Cars
To say the 2015 Volkswagen Jetta TDI isn’t about fuel savings is to miss the point. But to say it’s about all-around money saving is to tell a lie.
If your only mission was to spend less money on personal transportation in the new vehicle realm, jaw-dropping highway mileage generated by a 2.0L turbocharged diesel is not necessarily the ticket to personal financial freedom.
There are much less costly ways of getting around town than in a highbrow Jetta like our test example, with its leather seating, navigation, upgraded audio, and Volkswagen’s dual-clutch direct-shift gearbox.
THE CONCEPT
So why can’t the two objectives comingle? I’d argue that they can, that a new car buyer can enjoy the benefits of an upgraded, torquey, semi-luxurious, and spacious German compact car – and spend the money that’s required to do so – while also enjoying weeks of fuel tank range.
However, it’s not as easy for me to say that as it was in the past. After years of local parity or even diesel-favouring prices, diesel now costs significantly more than regular gas in Nova Scotia. The new turbocharged 1.8L four-cylinder gas-fired engine I experienced in the Mk7 Golf also eats into the TDI’s efficiency advantage in ways the old 2.5L five-cylinder never dreamt of doing. And the CAD $2300 premium for the TDI over that flexible 1.8T is frightening, at least before resale value is taken into account.
The TDI isn’t quite on the same level as a Tesla Model S, whose owner who can afford the initial outlay and enjoys the combination of electrified transportation and ridiculous performance. Nor can a direct comparison be drawn with a Chevrolet Volt owner who accepts the higher price of the car because he finds satisfaction in lengthy periods of electric-only driving without the penalty of limited range. Nevertheless, in a similar manner, the up-front cost and premium at the pump won’t hinder a TDI owner from sourcing pleasure in her car’s real-world pace and its aversion to fuel consumption.
See, just because a new car consumer purchases or leases a car with clear fuel saving intent doesn’t mean the consumer must showcase frugal tendencies across the board. They can still drive the car they want. And strangely enough, despite forgettable styling, a lack of auto headlights, not quite Golf-like steering, some wind whistle around the A-pillar, an antiquated infotainment unit, and one of the less effective DSG pairings, the Jetta TDI is, in fact, desirable.
THE CAR
Granted, I’d argue that it’s less desirable as the equipment level rises. The Highline-trim car loaned to us by Volkswagen Canada creeps deep into Passat territory. Yes, the Jetta is very roomy considering its exterior dimensions – at 182.2 inches long, it’s only two inches longer than a Mazda 3 sedan. But the Passat’s interior is utterly massive.
In Canada, diesel-powered Jettas start at $25,385. The 6-speed dual-clutch automatic adds $1400. Our test car, a Highline with the DSG and the $2495 Technology package (navigation, Fender audio, adaptive front lighting with LEDs) tops out at $33,680, including the $2300 diesel option. A mid-level Passat TDI Comfortline with the DSG costs $32,190.
• Historical Monthly & Yearly Volkswagen Jetta Sales Figures
• 2014 Volkswagen Jetta GLI Edition 30 Driven Review
• 2015 Volkswagen Golf 1.8 TSI Comfortline Driven Review
• 2013 Volkswagen Jetta Turbo Hybrid Driven Review
But remember, the 2015 Jetta is not like the 2014 Jetta. Independent rear suspension aids ride quality, which really is quite serene. The upgraded interior, aside from the laggy touch screen system with its poor graphics, never once let me down in terms of material quality or ergonomics. Jetta steering still lacks the Golf’s sharpness, and the DSG’s lack of instantaneous response works with the comfort-minded chassis to steer you away from aggressive driving on twisty back roads. The Jetta’s overall on-road behaviour, however, provides a mature ambience, leaving me the with the feeling that the Jetta is perhaps better at taking the fight to midsize sedans as a slightly downsized alternative rather than challenging compacts with its upper-crust price tag.
Also updated for 2015 was the powerplant. The diesel is still a 2.0L with 236 lb-ft of torque, but it’s not the same 2.0L diesel of old. It’s quieter, smoother, and just a little bit happier to rev, and it’s also more efficient. The OEE highway rating dropped from 5.7 L/100km to 5.3L L/100km.
THE CONSUMPTION
In a week of driving around the city and its suburbs, the 5.3L/100km this Jetta registered was simply astonishing. With temperatures below freezing and a heavy right foot, the test example easily outperformed its city (7.5 L/100km) and combined (6.5 L/100km) ratings and very nearly matched the official highway figure.
