Forgive me, it's not a Mercedes, but it is still a diesel
 

I would have loved to buy a C class diesel but since Mercedes won't import one into the US I bought this instead and really couldn't be happier!

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/c.../cupcar001.jpg
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http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/c.../cupcar003.jpg
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Nice Car...You could always strip the VW emblem off the grille and replace it with, say the trunk emlem from a 240 or 300 :cool: Actually, I was into VW diesel Rabbits and Jettas before I fell in love with Benz's.

Very Nice car,
I previously did the maint on my daughter's gasser & my FIL 1.9 diesel, and found both to be a well fitted and solid car. Maybe not 500K miles, but ahead of competition. I seriously considered but found too small for my size.
Oddly enough I had to replace the oil pans due to driver's error.

Best of Luck & Enjoy,

oooo cup edition

Yes, I ordered it in January. I was a little afraid that the GTI suspension coupled with low profile (18" 40 profile) tires might be a little too brutal but it handles just like our C300, nice and tight and not brutal at all.

It's a very civilized car. I was on the fence about getting the DSG instead of 6 speed but I am very happy I went with the DSG. The paddle shifting is instantaneous and even though VW makes a very nice manual gearbox I hate driving a manual in stop and go traffic...its just too much work. The DSG is actually rated at higher MPGs than the manual too.

It has almost every luxury amenity a C class has but is a much better value. Bluetooth, ipod integration, climate control, heated seats, NAV, etc. I especially like the fact that every Jetta comes standard with fold down rear seats...something Mercedes makes you pay extra for.

Our 02 Jetta was our first diesel and it is our workhorse averaging 20k+ miles per year.
Fun and comfortable to drive.
The 40+MPG ain't too shabby neither
I still love my Benz's

I hear shredding a lower pan is easy, and of course pretty severe. You can get aftermarket skidplates to protect it.

Very cool, I like what VW did with the Cup edition, they tried to make diesel cool and I think they succeeded.

Nice car!

heh, I keep seeing cup and phonetically sounding out the letters... I have no life...

you mean TDI CUP = TD I See You Pee? My wife figured that one out:eek:

oooo auto? If your gettin' a vw, get a standard.

Very nice car!

I can't wait to see it in person.

Does it beam a VW logo onto the road? Awesome cool car. What's the mpg?

I've heard good things about the DSGs . I know the auto trans from 98 to 2004 and maybe llater they put on the A4 TDIs can break from 120,000 to 250,000 miles and are very expensive to replace. People didn't have much luck with rebuilt ones except for the ones by VW and the cost is 4 to 5 K for a refurbished one. Thats how the VW auto trans got their bad rep. But i think the DSGs are good. I'm sure you'll check it out on TDI club.

When my wife wrecked my auto jetta at 95,000 I pulled engine and sold my tranny for 800.00 to a person who suffered from this syndrome. Incidentally, i put that engine in a beetle that had spun a main bearing by running it out of oil because they ran over a curb and broke the aluminum oil pan. A 200.00 skid plate is a wise investment especially with young drivers.

To each his own...the DSG really is a manual transmission, especially when you have the paddles - except it is faster than shifting with a foot operated clutch and eliminates the possibility of user error. The speed is one of the reasons most "supercars" today are supplied with this setup instead of traditional manuals.

My last Jetta was a manual and it was fine, but this is so much easier to drive - when you don't want to shift just put it in D - and when you do - just flip your index fingers :D

bumpers
 

What happen to bumpers? Looks like it would cost big bucks just to tap a shopping cart in a parking lot. VW/Audi really screwed up the front of their cars.

Just like all the auto manufacturers that put reflectors or tail lights in what used to be the rear bumper.

That certainly is a very interesting grill.....

We have a 2009 TDI and it's been great so far (Uncle has the same car and he has no complaints either) Personally I dislike the suspension which feels quite bouncy but then again you need to look at what I'm using for a comparison basis :)


I like the comparison you made to the C-Class.....I think Mercedes needs to do a better job of having more options as standard on the C in order to better compete with the competition.

