2009 VW Jetta TDI gets MPG rated
The EPA finally got around to putting official MPG numbers on the 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI, which is due to hit dealers lots this summer. Remember, this new TDI engine is 50 state legal - so you can buy it and drive it anywhere in the US. Read to hear the results? Drumroll please…….
30 MPG city and 41 MPG highway. Underwhelmed? Sure you are. With VW’s huge expectations, we expected 40+ city and 45+ highway. After all, VW is the diesel company - the one that hates hybrids. Plus, with diesel at record highs ( and ~20% higher than gasoline ), the TDI is starting to not make much sense. Let’s take a look:
- Similar price premium vs hybrid
- Worse fuel economy vs hybrid
- Higher pollution vs hybrid
- It’s a VW ( reliability concerns, except for engine )
Historically VW’s TDI’s get a bit better than EPA results in the real world, but the case still isn’t very convincing. Sorry VW, you’ll have to do better than this.
VW’s reliability has increased dramatically recently. The last issue of Consumer Report rates the Rabbit first among the hatchbacks they tested and said that the reliability according to their reader surveys is better than average. My 2004 Jetta has been virtually trouble-free for 75,000 miles (the battery was repalced under warranty and the AC compressor control module was replaced post-warranty; it still has the original suspension components and all four original disc brake pads). My car still drives like new and doesn’t have a single rattle or squeak. The other points you make about the diesel are very valid. They simply don’t make sense with such low fuel economy ratings and the much greater price of diesel. The previous TDI got 40-50 MPG; what happened?
To me it’s like GM. The past couple years they’ve been building a much better product, but their reputation is still garbage from the previous 20+ years of building crap. It takes a long time to shed years and years of poor reliability expectations. I would not be confident in a Volkswagen product without quite a few years of solid history.
The drive consisted of interstate driving with minimal traffic approxiamtely 50% of the trip driving at average speed of approximately 70-75 mph in top gear. The other half of the test drive was in medium heavy stop-and-go city traffic with traffic lights as well. The gears shifting ranged between 3 and 6—most often 4-5—in city traffic.
The VW dealer told me his district manager obtained an average of 44 mpg and that the TDIs required “break-in time”. Additionally he informed me that AMCI, an an independent testing company, ran real-world fuel-economy tests on the Jetta obtaining 38 mpg city and 44 mpg highway. However, the dealer was unable to ptovide me with any AMCI testing details. Additionally, I have been unable to find any details on the internet.
Does anyone have any details concerning the AMCI test?