Volkswagen TDI Models

moparbad · February 2003

04 TDI's.
VW will be offering the following engines for '04, 1.9 Liter PD, 100 HP (New Beetle, Golf and Jetta), 2.0 Liter twin-cam, 134 HP (New Passat, with a Start of Production of 45/03), 5.0 Liter V10, 310 HP (New Touareg SUV, SOP week 45/03).
All of these engines will be "45 State" legal and can't be sold in CA, MA, NY, VT, and ME which all adhere to "CA emission Standards".
This may change because California is looking at their current (diesel) standards and may roll the back due to their impact on this issue.

VW is working on this problem an anticipates a "50 state car" at some point.

lewshel · February 2003

Last Saturday I put down a deposit on a 2003 Golf GLS TDI. I was told that "it was in the port (Boston?, Providence, Rio?) and would be trucked out on Monday.
The salesman said (twice) it would be out "that night" (Wed. and then Thursday)
I was on the dealer's website and noticed that the VIN for the car I ordered was there, it had been there before. Have they lost my car in the back of their lot?

bpeebles · February 2003

(lewshel) Our TDIs must have been on the same ship. My salesman also called to inform me that my vehicle has arrived at port. (Boston for east coast vehicles Wilmington for others...he said)

He gave me a timeframe of "3days to 2weeks to show up" and attributed this to the time it takes the vehicles to pass incoming inspection and be sorted for trucking.

He also said that bad weather (snow) brings the process to a standstill since there are 1,000s of vehicles to clean off and move around on the docks.

bpeebles · February 2003

I can make an educated guess why your dealers website is showing the VIN....

With VWs, no one actually "orders" a vehicle. The factorys have pre-set build instructions for the model-year and an 'orderd' vehicle is just 'matched-up' with what is alleady in the build plans.

Your dealership has known for MONTHS what VINs they will be getting. Perhaps they published the VINS on the website when they received the numbers.

I was told that if a customer does not 'order' by mid-March... those customers should expect to wait for a 2004 vehicle. (or compromise on the desired options)

I lucked-out during the 'match-up' process and got everyting except some "monsoon" option that I did not request.... the salesman did not want to lose the sale over this so he offered a VERY good price on this "monsoon" thingy to close the deal.

moparbad · February 2003

http://autoweek.com/search/search_display.mv?port_code=autoweek&a- mp;cat_code=columnists&content_code=05010616&Search_Type=- STD&Search_ID=1034374&record=4

chmeeee · February 2003

I just read that this afternoon in the new issue of Autoweek, its a great article.

lewshel · February 2003

Car arrived at dealership today (Friday).
I will take delivery Monday.

I have not purchased a VW since I bought a 1976 Rabbit 2 door with cloth, sunroof, 4 speed and 75 carbureted hp.(about $4,100.) We kept it for 6 years and 90,000 miles. I look forward to 200,000 miles over 8 years with the TDI.

ddram · March 2003

Hey folks

Thank for the help on your TDI insight...

Now I just need to find a dealer in The Los Angeles area that knows how to get the car I want... the dealers that I speak with say I will have to order the Blk on Blk, 5 speed w/leatherette TDI Beetle - but, from one of the last posts - it sounds like they don't really order - they find it in the production list... hmmm...wierd. Anyway - here in California it seems very difficult to find a 5 speed TDI.

Later

bpeebles · March 2003

Where is your dealer located? (State, town)

As I said above, I am pretty sure that my Jetta was on the same ship that yours was and am expecting a call from my dealer here in Vermont at any time.

lewshel · March 2003

Auburn, MA.

Car arrived Friday and will be ready Monday AM.

ezshift5 · March 2003

.............NOT SO great for CA.

Been driving an '82 VW diesel pickup since coughing up $3400 for it in '85. Approaching 300,000 miles on the motor.........replaced the head gasket one time....that's it for the little 4-cyl. Mileage ranges from a low of 40 to a high of just under 55. And this is old technology?

Bring on a new TDI VW Pickup...........

chmeeee · March 2003

Hey, thats where I got mine!

bpeebles · March 2003

http://www.upsolute.com/eng/news-open.html

lewshel · March 2003

I tookdelivery of my black 2003 Gold GLS TDI yesterday. It really is a solid little car. It weighs more than the 1997 Mazda 626 which I traded in. Once in 4th or 5th it is as quiet as a gas car. The heater is almost too powerful. When I stopped to fill up the tank I met an old friend whop has been driving a New Bettle TDI for several years and loves it. My only complaints are the potent "new car smell" and the armrest which gets in the way of easy access to the emergency brake lever.

8u6hfd · March 2003

Does that really mean our sulfur levels in the diesel #2 is acceptable for TDI's PD and meet its emissions?

chmeeee · March 2003

The armrest/e-brake thing really got in my way for about the first week, and then I was just used to it. Its just a habit to reach around now.

