Now burning oil

[MikeTangas]

Well boys & girls,

I posted this in the diesel forum because it kind of started there last year but I guess, since it wasn't specifically MB related, no one commented.

Last year I had a line on a nice 1980 300TD, in good shape and reasonably priced. Unfortunately, the owner apparently didn't want to part with it. With the price of gas well over $4.00 here in California and my commuter Honda approaching 300K miles and starting to have issues I had to do something. The Honda was still giving me 24.5-25 MPG and costing me $550+ a month cash for fuel.

On March 17 I woke up and went to the VW dealer, left there a couple hours later with a 2012 Jetta SportWagen TDI. Had a whopping 18 miles on it when I left the dealership. I just am starting my 4th fill up since getting, have a touch over 1800 miles on it now and this mornings fill up showed an average 40.93 MPG. On Tuesday, on my commute to work the instant computer showed I got 50.2 MPG average for my 65 mile one way drive. Once this thing breaks in I think my average will settle in better than 45 MPG regularly. And, even though diesle runs about $0.15 more than RUG does here, I expect my monthly fuel costs to drop by about 40%.

It isn't a Benz by any means, but at least its German. The Jetta runs quiet, hauls butt and accelerates like no diesel I have every driven, to be honet it accelerates like a gasser when you mash the go pedal. When I get the chance to snap a picture I'll post it up to show it off.

I guess I'll have to wait till I reture to finally get me one of the Benz diesels to tinker on.