Many dealers report selling out of Jetta TDI, Tiguan TDI possible
Volkswagen dealerships are reporting strong demand for the brand-new 2009 Jetta and Jetta Sportwagen TDI. Some dealers have even sold out before their first TDI even showed up on the lot, despite the fact that customers won't actually be getting their cars for at least another month or so. The two-thousand dollar premium buyers are asked to pay along with diesel prices, which are hovering in the $4.70 to $5.00 range, have not hampered buyers' hankering for a new fifty-state diesel passenger car. It probably doesn't hurt that VeeDub oil-burners have a reputation for über-reliability, with a number of sales coming from past TDI owners.
In contrast to strong Jetta TDI sales, VW's other recent model, the Tiguan, is not doing as well as hoped. How about adding a diesel engine option to the little crossover? Apparently, dealers are asking and they may get what they want. After all, the Tiguan's engine bay readily accepts the TDI engine from the Jetta since the two vehicles share a similar Golf-based platform. Our affection for the oddly-named mini-ute would surely increase exponentially if it were granted the turbo-diesel.
Gallery: 2008 VW Jetta CleanTDI
Gallery: First Jetta TDI Cup race
[Source: Automotive News - sub. req'd]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
TDI_Nick 9:09PM (7/14/2008)
Good news about the pre-orders for the Jetta. Why not offer some choice with a TDI Tiguan CUV? Even better would be a TDI Rabbit without a lot of electronic gizmos so it's more reliable and lighter than Jetta!
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ale 10:18PM (7/14/2008)
exactly! Rabbit TDI for 17,995! that be da ____ (insert catchy ending phrase)
javier8a@aol.com 10:34AM (7/16/2008)
I owned one of these puppies. I replaced 7 window motors for which they offer and extended warranty instead of fixing the regulator problem, their turbo sensors fail constantly($800.00 to repair) their clutches fail in 1\10th the time of a Toyota or Honda and the car requires a belt change at 50k($800.00) When gas reaches $25.00 a gallon, it might make sense to buy one of these cars for it's super gas mileage. Buy a Malibu or Honda, you will be much better off.
Find a Jetta Blog and you will find similar comments.
ford 1:03PM (7/16/2008)
why don't u boneheads buy a car made in the US? Maybe someone would support your profession then if they had some $$ to spend!
Nobody Special 2:42AM (7/15/2008)
Affirmative on the Golf TDI with a basic package - way 'Oop Nort' here in the states, old diesel Golfs/Rabbits and Jettas are used until the bodies fall off.
Why not have a wind-up window Rabbit with a diesel, just simplify it in some way. VW has to understand how resilient we are when it comes to cars and practical when we have to be. How could they not have a diesel Tiguan? Of course it would increase sales - I've only heard naive' comments from VW bosses about city driving habits of Americans - why don't they spend some time talking to VW shops and drivers in rural areas?
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kook43 12:29PM (7/15/2008)
All reviews and announcements, I'd read, for the past year or so before the Tig was supposed to be released in the states indicated TDI. I was not happy to find out it was supplanted with the flippin' TSI gasser. Added to which the higher than in-class price for it and no wonder it's not selling very well. Put in the TDI, keep the same price and you've got a buyer in me V'dub.
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Rick 2:45PM (7/15/2008)
The Tiguan is hot, but it's a guzzler of sorts and is expensive. They need to drop the price and offer a better engine, 19/26 in that small class isn't going to fly.
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Mr E 10:55AM (7/16/2008)
ONLY 33 MPG Diesel combined EPA???
To me they are really green washing the Jetta TDI.
I would rather have the Prius or even better - bring back a car like the insight. The Prius lower price, no diesel premium, less CO2 even accounting for the fact that the EPA low balls diesel (real world is ~40 MPG), a LOT less smog forming emissions. Plus if you need such oil burner for its size, then the Prius hatch is more functional for sluing around stuff. The TDI is still slow, the Insight beats the old ones.
