VW Jetta TDI Gets Green Car of the Year Nod at LA Auto Show
Considering the fact that diesel cars have been nearly non-existent in the US for the last decade, the Green Car Journal’s choice of the 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI as the Green Car of the Year comes as a bit of a surprise — especially because its competition included two hybrids, and a Smart fortwo.
- » See also: Teenage-Built Diesel Hybrid Does 0-60 in 4 Seconds, Soon to Break 100 MPG
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This is the first time that a clean diesel car has won the annual award since it was initiated in 2005. According to Ron Cogan, editor and publisher of Green Car Journal and editor of GreenCar.com:
The 2009 Jetta TDI “raises the bar significantly in environmental performance with its EPA estimated 41 mpg highway fuel economy, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, and extremely low tailpipe emissions. This is all the more impressive when you consider the Jetta TDI is a clean diesel, achieving the kind of fuel efficiency offered by gasoline electric hybrids but in a more affordable way.”
The car has a 2.0 liter turbocharged direct injection engine that uses clean diesel emissions-reducing technology developed in partnership with Audi and Mercedes-Benz. To reduce NOx emissions, the Jetta has a temporary NOx-storage catalyst that holds the emissions until they’re combusted later in the engine.
Even though it’s listed at 41 mpg highway and 30 mpg city, many people are reporting that if they drive a bit slower on the highway and don’t accelerate too hard, they can see nearly 50 mpg on the highway. And, while stingy on the fuel, the car doesn’t sacrifice on performance, boasting huge amounts of low end torque and a 0-60 mph time of 8.2 seconds.
The Jetta TDI starts at $21,990 and is available now — but good luck finding one. I was quoted a 9 month waiting list from my local dealer.
Man, I miss my Jetta. It wasn’t a TDI but it was the new Jetta and it was SO much fun to drive.
they are available at Santa Monica VW last I checked…
nybe,
My local Oregon dealer did say that if you were lucky enough to live in California, there may not be too long of a wait. I guess that’s where VW saturated the market first.
So this will still run as efficiently off of our low sulfur diesel?
Doug,
I’m sure the EPA ratings were conducted with low sulfur diesel because that’s all you can get for on road use in the US anymore - especially if it’s 50 state legal.
Three years ago I had a 2002 Jetta TDI and I have to agree that diesels are the way to go if they can get the emissions down (as apparently they have). That thing got 52 mpg going 75-80.
I have a big hill to climb every day on my way to work and every other manual-transmission car I’ve owned really bogged down by the top of the hill if I left it in 5th gear (as does my current ‘05 Pontiac Vibe). Not the Jetta. That thing would take the hill in 5th like I was driving a Chevette with a V8 (for the younger people in the crowd a Chevette is a small RWD car from the early ’80s slightly larger than a Geo Metro).
It didn’t have fantastic acceleration from a start, but once it was up to speed in 5th you could go from 60-85 in a flash if needed (no downshifting required).
Ultimately, the reason I got rid of it was the stink. I have two young kids and every time I parked the car in the garage and got out (with them in tow…one was just a baby at the time), we’d all get a big whiff of diesel exhaust (when you have small kids, it takes a few minutes to get out of the car). I was worried about it causing cancer, developmental issues, etc. If I’d had no kids, I’d have put up with it and just held my breath as I walked into the house.
Anyway, hopefully the stink issue is no longer an issue.
I had a 2002 Golf TDI and loved that car. I got over 50 on the freeway, no problem.
Kiddo number one came along and we replaced that care with a 2007 Passat Wagon (love that car, too). I REALLY missed my diesel, and was able to get the first 2009 Jetta TDI at Herman Cook Volkswagen here in Encinitas, CA. I still have the right to buy my golf back from the buddy I sold it to. The jetta is really cool, really fun, and I keep smoking the tires at intersections (accidentally) when entering traffic.
I routinely get 38-40 mpg commuting to and from work, and have gotten 42.5 mpg on a trip to Los Angeles. If my recollection of the Golf’s break in serves me, the economy will increase as I get about 8K on the odometer. I have 4K on it now.
Now put that motor in everything else VW makes! (and in an Audi A3 too)
GOOD FOR VW for sticking with this! And this award IS deserved. Way too many people have blocked diesel out of their minds as a good choice for cars. Now, if we could just get VW to certify these for biodiesel blends well over the current B5 which they do approve, we’d be in business!!
Are you listening Big 3, Honda, Hyundai, and Subaru. Give us some diesel choices. Again good job VW thanks!
Oh yeah, only bad thing about this award is I’ll never get one for less than sticker price now that they won the award! LOL
When are we going to get serious about auto mileage? Diesel is stupid for autos. From a barrel of oil we get 2.5 gallons of gas or 1 gallon of diesel. We need more than twice as much crude to switch to diesel. If we waved a magic wand and every car in america had this type of engine we would increase mileage about 18% and double the amount of crude we need. This is progress??? The Green car of the year doubles our crude oil requirements???