And it looks great too! Now about those V.W. reliability issues....
Maybe it's time to trade the Civic.

You don't want one. I have one and yes it gets 52+ on the freeway, but it literally spent 2 months at the dealer to fix problems with it over 7 trips out of the 4 I've owned it. VW customer service is poor and I had to sue them to buy this POS back under Cali Lemon Law. Steer Clear!!!! Find someone elses Diesel powered car.

You don't want one. I have one and yes it gets 52+ on the freeway, but it literally spent 2 months at the dealer to fix problems with it over 7 trips out of the 4 I've owned it. VW customer service is poor and I had to sue them to buy this POS back under Cali Lemon Law. Steer Clear!!!! Find someone elses Diesel powered car.

Thats what I was afraid of.
Thanks.

@Tim:
Thanks for the info. It is a shame because VW's are attractive cars, but the reliability "issues" and poor dealer service scare me away.

Tim, how do you have a blue-tec if they are not even out yet? I have a 2006 Jetta and it is very reliable. I also had a diesel Jetta wagon which again was one of the most reliable cars I've ever owned. Also in case you haven't noticed, starting in 2009, VW will be providing free maintenance for the warranty of the car. Sounds like a good deal to me. It doesn't matter which brand of car you own, there will always be a few that have issues.

At first, I thought that maybe this VW would be a car to consider, but then Tim scared me away until "CS" made the facts clear to me. Now I can appreciate VW again!
A free maintenance for the warranty of the car sounds pretty good to me.
Thank you CS

one of my friends has a diesel Jetta, it's about 8~10 years old and has had exactly 0 major issues, and still gets about 50 mpg on the highway and has just over 200k miles the last I checked.

having said that I would try to avoid any VW product made in Mexico, I have heard nothing but horror stories about those particular vehicles.

Cheers to VW for making a sweet diesel.

I won't buy one because I'm not a victim of urban sprawl. But still, it looks like the greenies have an alternative to the prius now.

They need to make sure it has lots of badges and such so it'll be distinct enough for the ECO conscious people to show their *greeness*.

I'm sure someone on here will say "Diesel costs more than gas so you won't save money by having a diesel!"

I live in Cincinnati and currently gas is (roughly) $3.50 per gallon and diesel is (roughly) $4.15 per gallon.

My car gets about 30 mpg and this BlueTDI gets (theoretically) 60 mpg.

This equates to costing $0.12 per mile with gasoline and $0.07 per mile with diesel. You change your oil every 3,000 miles and each time you change your oil you'll have saved $150 in fuel.

The free maintenance are only for some 2009 model cars. Free maintenance doesn't solve the problems. Even a properly maintain VW can still have problems. Plus if there is any problem on your VW like a dead battery or anything else except emissions, you have to go VW. You can't fix it yourself or have another garage that isn't associated with VW to fix it. Also if it isn't covered under warranty, you can bet that its gonna cost you big bills to fix.

I say they STILL shouldn't have scrapped the diesel/hybrid.

I owned a 2003 TDI. The only thing other than normal maintenance (which was every 10000mi) was having to replace the timing belt at 80,000 miles (per user manual). The VW dealer was the cheapest on replacing it. So off we go to the VW dealer. We left it a week, as we were going out of town. Came back, it still wasn't fixed, something about they were waiting on a gasket set. I asked about this and that, and felt the service manager was trying to shunt me off topic. "It will be finished next Tuesday. We are sorry about the delay. It is out of our hands." Well, it sounded odd, so I asked it I could get a CD out of the car. They offered to get it for me, but I said 'no'.

Out in their back lot (along side all the other POS cars that I guess they were planning for auction), I saw it. Inside, the head and bolts and other things the mechanics (and I use that term loosely) had removed were laying in the front floor board under one of those paper floor things they all put in to a 'clean' car....well, I lost it lol. Couple days later, they got it all put back together to the tune of $650 and a passenger floor board with a grease stain (at least it was black interior...). Other than the sucky dealer, it got 45mpg all day long on the highway, always started.

