Nuts & Bolts
2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI sedan

Sunday, October 5, 2008

Complaints: The tested Jetta TDI came with an optional six-speed transmission that could be used as a manual or automatic. For this one, I would've preferred the standard, traditional five-speed manual gearbox to optimize driving pleasure and possibly mileage. Also, there are too many trim levels, 32, in the Jetta line.

Ride, acceleration and handling: The Jetta TDI gets excellent marks in all three categories.

Head-turning quotient: Classic warmth -- a stately compact car that knows how to smile.

Body style/layout: The Jetta is a compact front-engine, front-wheel drive family sedan. It is also available as a wagon (the SportWagen).

Engine/transmission: The tested Jetta TDI came with a 2-liter, 16-valve, inline four-cylinder, turbocharged diesel engine that develops 140 horsepower at 4,000 revolutions per minute and 236 foot-pounds of torque at 1,750 revolutions per minute. The engine was mated to an optional six-speed transmission that could be operated automatically or manually. A traditional five-speed manual gearbox is standard.

Capacities: There are seats for five. The trunk has 16 cubic feet of luggage space. Ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel capacity is 14.5 gallons. Warning: Using dirtier, traditional diesel grades in this car could ruin its exhaust system.

Mileage: We wanted to keep this one -- an affordable, fun-to-drive car that got 36 miles per gallon in the city and 42 mpg on the highway.

Safety: Standard equipment includes four-wheel disc brakes with antilock protection, side and head air bags, electronic stability and traction control, rigid body construction. This one gets a five-star federal safety rating for side-crash protection, four stars for frontal crash protection.

Price: The base price on the 2009 VW Jetta TDI with optional six-speed manual-automatic transmission is $21,990. Dealer's invoice price on that model is $20,743. Price as tested is $22,839, including $199 for optional iPod adapter and a $650 transportation charge. Dealer's price as tested is $21,569. The Jetta TDI is eligible for a federal tax rebate similar to that applied to gas-electric hybrid cars. Prices are sourced from Volkswagen, Edmunds.com, and Cars.com, an affiliate of The Washington Post.

Purse-strings note: A diesel lover's delight that, for the moment, is pretty much in a class by itself.