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Todd 8:32AM (7/16/2008)
Wanna talk about green?? If you haven't already, rent the movie about GM's EV1. The car had a 150 mile range with lithium batteries. About 80 percent of all american drivers commute less miles than that on a daily basis. Plus the nice thing is that electricity is already everywhere, everyone already has a "gas" station in their garages or on the side of their houses called an electrical outlet. We should abandon further research on these alternative fuels like hydrogen and e85 and go electric since the infrastructure to recharge electric cars exists and has existed for 90+ years. Wouldn't it be easier to govern the emmissions of 1700 power plants versus keeping ("smoggish") tabs on however many millions of cars we have in this country.
Wanna talk about emissions, how about zero emissions - not even water. The way global warming is going, we are soon going to have a surplus of that. It just pisses me off that every automaker is trying to perfect a low emission alternative. GM, Honda, Ford and Toyota as well as others I'm sure, have all had sucessful electrics in the past. Duh!!! just build those - you dummies!! Just my humble opinion.
Ricardo Santana 8:55AM (7/16/2008)
Go to Youtube and seach "How they Killed the Electric Car". You will see a one and half our long movie narrated by Martin Sheen. Check it out...EV1 was a good and functional concept. My commut to work is less than 5 miles. Yet GM decided to remove the car from the market. Idiot car makers. Think how much that car would have evolved by now. They would have had a very functional response to today's market had they kept up with the technology. Also, now the Japanese have betteer technology because they kept along with it!
wxman 11:43AM (7/16/2008)
Mr E - actually, the 2009 Jetta TDI has less "smog forming" emissions than even the squeaky clean Prius based on the CARB certification data if you take evaporative emissions into account (which definitely should be included).
You guys are being brainwashed by environmental groups into thinking only NOx is "smog-forming". HC and CO emissions are also "smog-forming".
asburyjohnny 7:04AM (7/16/2008)
Just another ploy to try to boost sales. Car dealers are struggling...hmmm... maybe it's because they increase their prices very year, dealers and salesmen are deceptive and mostly underhanded, and the most important reason... most people just cannot afford these outrageous prices for a vehicle. There's no shortage. Just a nice little advertising game to make the gullible think they have to rush out and buy one. This country is going to shit.
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Bill 8:15AM (7/16/2008)
Screw the Vee Dub, why can't American cars offer these bennifits?? Is the Auto war that far apart??
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jim 8:51AM (7/16/2008)
My Fellow Americans.......
You are too slow in making the auto industry develope cars that do not use fossil fuel, and also making the government come up with a plan to get the guzzlers off the road. Gasoline should be $10 or more a gallon, maybe then you would finally wake up and start bitching to get something going, but you'll just keep driving your kids to school and their pianno lessons in your big gas guzzling SUV til there is no more gas, then you'll whine for your government to war a country for their oil, and you'll have to walk to the grocery store, what a LOL
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Al 8:45AM (7/16/2008)
The Germans have become the new British when is comes to the reliability of their electrical and electronic systems. Wizbang features are worth little if they don't operate reliably.
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kathy 8:49AM (7/16/2008)
i have had 3 jettas, my last 2 being TDI. we love it!! great mileage and a great car. i would def buy another, hands down.
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Ricardo Santana 8:54AM (7/16/2008)
I have been a VW owner since 2003 when I bought my first VW Passat. I have the current 07 model as well. I went in to look at the Tiguan and I was amazed at how poor the gas mileage was for such a small CUV. The turbo 2.0T engine sucks! Wait until they go TDI.
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VDUBBER 9:29AM (7/16/2008)
Everybody missed the VW new beetle Diesel....no longer offered, but got 40 -45 mpg no sweat.
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ls 9:44AM (7/16/2008)
Yes, the EV1 was quite the machine, and GM recalled all of them, they were leased out, and proceeded to crush them. There just wasn't enough after market goodies and maintenance services to sell, and the oil and gas industry were in a panic over it. Technology has advanced in spite of this kind of bs, and range has almost doubled for a charge. The Tesla electric sports car puts in super car performance, going 0-60 in under 4 seconds. So, there really is no excuse now, including practicality and performance.
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Joan 9:50AM (7/16/2008)
My 1980 Rabbit DIESEL ran on home heating oil (same as diesel) and got 50 MPG!!! All the new add-on's has made today's cars more hogs for fuel.
Bring back a basic auto without all the money-making gadgets for the manufacturer combined with new diesel technology and you would have something that sells like hotcakes.....
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