First Drive: 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI

[ahmed_7erzon]

We've said it before: There is no automotive silver bullet that saves money, reduces environmental impact, and gets us off foreign oil all in one shot. At least not at the moment, given the current state of technology, infrastructure, government statutes, and business case realities. But Volkswagen has chambered a round that moves the game forward by a fair amount. VW has sold diesels on and off in the U.S. market since 1977. All were good,


most were slow, and they suffered from the old maladies that have been associated with diesels for decades.

Forget all that.

The Jetta TDI Clean Diesel sedan and wagon are here, featuring cutting-edge technology, substantially better mileage than a gasoline engine, and affordable pricing. The company estimates that about 25% of Jetta sedan sales will be TDIs, perhaps a bit more for the SportWagen. And...drum roll...it will be offered in all 50 states and meet the same emissions requirements as do gasoline-fueled cars. Everyone wants to know the numbers, so here they are.

The Jetta 2.5, powered by a 170-hp inline-five-cylinder, is EPA rated at 21/29 mpg (manual transmission). The TDI makes just 140 hp from its 2.0L turbocharged diesel I-4 and delivers an EPA estimated 30/41. Compare the averages of 25, and 35.5 mpg represents roughly a 10 mpg improvement. Yes, this is a simplistic look at a complex scenario, and your mileage will vary, but it's at least a metric for comparison. And the difference, folks, is huge.

Here's another number that will impress you. The Jetta's five-banger is rated at 177 lb-ft of torque. The TDI gurgles out 236 lb-ft and does so from 1750 to 2500 rpm. It's torque that moves the car, especially in low-speed passing situations, launching out of corners and away from the lights. The difference, again, is huge. The TDI meets 50-state emissions regs using a combination of catalysts and particulate filters and doesn't require a urea-injection solution system as do some diesels.