I don't consider a C class a real Mercedes-Benz, therefore I would have to own this VW in lieu of any C. However, I don't think I'll be owning a VW anytime soon, even though VW makes a pretty awesome diesel. Enjoy!

BTW, what did you have to give for the car? Or if you don't feel comfortable divulging, what did it list for? Is it an AWD, or FWD drivetrain? Thanks.

This car with DSG has a base MSRP of just over $26K. Add to that the sunroof, body kit, winter mats and trunk liner, NAV and Ipod interface, plus all of the various and sundry charges and the total MSRP is around $32,400. I paid invoice which is about 6% under that number or around $30,600.

This is certainly one of the costliest Jettas around, but I figured I wanted something a little different and it's still a lot less than I would have paid for a Mercedes...even a used E class would have been around $30K.

I've only put around 60 miles on it so far but the trip computer is showing a solid 40 MPG - and none of that was really highway driving. The short distance I took it on the highway had the instant reading around 46 MPG.

Thank you for the frank information.

It took my wireless connection a few minutes to download the pictures - that is one sharp & good looking car! The best one I've seen thus far from VW. Excellent color combination you ordered - I might add. It's hard to argue with A) new and B) 40 to 46 mpg, and C) $30K!

Does the car have AWD?

I would cross-check the on-board computer's computation of your mpg by clocking manually 3 or more tankfills.


A used '06 CDI sedan with low miles (25K or less - what i want) has seemingly become very scarce or gold. Unreasonably priced. I've been trying to find one on a national scope on Cars dot com and AutoTrader dot com. Naturally, I would prefer the I6 configuration engine versus the later model V6.....

Unless I find a 2006 CDI gem of a sedan, and because of the body change from the W211, I believe I might as well wait for a soon to be released W212 diesel sedan becomes a couple three year old unit, and they've taken the initial depreciation hit.

All of the diesel Jettas in the USA are FWD - not sure if they make any in 4Motion (AWD) in Europe. The car does have active stability control, as well as brake assist included and the stability control can be shut off.

Hp/torque figures?

0-60 time?

The stock TDI is 140HP, 236 Ft-Lbs of torque. 0-60 time is supposed to be about 8.5-9 seconds. That's about the same as my old E300 after I chipped it.

The US version has lower power than the euro because of all of the emission controls needed to make it "clean" and 50 state legal. In Europe the same engine is putting out 170HP and can be chipped over 200.

I also forgot to mention you get a nice federal tax credit for buying one too ($1300).

I can't get over how big it is...looks to be approximately the same size as my old '96 Passat tdi. I like the seat material, which appears to be similar to what they used to fit onto the old first-gen Sciroccos.

To be quite honest I can't even tell the new Jettas and the Passats apart.....

I parked it right alongside our C300 and it is very close to the same overall length. According to the written specs it is 179.3" overall length and its width is 70.1". The C300 is 182.3" and 69.7". Wheelbases are 101.5" for the VW vs 108.7 for the M-b, so even though the VW's overall length is only 3" shorter than the C300 its wheelbase is 7" shorter.

In terms of feel, the two cars feel very similar, as I said, there really isn't a lot of difference between them IMHO.

Keeping the C in the garage when the roads are wet or worst is likely the most significant benefit of the VW. This past winter was the first time in many years I did not change over to snow tires on my E320 because it never left the garage when the white stuff was in the air. The VW is much more fun (and no worries) to drive in the snow!

I believe the C is a leased car from what I recall anyway.

dieselgeek.com has proper aluminum skid plates that will protect the engine.

Yeah, I am doing some research on that now. I also think VW makes one which is steel and I might go that route.

Our C300 is a 4Matic and is very good in the slop even with the all season Michelins which Mercedes supplied with it. Joe is right, that car is leased so I am not too concerned about it being exposed to sand and salt...we won't be buying it next year when the lease is up.

