I Like Station Wagons, I cannot Lie!

Anyone have any experience with VW Jetta wagons. I'm thinking of a new one with the TDI. Currently I have an Imprezza which they call a "wagon" but I'm looking for something with more room in the back for my dog & gear. I really want a Passat wagon but can't get one.

Saw one of these today on the autobahn-


Do want!

Yes. We've got an 03 TDI wagon with 5 spd. Good car and minimal maintenance (10k oil change, 100k timing belt). Not great for 10 hour rides, but great for everything else. I'd like to find a TDI Passat wagon, but rare as they come.

That is awesome!!!!!'

FWI was told, NO diesel in the 3 Series.

...but ya gotta remember, this was a sales guy talking, not BMWNA.

He had ONE 335d on the lot. Manual? No, can't get a manual with the diesel.

M

We just bought a '12 TDI wagon this past Friday. We left the dealership and gave it it's break in drive on the way to the in laws over the weekend in upstate NY.

Awesome car. Highway mileage was rated at 42, but we averaged 46, and the engine still only has 600 miles on it. It's my wife's car, but I'm pretty smitten with it myself.

Gotta agree. I have the "mini wagon" aka a Golf TDI 6-speed manual. Best i've gotten is 47MPG or so on a trip, probably could get better if i'd go the speed limit... Even gets around 37mpg when towing a Polaris ATV on a trailer. Isn't the fastest thing around, but has no problem cruising at 90-100mph on the highway. Makes for a great daily driver.



After the towing trip

Yeah, I know this will start a Yorkshireman's one up thread but...

Our best mileage with our 03 TDI wagon occurred on the return trip from KC to Minneapolis. 75 mph, AC on all the way. 7 hours, 52 mpg that tank. Never got close to that again. Must have been one whale of a tail wind.

ymWv.

I feel like we've played this game before... 2006 Jetta TDI... just doing a scientific study of what 3,000PRMs gets you... (do not attempt: driver was on closed course )

That average is the trailing average, not the second-by-second average which the display will also provide on a different screen..

Also note that I reset the trip odo after each refill...

Trust me you don't want the manual with the diesel, sit back and enjoy the ride .....

Always want the manual. I don't sit in traffic, so gimme a clutch and the ability to row my own.

Its getting so rare here in the US to even find a manual. They *say* they make em, but...

M

Nope not for that engine, the manual is not what suits it, steptronic auto every time

If I end up with one, I'll HAVE to have the auto.



M

According to Carscoop Porsche is going to reveal a prototype Panamera "Shooting Brake" sometime this fall. I've seen sketches somewhere and I must admit the Panamera wagon looks pretty cool - I've always liked wagons and the Panamera so combining the two seems like a win to me.

I understand where you're coming from but honestly for that engine the steptronic just aces it, you certainly wont be disappointed

150k with long repair bill but can't give up yet.

I disagree, as do many others. I have a manual with the 2.0 CRD TDI in Jetta Sportwagen (Golf Variant) form, and I think it suits it exceedingly well. It's quite satisfying taking a long on-ramp in 4th and feeling the meat of the torque curve before upshifting.

The general consensus on tdiclub.com is that the manual transmission Golf and JSW TDI's get up 10% better economy on average, with the same difference (slightly less, perhaps) in the 2012+ Passat TDI (North America/China only).

Plus it's a hell of a lot more fun than an automatic, or even a DSG (which the Steptronic isn't). I commute with my TDI in some of the nastier traffic in North America. While I enjoy manuals, I'm not a "manual or die" purist like some others; I generally wouldn't drive a manual in LA rush hour traffic - the TDI is the only exception to that rule, precisely because the engine's torque curve is so well suited to a manual.

We had great luck with our 2000 Taurus wagon......couldn't really complain about the reliability at all. Hated the brakes and the transmission, but otherwise it was a fine car.

BMW calls it an SAV, to me its a tall wagon.

They aren't reliable at all, the interiors seem to fall apart after 8 years, but damn do they drive right and have a ton of space: