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2009 VW Jetta TDI diesel adds low emissions to fuel economy for 50-state availability
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Diesel-engined cars have long been economy champs, but anyone who remembers the Mercedes-Benz 240D of the early Seventies (68 horsepower!), or worse, the whole assemblage of diesel-powered cars from the early Eighties, knows they’re dreadfully slow. Right?
Wrong. Modern turbocharged diesels are torquey and, with the proper set-up, fast. Audi won Le Mans with one, after all.
OK, so they’re economical and not performance-deficient…but they’re dirty.
Strike three, you’re out of excuses.
Mercedes-Benz will sell a variety of models powered by its 50-state-legal BlueTec diesels beginning this fall, but Volkswagen gets bragging rights by putting its Jetta TDI diesel sedan and SportWagon on the market first. Both models are available for delivery now.
Earlier VW TDI models, along with Mercedes-Benz diesel-powered vehicles, did not meet California emissions requirements and therefore were not available in Californ
ia or those states in the Northeast that require California certification.
ia or those states in the Northeast that require California certification.The EPA rates the Jetta TDI at 29/40 mpg city/highway. A reputable independent testing agency hired by VW claims the Jetta achieves 38/44 mpg in real world testing. We have reliable anecdotal reports (someone told us) of an earlier Jetta TDI returning 50 mpg on the highway.
We tested a 2008 Jetta with a 2.5-liter gasoline engine and found it to be an entertaining set of wheels and expect that the Jetta TDI should be no less enjoyable to drive.
Not surprisingly, perhaps, the extra economy will cost more. The base 2009 Volkswagen Jetta SportWagon with the 2.5-liter five-cylinder gas engine has a base price of $18,999; the SportWagon TDI starts at $23,590. (The sedan version of the Jetta TDI lists for $21,990). Not all of the price differential is due to the diesel engine. The base 2.5L S models are less well equipped than the TDI, which also includes a trip computer and premium audio.
And diesel fuel is more expensive than gasoline.
On the other hand, the federal government will require taxpayers who don’t buy a Jetta diesel to give a $1,300 federal income tax credit to those who do.
The penurious should love the Jetta TDI diesel, which will meet the hybrids at their own game with a lot less technical complexity, and a much lower price as well. There’s no excuse anymore.
Illustration: 2090 Volkswagen Jetta SportWagon. Photo courtesy Volkswagen of America
For new car reviews, visit John Matras' carbuzzard.com..
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