PDs - I think the reason they havent wanted to bring them over is not that they wont work, but just that they wont work as well.

moparbad · March 2003

http://compactcars.about.com/library/bltest_golftdi.htm

8u6hfd · March 2003

except for the common rail...

akangl · March 2003

I read a few of the posts here and is it true that VW is going to up the HP for 2004 on the TDI? I'm looking at buying an economical wagon this next winter. I did want a minvan or suv, but can't justify the gas hog nature of them. I drive about 30,000 miles a year and plan on keeping my next car a minimum of 5 years.

I've owned 2 Jettas, a 94 2.0 and an 01 1.8T, I loved them both and both were great cars. No problems with the 94 and only 2 problems, the battery (dealer's fault) and the throttle body control unit, on the 01. I had the 01 for 8 months and put 20,000 miles on it. I think it averaged mid 30's on gas mileage and was a blast to drive. Only thing I hated was the velour interior (who's the idiot who thought of that??). If I buy an 04 TDI wagon I'll keep with my trend of red/black, only leather this time!

I think its going to come down to a Jetta and an Subaru Outback (I know, not the same class, but awd). Hubby is a diehard VW fan, so that will probably win out.....heck, I love them too.

vocus · March 2003

Didn't you trade the Jetta for the Grand Cherokee? Just wondering, I thought I recogized your username. How have you been?

lewshel · March 2003

I have owned my 2003 TDI Golf for one week. On my trip to NYC from Worcester, MA I got 50mpg and I was coaught in a snow strom the entire way. The VW tracks fine in a blizzard. I was using the Michelin all-season tires as I have not purchased snow tire yet. We also own a 1992 Subaru AWD Legacy wagon which we bought new. It is now in California with our son and has more than 155,000 miles on the odometer. It has some rust (but since the paint is the color of duct tape it is not noticable at 30 feet) but the engine is sound, the exhaust is original and I expect the car to last to 200,000. I considered another Subaru but they are boring to drive unless you get the WRX. The backseat in the Outback Sport is dreadful.The AWD gets 22 mpg in the city and 26 on the highway. They are well-made cars and the bigger Outbacks are fully the equal of the Passat IMHOP.

lewshel · March 2003

I have owned my 2003 TDI Golf for one week. On my trip to NYC from Worcester, MA I got 50mpg and I was caught in a snow storm the entire way. The VW tracks fine in a blizzard. I was using the Michelin all-season tires as I have not purchased snow tire yet. We also own a 1992 Subaru AWD Legacy wagon which we bought new. It is now in California with our son and has more than 155,000 miles on the odometer. It has some rust (but since the paint is the color of duct tape it is not noticeable at 30 feet) but the engine is sound, the exhaust is original and I expect the car to last to 200,000. I considered another Subaru but they are boring to drive unless you get the WRX. The backseat in the Outback Sport is dreadful. The AWD gets 22 mpg in the city and 26 on the highway. They are well-made cars and the bigger Outbacks are fully the equal of the Passat IMHOP.

vocus · March 2003

Sorry, can't agree with that one, not when it comes to the interiors anyway. Subarus (even the top line LL Bean models) look alot cheaper inside than the Passats do. They handle a little better, but also have AWD and not all the Passats do.

Subarus are very reliable cars though, and less trouble-prone than VWs. My uncle has an 88 or 89 Subaru 4WD wagon that he uses to bang around the mountains of NC. The car has 211K miles on it, and still runs.

natescape · March 2003

Word on the street is 100HP for the Jetta/Beetle/Golf and 134HP for the new TDI Passat(!!!!).

akangl · March 2003

Yup, that's me, I traded my 01 Jetta for a 98 Grand Cherokee, then lost the Grand Cherokee to repo man in November. Long story, but we lost pretty much everything. We are well on our way to recovery though and won't have any trouble aquiring a Jetta this next winter.

akangl · March 2003

A TDI Passat?? Wouldn't that be awesome. Hmmmm, if they do that I might have to get a Passat instead of a Jetta. My kids are already grumbling about the Jetta, they say its too small, but if that's all we can get with the TDI they'll live through it.

vocus · March 2003

Sorry to hear about the Grand Cherokee.

I was just listening to CNN, and they said 308,000 people lost their jobs in February in the US. What a mess...

I had the Mazda when you were on the boards, but I ended up getting an 02 Jetta 1.8T in November, 01. I am thinking about a wagon due to growing needs, and would definitely consider a TDI Jetta or Passat. And yes, the new PD TDI models should be out in 2004, including a Passat.

Best of luck for your recovery!

akangl · March 2003

Its no biggie about the Grand Cherokee, its just a car. The Escort I bought in December for $1500 has turned out to be a great car, never a problem.

