VW TDIs Increasing in Popularity

[wxman]

www.autonews.com/html/main/stories0723/vwdiesel723.htm

 

[CumminsPower98]

I would love to have a TDI Jetta some day for traveling. I have a friend who has a '98 Diesel Bug which has loads of power and gets 50 MPG! It would be so cool to have a little Turbo Diesel to complement the big Diesel.

 

[Shovelhead]

Deisel VW?

Now if I can only figure out how to stuff a 5. 9 CTD into a VW pick-up????

 

[Riflesmith]

I rented and drove a VW Passat with a V6 TDI on a recent trip to Europe. It was an incredible car. Loads of low end grunt and so smooth you couldn't hear it running after it reached normal operating temperature. It had a slick shifting six speed manual transmission. The engine was only turning 2900 rpm at 100 MPH.

It felt like it would go 140 to 150 MPH. I did not get to find out, unfortunately, because my parents and sister were with me.

Unfortunately VW does not import the Passat with this engine into the US. I have read it is because American diesel fuel is too low on cetane rating(VW's minimum is 49). It is really too bad, because the car felt like a luxury car, but gave us 45 MPG hauling 4 adults and all our gear all over Europe. Try that on your tankful of unleaded.

 

[Leon R]

I have had my 2000 Jetta tdi for just over a year and 30,000 Klms. It is my 4th VW diesel and is definitely the best so far. The only down side I see is, unless you can do your own maintenance, the frequent timing belt change for the automatic version is 60,000 Klms (not miles). The dealers want way too much for that service.

 

[Marco]

Riflesmith,

Just the other day there, was a guy that wanted to race...

He had exactly the same VW.



Sure enough, the only part of my lil babe he saw was the back!



If you like the cheapo VW, you'd surely like the BMW 530 TD!

That engine is rated @ 187 hp. I've tweaked some of their ECM's a little. Gave us 225hp without even touching the wastegate!

That thing rocks!



TD Rules!



Marco

 

[Riflesmith]

Marco,

Perhaps I am too easily impressed. I have never been behind the wheel of a BMW. I am confident they are world class cars. What I am envious of is the selection of turbodiesel cars you Europeans have. We are in the dark ages in this area here. The quality of European diesel fuel is also much superior. All us Americans want is diesel fuel of your quality, but at our prices!

 

[Marco]

Well, I can tell you that I do not miss my Ram too much when I'm driving a chiped 530. That thing tops out arround 140 Mph @ 3500 Rpm.



Up to 90 the Ram is ahead, after that it's all gone... .



The fuel price? What do you want, you can't have everything!

Quality HAS it's price!



Marco

 

[David Muench]

A few months after I got my Ram (my first diesel, and the first in the family to my knowledge), my younger brother (not very car-minded at all) started asking me all sorts of diesel questions. I finally got it out of him that he wanted a VW diesel. I was so impressed. . I didn't expect him to "think outside of the box", given that most americans won't. He's now driving a brand new 2001 Golf 4 door TDI that had to come all the way from Maine due to the asinine laws surrounding the diesel cars here. He loves it, it's a rocket even with the 1. 9l, and he's getting 50 mpg. The thing is so quiet too. It's nice to be able to point at it when people comment on my noisy diesel.



The EPA wouldn't know common sense if it was smacked up the side of the head with it.

 

[lschultz]

If you haven't drove on of the VWs with the TDI you don't know what you are missing. I did a lot of reading on Freds TDI Page and vwvortex.com about them. So I test drove one and was impressed,bought one and now I get that 50+mpg. If only my truck would get that.

 

[Doc Tinker]

Mrs Doc has commented several times that she wished she had listened to me, when I told her to buy a VW diesel instead of the Mazda.



Doc

 

[EMDDIESEL]

My friend has one of those OLD VW diesels with alost 400,000 miles, still runs good. Being 6'5, i cant stand small cars.

 

[Randy J]

Our Jetta TDI now has 28,000 miles on it. The only problems so far have been window regulators. I've put 2 in the right front door, and 1 in the left front door. The bad news is the car's basic warranty is (was - they've upped the warranty) 2 years/24,000 miles, so I was out of warranty. The good news is, when I complemented the dealership's general manager on the service, he said "if you ever have any problems, come see me, and I'll help you out. ". Other than that, the car is great - over 45 mpg average with an auto!

 

[socal_rattler]

There is an article in the Aug 2001 issue of Road and Track (pg. 45) that talks about a new Audi A2 TDI that gets at least 80mpg. They had a contest in Spain where they ran the car over a 25km course at avg 43mph and got 102. 8 mpg.



This car is a 5-door hatchback that will carry 5 people. When will we see something like that here? No, we would rather have 'hybrids' made in Japan.

 

[Leon R]

Randy J. Check out this thread on Fred TDI Page which covers the window regulator problem. http://forums.tdiclub.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=22&t=000792



I hope this works, if not, and you are not familiar with Freds do a search. The thread is under the General VW forum and titled power window defect and posted by OilBurnerBob

 

[Marco]

socal_rattler,

That Audi is what we call a "city car". To small to carry 5 people for a long time. When I've bought my wifes new car I went over to give it a look.



They say it will use 3 liters of diesel in 100 Km. The hood is sealed. Yes that's it, SEALED! Only the dealer is authorized to open the hood with a special tool!



First oil change is at 30. 000 Km... .

Oh yeah, it's very pricey too! The 1. 9L TD Fiat I got for my wife at the end, has cost me half of what the Audi would have cost.



Anyway nice looking car...



Marco

 

[Briar Hopper]

I've seen enough of wxman's VW TDI and ridden in it, enough that I really, really wish I could find one for myself. He's got a nice one, the right color, too... . BLACK ! 50mpg (or more) and fast as all get-out...

 

[B_Rud]

My wife drives a 2000 Jetta TDI 5-speed and loves it. It a little too small for me but the 45 mpg buys it a lot of patience. It's funny to see the car and truck parked next to each other in the garage. It almost looks like the car would fit in the bed of the truck.



She can't wait until Edge comes out with a box for it so she can race and hopefully beat me (she says) We'll see. I told her if she did I was heading straight to Scheid Diesel to get that fixed.