2009 Green Car Of The Year: The Volkswagen Jetta TDI
by Justin Thomas, Virginia on 11.20.08
Today, the Green Car Journal gave its 2009 Green Car of the Year award to the Volkswagen Jetta TDI at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The 2009 Jetta TDI is a quiet-running, diesel-powered car. It beat out hybrids and mini-cars to take the title. The Jetta uses a technology called "clean diesel" which actually lives up its name pretty well. It has a very clean tailpipe, and an EPA estimated 41 mpg highway fuel economy.
The Jetta has a diesel particulate filter to further reduce particulate emissions, and it has uses a NOx-storage catalyst, which is basically a reservoir that temporarily holds the noxious emissions, like a particulate filter, until they can be burned off during one of the engine cycles. Because of this, it is one of the first cars to qualify a Tier II Bin 5 vehicle (equivalent to California's LEV II rating), therefore allowing it to be sold in all 50 U.S. states.
The Jetta TDI has a 2.0-liter engine with a common-rail fuel injection system, instead of VW’s traditional mechanical system, that uses piezoelectric fuel injectors. This technology permits higher injection pressures, which better atomize the fuel and make it easier to control pollution. The car gets 38 mpg in the city, and 44 mgh on the highway. Many drivers report that they get 50 mpg regularly in the this car.
When I test drove the new Jetta, I found that it responded well in the city and on the highway too.
The 2009 Jetta TDI is eligible for the $1300 Advanced Lean Burn Technology Motor Vehicle Federal Income Tax Credit. It sells for $21,990 and up.
Link: Jetta TDI
1. Why Jetta TDI vs. the smaller Golf TDI?
2. Wouldn't the green car of the year be a used one?
If it's "98.5% cleaner than vehicles in the 1970s," doesn't that mean it's dirtier? I'm so confused.
So looking fwd to pumping biodiesel into this bad boy!
That is strange. I have a 2002 VW Jetta wagon and my car gets on average 53 mpg. How could the new one only get 41?
Test drove one, and it's got this annoying dead spot in its acceleration curve. Press down and it goes... pauses... and then continues.
Also, VW needs to update its dashboards and electronics. Blah green and gray LCDs are so '70s looking...
I have the 2004 VW Jetta TDI and it's the best car I've ever owned. Very fuel efficient: we got about 45mpg on a cross-country road trip. And it stops on a dime.I think I might go test drive the 2009 to see the differences.
The VW Jetta is a great car, and now with this new green version, and being received so well, the green car movement has once again thrust forward. The Jetta has been a well respected car for the past 20 years. Jetta has positioned itself to be a respected car for the next 20. Good job, VW!
I've been wanting a jetta TDI for a while now and am planning to run it on biodiesel (03 and older only). You can always buy a tuning chip and turn up the turbo boost and or fuel for more power. This is and OG hypermiler.
It's easy to get too excited about the mileage delivered by diesel cars. By comparing miles per gallon (or the ass-about liters per 100 kilometers we use in Australia) you obscure the fact that a gallon of diesel produces about 20% more carbon dioxide than a gallon of gasoline.
41 MPG in a diesel produces as much CO2 as 34 MPG in a gasoline-powered car. The Jetta might be OK, but it's nowhere near good enough.
In Australia, that means that 5.9 litres/100km diesel is the same as 7.1litres/100 km petrol.
Too bad Golfs don't come with this motor : (
I'd like to see Volkswagen's Tiguan as a TDI too
Joe,
I think you may be misunderstanding the point of diesel vehicles. They may produce more C02 per gallon, but that is because the fuel has a higher energy value than gasoline. Combustion also occurs at a higher temperature and cause more "complete" combustion in new diesel motors, this generates more CO2 but less of the other polluting components such as CO.
Beyond that, if biodiesel is used (which is renewable) the generation of CO2 is left unchanged (carbon cycle) in the atmosphere. Generation of a renewable combustible fuel would actually help to reduce GWP by more full combustion in an engine instead of allowing natural decomposition which would generate methane. I believe methane has a GWP 32x that of CO2.
I own an 09 Jetta TDI, and currently have over 11,000 miles on the clock. I have never had a tank average less than 42.5, and I've had several tanks that averaged 48.5. Contrary to someone's comments earlier in this thread, there IS NO hesitation in the power curve. The torque will pin you to your seat - absolutely amazing when you consider the total available horsepower is rather low. There is NO perceptible turbo lag. The dash is beautifully lit with a deep blue background and red numbers, and the overhead lights are red led... a beautiful dash that looks very modern - again not was reported in others comments. The fit and finish is excellent, zero squeaks or rattles, and amazing brakes. If I were to have ANY negative comments, in would merely be the rear view mirror is the most basic little crappy thing I've seen in years. No auto dim, and the compass is shown in the dash display rather than the mirror as in most modern cars.
"That is strange. I have a 2002 VW Jetta wagon and my car gets on average 53 mpg. How could the new one only get 41?"
That's because the American EPA has changed their rating system to better reflect the very heavy footed American driver.... An energy conscious person is able to exceed the MPG rating of your '02 Jetta by driving with a brain, and not like an American.
It's still burning oil, isn't it?
'Nuff said.
Volkswagen is consistently near the bottom of the list for reliability, more built in obsolescence isn't really green is it? My 5 year old Toyota echo gets the same mileage as this, and it has been selling in Europe under the name 'Yaris' since 1999. This is the best they can find for 2008? It seems any efficiencies in the combustion style engine are only coming incrementally now.
I've been driving a 2002 TDI for over 6.5 years. Love the car. Fun to drive. 42city/53 highway, 49mpg combined, consistantly.
I have a 2003 Jetta Wagon TDI, great gas mileage BUT WHERE IS THE DIESEL PLUG IN HYBRID from any auto mfg?
All existing technology that should be on the market now.
VW has yet to bring to market a diesel mini van in the US. Their latest Touran is unavailable in diesel in the US.
Toyota's hybrid mini van is not in the US yet either. The Estima has been available in Japan for a couple years.
Frustrated,
andy b