Battle of the Nerds as VW Jetta Takes on Hybrids
April 14 (Bloomberg) — With all due respect to Toyota, the Prius is just plain ugly. There’s a good reason for its bulbous shape, which cuts air drag and improves efficiency. Honda’s hybrid, the Insight, looks remarkably similar.
Aerodynamics aside, part of that inbuilt dorkiness is calculated — an honor badge proclaiming that the car is a hybrid and, by extension, the driver a do-gooder. Hark the new world order: Nerds shall rule.
It makes me yearn for the time when your car wasn’t quite so political. {To read on Bloomberg News}
So I quite like the reversal presented by a sedan that makes 40 miles per gallon and is neither Japanese nor a hybrid. There’s something wonderfully throwback about Volkswagen’s Jetta TDI, which runs on diesel and looks like any other boring Jetta. It isn’t sexy, but it’s not trying to make a statement either.
Though diesels don’t get nearly as much media ink as hybrids, they’ve come a long way from their former status as polluting clatter-traps. They now score up to 30 percent better fuel economy and produce some 25 percent less emissions than regular gasoline engines.
These results are due to ultra-low sulfur diesel, direct- injected engines and exhaust systems that collect and filter particulates. The Jetta TDI meets emissions requirements in all 50 states (hello, California!).
Expensive Fuel
While Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz have diesels available in the U.S., one argument against the fuel is that it’s more expensive than gasoline. Ultra-low-sulfur averaged $2.25 a gallon at the end of March, versus $2.04 for regular, according to the Energy Information Administration.
Still, while leases on full-size SUVs may seem unbeatable right now, $2-a-gallon petrol won’t last forever. If you’re shopping for a high-mileage machine and can’t decide if a hybrid or diesel is a better bet, look to your own driving habits and the range of your daily commute.
Hybrids do best in stop-and-go traffic where they operate in all-electric mode for short distances, usually less than a mile. In that situation the engine frequently stays off, using little or no gas. Diesels operate less efficiently in traffic yet excel on the highway.
“A hybrid is best in urban areas like New York or Tokyo, while a diesel is better for long distances because it gets its best mileage at higher speeds,” said John Voelcker, editor-in- chief of GreenCarReports.com. “If your commute is on freeways, consider a diesel.”
Open Roads
The Environmental Protection Agency’s estimate for the Jetta TDI is 29 miles per gallon in the city, 40 on the highway. Over days of motoring on open roads, I consistently clocked in at 42 mpg, numbers in line with an independent testing agency VW hired that claimed 38 mpg in city driving and 44 mpg on the highway. (The new, third-generation Prius gets 50 mpg combined city and highway.)
Two drivers in a Jetta TDI even broke the Guinness World Record for the lowest consumption across the 48 states, averaging 58.82 mpg over almost 9,500 miles.
The Jetta TDI easily bests the gasoline model, which gets mpg figures of 21 city/30 highway. The starting price for the TDI is $22,270, slotting just under the top-of-the-line $22,965 SEL model. (Buyers also qualify for a $1,300 federal tax credit.)
Also available in “SportWagen” form, the TDI models get a 2.0-liter direct-injected and turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 140 horsepower. That’s considerably less than the 170 horses found in the standard five-cylinder petrol engine. Yet as soon as you step on the gas you’ll find a wallop of diesel- powered torque — 236 pound feet versus 177.
Extra Torque
That extra torque is readily apparent and very appreciated off the line, dusting bigger-engined cars at the stoplight. The relative lack of horsepower is mostly noticeable when already at freeway speeds and you want to pass another fast-moving vehicle. There’s a pause as the engine roots around for the extra power.
My test car had VW’s excellent six-speed DSG double-clutch automatic transmission (a $1,100 option), though for some reason it isn’t available with behind-the-wheel paddles.
Scooting the front-wheel-drive sedan around snow-covered roads was both entertaining and involving, though it lacks the steering precision of a big-brother Audi or the on-road feel of a BMW. I took the TDI out on one of the coldest days of the year, and even in sub-zero temperatures, it started right up. It was relatively quiet, too.
In fact, the only reason onlookers might have recognized it as a diesel was because of the unfortunate “TDI Clean Diesel” logo emblazoned in massive letters on the sides — a feature I assume is not an actual option for consumers.
The silver accents on the front grill are likable, but otherwise styling inside and out is best described as benign. In fact I’d only call the Jetta handsome when compared with a Prius, which is akin to Trekkies’ claiming they’re less nerdy than “Star Wars” fans because the series has better writing.
As eco-friendly as the Jetta TDI may be, you’re not likely to notice one in a crowded parking lot. And for a change, that’s a good thing.
The 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Clean Diesel at a Glance
Engine: 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, with 140 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque.
Transmission: Six-speed manual or six-speed DSG double- clutch automatic.
Speed: 0 to 60 in under 8.5 seconds.
Gas mileage per gallon: 29 city, 40 highway.
Price as tested: $24,190.
Best feature: Great gas mileage in a drivable package.
Worst feature: Somewhat cramped interior.
Target buyer: The driver craving a high-mileage sedan sans the dorky hybrid profile.
(Jason H. Harper writes about autos for Bloomberg News. The opinions expressed are his own.)
To contact the writer of this column: Jason H. Harper at Jason@JasonHharper.com.