I hate to say it but a lot of VWs deals are suspect just like other companies (i.e. BMW). Nothing is free, so people are foolish to believe so. VW will market the car and add onto the cost to account for the maintenance. Then you think it is free, when in reality the car is just more expensive than it would've been if they didn't give you the "free" maintenance. In other words the cost of a few years' worth of oil changes, tire rotations, and maybe a tuneup are just transferred to the price of the car instead. The service dept still gets its money...just it has been prepaid when you bought the car. Similarly, most poor dealerships (and from above it appears that VW isn't a good company in service) will find many ways to get their money back. When they do "maintenance" they will try to find something wrong with the car that isn't under warranty so they get you to pay out of pocket. That or they figure out a way to argue that a deficiency isn't under warranty and not defective so as not to fix it. If you fight it you'll probably win, but they know most people don't have the time nor energy to do that. Similarly, the comparison on the reliability of a 10-year old car and a brand new car isn't always true. Toyota, Nissan, and Honda used to have absolutely stellar ratings in the 80s and early 90s. Not necessarily the case anymore, though still good. There's a reason people would rather have a Japanese-designed and built motor (or full car) than one from Mexico or the US. I'm sure at one time Ford, GM, and Chrysler also had periods of great reliability, or particular models, but if you remember, the 80s and 90s killed them.

Take that Prius hippies. Can't beat diesel TDI.

VW, not for me, though. Would never buy any of their models.

I'd second Mike M. I own a 21 year old rock-solid Nissan that has never broken down on me. Major repair work includes the starter, alternator, battery and timing belt... once, each, and all over the 18 year mark.

My two most recent new Nissans, for comparison, were both in the shop for random, stupid reasons that shouldn't ever be an issue with a vehicle. I'm one of the only people I know that have traded a brand new car for a 1980's vehicle.

Our two new Toyotas (Scion) OTOH have so far been reliable, save from the known fault some xAs have (TSB, no fight, quick fix).

Can't compare past to present, doesn't work for any car dealer. Of course, if we all went back to stick-shift SOHC iron-blocks with no ABS reliability might go up for every manufacturer ;-)

@Totenglocke: You might have a point. I get ~46 mpg. If we use the above figure of 60 mpg and the cost for unleaded and diesel, then it will cost the following to drive 1000 miles:

1000 miles tdi: $69.17
1000 miles HCH: $76.09

However, the cost of fuel in my area is $3.80 (for cheapest unleaded) and $4.69 (for the only diesel station) it comes out to:

1000 miles tdi: $78.17
1000 miles HCH: $82.61

thats excluding the fact that you might have to drive a bit farther to fuel up the tdi. But then again, thats if the tdi really does get 60 mpg by the average driver.

@ HCHII

True, but you also need to take into account that you could literally buy a diesel and (barring extremely excessive miles per year) have a reasonable expectation of that car running after you die of old age.

I'm definitely putting the Jetta / Golf TDI at the top of my list of cars to look at when buying a car in the next year or so.

over 500k km not uncommon with 1.9 TD/TDI block

pack it in from north america already

pack

it

" lowest iq:

over 500k km not uncommon with 1.9 TD/TDI block
"

Yeah, the block usually never goes bad on a commuter car....it's all the other stuff which can be quite costly (censors, valve train, transmissions, turbos, etc), especially on a VeeDub.

@Totenglocke: You have a point, but then you should remember most people don't keep their car past 100, 150k miles, much less 300k+ miles (20 years of driving). By that time, I am hoping we will have cars getting 200+ mpg (aptera supposedly gets up to 300 mpg).

The biggest issue with the tdi would be reliability and price. I wouldnt want to pay a 20k premium on a car that gets (possibly) 15 mpg more than my current car. Wont ever pay it back. Although, I wouldnt mind a hybrid with a 1L diesel generator. That would get what, like 75+ mpg? probably more.

How much is this thing suppose to cost, in automatic form?

Hey. I don't have the bluetec. I have the 05.5 (just like the 06) with the BRM motor which is very close to the new motor. The major difference is the Ca. Emissions (Nox) and they went away from the Piezo Electric (more reliable) mechanical injection to an newer style electric common rail injection system.
As far as the 06 reliable huh... SO FAR. I had the MAF, Motor Mounts, Tranny Mount, Dual Mass Flywheel, Cylinder Head, Fuel Injector, and the bolts sheared off the flywheel pully causing it to throw the belt and cause damage to the pulley and frame. There is still a clicking in the dash that they won't fix (it's the actuator motor for the HVAC). You do not want the Auto Tranny they do not live very long. I have the stick and the major problems with those are the Dual Mass Flywheel (the fix is the older Single Mass Flywheel) They tend to come apart and vibrate when the clutch is depressed, mine had a recall on the clutch material that VW dealer "did'nt know about".

