I drove the new Jetta SportWagen the day after I drove a Porsche Cayman S and — sorry boy-racer types — I'd much rather have this wagon than the Cayman S. It was more comfortable and more practical, which made it more fun for me to drive. It also had some surprising details that helped it score well on the Weekend Athlete tests.
The 2009 VW Jetta SportWagen is strong in terms of handling and interior quality, according to Cars.com reviewer Joe Wiesenfelder, but that may not be the Jetta's greatest advantage as it enters the market. With cavernous cargo room and the fuel efficiency of a car, the Jetta wagon comes along at a time when SUVs have been discredited by how much it costs to keep their thirsty tanks filled. Wiesenfelder predicts that vehicles like the Jetta SportWagen will inherit old SUV buyers.
The new 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI and Jetta SportWagen TDI will come with a $1,300 tax credit, according to a press release by dealer association Volkswagen of America. No, the Jetta TDI isn't a hybrid, but it does have a clean diesel engine, which makes it eligible for an Advanced Lean Burn Technology Motor Vehicle income tax credit.
The Jetta TDI meets the requirements for diesel engines in all 50 states (including notoriously clean California), and the healthy tax credit should help Volkswagen sell the car to a still diesel-averse American public.
There is still a quibble to be worked out over what kind of mileage the TDI gets in real-world driving. After the EPA rated the car at 29/40 mpg city/highway, Volkswagen released a statement saying a third-party certifier had found that under real-world conditions the TDI performed 24% better than that, with ratings of 38/44 mpg city/highway.
As soon as we get our hands on one, we'll be sure to let you know. In the meantime, does a $1,300 tax credit make you more inclined to consider a clean-diesel Jetta as your next car? Check out full pricing of the 2009s here. The TDIs cost roughly $4,000-$5,000 more than base models but are similarly equipped to higher priced trim models. You can compare the 2009 Jettas here.
Volkswagen is trumpeting both the pricing and fuel economy of the new Jetta TDI, which starts at $21,990. This is the much-anticipated new clean-diesel version of the Jetta, and although it's pricier (the gas-powered version starts at $16,990), Volkswagen hopes the vehicle's fuel economy will make up the difference in the minds of car buyers.
Whereas the gas-powered Jetta averaged 21 mpg in the city and 29 mpg on the highway, the TDI is rated at 29/40 mpg city/highway by the EPA. Volkswagen also claims that in real-world testing, the TDI rated even better, coming in at 38/44 mpg.
With the average price of a gallon of diesel at nearly $4.80, it will be interesting to see if the TDI has many takers.
Diesel and VW fanatics have been anxiously awaiting mileage numbers for the first-ever clean-diesel Jetta, and here they are courtesy of the U.S. government: The four-cylinder TDI will get 30 mpg city and 41 mpg on the highway. That’s 36% better than the current four-cylinder and 41.7% better than the current five-cylinder gasoline engines.
The bad news is that the current cost of diesel fuel is 19.7% higher than regular unleaded. Add in the fact that the TDI is expected to cost more than the base Jetta, and the savings aren’t as great as many may have hope for.
Let us know if you think the TDI will sell well when it debuts later this summer.
Official EPA numbers posted for the '09 Jetta TDI - 30/41mpg (Autoblog)
The Chrysler Event of a Lifetime might be hyperbolically named. After all, anyone who considers a year-end car manufacturer sale the event of their lifetime probably needs to do some serious self-examination. Therapy might even be in order.
While they're getting those issues sorted out, though, the rest of us can take advantage of the deals Chrysler's event entails. The automaker is offering a variety of savings on 2008 models, including $3,000 on a 300C (excluding the SRT8), $2,000 on Sebring convertibles, $1,000 on a Town & Country, and $1,500 and $2,000 on five- and six-passenger Pacificas, respectively.
Dodge and Jeep are in on the act, too. Dodge trucks get the highest discounts — $3,000 on the 2008 Durango and $4,500 on certain Ram trims — while the 2008 Jeep Commander and Grand Cherokee get $3,000 each.
A variety of long-term financing deals are also available.
Time is of the essence: current deals expire Monday, Dec. 3, and Chrysler has yet to announce any incentives past the current expiration date. Though surely Chrysler would want to extend the Event of All Our Lifetimes, right?
Check out Cars.com's Incentives page for a full list of deals.
With diesel engines virtually extinct in the U.S. market, we’ve been looking forward to the debut of Volkswagen’s clean-diesel Jetta TDI, slated for the spring of 2008. It now looks like we’ll have to wait a little longer.
Volkswagen pushed back the release of the TDI due to a “technical issue that was found in the late stages of durability testing,” according to a recently released memo acquired by Brandweek. The TDI now appears poised for its debut in late summer 2008.
Part of Volkswagen’s trouble lies in the 50-state test. The U.S. has some of the strictest emissions standards for diesel vehicles, and in order for automakers to sell their cars in all 50 states, it must meet emissions standards set forth in every state, including California and its stringent Air Resources Board.
With a number of automakers hoping to re-introduce diesel engines to the American market in more-environmentally-friendly form, all eyes are on Volkswagen and its new Jetta. Consumer interest certainly seems piqued, though. We’ve already written about the enthusiasm for VW’s diesel vehicles, and Brandweek reported the claims of one VW dealer who says three out of every five calls he receives are inquiries about the clean-diesel Jetta.
VW Launch of New Diesel Delayed (Brandweek via Autoblog)
The Jetta GLI Fahrenheit is a limited-edition version of the highest-performance Jetta in Volkswagen’s stable, but that doesn’t mean a review of the car is limited. Anyone interested in a GLI can glean something from Kelsey Mays’ review of our bright yellow test car. The differences truly are skin deep. On all other levels, the Fahrenheit treatment doesn’t impact the car’s overall appeal. There’s also a handy video if you want to check out the yellow GLI in motion.
On Friday, Volkswagen announced it was recalling 340,000 cars due to faulty headlights. Jetta, Rabbit, GTI and R32 cars from the 2005-2008 model years are included in the recall. As of today, any owner can bring their car in to get the problem fixed.
Faulty headlights can be a hazard in night or daytime driving. No injuries have been reported, and concerned owners can call 1-800-822-8987 for more information.
Volkswagen Recalls 340,000 Cars (CNNMoney)
One of the surprising things about this job is hearing about cars people love with a passion you wouldn’t necessarily anticipate. Possibly the top car on that list is the Jetta TDI -- or any diesel VW, for that matter. Readers have commented that they go to extreme lengths to keep these machines running, even after they would have otherwise traded it in, simply because there is no new replacement.
Come the spring of 2008, there will be. Volkswagen is bringing its new clean-diesel 2009 Jetta TDI to the U.S., and we’re anxious to hear what KickingTires readers think about it.
The news comes in conjunction with VW’s new promotion called The Dieselution Tour, aimed at informing American consumers about clean diesel … and, presumably, to put their butts in VWs. Currently, the only VW diesel on sale in the U.S. is the Touareg 2 V-10 TDI, at a cost of $68,320. Think no one would buy it? We saw one in our parking garage this morning. As for the Jetta, we haven’t gotten full specs on the 2009 TDI yet, but we’ll keep you posted.
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