I'm not sure that the little bit of extra room in the Passat is worth the big extra money it will take to buy it. I'm a miser these days and want the best fuel economy for the least amount of money.

I love driving our 94 Chevy, but dang, 10 mpg is a killer. My Escort averages 28 mpg, even my 1.8T did better than that with an average of about 34 mpg. I think I drive too darn much!!

natescape · March 2003

Word all over is we'll definitely be getting the new 2.0L TDI Passat at the end of 2003/early 2004, in sedan and WAGON form. All will have a tiptronic tranny.

If I were rolling in dough, I'd be first in line to get a wagon.

Also, VW will not be selling ANY 2004 TDIs in the 5 CARB states: California, New York, Massachusetts, Vermont, and Maine. I live in Mass.

vocus · March 2003

You have a chipped TDI, right? I had some questions about its performance, would appreciate if you could email me (in my profile). Thanks!

akangl · March 2003

Wow, a TDI Passat, that's cool. Only bummer is the tiptronic, that would make me not want it. I hate that thing, I only drive a manual transmission in a car. I've driven one Passat with a tiptronic and it was aweful, big delay when accelerating from a stoplight and just in general no fun at all. Also, I think it takes away from the fuel economy of the TDI. I sure hope they offer a manual transmission in the TDI Passat.....otherwise, count me out.

deuskid · March 2003

I have concluded diesel and am down to buying either a new Jetta or a used E-class Mercedes, say 95-98. They are comparable in cost and I was wondering if anyone has done a comparison.

I wish we had more options in the USA. I understand that the Volvo based on the b20 engine is a wonderful diesel. Oh well.

I drive about 30K a year w/ most of it highway.

Please give me your thoughts.

chmeeee · March 2003

If you are looking for mileage, then go with the VW. I believe the MB gets much less mileage due to its larger size and the auto tranny. The Jetta is a great car on the highway.

sebring95 · March 2003

I agree with chmeeee. If you're just looking from something fairly nice the Jetta can be bought with quite a few options, and it drives very nice on the highway. I'm not big on luxury cars for commuting. I put about 30k miles per year on my Jetta TDI for business and keep my Audi A6 parked at home. The maintenance and repair cost of the "flagship" brands are too high to be piling the miles on IMHO. VW costs aren't extremely cheap compared with domestic/japanese brands, but they're a far cry from slapping parts on an E-class. I think they're a nice compromise between affodable, comfortable, and fun.

vocus · March 2003

I would rather be putting miles on a new car with a warranty than a used one that's gonna cost an arm and a leg to repair and maintain. Just my opinion.

liguor60 · March 2003

My only real issue about getting a diesel is the cost of fuel aruond here. In the past few months I have found Diesel fuel jump from approx. 1.79 to about 2.30 depending on which gas station I came across. I guess I really have to sit down and do some of the quick math between both. Currently I own a '99 New Jetta with 133000 miles on it. It might not be that bad of an idea to buy another one. Although I've still got my eye on that TDI.
Choices, choices.....

vocus · March 2003

Just think though, that the diesel fuel will take you 50mpg while a gallon of the regular will take you about half the distance in the same car. Diesels to take longer to heat up, and the fuel smell is pungent too. Those are about the only negatives about diesel though. Of course, it's not as clean as a hybrid or gas car, they say.

The good things: No tune-ups to pay for, and also 10K service intervals. The TDI is also cheaper than the turbo and only a small bit more expensive than the 2.0 models are. If you drive alot (and it looks like you do from the above statement), a TDI could cut your commuting costs considerably.

I have an 02 1.8T, and I wish (especially with gas prices the way they are now, and the fact that I have 33.5K on my car already) that I looked closer at a TDI. There's always next time though...

sebring95 · March 2003

prices are usually a bit unstable in the winter, but I think this summer diesel is going to be less than gasoline. Locally diesel has been anywhere from $1.40 in November to around $1.80 at the cheapest. There is usually a fairly big swing between stations, even though they may not be that far away. Up until this week, diesel has been about $.05/gallon higher than gas, but both gasoline and diesel were $1.69 last night. I drove 40 miles this morning and diesel and regular unleaded were both $1.85 here. 40 miles $.16, go figure. I buy in bulk though so I'm still pumping $1.79 stuff into my car.

vocus · March 2003

As everyone seems to know, MD is a 'hotbed' of biodiesel. I would definitely be getting that if I had a TDI. It's cheaper and burns cleaner from what I have heard from TDI owners in the area.

sebring95 · March 2003

Yeah, I've heard similar. Biodiesel was a tad over $2.00/gallon (B100) last time I checked around here. Closest station that carries it is about 45 minutes. I'm thinking about running it this summer if nothing else but to clean out the fuel system:)

I noticed you were checking into chips earlier, are you going with a chip or box or none?

