VOLKSWAGEN JETTA TDI 

Looking for a very well made used car that will go 1,250 kilometres between fill-ups- Or to put it another way, want a used car that gets 64 miles to the gallon -- or 4.4 litres per 100 kilometres travelled-

And would you like that car to have an engine designed to deliver reliable service for, at the very least, a decade?

Then you're in the market for a nearly-new Volkswagen Jetta or Golf with the TDI (for turbo direct injection) engine. Don't confuse this diesel Jetta/Golf with older VW diesels, either. Pre-1998 Jetta/Golf models come with a reliable, but clattery, stinky diesel engine that only a true (diesel) believer could love. Those older diesels are out there, but their lack of modern TDI refinement makes them a non-starter for me.

Not so with the TDI. It's a diesel that's easy to start, quiet to run and kind to the environment. Very un-diesel-like, to be sure. But a car I definitely recommend.

A little background. The first VW to get the TDI engine was the Passat in 1996. A year later the Jetta and its hatchback sibling, the Golf, got the TDI. 

The diesel technology at work in these cars is a superb bit of engineering. How so? For a fair answer let's take a quick spin through diesel engines 101. 

Diesels differ from gasoline engines in how they go about burning the air-fuel mixture that pushes down the engine's pistons, turning the crankshaft and ultimately powering the driven wheels. (Think of your legs pedaling a bicycle.)

Gas engines inject a mixture of air and fuel into the cylinder, compress it and then ignite it with a spark. However, with diesels, fuel is injected directly into the cylinder near the top of the compression stroke whereupon high compression ignites it, driving down the piston. No spark at all. 

Most diesels also have what's called a "pre-chamber" where fuel is injected and ignition begins before it moves into the cylinder with full force. The pre-chamber promotes a smoother, more even fuel burn, but it also wastes power.

Environmentalists have long decried the use of diesels because most don't employ catalytic converters to clean up what comes out the tailpipe. And there's that unpleasant diesel clatter. Perhaps all this explains why Rudolf Diesel mysteriously disappeared in 1913 during a ferry crossing of the English Channel.

Anyway, the TDI system has answers for all these objections.

There's no power-robbing pre-chamber. Fuel is injected directly into the cylinder and everything in the engine is managed by a super smart computer brain. As well, a turbocharger and intercooler push a lot of air into the combustion chamber. The result: clean, efficient fuel burns and lots of power at low engine speeds.

As for pollutants, the TDI uses a catalytic converter to incinerate most of the yeecch coming out of the engine. The result: in the TDI, all three tailpipe effluents--carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and oxides of nitrogen--are at acceptable urban levels.
And noise? Folks, the catalytic converter acts like an extra muffler and the turbocharger's spinning blades chop up the exhaust noise. At morning start?up you'll hear a bit of slap and bang, but it disappears in moments.
 
Even though the TDI is rated at a modest 90 horsepower, excellent torque (149 foot-pounds at 1,900 rpm) makes it a real performer: acceleration of 100 km/h in about 10.5 seconds. And at highway speeds it purrs along quite nicely at under 2,000 rpms.

Volkswagen re-styled its Golf/Jetta models twice during the 1990s: 1994-98 and '99 to today. The '99-and-newer cars are less boxy than their predecessor and while the previous generation Golfs and Jettas had their quality woes, the newer cars have proven themselves to be well-made commuters. The newer models definitely have tighter body panels and more luxurious materials. Indeed, the pre-'98 Jettas and Golfs received below average quality scores in important consumer surveys, while the newest cars have consistently scored well above average.

The key point is that the newest cars have a more solid body structure than the cars they replaced. Still, the slightly older third generation cars had relatively sporty handling for family cars. Inside, the seats were firm and the controls and instruments mostly easy to find. 

The Jetta four-doors, regardless of year, do not have the roomiest of back seats for a sedan, so family buyers beware. The four-door hatchback Golf would be my pick. The big, wide rear opening makes this commuter car more like a station wagon in its versatility - without any serious compromise in driving pleasure. 

CURRENT RED BOOK PRICING (avg. retail): Volkswagen Jetta TDI sedan
1999-$16,800 ($19,945 original MSRP)
1998-$15,075 ($19,945) 
1997-$14,450 ($19,910)
1996-NA
1995-NA
1994-NA
1993-NA 

BUYER'S ALERTS: Look for shifter levers that may vibrate or knock in first through fourth gears (TSB 9904, Dec. '99); loose or ill-fitting sunroof sliding headliner slides may need to be replaced (9904, Oct. '99).
Recalls: None since the 1996 model year. 

THE VERDICT: Great economy in a small, sporty family car.


CHECK THE SPECS
1998 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA TDI 

Segment: compact sedan.
Key competitors: Dodge/Plymouth Neon, Ford Escort, Chevrolet Cavalier, Pontiac Sunfire, Nissan Sentra, Toyota Corolla, Hyundai Elantra, Mazda Protege, Suzuki Esteem, Honda Civic.
Engine: (front engine/front-wheel drive) 1.9-litre inline four-cylinder w/two valves per cylinder operated by a single overhead camshaft (SOHC); electronic engine management/fuel injection; turbocharged; 90 hp. @ 4,000 rpm; torque rated @ 149 ft-lbs @ 1,900 rpm.
Transmission: five-speed manual or four-speed electronically controlled automatic ($1,100).
Steering: power rack-and-pinion.
Brakes: front disc/rear drum with optional anti-lock (ABS).
Tires: 195/60HR14 all-season radials.
Fuel economy(litres/100 km): 5.9 city/4.4 hwy or 51/64 mpg.
Wheelbase: 2,478 mm (97.5 in.).
Curb weight: 1,693 kg. (3,732 lbs.).

Pros
* Fantastic fuel economy
* Traditional diesel negatives don't appear here
* Comfortable four-door sedan
* Pleasant highway cruiser 

Cons
* Dull styling 
* No tilt steering and the steering response itself is heavy and vague
* ABS a tough-to-find option
* Smallish inside for a four-door 

OVERALL SCORE: 8.5 (out of 10)

ROAD TEST REPORT CARD 
Access: B
Driving position: B 
Instruments/Controls: C+ 
Visibility: B+
Climate Control: B- 
Steering: C
Brakes: C+
Handling: B 
Acceleration: C 
Engine: A
Transmission: C+ 
Interior space: C
Trunk/Cargo: C+
Noise/Vibration/Harshness: B

DURABILITY/RELIABILITY REPORT CARD 
Overall: B+
Mechanical: A- 
Hardware/Body/Paint/Trim: B

SAFETY REPORT CARD
Anti-lock braking: available
Airbags (driver/passenger): yes/yes 
Traction control: no
Driver/Passenger Front Crash Protection (0-5 stars with five stars the best): three stars/three stars

INSURANCE HISTORY (Volkswagen Jetta)
Collision cost rating: average
Comprehensive cost rating: average
Theft claim cost rating: worse than average