What Does AZine Think About The Jetta TDI?
The following users liked this post:
thunder04 (04-15-2012)
#42
I guess that's why scheduled maintenance stops at 36k miles .
After I posted I did some Googling about it and from what I've found it sounds like the clutch packs should last well over 100k miles. Since it's a wet clutch system, both clutch packs are composed of multiple clutch rings in each pack, and they're computer controlled (limiting the human misuse/abuse element), I suspect usable life will be longer than a typical manual transmission. I found a post on a TDI forum from 2010 with someone who had an Audi with a DSG in the family with 175k miles on the clock and the original clutch packs.
Though, I'm completely sure that it's dependent on ones driving style. I guess I'll just have to find out...
#43
There are definitely some trade-offs between the TSX and the Jetta TDI, but overall I am in love with this thing .
I'll try to post some pictures tonight and a semi-more detailed review of the Jetta TDI vs my '04 TSX.
I'll try to post some pictures tonight and a semi-more detailed review of the Jetta TDI vs my '04 TSX.
#44
Congrats! My mom bought a 2011 Jetta TDI wagon and loved the mileage but traded it after 2 weeks because she couldnt stand the seat. I thought she was crazy but drove it for about 3 hours and my back was killing me. Kind of odd because I am in a lot of rental cars and drive a lot and never had a problem. Have you experience any lower back pain? Maybe they changed the seats in the 2012?
Mom ended up with a new Passat TDI which she liked until an escalade hit it 10 days after getting it so she hasn't seen it in a bit haha
Mom ended up with a new Passat TDI which she liked until an escalade hit it 10 days after getting it so she hasn't seen it in a bit haha
#46
Congrats! My mom bought a 2011 Jetta TDI wagon and loved the mileage but traded it after 2 weeks because she couldnt stand the seat. I thought she was crazy but drove it for about 3 hours and my back was killing me. Kind of odd because I am in a lot of rental cars and drive a lot and never had a problem. Have you experience any lower back pain? Maybe they changed the seats in the 2012?
Mom ended up with a new Passat TDI which she liked until an escalade hit it 10 days after getting it so she hasn't seen it in a bit haha
Mom ended up with a new Passat TDI which she liked until an escalade hit it 10 days after getting it so she hasn't seen it in a bit haha
Comfort was one of the reasons why I let the TSX go. The drive had become uncomfortable. After 15 minutes of driving my wrists would start to ache, and 30 minutes into the drive my knees would start to ache. I tried adjusting the seat, the steering wheel, and combinations of both. The only comfortable position I found was with the front part of the seat all the way up and the steering wheel all the way down. The problems were that I'd have to adjust the steering wheel up every time I exited/entered the car, it really looked dorky, and the top of the steering wheel would block my view of the gauges.
I think my wrist/hand problem was due to the thickness of the '04 TSX steering wheel and the steering stiffness. The Jetta's steering wheel is much thicker, and the wheel has less resistance, thus being much more comfortable.
My knees, I can't explain. I feel like there is slightly more legroom in the Jetta than the TSX, but not by much. I know the seat goes back farther, so maybe that's part of it.
In any case, the drive was comfortable this morning.
#51
I dropped it off at the dealer today to have "Ultracoat" applied to the interior seats/carpet and exterior paint. Not exactly sure what it is, but it comes with a 6 year protection guarantee and I think I got it for a decent price.
They gave me a Chevy HHR as a rental .
Once I get the car back tomorrow afternoon I'll snap some real pics. Here's one I threw up on Facebook yesterday night when I brought it home:
I was skimming the owners manual and read about "sport drive" mode. I was wondering what "S" was below drive . I'll have to give it a try!
They gave me a Chevy HHR as a rental .
Once I get the car back tomorrow afternoon I'll snap some real pics. Here's one I threw up on Facebook yesterday night when I brought it home:
I was skimming the owners manual and read about "sport drive" mode. I was wondering what "S" was below drive . I'll have to give it a try!
#53
Looking forward to more pics/review. Congrats!
My buddy picked up a new Passat TDI and seriously loves that thing. He drives a lot for work as he is a territory manager, he's getting like 600 miles between fill ups IIRC.
My buddy picked up a new Passat TDI and seriously loves that thing. He drives a lot for work as he is a territory manager, he's getting like 600 miles between fill ups IIRC.
The following users liked this post:
thunder04 (04-19-2012)
#54
When I dropped it off at the dealer yesterday I was at a little over 1/2 tank and the distance to empty calculation was somewhere around 350 miles. If this will be a regular thing, I'll be very happy. With the TSX I refueled about every 3 days. If I can get an extra day in (maybe even two!) that will be awesome simply from a "I-don't-have-to-go-to-the-gas-station-as-often" standpoint.