But, I was very impressed with the way the little MK IV Jetta I had this past winter did in the snow...every bit as good as the 4Matic - but it did have 4 snow tires so it wasn't an apples to apples comparison.

My hat is off to you sir, that is a very nice car. Enjoy.

While I love our TDI for all the obvious reasons, I do not give it high marks in DEEP snow and that seems to be mostly a matter of ground clearance or lack thereof which Mk4 Jettas suffer from and, though a skidplate does help slide through some, it does lessen ground clearance even more.
I run 4 wheel studded Nokia snows 1/2 the year.

I agree ground clearance is an issue with them...I don't have to go anywhere when the snow is heavy and the roads unplowed so it isn't too big of a concern for me but I could see how that might be for some. It is interesting to note that VW lists the ground clearance for the current model at 5.4" while the C300 is only 4.2". I'm not sure if there is a difference between the TDI and other models because VW only lists one dimension for ground clearance so I assume it is the same for all models.

I'm going to install a skidplate nonetheless - I just need to do a little research on them first to decide which is the best fit for me.

Just turned 5000 miles on the Jetta with no problems so far. Just thought I would post an update. I've been averaging a hair over 40 MPG with it and that is with about half highway and half around town driving. I've done a couple of mods including installing a skidplate and self-dimming mirror with homelink (these were two features that VW didn't offer). All in all I am still very happy with the little Jetta. Next stop will be performance chipping...that is supposed to bring it up to 180 HP :D

"clean diesel". this is how these cars are advertised. by using clean and diesel in the same sentence/phrase. huh

Well, all I can say is that after 5000 miles the inside of my tail pipe is still bare metal. It tells me the car certainly is a lot cleaner than its predecessors. These cars do have some pretty amazing technology - whether it will hold up as well as the old school stuff is questionable, but is really is much cleaner than what most people expect a diesel be.

Automatic?

DPF to trap the soot, periodiacally burned clean by rich injection to boost the EGT I think.

Yep, that's pretty much how it works. You almost never notice it doing a regen cycle except if it happens to be in the middle of one when you shut down, then you hear the fans running. Otherwise, the only thing you notice is the idle gets boosted up a little to about 1100 RPMs during the regen. It only does it about every 500 or so miles. There's no urea injection and the system is maintenance free. You only encounter a problem if you do only short-trip, slow driving (in which case you really don't need a diesel). Then the car can't regen and it tells you by illuminating a warning light. You make it go out by taking it on a 15 or so minute drive at speeds in excess of 37 MPH and it will then regen.

Automatic isn't really what the DSG is, it is an auto-manual gearbox using dual clutches which are controlled by the ECU. This one is nice in that it has paddle shifters for the tiptronic mode. The DSG shifts instantly, is smooth and doesn't suffer from any of the mechanical losses of a typical torque-convertor type auto. I do enough stop and go driving that taking a manual on would drive me nuts. The DSG has the best of both - manual control (if you want it) without the clutch pedal.

It takes a bit of getting used to, especially when you take your foot off of the brake. For people who drive with two feet or are very fast to go from stop to go they experience a lag because the clutch has to engage before the transmission will allow you to move forward. Once you master waiting a fraction of a second after you take your foot off of the brake it is a pleasure to drive.

Set your fuel savings money aside for repair cost. Trust me, I've been down this road. Nice cars but, troublesome BS little things. Then there's the expensive DSG service, TB replacements...

For us especially in the rustbelt. Volkswagon has the most advanced and functional rustproofing system of any car in the world I am aware of. I also thought that neccesity would force redesign for engine ground clearance. Otherwise the skidplate should have been factory suppied. Another consideration is the strong value retention of these cars so far.

Playing your cards right and dumping them at the right time could mean minimal depreciation. You could after the first purchase perhaps stay in them for pretty cheap dollars. Or cheaper than any other car on the market at this time. Thats if you where not undercut by falling new prices. Some of gm and hondas recent customers have been burnt pretty bad I believe.

