20th Aug 2009, 09:44

I would have preferred a stick shift TDI Jetta 2009. But it was not available. I bought the only TDI Jetta left at my dealer, a Sportwagen. Auto manufacturers tend to "package" their vehicles. I would not want to live without electric windows anymore. So the automatic Triptonic gears are OK. Actually, I love this new diesel. Driving diesels is problematic in the USA. Biggest problem: one simply cannot get them, except at Mercedes and VW dealers, and VW diesels go fast. VW has eliminated even the diesel in its Passat model.

I have driven diesels for more than 40 years. My previous diesel was a Jetta Turbodiesel 84. It was not yet the directly injected TDI. But it was a great little car. Probably less well built than this 09 model. I put 240,000 miles on that car before I sold it.

I have another diesel in my garage, a 67 Mercedes 200 Diesel. I bought it new in 67. It is in mint condition. It has more than 300,000 miles on it. I received two high mileage awards from Mercedes Benz. I sold the Turbo Jetta 84 only because I had a gas Jetta 89, which drove better with much less mileage on it. I had my money for the 84 Turbojetta two hours after I put an ad in the Want Ad Digest.

We have diesel nuts in the USA. They talk about putting cooking oil in the tank and even buy some machine in their garage to clean the stuff they get at Burger King. It appears that besides gas-hybrids, the biases against a fuel efficient diesel are impossible to transcend in the USA. The main reason: We appear to be incapable of weaning ourselves off the Utopian ideal of cheap fuel.

22nd Sep 2015, 21:15

Too bad VW cheated by faking emission tests and marketing "Clean Diesel" to fool North American drivers and the EPA.

Wonder if it runs clean if we use frying oil?