My current daily driver is a '91 Jetta IDI that gets close to 50 mpg. It's suits my commute perfectly well and is actually a very well built car (would have been even better without all the extra plastic they added to get the "big bumpers" look). I had been running my Rabbit pickup until some crazy Korean chick rearended me (lightly) at a light and I realized how vulnerable that heap was (the rigid bed ends right at my a$$ and it's a unibody-ouch- still drive it, but it's semi retired). I feel a lot safer in the Jetta as there's a lot of crumple area behind me and I can control things playing out in front of me.

Anyway, the Jetta, with the proper gearbox (this is a code ACH, they came with a lousy AWY one) is more than a match speedwise for a 240D stick. It's feels very competent up close to 70, whereas I would never think of thrashing a 240D like that. Probably a lot like a 190D stick, but I have never driven one.

Of course, this doesn't help the OP, as they didn't come in automatics, but for the rest of you luddites...

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80 300SD (129k mi) 82 240D stick (193k mi)77 240D auto - stick to be (153k mi) 85 380SL (145k mi) 89 BMW 535i 82 Diesel Rabbit Pickup (374k mi) 91 Jetta IDI Diesel (155k mi) 81 VW Rabbit Convertible Diesel 70 Triumph Spitfire Mk III (63kmi)66 Triumph TR4a IRS (90k mi)67 Ford F-100 (??)