I'm running a VASB.

Kirstie_H · March 2003

A journalist with an international newspaper is interested in hearing from people who've bought Volkswagens in the last few years. If you'd like to share your story, we'll need your daytime contact information, vehicle model and year and, if you like, please also provide a brief overview of your ownership experience to date. Please respond to jfallon@edmunds.com by Tuesday, March 25.
Thanks for your consideration and participation.

vocus · March 2003

I don't have a TDI, so I don't know about chipping or whatever. I was thinking about trading my 02 1.8T for a TDI wagon later this year, but that's not a definite yet.

I have been to a TDI get-together, and know about the UP chip and swiss cheese airboxes though..

I also met a guy, as I said before, who had his car running off veggie oil. Amazing!

natescape · March 2003

Averaged over time, diesel is typically about the same price as regular gasonline. In the summer, it's typically cheaper and in the winter, it's typically more expensive. It costs more in the winter because production is shifted to its sister fuel: home heating oil.

But because of the superior MPG, diesel would have to be 30-40% more expensive than gasoline for it to cost as much to drive your car.

Vocus, I would strongly disagree about it being pungent. I don't think it's any more strong smelling than gasoline... it's just different.

As for the b100 at the pump, you can get a bunch of 5-gallon jugs, go and fill your car and the jugs, then blend it into your next few fill-ups and run a lower percentage. That's what I used to do, until I secured b100 drum delivery to my home. Now I just fill up in my driveway.

And biodiesel emissions are sweet. Might even make you hungry.

dgawlak · March 2003

I,m considering a 2000 or 2001 TDI. I only travel 5 mi. to work. Is this going to be a problem for the diesel fuel economy ect...
Should I go with the 1.8T instead?

natescape · March 2003

Short trips are bad on any car, and will hurt the fuel efficiency of any car. Make sure any car driven in such a manner is taken out for a "run" (as in, on the highway) of at least a half hour on weekends.

vocus · March 2003

I don't think you would truly reap the benefits of the TDI as much as one with a longer commute would. Used TDIs can be hard to find as well, from what I have heard. Your car probably won't have time to even produce heat in the little bit of time you drive, but they are very nice ones and far less complex than the 1.8Ts are.

maurcedes · March 2003

If you only travel 5 miles to work, you should be riding your bicycle. Seriously. At least three times a week.

deuskid · March 2003

Pardon my ignorance, I'm only now researching a Jetta TDI purchase, but I'd like a quick explanation of what aftermarket chips and boxes that are available, why [isn't the stock TDI adequate] and the cost/benefit and potential harm from using them.

thx

chmeeee · March 2003

The stock TDI is most certainly adequate, I love all the torque that mine has stock. I am looking into a box simply because I like power, the more the better. I have driven chipped TDIs before, and they really give you a kick in the pants when you drop the pedal.

The cost is about $400, depending on what you get. Really the only potential harm from using them is possible warranty problems if something breaks.

sebring95 · March 2003

Any more questions???? LOL!!

There isn't enough space to type everything available for the TDI's. In a nutshell:

Chips are available as an upgrade to increase power. These are rather permanent upgrades and are said to void warrantees.

Boxes are a "plug-and-play" item that can be hooked/unhooked in a matter of minutes and have almost as much of a power increase as the chips. These void the warrantee as well, however since they're easily removed....you get the picture.

In stock form, I feel the TDI is more than adequate. It's performance numbers may not be as high as other cars, but real-world driving they feel very strong IMHO. The chips add about 25% more power which is huge in terms of upgrades. That's why they're so popular. Some are better than others you just have to shop carefully. Figure $300-$450 will cover a chip or a good box.

There are literally tons of other mods that can be done to increase performance even further. If driven reasonably you won't lose any economy with these mods, so it's the best of both worlds.

I've installed a amsoil air filter and a VanAaken Smart Box (VASB) to mine and that's all I have plans for. The performance is more than adequate and I'm still averaging mid-40's in mpg. From my research the VASB is the best box but it's expensive. Some of the other boxes can cause a little smoke, or other issues. The VASB has been seemless for me, just a nice increase in power right across the board. Upsolute appears to be the preferred brand of chips.

Obviously if you push for too much power, reliability becomes an issue. The european Jettas when stock have about the same level of power as ours after we "chip" or "box" them. The clutch is the weakest link and bumping power too high will compromise its' life. I believe the other drivetrain components can handle the power just fine.

It's quite common to chip diesels. They react much more positively than a gas powered vehicle. I have a controller in my Ram diesel and I can bump the power in stages. I can jump up 120hp just with the push of a button. Cost me about $700 just for that but can you imagine the cost to add 120hp to a gasser?

Volkswagen TDI Models

Comments

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles