1998 Volkswagen Jetta TDI
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Cars are rated one (forget it) to four ('bout as good as it gets) James Deans.
Specifications
GOOD STUFF
BAD STUFF
Mileage!!! Doesn't go vrooooom Range Fuel availability Price Value Make friends with truckers
First, The Bottom Line
It was an American automaker that gave diesel cars a bad name. Colossal failures from General Motors placed a black eye on the image of a car with a truck engine. As a result, no American car maker offers a diesel-powered car. To get one, you'll need to cross the ocean. Why would you?
How about a cruising range of 700 miles? How about 49 miles to a gallon of gas at highway speeds? How about a vehicle that runs like a Swiss watch, can idle for days without overheating, and yet has the power to perform at acceptable, if not exciting, levels?
That's exactly what the Volkswagen Jetta TDI offers (as does Mercedes-Benz on a more pricey level).
Frankly, my own view of diesel-powered cars needed cleaning up. I, too, saw the ugly failures from GM and laughed at aging, black-smoke belching behemoths that seemed such misfits only a few years ago. They couldn't get out of their own way. But rising fuel prices in much of the world make the incredible mileage of diesel vehlicles suddenly desirable. And the engines of old are gone, replaced by clean versions that meet air standards. In fact, this particular engineering wonder of a diesel emits 20 percent less carbon dioxide than a comparable gasoline engine. It's even legal in California.
It's easy to imagine a Greenpeace enthusiast buying the Jetta TDI (perhaps trading in a kayak with 100,000 miles on it and only a small harpoon scratch). But it's more difficult to imagine the average American doing so. Diesels still have downsides for many: A sound that can't match the rumble of a gas-powered V-8; power that can pull a house off its foundation but can't launch the car in a cloud of tire smoke; and the fact that a person can't pull up to his or her favorite service station and find a diesel pump.
These and other considerations will continue to make the diesel-powered car a bit player. But choosing one today need not be the dirty little secret it was in the past.
Safety
The Jetta TDI is a car. It has car safety. It has not been shortchanged on safety features the way so many trucks are. Thus we find dual air bags, height-adjustable belt restraints, daytime running lights, child safety rear door locks and child seat anchor points in the rear, crumple zones, side guard door beams and a cage construction. Side air bags are a $395 option. Regretably, so are anti-lock brakes, at $775. Our tester had neither.
Handling
This Jetta handles like any other Jetta -- which is to say VW doesn't lie when its ad says "Drivers Wanted". It's a handler.
A rigid body over four-wheel indepedent suspension means a car that can corner flat and true (of course, getting up to cornering speed is another matter). The steering feel at highway speeds is exceptionally good; a bit firm when parking.
Particular kudos to stopping power. The Jetta is not a heavy car, weighing a fat baby over 2,500 pounds, yet the front disc brakes are 10 inches in diameter. Compare that with the diameter of brakes on some heavy sport utilities, trucks and minivans. Now maybe you'll understand why those owners sometimes have to replace brakes every 10,000 miles.
The small 32-foot turning radius of the Jetta TDI means you'll dart into that parking place first time, every time. (I've grown very weary of vehicles with near-40-foot turning radiuses. You can't even back out of a cramped space in some parking lots.)
Make no mistake. The TDI is not a performance whiz. Far, far from it. It's slow. But it shares the superior handling characteristics found in the Jetta GTX, which won't win LeMans with its V6 engine but is nevertheless fun to drive fast.
Performance
Zero to 60? Yes. Eventually.
Ninety horsepower demands a manual transmission and, by using the gears, adequate performance can be attained. In fact, I chirped the front tires twice during rapid acceleration. But most takeoffs are leisurely, to say the least. There is a different feel to diesel vehicles, which almost always feature good pulling power but poor launching power. So it is with the TDI.
I didn't try it, but I had the feeling I could launch from dead idle by just popping the clutch. Very little rpm is needed. Release the clutch and depress the accelerator. That's it. Off you go. Launch at higher rpm and you can actually feel torque steer from the front wheels.
Once rolling, the TDI is much like any other car. If called upon, it can easily top 100 miles per hour and stay there all day. But passing power is woeful and downshifting is a constant requirement for acceleration needs.
Piddley concerns
for TDI fans. NO ONE interested in performance would ever put a diesel
car on a buy list.
| Acceleration (mph) | 0-30 | 0-40 | 0-50 | 0-60 | 0-70 | 0-80 | 0-90 | 0-100 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elapsed time (secs) | 3.4 | 5.1 | 8.1 | 11.0 | 15.7 | 20.9 | 30.0 | 45.7 |
| Top speed | 109 mph | |||||||
| Quarter mile | 18.1 @ 75.1 mph | |||||||
| Slalom | 61.6 mph | |||||||
| Lateral acceleration | .83 g | |||||||
Comfort
Again, this is a Jetta that just happens to have a transverse-mounted, in-line four cylinder, fuel-injected, turbocharged 1.9-liter diesel engine under its hood. Those considerations don't have to impact comfort. And in the TDI, they don't.
But there is one consideration that might be negative for some people: engine sound. You do hear the diesel and I've never met a car enthusiast who confessed to loving the diesel sound. Turbo sound? Yes. Mustang sound? Yes? Corvette sound? Assuredly. But diesel? Never met an ear turned on to this tune.
Since horsepower is puny and frequent gear shifting a necessity, a TDI driver will hear the diesel more than the driver of gas-powered Jettas will hear their gas engines. If this doesn't bother you, forget it. But be aware that the sound is present much of the time.
The interior of the TDI is well thought-out and front seat room is plentiful. The rear area is more cramped. Standard equipment includes cruise control (I would not want any vehicle without this feature today). Air conditoning was an $860 option; a sunroof was a $590 option.
Parting Shots
How much of a compromise is a diesel engine? Fuel availability. Diesel sounds. Launching power. Those might be negatives. But it's now a short list, you must admit.
Is a diesel car right for you? Well, if fuel availability is not a problem, but fuel prices are, then it might be. If the idea of getting 700 miles from a 14-gallon fuel tank has appeal, then this is your baby. If your trade-in has clattering valves, you'll love the TDI.
Be aware that the Jetta is the next Volkswagen model that will undergo a complete redesign -- for 1999. The Passat went through a metamorphosis this year and emerged in this writer's opinion as the best value among all cars. It's terrific, light years improved over the earlier Passats. Next year's Jetta might be worth the wait.
'Nuff said.
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