VW JEtta Sportwagon TDI (diesel)

[RedRocker]

Originally Posted by PoundSand

get one and install it.
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=290710

I got the kit, installed the box on the drivers side & ran the hot wire across to the passenger side with a plug on it so I can plug it in to the 12V aux plug back there. A lot simpler than going forward to the dash.
Just plug it in when I need trailer lights.

[PeterVSS]

The HPFP failures are a very a fraction if a percentage of failures.. When it happens to you it hurts.

Have 3 of them all OK so far.

The TDIclub dot com has a lot of info for you.

Mod & Admin there.

[troidus]

Originally Posted by RedRocker

I got the kit, installed the box on the drivers side & ran the hot wire across to the passenger side with a plug on it so I can plug it in to the 12V aux plug back there. A lot simpler than going forward to the dash.
Just plug it in when I need trailer lights.

There is computer programming that goes along with the Euro wiring. Done properly, the ABS knows when you have a trailer attached and changes its programming to accommodate the unusual loading.

[Ritalin Boy]

Originally Posted by PoundSand

get one and install it.
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=290710

Too late put a Curt in a few years ago.

[Andrew]

Originally Posted by C Squared

Mine has 520 race injectors (tuned) and a Q Loaded computer tune for way more power.
also A 2.5" turbo back exhaust. And, a South Bend stage 3 clutch.
Needed the clutch as the other "enhancements" would slip the perfectly good stock clutch.

That's a great clutch, mine hasn't slipped once.

[JNRobert]

With the rumored 1.8T for next year to replace the current 2.5 I'm wondering if the sticker premium you pay on the TDi will be worth it (I've test driven the TDi a couple of times and a big fan).

[John Nash]

I have owned the new passat TDi for a year now and 23.5K miles. I love this car! Very Good fit & finish, performance & handling.You can't beat it for the price. Mileage 40-45 mpg is very cost effective also.I have owned alot of cars in the past 40 years and have test driven four times as many.Finally there are even more diesels coming to the USA this year.Subaru needs to bring a diesel here after all they are in Europe. The TDi engine with the DSG transmission is amazing! Hope it lasts for 300K miles.

[1LIFE2LIVE]

Curious if anyone has done the calculations or if there is a source to determine at what point you break even and start getting into the money vs. a gas vehicle?

Locally, unleaded gas is at $ 3.17/gallon and diesel @ $3.99/gallon. I like diesels, just when crunching the numbers it doesn't seem to make economic sense to pay the premium to purchase the diesel along with the added cost of fuel.

[Ritalin Boy]

Originally Posted by 1LIFE2LIVE

Curious if anyone has done the calculations or if there is a source to determine at what point you break even and start getting into the money vs. a gas vehicle?

Locally, unleaded gas is at $ 3.17/gallon and diesel @ $3.99/gallon. I like diesels, just when crunching the numbers it doesn't seem to make economic sense to pay the premium to purchase the diesel along with the added cost of fuel.

You have to factor in service costs as well which for modern diesels can be pricey but not as frequent. Oil changes are a biggie with diesels as they tend to have a larger sump and want special oil.

For me every time I've run the numbers the break point comes around 100k.

[A-Bone]

Originally Posted by 1LIFE2LIVE

Curious if anyone has done the calculations or if there is a source to determine at what point you break even and start getting into the money vs. a gas vehicle?

Locally, unleaded gas is at $ 3.17/gallon and diesel @ $3.99/gallon. I like diesels, just when crunching the numbers it doesn't seem to make economic sense to pay the premium to purchase the diesel along with the added cost of fuel.

I created a mileage spreadsheet driven by MPG and fuel price that gives you mileage-to-breakeven if you want me to send it to you... RB is right that other factors should be taken into consideration.. on the plus side for diesels: the residual values are usually significantly highter than gassers of the same make/model

Believe it or not it is an almost $8,000 fuel cost savings over 200k miles if you move from a vehicle that gets 28mpg to 47mpg even if the fuel price is $.50 more per gallon.. I know it swings more than that, but that seems like the average differential lately..

[twinjet]

Originally Posted by adam_c_eckhardt

The Lebanon, NH that I live in didn't stay at -20 for very long, and my wife's TDI definitely got up to operating temperature.