All VW's Golf/Jetta Diesels are Hecho en Mexico. Maybe thats whats wrong with mine. BTW I have almost 60000miles on my car now all commuting miles. most people are ignorant to issues with these TDI's. It's more that just a "few" that have these problems www.tdiclub.com got the forums and tdi 101 and read the horror stories for yourself.

Sorry to chime in again. VW TDI take special Oil and filter (canister) that has to be changed every 10,000 miles (sweet) but costs ~$75. The fuel filter needs to be changed every 25,000 and costs about $25 for the filter and you have to do it yourself or the dealer charges 1/2hr to do it. The rear brakes of VW's wear faster then the front (again the Germans think they know better than everyone else) since the rears do most of the work while braking.

BTW they fixed my major vibration issue after the 7th trip by replacing the cyl head. It was a "known" issue according to my service advisor of blow back throught the valves causing the motor to "prance" (shake at idle while hot and if the weather is above 40*F any cooler you'll never see the problem) Thats sad thay it took them 7 times to fix a "known" problem. I have all the reciepts for the work to prove it too.

@noya,

in this case my reference is a Drive-school.
10 VW Golfs, all made well above 500k km (city driving), with the rest of the car and 'drivers' in one piece.

"You have a point, but then you should remember most people don't keep their car past 100, 150k miles, much less 300k+ miles (20 years of driving)."

Hey, just because Americans are obsessed with buying things for the sake of buying things doesn't mean that intelligent people can't keep this in good condition as a commuter car for more than 20 years and really get their money's worth out of it.

I have a 2006 VW Jetta TDI and I love it! I get up to 50 mpg and drive 80+ mph everyday for an average of 140 miles per day. I have over 50,000 miles on the Jetta and have had no problems. The engine runs flawlessly and has only been in the shop once for a blown speaker. I live in the mountains of New Mexico at 7,500 feet, get lots of snow in the winter(-10 degrees) and temps up to 100 degrees in the summer and the TDI runs great at any conditons. The car is comfortable and roomy. I would recommend this car to anyone.

I guess don't ignore the sales guy when he's pitching in the extra coverage on the mechanical aspect of the car.....

to VW: put the drivetrain in a golf (pardon, rabbit), 140hp and a crapload of torque will work wonders inside the smaller car, on MPG and performance...
and stop building cars in mexico!

Well Congrats Ralph you got one of the 40% that actually works right. The 05.5 was the early run. I definately would stay away from the 1st years run, unless your a fan of recalls and issues. Maybe in 2011 they'll have ironed out all the problems.

Somehow I doubt VW is going to let this one have the reliability problems of yore. Reliability issues killed diesel in America once before, to do it again would possibly end it for another whole generation.

Also, about fuel costs: no one has mentioned that you can still make your own fuels for this and spend less than a buck. Just get oil from local resteraunts and brew your own. Add alcohol to prevent gelling and such.

I plan on not buying one though. I live in a city most of my standard year, so I can actually just drive less. Still feel sorry for suburbanites who have to drive no matter what.

All this VW bashing is nonsense. I have a 2004 Golf TDI with 65,000 miles on it. It has been flawless, and a wonderful car. Great build quality, good performance and as high as 53 MPG. It has never gotten less than 45 MPG. You can get 700 miles per tank and my (still-original) brakes all around look new. The NA Golf was made in Brazil in a state-of-the-art plant opened in 1999, not Mexico. But lots of cars, including US and Japanese brands are made in Mexico; and I've never seen any data that said that Mexican-made cars were of lower quality. The new Golfs/Rabbits for NA are made in Germany, and Jettas (even for Europe) are made only in Mexico. I don't think VW would sell Mexican cars in Europe if they were below par. I've had 2 VWs, my wife has had 2, and a friend has 2 MK V GTIs, and they've all been good. On the other hand, the only time I've ever been stuck on the side of the road was in a Honda! And the worse new car I ever owned was a 1999 Civic. I had to take that Civic to the dealer over and over. That was my last Honda and I've had VWs ever since. I hope to buy a new TDI Rabbit. I don't care what diesel costs, these cars get twice the mileage of your average 25-30 MPG car! Diesel would to be $6 a gallon to equal a gas car at $3 a gallon.