Question the wisdom of spending $30K+ on a fuel miser if you must, but 5.3L/100km in city driving is the kind of mileage that engenders diesel loyalty. I just wish the 2015 Jetta TDI still looked like the fourth-gen model, handled like the Jetta GLI, and could be filled up with fuel that didn’t cost an extra $0.12/litre.
- 2015 Volkswagen Golf Sportwagon Tdi Highline Review - There's Literally Nothing Else Like It
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- 2015 Volkswagen Golf 1.8 Tsi Comfortline Review - You Get What You Pay For
13 years ago, Golf-based Volkswagen GTIs produced 180 horsepower from a 1.8L turbocharged four-cylinder powerplant. Over the last week, I’ve been driving a brand new Golf that’s also fitted with a 1.8L turbocharged four-cylinder. It generates...
- 2014 Volkswagen Passat Tdi Highline Review - A Very Big Car With A Very Small Fuel Bill
Believing that the degree of throttle application matters less to a diesel-fired engine than a gasoline-fired engine, I intentionally drove last week's test car, a 2014 Volkswagen Passat TDI Highline, in an enthusiastic manner for seven days. ...
- 2013 Volkswagen Jetta Turbo Hybrid Review - There Are Actual Gears That It Shifts
Hybrid powertrains are often left to languish not because of their impoverished power figures but because of their transmission accompaniment. There's nothing inherently wrong with continuously variable transmissions. some are very well executed....
- Pricing Identical Volkswagen Diesels With Different Names In Different Countries & Different Currencies
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Cars
2015 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Highline Review: One Form Of Financial Freedom
If your only mission was to spend less money on personal transportation in the new vehicle realm, jaw-dropping highway mileage generated by a 2.0L turbocharged diesel is not necessarily the ticket to personal financial freedom.
| THE GOOD • Mmmm.... diesel • 236 lb-ft of torques • Improved ride quality • Big back seat • Massive trunk | THE BAD • The diesel engine premium • The diesel fuel premium • You don't just want a Golf? • Not the best DSG pairing • Forgettable styling |
There are much less costly ways of getting around town than in a highbrow Jetta like our test example, with its leather seating, navigation, upgraded audio, and Volkswagen’s dual-clutch direct-shift gearbox.
THE CONCEPT
So why can’t the two objectives comingle? I’d argue that they can, that a new car buyer can enjoy the benefits of an upgraded, torquey, semi-luxurious, and spacious German compact car – and spend the money that’s required to do so – while also enjoying weeks of fuel tank range.
2015 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA TDI HIGHLINE Base Price: $ $25,385 * As-Tested Price: $33,680 * Drive Type: front-wheel-drive Transmission: 6-speed direct-shift gearbox Engine: 2.0L DOHC 16-valve I-4 turbodiesel Horsepower: 150 @ 3500 rpm Torque: 236 lb-ft @ 1750 rpm Curb Weight: 3296 pounds Length: 183.2 inches Width: 70.0 inches Height: 57.2 inches Wheelbase: 104.4 inches Tires: Continental ExtremeWinterContact Tire Size: 225/45R17 Passenger Volume: 2665 litres Cargo Volume: 439 litres EPA City: 31 mpg EPA Hwy: 45 mpg NRCAN OEE City: 5.3 L/100km NRCAN OEE Hwy: 7.5 L/100km Observed: 44.4 mpg Observed: 5.3 L/100km * Canadian dollars, includes $1495 in fees. Base price indicates least expensive Jetta TDI. MPG fuel economy ratings from the Environmental Protection Agency. L/100km ratings from the Canadian Office of Energy Efficiency's new 5-cycle testing for MY2015 vehicles. |
The TDI isn’t quite on the same level as a Tesla Model S, whose owner who can afford the initial outlay and enjoys the combination of electrified transportation and ridiculous performance. Nor can a direct comparison be drawn with a Chevrolet Volt owner who accepts the higher price of the car because he finds satisfaction in lengthy periods of electric-only driving without the penalty of limited range. Nevertheless, in a similar manner, the up-front cost and premium at the pump won’t hinder a TDI owner from sourcing pleasure in her car’s real-world pace and its aversion to fuel consumption.