Edit- you must live in North Lebanon, NH.

Definitely North Lebanon. (My commute is North to Lyme, NH)

[Bueller]

Originally Posted by 1LIFE2LIVE

Curious if anyone has done the calculations or if there is a source to determine at what point you break even and start getting into the money vs. a gas vehicle?

Locally, unleaded gas is at $ 3.17/gallon and diesel @ $3.99/gallon. I like diesels, just when crunching the numbers it doesn't seem to make economic sense to pay the premium to purchase the diesel along with the added cost of fuel.

Yes. It it is almost always more miles than most brand new car purchasers will keep a car. Additionally, though you might not have an interest in a hybrid if mileage is what you are after to also have to look at those options, and then compare all of it to the kind of driving you do.

When my commute was 100 - 150 miles a day, the TDI made sense. We had two of them. Now living in the city a Chevy Volt would make the most sense, but since I'm only driving 10,000 - 12,000 miles a year I opted to drive what I really enjoy and not worry about mileage. The miles I commute on a bike help offset the poor fuel mileage of the 4 wheel vehicles anyway.

[jules083]

Originally Posted by 1LIFE2LIVE

Curious if anyone has done the calculations or if there is a source to determine at what point you break even and start getting into the money vs. a gas vehicle?

Locally, unleaded gas is at $ 3.17/gallon and diesel @ $3.99/gallon. I like diesels, just when crunching the numbers it doesn't seem to make economic sense to pay the premium to purchase the diesel along with the added cost of fuel.

I just did the rough math. I'm going to call maintaince the same on both, because it roughly is. Oil changes are more on the gassers because they call for one more often. The jetta only uses 5 quarts of rotella synthetic, at $5 per quart. Say $35 total every 10,000 miles. Every 100,000 I have a $700 timing belt due. I'm that time I've done $350 less oil changes than a gasser, plus whatever plugs and wires cost you.

So here's the fuel cost. All are assuming the fuel price you posted:

My jetta, avg 45mpg, is 9 cents per mile.

My ranger, average 22mpg, is 15 cents per mile.

A gas car averaging 32 mpg is 10 cents per mile.

A gas car averaging 36 is 8 cents per mile.

I think 32 mpg is a good estimate for a 'fuel efficient' gas car. Some do better on highway, but for overall driving on a little econobox that's probably as good as it gets IMO. For me, when I was buying, my most fuel efficient vehicle was getting around 18mpg. Buying my jetta, at the time, saved me around 10 cents per mile in fuel. I work construction, average daily commute is around 100 to 120 miles round trip. Say on a 100 mile day, I saved $10 per day. Normally work 6 days a week, so right there is $240 per month savings. That's not counting driving around after work, going places, etc. When I get to 100,000 on the car I'll have saved $10,000, which happens to be the purchase price. Also, my truck will have 100,000 less miles on it.

As a side bonus its a lot more comfortable and easy to drive, which means a lot to me when driving a lot of miles each day.

All typos and misspellings blamed on my phone.

[NikonsAndVStroms]

Originally Posted by 1LIFE2LIVE

Curious if anyone has done the calculations or if there is a source to determine at what point you break even and start getting into the money vs. a gas vehicle?

Locally, unleaded gas is at $ 3.17/gallon and diesel @ $3.99/gallon. I like diesels, just when crunching the numbers it doesn't seem to make economic sense to pay the premium to purchase the diesel along with the added cost of fuel.

There's another factor, I think of the TDI as the middle performance choice in the VW line up. For the Golf you have 5 cyl, TDI, GTI, and Passat is the same thing with the VR6 at the top.

[NSpooner]

Glad to see this thread as the wifey and I are thinking of having our first kid this year and her Mini would have to go. I've been researching smallish wagons and this one keeps creeping to the top of my list. I had a MKV GTI a few years ago which I loved but I ended up only having it like 6 months because I changed jobs and I needed to get a different car. Seems like these are even more reliable than they were a few years back from my research which is great too. Luckily I don't need to do anything soon so I have time to drive all the cars on my list but it's good to hear of so many happy owners on here. Also my wife drives about 70 miles round trip for work every day which is all highway so the mileage would be great. Her Mini S gets about 32 which isn't bad either, there's just no way we could put a kid seat and all the other crap in that thing haha!