WriConsult
12-03-2008, 09:31 PM
The TDI is easy on money, fuel and the planet. It just needs Americans to give it a spin and a fair shake. (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/23/automobiles/autoreviews/23-vw-jetta.html)
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/2009_Jetta_TDI2.jpgLawrence Ulrich - The New York Times - November 20, 2008
Sorry it's a couple weeks old, but this is an exceptionally well-written article that I thought worth posting. Good discussions of how driving technique impacts economy, and of the relative advantages of hybrids vs. diesels. -- WriConsult.
WHEREVER menfolk gathered for Thanksgiving, before the turkey and after exhausting discussion of that seventh-round draft pick from Clemson, the phrase “What kind of mileage does she get?” was a reliable conversation starter.
Heads would nod sagely, but until recently nobody cared a lot. In surveys of car shoppers, fuel economy often didn’t make the top 10 on the priority list.
So now, with interest in the Prius exceeding that in pickups, you know times have changed. While the recent dip in gas prices has some analysts worried about an S.U.V. sequel — Return to Guzzle Beach? — I suspect that most middle-class consumers aren’t ready to bet five years of car payments that a gallon of unleaded will stay around $2. Many won’t be betting on a new car at all.
That makes the 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI a smart hedge play.
This diesel-powered sedan or wagon is frugal on the front end, starting at $22,640 with a six-speed manual transmission. A $1,300 alternative-fuel tax credit becomes a de facto rebate, cutting the base price to about $21,000.
The Jetta is frugal in the middle years, with a rating of 30 miles a gallon in town and 41 on the highway. The tiny two-seat Smart is the only nonhybrid car that can match the 41 m.p.g. rating.
But like many new clean diesels, which meet even California’s tough emissions rules, the Jetta scoffs at its sticker. Hoarding fuel like a mobile Scrooge, I averaged a remarkable 48 m.p.g. over more than 150 miles of freeway driving. That’s the best mileage of any American-market car I’ve tested — gas, diesel or hybrid. I never knew that driving a steady 60 m.p.h. could be so gratifying, and I vowed to try it more often.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/23/automobiles/autoreviews/23-vw-jetta.html
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/2009_Jetta_TDI2.jpgLawrence Ulrich - The New York Times - November 20, 2008
Sorry it's a couple weeks old, but this is an exceptionally well-written article that I thought worth posting. Good discussions of how driving technique impacts economy, and of the relative advantages of hybrids vs. diesels. -- WriConsult.
WHEREVER menfolk gathered for Thanksgiving, before the turkey and after exhausting discussion of that seventh-round draft pick from Clemson, the phrase “What kind of mileage does she get?” was a reliable conversation starter.
Heads would nod sagely, but until recently nobody cared a lot. In surveys of car shoppers, fuel economy often didn’t make the top 10 on the priority list.
So now, with interest in the Prius exceeding that in pickups, you know times have changed. While the recent dip in gas prices has some analysts worried about an S.U.V. sequel — Return to Guzzle Beach? — I suspect that most middle-class consumers aren’t ready to bet five years of car payments that a gallon of unleaded will stay around $2. Many won’t be betting on a new car at all.
That makes the 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI a smart hedge play.
This diesel-powered sedan or wagon is frugal on the front end, starting at $22,640 with a six-speed manual transmission. A $1,300 alternative-fuel tax credit becomes a de facto rebate, cutting the base price to about $21,000.
The Jetta is frugal in the middle years, with a rating of 30 miles a gallon in town and 41 on the highway. The tiny two-seat Smart is the only nonhybrid car that can match the 41 m.p.g. rating.
But like many new clean diesels, which meet even California’s tough emissions rules, the Jetta scoffs at its sticker. Hoarding fuel like a mobile Scrooge, I averaged a remarkable 48 m.p.g. over more than 150 miles of freeway driving. That’s the best mileage of any American-market car I’ve tested — gas, diesel or hybrid. I never knew that driving a steady 60 m.p.h. could be so gratifying, and I vowed to try it more often.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/23/automobiles/autoreviews/23-vw-jetta.html