Diesels

my gf has one. I love it. 35 mpg city, 45 highway (real world).

look at the Passat too, it's much bigger/more comfortable.

no major difference in maintenance issues, 7500 mile service intervals, requires different oil of course

if you're in a cold climate you may want to look into block heaters, I know that's an issue with big diesel engines, not sure about small ones. we're in Florida so it never gets cold here

 

my gf's car is a manual...make an offer

 

I have a golf TDI with the DSG transmission. Drove the manual didn't like the feel of the stick. The DSG is amazing shifts quick and smooth. Good torque down low, sometimes lags a tiny bit from idle. relatively smooth and quite. Some people experience problems with the high pressure fuel pump, glow plugs and deisel particulate filter. But I have had no problems so far

 

We had a GL 320 diesel - ordered how we wanted it. Wish we still had it. Maryland shouldn't be any trouble unless those damn polar vortexes come back. Diesel fuel isn't everywhere but once you find good clean stations it's no problem. Pick up a box of cheap latex gloves just to be sure you don't smell like a trucker.

Look at an Audi A3 diesel. They've been out a while so maybe a decent buy? Probably no stick.

 

I'll be honest, the shift linkage on VWs it TERRIBLE. very vague and plasticy.

I'd check around to see if there's an aftermarket solution.

and I had a GTI with DSG and it was amazing, but it's expensive to maintain.

 

2011 ML350 Blutec bought new. Nice fuel economy but the car has very expensive maintenance which negates any fuel savings. I honestly think if you did everything at the dealer by the book it would be as expensive to keep on the road as some lower-end exotics. Also at 60,000 miles the car is starting to have some worrying problems, some diesel related some not. Probably will not buy another M-B diesel without heavily researching it again. With that said, will keep it as long as my wife can stand having the same car.

My parents also bought a 2013 Passat TDi last year new. Very happy with it and 45 mpg. Fantastic for a large-ish car.

 

I love Diesels. I wish there were more Euro Diesels offered in the US market. We rented an Alfa 159 (I think) Diesel while in Italy a few years ago and it was a revelation.

 

Good friend has a current body Jetta TDI with the DSG, he loves it but its already been in for warranty work more than once.

 

His is a 2012 with just over 37,000 miles. I don't know what package it is but it has leather and nav and a sunroof and a DSG. He has really liked it.

So far it has had a front wheel bearing replaced, a CV joint replaced, and the entire fuel system replaced. The wheel bearing and CV joint were done a while ago and at the same visit to the dealer. The fuel system was done recently. It was having a problem with the fuel pump and so they replaced the whole system from fuel pump forward to the engine.

Not sure if that is helpful.

 

I wish there was big push for diesels here in the US. I think its a better solution then any electric and hybrid, unfortunately consumers think diesels are bad for the environment. My dad has the Audi A8 TDI and he loves it, 34 mpg. I really want the A8 8 cylinder TDI, 380 hp and 600 lbs of torque!, plus 30 mpg.

 

My DD is an '09 Q7 TDI S-Line, have had it since new and it now has 67K miles on it. For a full sized, 7 passenger SUV, I get an honest 25-30 MPG on the highway and 21 MPG in the city, much better than my previous DD Audi S4 Cab V8!

I've had no issues with it except that I go through tires and brakes every 20K. I would recommend this vehicle to my friends.

Cheers!

 

I share this viewpoint.

My Jetta TDI was a nice car, but not every gas station sells diesel fuel (although this situation is improving). This is a real disadvantage when you're running low on fuel.

Also, the spillage on the ground gets on your shoes (whereas gasoline spillage generally evaporates quickly) and if you are a self-servce aficianado, you may want to carry a pair of latex gloves with you that you can slip on before you refill your tank to keep your hands clean and odor-free.

So while I believe that diesel is preferable to hybrid, the gas mileage of gasoline-engined cars is continually improving, which cuts a bit into the diesel advantage.

Will I ever own a diesel again? I don't think so, but I hope their popularity continues to grow.

 

I've had a couple friends over the years with German cars and they always end up paying huge repair bills out of warranty. I think if I were you I'd have a hard time going from a Mazdaspeed3 to a diesel anything anyway. What about a Focus ST or WRX? The Subarus are supposed to be very reliable. We have a Forester and it isn't a turbo but it has been great.

This is just my opinion, but a TDI VW is basically a transportation appliance. As such, I would look at the Accord or Camry because they're the best appliances out there.

Let me add, I don't see anything wrong with owning a German car. God knows I have driven unreliable cars before because they were interesting to me and that was preferable to the alternative. I just think its good to go in eyes open. German cars are nice, as such they cost more to keep on the road. As with anything else, cost is relative to what you have to spend so what seems a large repair to some might be no bog deal to others. YMMV as they say

 

Diesel is hard to find?????

That must be a NJ thing because every station in Texas I've ever been to has diesel.

I've enjoyed my Audi A3 TDI for just over 2 years and have had no issues and it's been extremely enjoyable.

As Jack said, I wish they offered more Euro diesels here too.

 

Actually, I said that not every station sells diesel fuel, although the situation is improving. I didn't say that it's hard to find, nor did I say that it's easy to find.

I'm a big fan of diesel, but I think that the fuel efficiency of gasoline engines is improving so dramatically that buying a diesel becomes less imperative if you're looking for pretty decent mileage.

 

MB ML350 Blutec. It's my 2nd one as my DD and it's been awesome. Incredible torque and great mpg. Just took the truck to Cooperstown, a 250 mike trip, and got 31mpg. Goes almost 700 mikes on a tank and both the ones I've had have been very reliable.

 

Heavy foot syndrome? Last time I filled up was 5W's/500M's ago.