We might consider another new one. Pick a strong dealer if buying new. The parent companies direct customer service is the worse we ever experienced on a new item ever.

I can only hope someone does not try alternative fuel in one of these. The garage bill to sort the mess out might set records. The tdi injection pumps failed on biodiesel even locally.

The one clincher for the additional money is the integrity of the body structure. Unfortunatly my wife flew through the air upside down hitting a telephone pole just behind the front door about twenty feet above the ground. The car then slid down the pole onto it's roof. There was not a single piece of glass left in the car nor one panel left undamaged. Yet the four doors would still open. The car did a sideways roll or that plus a
forward roll at speed as well before becoming airborne.

I honestly think in either of the daily drivers we use now she would have either perished or been horribly injured. She was not totally uninjured but minor compared to what one would have suspected. That body and structural integrety has to have some real tangiable value in my mind.

Fortunatly she has only written off one other car since then in a hospital parking lot. When I saw the damage I could not believe it. Looked like a highway accident. Our insurance premiums now reflect her driving style.

One observed hint for the new owner. My wife drives the speed limit. She got abnormal life from her tires. Even the dealer was suprised as usually they wore tread off pretty fast. At forty thousand miles or 70 thousand kilometers the tread was still pretty good. This was far in excess of the norm at that time on them. I was just about to replace them with continental tires at the time of the accident. The accident was not tire related. Enjoy your new vehicle.

When buying new cars set your egos aside. Hire a proffessional buyer or a friend that has a consistant track record of getting items at cheap prices. I suspect it would pay dividends.

Decide exactly what you want and turn him or her loose. Another stratagy is to request quotes from several dealers on a letterhead. The dealer you want will usually match the low bid rather than lose the business. The salesmans commision will be eliminated as well. To pay someone money to attempt to beat your brain out is beyond my comprehension anyways.

These stratagies work best if there is a good supply of the model you desire in your region. Take the pricing ball out of their court. Any approach is better than being manipulated at the point of sale. Not that any car sales person would lie.

A variation on the old joke. The persons parents nearly had a fit when they found their son was in car sales. They had been under the impression he had a respectable job by comparison playing piano in a cathouse.

PDK gearbox
 

http://www.theautounion.net/index.php?topic=4462.0

Here you can see the audi monster leaving 4 tracks of rubber launching out of the apex of a corner.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozntieZs8Bg

There's strapping on a bullet for ya.

Luck of the draw in my opinion. You take your chances. Ours had minumin troubles. Many did much worse. Extended warranty or sourcing things from other than dealers can help if required.

I think the power window motor was eight hundred dealer at that time. If no longer under warranty one from an auto wrecker might have been a hundred. Timing belt changes are much longer intervals again now.. Most competent mechanics can change the belts and rollers etc.

Sourcing new oem parts properly can cut the bills substantually. They have probably upgraded many sub standard items like the window regulators by now to stay in business. We never had one fail but again many did. The bad turbo wastegates are probably history by now and where usually caught by warranty back then. Not always though.

The auto transmissions where the real downfall though. I found a passat tdi with about 100k miles a month ago or so by accident. Unfortunatly the automatic being present killed any thought of buying. They were both fuel milage hogs with the automatic and you never knew when they would fail. I asked if he had changed his yet and he had not.

A friend of mine asked me to have a look at one of his. The fix was easy but volkswagon would not sell the parts to him. The tailshaft transfer shaft gears had gone bad. This takes the motion from one end of the transmission to the other end I believe..

Overall I still feel that to maintain a vw diesel car should be much cheaper than the bills you would probably aquire with a new mercedes diesel after and during warranty. As much as I would like one of them this would hold me back from the aquisition of one. In fact just the routine maintenance bills under warranty might be punitive in themselves.

