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Hello,
(these are my feelings and impressions on having the car since Friday, and maybe my wife's.)
We just purchased a 2009 VW Jetta Wagon TDI. We were replacing my totaled Subaru Outback wagon. We came to this decision after test driving the following cars: Honda Civic Hybrid, Toyota Camry Hybrid, Toyota Prius Hybrid, VW Jetta TDI, VW Jetta Wagon, VW Jetta Wagon TDI.
Why so many VW's? My wife bought a Jetta 10 years ago and we still have it. For several weeks, it was our only car. Dependable, reliable and at 105k, still doing well.
After a single test drive of the Civic Hybrid and the Camry Hybrid, we eliminated them, due to either lack of 'minimum' performance (my wife complaining about a hesitation on applying throttle). The Camry also had a 'large' car feel that my wife and I both complained about and I tend to describe as 'wallowing'.
The top two were the Jetta Wagon TDI and the Prius, but we wanted the Prius Touring and the dealer said it would have to be ordered and take 5 weeks to arrive.
Though there was a waiting list for the VW, those on it at first offer passed on this particular model, which we then 'checked out' and drove around, to make sure it would satisfy my wife and I for our needs during a day of running errands, going back and forth on our daily commute, etc.
This has to be the smartest thing the dealer does, as every time a dealer has offered this, I have ended up buying the car except once (funny enough, a Metro).
We returned to the dealership with the plan on sleeping on it and maybe coming back the next morning. It seems that someone on the waiting list called back and the dealer said I had first right of refusal, but if I gave him the keys, the guy on the waiting list already had money down, so it would not be there the next morning. After 45 minutes of gnashing of teeth and trying to think if this was the car for us, we decided to get it.
Even with snow, freezing rain and light snow, we are not sorry we made that decision.
We both really like the car and I will be driving the old Jetta and my wife will be driving the new Jetta TDI as our 'normal' cars. I tend to do most of the driving on long trips, but that may change as this is a very nice car.
The transmission (the 6spd DSG tiptronic) is something we both like. I appreciate my wife has an automatic and I like that I can control the gear changes, if I would like (either for performance or for MPGs; my Subaru was a manual). It is the smoothest and best at shifting at the right point automatic that I have ever driven. The 6 speeds just makes so much sense, I was always looking for a 6th gear on my Subaru at highway speeds.
The TDI has great torque and never has te feel of being 'under powered'.
I would have been happy owning a Prius, but my wife feels very comfortable with this new Jetta (probably from driving the older Jetta for 10 years).
If there are any questions, I will try to answer them, but I am still recovering from the accident that cost me the Subaru (broken thumb), so hopefully you understand with a full time job, taking classes, etc, that I may take a bit to respond.
I also hope to take some more pictures and post them.
Oh, and the delay, as from what I heard, was because VW thought the EPA numbers for MPG was very low and was trying to convince them to retest or something. I had heard this before going to the dealer (not dealer embellishment).
LDJ
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