All this VW bashing is nonsense. I have a 2004 Golf TDI with 65,000 miles on it. It has been flawless, and a wonderful car. Great build quality, good performance and as high as 53 MPG. It has never gotten less than 45 MPG. You can get 700 miles per tank and my (still-original) brakes all around look new. The NA Golf was made in Brazil in a state-of-the-art plant opened in 1999, not Mexico. But lots of cars, including US and Japanese brands are made in Mexico; and I've never seen any data that said that Mexican-made cars were of lower quality. The new Golfs/Rabbits for NA are made in Germany, and Jettas (even for Europe) are made only in Mexico. I don't think VW would sell Mexican cars in Europe if they were below par. I've had 2 VWs, my wife has had 2, and a friend has 2 MK V GTIs, and they've all been good. On the other hand, the only time I've ever been stuck on the side of the road was in a Honda! And the worse new car I ever owned was a 1999 Civic. I had to take that Civic to the dealer over and over. That was my last Honda and I've had VWs ever since. I hope to buy a new TDI Rabbit. I don't care what diesel costs, these cars get twice the mileage of your average 25-30 MPG car! Diesel would to be $6 a gallon to equal a gas car at $3 a gallon.

I think some people bash automatically based on their particular bias. If they hate US cars they automatically hate any US car, if they hate European cars they automatically hate ANY European car. It's an Internet phenomena - you have to weed through dozens of self styled 'critics' to get to any useful information.

The bottom line for this car is that if they don't demand such a price premium on the car that it offsets the economy advantage - it will sell like CRAZY.

60mpg in a comfortable family sized sedan... is AWESOME.

I think some people bash automatically based on their particular bias. If they hate US cars they automatically hate any US car, if they hate European cars they automatically hate ANY European car. It's an Internet phenomena - you have to weed through dozens of self styled 'critics' to get to any useful information. I think it stems from the fact that you can't tell age online... though the timbre of the majority of those sorts of posts is decidedly 'Young'.

The bottom line for this car is that if they don't demand such a price premium on the car that it offsets the economy advantage - it will sell well... VERY well.

A family member drives a '99 VW cabrio (yes, made in Mexico), nothing but trouble. The thing pretty much falls apart really. I know this is just one specific case, it could be a bad apple right? Do a google search on VW engine lights coming on though... I hope they improved since then because their cars look quite nice, but I'm going to stay away from VW/bad reliability for a while.

Anyone care to guess how much this thing is gonna cost in automatic form?

Will a loaded TDI cost more than a loaded Pruis?

this is good for vw.
fact is the prius isnt there yet. One is good with the mpg maybe. However nobody talks about its emissions. Nobody talks about the fact that the energy to produce the batterie is more than the car will ever regain by "saving" it.
the diesel is good, even though the price of diesel is more expensive, the car does go what twice as far as a gas car? nice!
the looks, well i am a fan of the mk4 compared to the mk5. but
it is definately better than any prius!!
A loaded tdi might cost more maybe, but you have to also consider resale value. A tdi loses much less value in the long run.
in germany a diesel mk4 golf will sell at 200,000 km where a normal mk4 golf will sell at 100,000. its pretty interesting.

This article ends with, "What about the fact that diesel fuel costs more than regular gas in most parts of the country?"

Uh, do some math. In MY part of the country, diesel is about $4.30/gal. Regular unleaded is not far behind at $3.91/gal. So diesel is about 30% more expensive. But if I went from 30MPG [highway] to 50MPG, that changes the cost/mile from about $0.13 down to $0.086, or over 4 cents/mile. 10,000 miles a year... and you're saving over $400/year.
Besides, if I get desperate, I can always throw a bottle of cooking oil in. Try doing THAT with a gasoline engine.

What… from your numbers Diesel is .39 cents more the Reg. Looks like 10% more to me, not 30%

4.30 - 3.91 = .39
.39 is about 10% of 3.90 duh move the decimal....