attachment.

 

IMO that would be a hell of a feat. I drive that route twice a year and in some sections I can keep it around 53mpg but others, particularly coming out of Oregon and into California you have soe major hills to deal with. I just don't see high 60s (MPG) as being easily achieved.