No Rabbit TDI?

[RH77]

Today, I contemplated the high-FE, low emission offerings that can be bought new these days. The usuals entered my thoughts: Insight, Prius -- basically hybrids.

But what about Diesels? One of the best 5-door offerings of recent past was the Golf TDi. I consulted VW's website for exactly what was out there...

So the quintessential Diesel provider offers the clean diesel engine in the Jetta as the smallest car (along with the wagon and the Touareg SUV) and that's it.

If you build and price the Jetta TDI Sedan, you're first started with high-level amenities as standard, with $22,500 as the asking price. Woah! OK, so it has some creature comforts -- so let's add an automatic due to situational necessity. What! DSG and another $1100? Crapola. Try EOC-ing with that mess. What happened to base-model efficiency? For that money, you're in the Gen-III Prius. Easily.

So back to the Rabbit and Beetle. I recently rented a 2009 New Beetle and researched engine options similarly. All you get is a 2.5L, 5-cylinder. Add to that a failure to start twice, a forced limp-home mode as a result, and now I realize why I put reliability and efficiency in the same sentence. But not even the diesel option for either exists anymore. But why?

A new, diesel 5-door Golf/Rabbit at $18-19K with, CVT or traditional automatic would be seriously considered. But alas, no luck... again.

It further supports the clear intention of car manufacturers to charge the living daylights out of efficiency.

RH77

[roflwaffle]

The Golf (just pick a name!) deesul should be here in November.

[robchalmers]

even as a veedub employee - I'm not a big fan of the 5cylinder. I feel so gutted that you're not getting the full range of engines - both capacities of diesel with various outputs, the twin charger 1.4L petrols that produce similar torque to the base diesel and aswell as HUGE mpg for a gasser especially when you considering he has two whirllygigs bolted on and produces 160hp

[tasdrouille]

VW's brand positioning is upmarket, the Golf TDI 2010 base price is not gonna be lower than 21k.

I'm anxiously waiting to see what happens with the Polo in NA. Prices should start in the low 17k.

[jkp1187]

Seems to me that VW is just putting the same 2.0L TDI in everything lately. I was kind of hoping they'd bring the GTD over, but because of the expense of certification for a new engine, and the fact that it'd truly be a niche vehicle, almost certainly they won't.

Know what would be awesome, though? A VW Polo with that same 2.0 TDI....

Really concerned, though, about the longevity of that DSG transmission, especially after reading this...

http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2009...ads-to-recall/

[tasdrouille]

The Polo, if it comes here, should have the 1.6 TDI engine.

[RH77]

Good to know that the oil burner will be available in Rabbolf soon.

I'm not up on engine offerings from VW, which shocked me that the 5-cyl was the only engine available in the Beetle. Granted, it was a great driving vehicle with lots of power and refinement, but having options like the 1.8T, 2.0, and 1.9TDI made it more appealing. I really wanted to like this car on top of the rewarding VW driving experience that I felt from the get-go.

I might do a writeup if I get motivated. The biggest thing that bothered me was the starting of the car which resulted in electronic chaos. On a trip from KC to Sioux City and back, I made a couple stops along each direction.

Many times it acted as if I didn't let it crank long enough. I picked up a sandwich (no drive thru ), came back and cranked it over. After a reasonable amount of crank time, the key was released. Then it went berserker. All underhood fans went to high, and the dashboard lit up, including the CEL. The SG was hooked to Teggy elsewhere, so I had the backup CarChip and laptop to retrieve and clear the codes.

It turned out to be a Chassis Electrical fault, and a few others. I cleared them and went onward, making a habit out of cranking it longer. On the way back there were 3 more instances where it just cranked for 5-10 seconds without starting. (Being a VW - you have to key all the way off)... then it started the second time, after each fault. 100 miles from turning it in, the fault returned (which lights-up the gear selector on the dash in reverse LCD to alert the driver, along with the CEL). Was it something I was doing? I generally turn the key to the "On" position, pause, and then crank. Maybe it didn't like that. I left it in "freak out mode" for the rental agency to determine if it needed to visit the shop for warranty work.

I figured it out the other day -- I do that with cars that I get comfortable with: Turn key, trans to N, crank, D and go. It's also a carryover from my "Glow Plug" days: turn, wait, crank.

So back to VW -- I agree with Rob, what happened to the Turbos? Now even Ford and Chevy are on-board with "Eco-Boost" and the 1.4L DI-Turbo in the upcoming Cruze. I understand that there was a rebuilding period for ULSD which forced a disappearance of the TDI (among others), but to shove-in a 5 and call it a day, seems odd and disappointing.

So the question will soon arrive for mileage makers: get a sporty Diesel, high-tech hybrid, or a nicely equipped, trusty gasser for the same amount of moo-la.

RH77

P.S. -- Average FE was 29-30 MPG. Perhaps more details laters...

[tjts1]

Who cares if it gets 40mpg if it breaks down every 5 minutes. VWs are notoriously unreliable and expensive to fix. I've heard too many horror stories, seen too many Jettas burned down on the side of the road. I would buy a hummer before a new VW.

[bgd73]

a fantastic wonder diesel could exist. I knew of some playing with impossibled scenarios (early duramax, ford, and VW). I drove a vw rabbit diesel. when the tune was correct, the engine parts weren't strong enough...and 60mpg to the floor, stiull gives me goosepimples. we got it to go just fast enough for the left lane on highwya (mid 70s). bangor maine to boston and back? about 10 bucks. the eye watering imperfections entering the cabin was almost worth it..
Contemplating "why did they do that?" with weak parts brought thoughts of the market.
for the same reason we no longer have a 3 main boxer, (small liters gas) doing outrageous work for its size, the diesel mastered went into the same realm. If it is that good, we don't get it, unless a company that does not play these all ricers are alike games and makes thier own. Recently, BMW is an example of this. Cheers to bmw. Mercedes used to be like what bmw announced with thier diesel, and do not anymore.

today, where iunjected and errored maps (they are all errored, no matter the tune) the diesel could really benefit in its slower wavelength of functions. The turbo pickup, or jeep diesel, all four cylinders, jacked up, a real worker with more mileage than a claimed to fame SUV...it would be a final crushing to thier market..the evil continues.

my theory of truth post.
the vw is built substandard. No one can take a lead. I stay clean gas, until I know its got what I am looking for in the little diesel.

[tjts1]

Punctuation is your friend.