I guess these things do not matter if you are say a dentist. During my visit two days ago. I told him I now understood why they always wear masks now in their proffession.

I have finally decided that there is great simularity between cars and women. You cannot live with or without either of them easily. Although we can usually deal with more than one car at the same time...:D

Actually the Passat didn't have the same tranny as the low-end Jetta and Golf models and was known to outlast the car. I believe it was the same ZF used by Mercedes at the time. The low-end ones were dogs and would die around 100K though.

The problem with the Passat is the balance shaft drive...it was a chain and not gear and would fail resulting in a complete loss of oil pressure...not a good thing. Replacement of that costs more than a transmission!

All new cars are costly to repair. And all cars suffer from troublesome BS items.

As for DSG service, it can easily be done DIY for about $125 plus a one time investment in a apparatus to fill it which costs under $170. You buy that and you can maintain the DSG forever and it only needs service every 40K - for me that's 3-4 years so even if I had to pay a shop $300 or so to do it it's not a killer.

TB's are now 100K miles service...again, it can be DIY or done at a shop for around $600-$800 or so including the water pump - double that if you have a dealer do it.

Those are the two major maintenance items on these...everything else is oil and filters.

Of the three cars I now own, the VW is the least of my worries.

Well you learn something every day. Thanks. I might go back and have another look at that passat. It is a private sale locally and the car has not moved yet. I will check to see if there is a pre emptive strike on that balance shaft issue and the cost to do it myself if there is first.

I really want my wife in something more crash resistant than a japanese car. Just in case. Somewhat more in maintenance if any is not that large an issue for most older guys like myself. We even tend to still do it ourselves. Since we cannot take anything with us it is rumoured. I often wonder why. Just old habits I suppose.

There's a ton of information on the B-S issue on the tdi club site. A good place to start is this post:

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=233651


Good Luck!

Until you face the $4000 bill to replace an ash filled DPF.

The DPF has a limited lifespan (ash capacity) and, unfortunately, that cost puts them on par with owning a hybrid (battery pack cost) as far as long term and second hand ownership.

Sorry, but once again this is misinformation. If the car is running right the DPF doesn't "fill with ash" and therefore has no "limited capacity". It is a filter which periodically gets cleaned by the regen cycle. There is no "replacement schedule" for it and its first maintenance inspection is at 120,000 miles and every 120K after that.

I will concede that it is true that the replacement of the DPF, if it became necessary, would be expensive based upon today's OE parts costs. I also believe that by the time they do start needing replacement at the owner's expense (after the extended federal emissions warranty expires) there will also be aftermarket alternatives that will be much cheaper.

That's always the way these things work out. Look at catalytic convertors as an example. You don't have to buy a $4000 cat from BMW to replace a bad one in your 740 - you can buy it on the aftermarket for $200 that will work. But when cats came out people said the same things...they will make cars disposable when they need replacing - B.S.

VW Used to make a one-piece exhaust from the turbo to the tailpipe which also explained the $4000 replacement cost. Now they have redesigned it so the DPF, if faulty, can be replaced without the need to replace the entire exhaust system so that too will reduce costs. The new models all have the modular exhaust and the DPF alone is $1200 now instead of $4000. That's OE prices, not aftermarket since there is no market for them yet nobody will start making replacements until the warranties start to expire.

I really wish people who didn't know what they were talking about would stop repeating things they hear.

It's obvious that buying a new car is going to involve more expense and unknowns compared to buying old, used technology. There are good reasons and arguments for both sides and I appreciate both points of view. If Mercedes would sell a C class diesel in the USA I would have bought one but having discovered the VW Jetta, and especially this edition which is special, has made me appreciate the new technology and the comfort, safety and conveniences it provides. Is it free or cheaper than driving a 15 year old car? No, it is not - that I will concede. I'll even concede that it probably isn't practical nor can it be financially justified...but some things just don't fit onto a ledger, like the enjoyment of driving something designed since the turn of the 21st century ;)