I drove a 2.0 Jetta Tdi Yesterday

[DeepershadeofTT]

I must say I was very impressed with this car. The local dealer has one for testing and they called me to check it out. I was hoping it would be a manual trans but it was an auto. It was all graphic'd up with green trees and the words "clean diesel - not a concept car" on it as well. On the bumper was the website www.goodcleandieselfun.com if you want to check it out. At startup I heard nothing but a little hum. Tapping the throttle...a little louder hum. No diesel noise at all! I put it in sport mode and played around with it on some fairly open roads and felt zero turbo lag, even at very low rpms. I've been considering an A4 3.0 Tdi but I am now leaning towards the 2.0 Jetta due to the low price and the fact is I need something to put the miles on without worrying so much about depreciation. Anyway, I suspect more VW dealers have one to demo so give em a call. Dan

[Wesk]

I drove a car (that sounds exactly the same as the one you drove) today and was TOTALLY impressed. I owned an 87 Mercedes 300D and expected to experience some turbo lag, but it is virtually invisible, and this little car will GO!!!! I was originally thinking about the stick, but having played with the auto tranny a bit during my test drive, I'm going to go with the auto. And the car is CHEAP... what a tremendous value!!!! It sounds like NO DELIVERY ANTICIPATED for at least 2 more months however.

[philm35]

I drove one today also. I'm looking for what will replace my '05 A6 when its lease ends in August. The TDI, while no rocket, is responsive and flexible. The Jetta's handling was similar to what you'd expect in an A4. The brakes were pretty mushy, though.

[Wesk]

I did the deed.. plunked down a deposit so I can have choice of colors. Dealer is expecting 3 vehicles within a couple of weeks, but doesn't know what color they're going to be. My only issue at this point is whether to hold out for the Sport Wagon. Dealer won't commit to a time frame on that.

[DeepershadeofTT]

I put a deposit down as well. Sedans are coming in August and I'm 1st on the list at my dealer. I'm told wagons will be 4-6 weeks after sedans show up. From what I can gather the majority of Jetta Tdi's will be automatics (DSG). One dealer said 1 of their alloted 11 cars will be manual. Since the mpg is so close with the dsg trans I may go with it instead.

[Wesk]

You and I are thinking alike about the tranny. And my dealer made an interesting point - the auto is 6 speed, while the manual will be 5. Because of the gear range on the auto, there is very little variation in mpg between the two - least that's how the VW salesmen felt.

I played with the tranny a little on the test drive. I'm mostly interested in being able to downshift (to save brakes) in mountainous terrain (West Virginia) which I travel in frequently... I made it 110K on my Nissan Murano before the first set, and didn't even have to turn the rotors. The Murano had a CVT which allowed flexibility in shifting. To compare, my Impala which is very awkward to downshift (and therefore I rarely do) required brakes at 50K.

I am VERY anxious to get the new Jetta. It strikes me as a vehicle that will be "fun" to drive, cheap to maintain, and very reliable.

[tkckhc]

Same. I have a 2001 Allroad tip, with 35,000 miles, for comparison. The sedan Jetta 2.0 TDI clean diesel with DSG has great off the line response, fantastic torque, no hesitation. I was really impressed with entry and passing on to the interstate (35 to 80 mph). Quiet, solid, good dynamics. A definite purchase interest.

[Wesk]

Well, I bought it!!! I've had it in my garage for 9 days now, and already have nearly 2500 miles on the clock. Mileage averaging 44-46 mpg with about 80% highway. This is an awesome little car. I couldn't be more pleased.

Wes