I couldn't stand the HHR, so I traded my wife (she works in town) and drove her Escape to work this morning .
It hasn't even been 24 hours and I miss my car.
Oh, a friend of mine who bought a Jetta TDI a few weeks ago told me to watch the cetane rating of diesel. Is this really a concern? I don't go to the craphole gas stations, but I do shop where prices are lower within reason. Though, I've never priced diesel until now...is the difference between stations the same as with gasoline? I guess I'll find out soon enough!
We have a Safeway gas station that carries diesel and their gasoline prices are usually second best to Costco (which is the best price in Tracy). I wonder what the cetane rating is of their diesel...
I couldn't stand the HHR, so I traded my wife (she works in town) and drove her Escape to work this morning .
It hasn't even been 24 hours and I miss my car.
Oh, a friend of mine who bought a Jetta TDI a few weeks ago told me to watch the cetane rating of diesel. Is this really a concern? I don't go to the craphole gas stations, but I do shop where prices are lower within reason. Though, I've never priced diesel until now...is the difference between stations the same as with gasoline? I guess I'll find out soon enough!
We have a Safeway gas station that carries diesel and their gasoline prices are usually second best to Costco (which is the best price in Tracy). I wonder what the cetane rating is of their diesel...
#56
. The TSX's interior was a little better, but the Jetta doesn't feel like an obvious downgrade. It's hard to explain. It's not as refined when it comes to details, but I think it's laid out pretty well. It still feels nice.
My only beef is that the door panels and the dashboard don't quite flow together like they did in the TSX. In the TSX, the door panels were molded to flow into the dashboard. Not so much in the Jetta.
My only beef is that the door panels and the dashboard don't quite flow together like they did in the TSX. In the TSX, the door panels were molded to flow into the dashboard. Not so much in the Jetta.
The following 4 users liked this post by Sarlacc:
#58
Sure, I guess.
I will say this. In the Premium /w Nav you get extra silver trim on the dash and doors that helps break up the interior. It makes a WORLDS difference. It's one of those small additions that, IMHO, makes a huge positive impact.
I will say this. In the Premium /w Nav you get extra silver trim on the dash and doors that helps break up the interior. It makes a WORLDS difference. It's one of those small additions that, IMHO, makes a huge positive impact.
#60
^i felt that way when i sat in an A3 at the atlanta auto show. my girlfriend was really disappointed.
any mods planned op? i know you can get rid of that urea filter and get a nice bump in power.
any mods planned op? i know you can get rid of that urea filter and get a nice bump in power.
#61
Nothing other than window tint and maybe a lip spoiler at the moment. I need to do some more research on performance/mechanical mods.
I wonder what VW would say if I bypassed/removed the urea stuffs? I opted in for the 100k mile service contract, so I have to play nice for ~3 years.
I wonder what VW would say if I bypassed/removed the urea stuffs? I opted in for the 100k mile service contract, so I have to play nice for ~3 years.
Last edited by thunder04; 04-17-2012 at 12:32 PM.
#62
Hmm, I haven't really noticed this. I'll pay more attention when I pick the car up this afternoon. It didn't seem too much different than the TSX, but it wasn't something I was actively looking for.
#64
Here are some pictures. I took them fast, so they're not perfect...
2012 Jetta TDI 1 by thunder04, on Flickr
2012 Jetta TDI 2 by thunder04, on Flickr
2012 Jetta TDI 3 by thunder04, on Flickr
2012 Jetta TDI 4 by thunder04, on Flickr
2012 Jetta TDI 5 by thunder04, on Flickr
2012 Jetta TDI 6 by thunder04, on Flickr
2012 Jetta TDI 7 by thunder04, on Flickr
2012 Jetta TDI 8 by thunder04, on Flickr
2012 Jetta TDI 9 by thunder04, on Flickr
2012 Jetta TDI 10 by thunder04, on Flickr
2012 Jetta TDI 11 by thunder04, on Flickr
2012 Jetta TDI 12 by thunder04, on Flickr
2012 Jetta TDI 13 by thunder04, on Flickr
2012 Jetta TDI 14 by thunder04, on Flickr
2012 Jetta TDI 15 by thunder04, on Flickr
2012 Jetta TDI 1 by thunder04, on Flickr
2012 Jetta TDI 2 by thunder04, on Flickr
2012 Jetta TDI 3 by thunder04, on Flickr
2012 Jetta TDI 4 by thunder04, on Flickr
2012 Jetta TDI 5 by thunder04, on Flickr
2012 Jetta TDI 6 by thunder04, on Flickr
2012 Jetta TDI 7 by thunder04, on Flickr
2012 Jetta TDI 8 by thunder04, on Flickr
2012 Jetta TDI 9 by thunder04, on Flickr
2012 Jetta TDI 10 by thunder04, on Flickr
2012 Jetta TDI 11 by thunder04, on Flickr
2012 Jetta TDI 12 by thunder04, on Flickr
2012 Jetta TDI 13 by thunder04, on Flickr
2012 Jetta TDI 14 by thunder04, on Flickr
2012 Jetta TDI 15 by thunder04, on Flickr
#66
I think the TSX's dash may have been soft, but not by a significant amount IMHO. It doesn't look bad to me, and it's not something I regularly touch so it's all good.
