I haven't had a chance to play with the DSG, but I think the manual transmission is the best option for the TDI. The 5-speed in mine is very smooth-shifting and the car is a pleasure to drive.

__________________
2004 VW Jetta TDI (manual)

Past MB's: '96 E300D, '83 240D, '82 300D, '87 300D, '87 420SEL

Sounds like you are just used to having to drive around with your foot to the floor. I know i am in my 240d. When i get in the jetta it takes me a few minutes to get used to it. However, mine only downshifts when its almost floored. It makes enough torque to accelerate just fine without having to downshfit. Its a quick little car. As far as the DSG goes, you cant beat it. Not even with the 5spd manual. I've driven both.

__________________

Thanks for the heads up on the 09 VW TDIs - I think the MA dealers may already have them

I agree with you on the 1 series diesel - the 123d. The engine is just amazing (on paper), even if (in my opinion) the 1 series isn't the best looking car out there.

40+mpg and 200+hp from a twin-turbo 2.0l diesel? Awesome

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcCfKwU8OPo&feature=related

__________________
2008 BMW 335i Coupe

I was by a dentless place and he had to pull the door skin off the GTI! It was a completely weird construction.

He wasn't happy. I had a TDI and it ran good, but servicing it was always a pain. I did the timing belt but if you pay for it- it will eat your fuel savings. $600-800. How about the plastic impeller on the water pumps? Plastic clips which break and the door glass falls into the window? The coatings peeled off interior parts, antenna went bad, interior cloth on the door panels...

but great resale value- it was one of 2 in our whole metroplex! VW ppl are fanatical- but I've done a bunch of benz stuff through the years and it was all EASIER!!

Oh- VW struts and power seat, door motor etc have been problematic as they age back to the 80's.

Michael

The timing belt is one thing I'm not looking forward to, but I still have a long way to go (every 90K miles for my model). MB's have crappy window regulators as well, at least in the rear doors of the W210's. No problem with power seats in my TDI, because they're all manual. You're right on the resale, it's as good as it gets.

__________________
2004 VW Jetta TDI (manual)

Past MB's: '96 E300D, '83 240D, '82 300D, '87 300D, '87 420SEL

And the cost of paying a mechanic to change the MB timing chain is that much different?

I agree about the flimsy "accessory" parts like window regulators, door handles, etc. but the motor and manual gearbox are rock solid. Plenty of 300,000+ mile cars over on tdiclub.

Not quite the same feel as an MB, but great value for the price, and as you mentioned, the resale value is so high it's silly.

But despite it's shortcomings, the 45 mpg you'll get is what makes it worth it, particularly with today's fuel prices. Too bad they're the ONLY option for a 4 cyl diesel car right now in the US. If Mercedes offered the new C220 CDI with manual gearbox here, I'd be the very first customer standing at the dealer at 8am with checkbook in hand.

__________________
'98 E300 turbodiesel

You might want to head down to your local BMW dealer then.
New 3 series BMW diesel is coming to the US soon. I think it has more torque than the V8 in the M3.

__________________
Kevin

1978 300D
1979 240D

Considering that you might have to roll on a timing chain at 300k miles, maybe sometimes they last as long as the motor...

Timing belts are not that hard to do, I did it on the Jetta I had and it was no worse than the Toyota.

I can see why the shops love them, they can probably do 2-3 a day at $400-$600 a pop.

If you do it yourself the MB is a better deal, the T belt kit cost me like $50 for the Jetta and it needed one every 60k. A timing chain and tensioner on my 603 is around $150, but you only need to do it every 300k miles or more. Both are pretty straight forward to do, the chain is simpler to get at and not covered in BS plastic that snaps. When you start taking them apart you can see where the cost difference went, the VW isn't half the car the MB is.

__________________
2016 Corvette Stingray 2LT
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

I've wrapped more than my share of chains in MB's at shops....

Done timing belts on many cars- VW tdi is a swine. Cost for a DYI person is greater... I can wrap a chain in and peen the end over with no special tools and quickly. I use to charge $300 to install a chain in a OM 617 with the chain. That would be a grand in the VW. Big difference and it lasts longer...


Never had a MB water pump impeller crack... Window regulators for VW/Audi's are $400-500 range where Benz's run closer to $150 and they seem to fail LESS often. For the someone with good mechanical ability, I think the Benz wins for repairability.


Michael

Absolutly, the MB is a better car. The newest one I have done anything on was an S430, and they are still pretty mechanic friendly cars. The worst job I have ever done on a MB was engine mounts.

The worst car I have ever worked on was my old Toyota, or any Toyota for that matter, they suck. Throw away junk. Luckly they don't break very often. Even on the 07 Rav, when it gets old its getting traded, just like a fridge.

The Jetta was right their with it, VW are almost as bad as GM in the engineering department. They put that big intake with lots of fragil vacum lines over the spark plugs. If I bought that car as a keeper I'd just change them once with 100k mile platnum plugs and never do them again. Everything is plastic, so after 10 years it all snaps. They are throw away cars.

GM is just as bad too, they enjoy putting oil filters in crappy places, and making it so you have to take half of the car apart to get to the battery or a headlight bulb.

__________________
2016 Corvette Stingray 2LT
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200