VW Clean Diesels Get $1,300 Federal Tax Credit

It looks like the new line of clean diesels from VW, including the new Jetta TDI and SportWagen, will be eligible for a $1,300 Federal Income Tax Credit.
VW made the announcement earlier in the week after receiving notification from the IRS that clean diesels would meet the “Advanced Lean Burn” motor vehicle income tax credit.
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This is a nice perk for anyone considering a new VW. The new 2009 Jetta TDI and SportWagen start out around $21,990, so this credit might actually give them a slight edge on the Toyota Prius, which costs about $21,500.
But the Jetta still wont beat the Prius on fuel economy, even with its “upgraded” rating. See 2009 VW Jetta Mileage Revised to 38/44 MPG.
More on the 2009 Jetta TDI Sedan / SportWagen:
- VW Debuts Tiguan HyMotion Fuel-Cell Vehicle and 2009 Clean Diesel Jetta
- 2009 Jetta BlueTDI Comes to US This Summer, Sports 60 MPG and Cleaner Emissions
- Clean Diesel Cars Coming to US This Fall: 2008-2010 Timeline
Source: VW Press Release







I think the Jetta Sportswagen diesel is a great car. I have a 2003 Jetta now, and haven’t had one problem with it, which is more than I can say for other cars I’ve owned!
I like the Jetta wagon better than the Prius for my purposes, because the Sportswagen actually has a decent sized trunk, where the Prius’ trunk is really small because of the battery. I use my car to haul a lot of stuff, both for work and for personal use, and the Prius just doesn’t fulfill my needs. I doubt I could stuff a 6 drawer dresser or a loveseat into a Prius! Wagons are the swiss army knives of cars!
The Prius’ trunk is smaller than the regular trunks on a lot of cars, and the gas mileage isn’t that much better than the Sportswagen. And VW will let you fuel with B5 Biodiesel (5% Biodiesel, not much), and still cover the car under warranty, which will at least offset your oil use a little bit.
Wonder if there is a line to get these like the Prius?