VW TDI any more reliable than standard VW?

[TheAdvocate]

My wife owns a 2000 Jetta TDI, purchased used in 2002. Incidental, but this one had every available option for that model year, so it's a very comfortable car. Aside from having to replace the glowplugs twice (long story - think we ran into an unscrupulous dealership), we've had zero issues. Our TDI continues to average just shy of 45 miles per gallon, which is twice what my V6 Toyota gets. The fuel is ~33%-50% more expensive, but it's still much cheaper to drive than my car.

We're at a point where we need to get a larger car for an expanding family (%#$@ kiddie seats!), and we're faced with selling the TDI. My wife is heartbroken about it, and my father in law has already offered $2500 less than what we paid for it (we got a great deal on it - it had a door ding that we fixed). Overall, it's had the lowest cost of ownership of any car I've owned, including a Corolla that I paid $4k for and put 215,000 miles on.

 

[Sukhoi]

Good posts...this is going to be a hard decision. If only there was one car that had everything I am looking for.

 

[Redfraggle]

I used to sell VWs and grew up around and aunt and uncle that swear by the brand. They mostly have good experiences, though one Jetta had the famed electrical issues. The interior of VWs seem not to bind well to their paint, and it peels over time for some reason and in a way I never saw on any other brand. The drive well, and are designed well. Sadly, those chose some poor suppliers for certain parts. This has really hurt the brand, even though they seem to be coming out of it. While I love them, I am hesitant to get one myself still. The diesel engines were known to last much longer, with fewer scheduled maintenance visits.

 

[Pliablemoose]

Originally posted by: Arkaign

Originally posted by: Pliablemoose
I've owned 2 VW diesels, last was an 03 Golf.

1.) Most oil change places will refuse to change the oil because they use a cartridge rather than a canister oil filter, the $90 oil changes are real to keep your warranty, VW calls for synthetic grade diesel engine oil.

2.) Modern diesels are lighter duty engine blocks than diesels of old particularly passenger diesels.

3.) Modern diesels use many more electronic engine control systems than they used to, so the legendary troble free engines are very much like their gas brethren now.

4.) Look at the price of diesel VS the price of gas, the purchase price premium of a diesel engine, the operating expenses, and the price of diesel have pretty much killed any savings.

5.) Engine longevity isn't that great a difference now days, properly maintained gas engines can go well over 200K miles.

Unless I got an insane deal on a VW diesel, I'd buy something else. (I got the 03' Golf for the price of a gas Golf, they screwed up on the ad in the paper and ran the wrong price for a week, they had to sell me one at the advertized price or the state's attny general would have fined them. And I threatened them with exactly that

Thanks for the informative post relating your direct experience with the subject at hand, and congrats on the killer deal on the ad mix-up

I've had 4 diesels myself and my dad had 2 while I was growing up, I currently drive a 99' F250 with a 7.3L turbo/intercooled diesel.

 

[DVad3r]

Speaking from experience and driving a 2000 Jetta Diesel I can say that the car has amazing mileage. I drove from TO to Milwaukee on a tank of gas and still had some to spare in a loaded car. My friend who owns the car sold it, but he said that the car had a lot of problems, mostly electrical. Gages and shit would burn out, fuses burn out, there was always something blinking or indicating a problem on the HUD. Other then that the car was cool.

 

[NAC]

I had a 2002 Golf TDI. Bought it new, drove 44k miles over 4 years. Sold it after the four years at the height of gas prices for exactly $4400 less than I had bought it for. So it had cost me $100 a month (excluding insurance, taxes, interest, etc). Really held its value.

I had NO problems with the car. I bought special Mobile 1 Synthetic for Diesels, forget the name. Oil was pricey - like $25 a gallon I think, and it took just over one gallon per change. Bought filters at PepBoys, and then brought the filters and oil to my local mechanic who charged a small fee to change the oil - probably under $20, but I forget.

One of the services including cleaning the interior air filter, which is hidden in the dash and was I think a couple hundred in labor. That was the only maintanance "issue" I recall having.

I loved the car, it is a joy to drive on the highway. No need to downshift from 5th on the highway because of the wonderful torque. Fuel economy averaged about 45 mpg. I highly recommend VW diesels.

Also: another plug for www.tdiclub.com. Great forum.

Alas, I needed more space, and haven't found a replacement I like better than the Golf - first had an oversized Ford, and now an overpowered Audi.

 

[chris7b]

Engine may or may not be more reliable but the rest of the car is a VW. Things will fall apart...SOON!