who drives a TDI?
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- fourth
I figure this is a good place to ask. My g/f's subaru was totaled and she found a really good deal on a 2009 Jetta Sportwagen TDI.
I've learned that you need to be meticulous with the maintenance, use the right additives, find a "TDI guru" (not the dealer), the list goes on and on.
How are they?
- Knuckleberry0
Sounds like more trouble... I wouldn't buy it
- BK0
I got a 2010 Jetta Sportswagen TDI. Love it. It's got about 30k miles on it and I haven't had any issues yet. Gets more or less the same mileage as a hybrid for about the same price but feels much more like driving a real car.
Test drive a few hybrids then test the TDI and tell me it doesn't blow them away performance wise. It's got a diesel engine so it should drive forever... someone will put 500k miles on it by the time it's scrapped.
It's my understanding that if you don't use cheap-o oil/fluids you shouldn't have any issues. I also worry about who to take it to besides the dealer if I have problems since it isn't an engine mechanics deal with every day.
The only issue is Diesel gas is freaking expensive now and it's mad stressful when your tanks in the red and you roll into a station that only has unleaded.
- monospaced0
The cost of regular maintenance is a fraction of the cost of repairs resulting from negligence, and that goes for all cars.
- Truth.BK
- Christ if only more 20 somethings new this. All my friends would still be driving...ismith
- I learned the hard way... in my 20smonospaced
- fourth0
yeah BK we are psyched on the practicality of the wagon and getting 40-45 hwy mpg. She was looking at mini cooper, fit, and smart cars for their fuel consumption but at the same time we like to road trip/camp all the time. Didn't want to get a hybrid because of the cost and she fears having a half electric engine.
In doing all the research for her it's tough to swallow all the things the "tdi freaks" recommend like "avoid all dealers they don't work on enough tdi's and will screw everything up".
Is yours automatic DSG? I read that the 40k tranny maintenance is a bitch... like $400 every time. Doesn't really matter for us as we found a 6 speed.
anyway we are going to look at it tonight
- mini cooper gas mileage isn't that great... and test drive one first, the electric steering is weirdly remote feeling...vaxorcist
- BK0
^ It's a great car. We do a lot of camping too and you can haul some serious gear especially if you put the back seats down. It eats hills for breakfast.
Got the automatic and I just used my last free dealer tune-up so I guess I'll find out about all the maintenance now that I have to start paying for it.
The full roof sunroof is super dope too!
- fourth0
Yeah sunroof is great too bad the one we found doesn't have it :/
since you have the DSG auto trans I recommend reading this article: http://news.consumerreports.org/…
- wordssssss0
Got one. Love it. It's new so no complaints. Sunroof is awesome.
Diesel gas prices, at least here in Chicago seem to plateau a bit, and within a certain range, really between 3.90 and 4.35. Where as unleaded can be between 4.00 and 4.70.The one thing I would look at in your area is if the Diesel has more than a 5% blend. Our owners manual specifies ULSD with less than a 5% bio-diesel blend. Anything above that is not recommended and may negate parts of your warranty, but it sounds like you are getting it used so that may not matter. Illinois gives gas stations a break if they have 10% or more, but there are plenty of gas stations that sell non-blended diesel.
- how do you find out the blend?
thxfourth - it usually says on the pump.
looks like this. sometimes its purple.
https://fbcdn-sphoto…wordssssss
- how do you find out the blend?
- mekk0
I have a seat ibiza tdi.
+ lower revving engine at higher speeds
+ no one smokes you at 0-50
+ less fuel consumption
+ less gas price (at least in europe)- higher price
- sound
- slow as fuck in lower rev´s
- higher taxes (in germany)
- more co²so when to drive a diesel?
buy it when you have to drive a lot, then the lower fuel consumption will make effort on the higher price.under 10.000 miles/year > no diesel, it makes no economic sense.
And only buy german diesel cars or hondas. Everything else is shit!
- UKV0
A good friend works on hybrids, and is seeing a huge wave of local trades that need new batteries after just 70 to 90k miles, roughly 3 to 4k USD. That is what a rebuilt / crated motor runs... no thanks. Amazing to me that the dealerships just plunk them on the lot with those kind of issues.
I adore diesels, have owned several and have found them to be just terrific workhorses. They just go and go. Like a hybrid, plan on paying more (and getting more when you sell it), so it will take a while to get it to math out, but once it does you will still likely have many more miles of use ahead of you. I am really hoping Jeep brings the diesel JK to the US next year (I drive a lifted JK now with 35's).
- fourth0
so my GF got it– and I'm pretty jealous. the car drives like a dream and I feel like a flintstone driving a gas car around now.
- akrok0
sup? flintstone. ;-)
- fadein110
TDI is v.normal in the UK. I remember when an American friend visited and was amazed I was driving a diesel car.
@mekk - other diesel cars are not shit. Peugeot made the best diesel engines for years.
- graham0
<- Golf 2.0 TDi (UK)
No problems, no extra hassle. 55Mpg.