See, just because a new car consumer purchases or leases a car with clear fuel saving intent doesn’t mean the consumer must showcase frugal tendencies across the board. They can still drive the car they want. And strangely enough, despite forgettable styling, a lack of auto headlights, not quite Golf-like steering, some wind whistle around the A-pillar, an antiquated infotainment unit, and one of the less effective DSG pairings, the Jetta TDI is, in fact, desirable.
THE CAR
Granted, I’d argue that it’s less desirable as the equipment level rises. The Highline-trim car loaned to us by Volkswagen Canada creeps deep into Passat territory. Yes, the Jetta is very roomy considering its exterior dimensions – at 182.2 inches long, it’s only two inches longer than a Mazda 3 sedan. But the Passat’s interior is utterly massive.
In Canada, diesel-powered Jettas start at $25,385. The 6-speed dual-clutch automatic adds $1400. Our test car, a Highline with the DSG and the $2495 Technology package (navigation, Fender audio, adaptive front lighting with LEDs) tops out at $33,680, including the $2300 diesel option. A mid-level Passat TDI Comfortline with the DSG costs $32,190.
• Historical Monthly & Yearly Volkswagen Jetta Sales Figures
• 2014 Volkswagen Jetta GLI Edition 30 Driven Review
• 2015 Volkswagen Golf 1.8 TSI Comfortline Driven Review
• 2013 Volkswagen Jetta Turbo Hybrid Driven Review
But remember, the 2015 Jetta is not like the 2014 Jetta. Independent rear suspension aids ride quality, which really is quite serene. The upgraded interior, aside from the laggy touch screen system with its poor graphics, never once let me down in terms of material quality or ergonomics. Jetta steering still lacks the Golf’s sharpness, and the DSG’s lack of instantaneous response works with the comfort-minded chassis to steer you away from aggressive driving on twisty back roads. The Jetta’s overall on-road behaviour, however, provides a mature ambience, leaving me the with the feeling that the Jetta is perhaps better at taking the fight to midsize sedans as a slightly downsized alternative rather than challenging compacts with its upper-crust price tag.
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| All Photo Credits: Timothy Cain ©www.GoodCarBadCar.net Click Any Of Images For A Larger View |
THE CONSUMPTION
In a week of driving around the city and its suburbs, the 5.3L/100km this Jetta registered was simply astonishing. With temperatures below freezing and a heavy right foot, the test example easily outperformed its city (7.5 L/100km) and combined (6.5 L/100km) ratings and very nearly matched the official highway figure.
Question the wisdom of spending $30K+ on a fuel miser if you must, but 5.3L/100km in city driving is the kind of mileage that engenders diesel loyalty. I just wish the 2015 Jetta TDI still looked like the fourth-gen model, handled like the Jetta GLI, and could be filled up with fuel that didn’t cost an extra $0.12/litre.
- 2015 Volkswagen Golf Sportwagon Tdi Highline Review - There's Literally Nothing Else Like It
Anytown Car Mall Sales Rep: "We've had a look at your list of requirements, ma'am, and we're going to present you with our patented Complete List Of Possibilitiesâ„¢ which never fails to identify a range of possibilities that will fulfill...
- 2015 Volkswagen Golf 1.8 Tsi Comfortline Review - You Get What You Pay For
13 years ago, Golf-based Volkswagen GTIs produced 180 horsepower from a 1.8L turbocharged four-cylinder powerplant. Over the last week, I’ve been driving a brand new Golf that’s also fitted with a 1.8L turbocharged four-cylinder. It generates...
- 2014 Volkswagen Passat Tdi Highline Review - A Very Big Car With A Very Small Fuel Bill
Believing that the degree of throttle application matters less to a diesel-fired engine than a gasoline-fired engine, I intentionally drove last week's test car, a 2014 Volkswagen Passat TDI Highline, in an enthusiastic manner for seven days. ...
- 2013 Volkswagen Jetta Turbo Hybrid Review - There Are Actual Gears That It Shifts
Hybrid powertrains are often left to languish not because of their impoverished power figures but because of their transmission accompaniment. There's nothing inherently wrong with continuously variable transmissions. some are very well executed....
- Pricing Identical Volkswagen Diesels With Different Names In Different Countries & Different Currencies
Pricing automobiles is a science for which automakers employ many employees. A science; yes. A perfected science; no. Step too far beyond direct competitors and, regardless of your product's equipment advantages, the car may be priced right out...