The door panel I do notice, but it's not a huge deal to me.
There is a slight rattle, but I'm wondering if it's related to a broken trim piece they found (which I can't seem to find) when detailing/Ultracoating the car yesterday. I'll ask when they call to let me know the part is in. I read some complaints about rattles on TDIClub.com, but I have time to work them out with the dealer. If the service department continues to treat me like they have been (which is really good), then I don't think it'll be an issue.
Last edited by thunder04; 04-18-2012 at 12:54 PM.
The following users liked this post:
thunder04 (04-18-2012)
The following users liked this post:
thunder04 (04-18-2012)
#71
Thanks!
I guess that's why scheduled maintenance stops at 36k miles .
After I posted I did some Googling about it and from what I've found it sounds like the clutch packs should last well over 100k miles. Since it's a wet clutch system, both clutch packs are composed of multiple clutch rings in each pack, and they're computer controlled (limiting the human misuse/abuse element), I suspect usable life will be longer than a typical manual transmission. I found a post on a TDI forum from 2010 with someone who had an Audi with a DSG in the family with 175k miles on the clock and the original clutch packs.
Though, I'm completely sure that it's dependent on ones driving style. I guess I'll just have to find out...
I guess that's why scheduled maintenance stops at 36k miles .
After I posted I did some Googling about it and from what I've found it sounds like the clutch packs should last well over 100k miles. Since it's a wet clutch system, both clutch packs are composed of multiple clutch rings in each pack, and they're computer controlled (limiting the human misuse/abuse element), I suspect usable life will be longer than a typical manual transmission. I found a post on a TDI forum from 2010 with someone who had an Audi with a DSG in the family with 175k miles on the clock and the original clutch packs.
Though, I'm completely sure that it's dependent on ones driving style. I guess I'll just have to find out...
It's a fluid and filter change.
it's not cheap to have it done at the dealer, however it's vital to the life of the tranny.
There are DIY kits that you can buy that include everything you need to do the DSG service (including fluids) for a MUCH cheaper cost. +/-$150
The following users liked this post:
thunder04 (04-18-2012)
#74
Even if you have to pay more $ for DSG service, you should do it. It's absolutely the best automatic transmission in the market. I was amazed how fun it is to drive the current GTI considering the factor that it is an automatic transmission.
Last edited by JS + XES; 04-18-2012 at 06:17 PM.
#75
#77
#80
Yesterday and this morning I paid more attention to the material make up of the interoir of the car, and the only place, I think, that is hard plastic in the Jetta TDI that was soft in the TSX is the door panel between the door handle and the arm rest. Otherwise, I think the interior material composition (soft/hard surface ratio) is pretty similar.
I think the TSX's dash may have been soft, but not by a significant amount IMHO. It doesn't look bad to me, and it's not something I regularly touch so it's all good.
The door panel I do notice, but it's not a huge deal to me.
There is a slight rattle, but I'm wondering if it's related to a broken trim piece they found (which I can't seem to find) when detailing/Ultracoating the car yesterday. I'll ask when they call to let me know the part is in. I read some complaints about rattles on TDIClub.com, but I have time to work them out with the dealer. If the service department continues to treat me like they have been (which is really good), then I don't think it'll be an issue.
I think the TSX's dash may have been soft, but not by a significant amount IMHO. It doesn't look bad to me, and it's not something I regularly touch so it's all good.
The door panel I do notice, but it's not a huge deal to me.
There is a slight rattle, but I'm wondering if it's related to a broken trim piece they found (which I can't seem to find) when detailing/Ultracoating the car yesterday. I'll ask when they call to let me know the part is in. I read some complaints about rattles on TDIClub.com, but I have time to work them out with the dealer. If the service department continues to treat me like they have been (which is really good), then I don't think it'll be an issue.