VW Announces Jetta TDI Prices, New MPG Figures

Well, at least it is squeaky clean, right? Or at least we hope so.
 
It is a fairly large and heavy car, too.

Vehicle weight is an area where I'd like to see VW make some improvements. Their cars just seem to be heavier than other models in the same class. At least with the Jetta and the Rabbit. I'm not as familiar with some of their other models.

24 percent error is huge. It's the same magnitude as the overall efficiency advantage of Diesel engines over spark ignition engines, for goodness sake. EPA needs to tune up their 'adjusted mileage' equations. Whether 38/44 is anything to shout about depends on how much the Jetta weighs. If it gets the same MPG as a Prius but does twice as much work rolling down the road, then it is twice as fuel efficient. If it does half as much work, then it is half as fuel efficient. EPA doesn't care about fuel efficiency, though, only fuel economy. If they did, the amount of work the tested vehicles perform on the test cycles (along with the mass of fuel burned) would be one of the tidbits they share with the public.

I'm dubios of 'indepedant' test. kind of like all those weight loss drugs on TV that were tested in Lab XYZ.
 
The truth is somehwere in between the EPA, and the AMCI numbers.
 
both numbers are YMMV.

I don't see how VW could mistakenly believe the Jetta would achieve near 60 mpg on the highway. I'm sure they've been testing the heck out of that thing. Perhaps someone could fill us in on the complexities of EPA mileage testing?
 
Of course, if I could get 44 mpg on the highway without thinking about mileage, I'd still be pretty interested in this car. I'll be curious to see the kinds of numbers new TDI owners start reporting when the SportWagen goes on sale.

It's awesome! Looks even better than the Passat wagon. Wow! VW's current sedans look terrible but the wagons really rock! I can't help but smile :)
 
Actually, 30/41 is pretty good! What non-hybrid vehicle of the Jetta's size gets that kind of mileage? Of course, diesel prices now don't make it that economical ultimately, but 30/41 for a car this size is more or less what I'd expect of a diesel.
(Whoever has been marketing diesels ans having the same mileage as hybrids has been lying to us!)
 
If the AMCI numbers are true then this vehicle is really awesome! Scott, I disagree: I'd definitely brag about 38/44! Tell me, what non-compact, non-hybrid vehicle gets 38/44 or even 30/41? None! Even the Corolla gets 27/35.....and it's a compact! The Jetta is now a mid-sized.

the epa it self admits that deisel esimates can be off by as much as 18%. Where as gas cars are ~4-7%.
 
The biggest problem from reading the EPA document on the new fuel testing, is that the number of deisels they had to test, was like 5. The sample was too small to make good data factors.
 
But like any car, in general its how you drive it, that ulimately determines its MPG.
 
And the TDI numbers are very good. They dont blow your mind, like VW was hinting at. I saw some inital numbers were saying 50-60mpg on the highway. They should have made expectations lower.

Blackadder, I agree. The SportWagen looks good (although the one pictured is a bit tricked out), and the mileage numbers are great considering what the car offers.
 
Opfreak, thanks for that. Yet another reason not to hang on every word from the less-than-illustrious EPA.

ewilfong - however you cannot dismiss the EPA numbers. Since each car is tested the same way. its a valid way to compare cars.
 
diesels just happen to be a statistical outlier at this point. If there were more diesel cars when the inital study was taking place the data would have been better.
 
Overal, I think I trust the EPA numbers more so then numbers VW is putting out, since VW wants better numbers to make the diesel look like a better deal.
 
And again, the TDI numbers are good. Just not off the charts like the VW marketing folks were whispering.
 
I actually hope the car sells poorly. Since I am considering it, and at invoice it would be a good/great deal

opfreak, all good points. I will admit that I really want the "third party" to be closer to reality because I'm also interested in this car. But as you say, even the EPA numbers are really good so it's not like I'm going to cry about getting only 40 mpg on the highway in a really practical car.

the best thing about the EPA being low on the desiels is knowing that it will be hard to get WORSE milage then what the EPA said.

What VW may have been quoting was the European "extra-urban" number when they said 60 mpg. Some people think "extra-urban" is equivalent to the US's "highway" economy, but it is always much higher.
 
The EPA does not perform fuel economy testing on the majority of cars on the road. Instead that burden is borne by the automakers who, apparently, hire third-party labs to perform such testing. Those numbers are then submitted to the EPA to become "official" estimates, and the EPA verifies roughly 10% with their own testing.
 
What is surprising is the huge discrpancy between the numbers. A 7% increase in highway mileage and a whopping 27% increase in city mileage. If we assume that the EPA has designed scientifically reproduceable fuel economy tests, then there must be a mistake somewhere, perhaps in following the test protocol or interpreting the data. I'd hate to get a car and hit below the city estimate because somebody made an experimental error. (I typically get within 5% of the highway estimate).