New to Fuelly - Jetta

[skrebel33]

Hello all. I came across Fuelly from a forum entry on TDICLUB.com. I'm always looking for ways to improve mileage either through modifications or driving techniques.


Manufacturer: VW
Model: Jetta TDI
Year: 2006
Engine: 1.9L TDI
Transmission: 5spd Manual (do they make anything except manual?)


My personal best is 52.8mpg achieved this past summer. Each every tank I check my mpg as well as the cost per mile. It's favorite conversation of mine with non-diesel folks. They think because I pay more per gallon for diesel, that they are paying less per mile. Once you tell them the calculation and they determine that they are paying close to double my cost per mile, they are blown away.

I've seen a surge in VW diesel car sightings on the roads lately. Personally I love this trend. Unfortunately the number of gas stations in our area that have diesel has not changed. Unlike Europe, not all stations have diesel. Often we must search for a station. Not only that, but stations that carry diesel do not have it at every pump. A pet peeve of mine is when gas jobs fill up at the diesel pumps when there are other pumps without diesel available. It sucks waiting for someone to clear away from the diesel pump as they stand their baffled why you are waiting to use the pump they are at.

My first diesel was an Over the Hill Green VW Rabbit with a 5spd manual. At that age, I didn't bother to track my mileage, but I do know it was extremely good. The Rabbit was a royal pain in the *bleep* as it never wanted to start in the cold weather. As a result, I went with regular gas jobs for the next 7 vehicles from the age of 17 until 40 years old. Finally I am back to operating a VW diesel, and extremely happy to be back.

My daily commute with my 06 VW Jetta TDI is 98 miles each way to work. My 44-46mpg average of late makes this a cost effective solution. A regular gas job would cost far too much money to operate for such long distances. I've had several other VW's over the years, and they have been long lasting cars that are built to endure high mileage.



Thank you

Skrebel33

[Jay2TheRescue]

Welcome! Diesels are nice. I was part of a group that took a handful of Audi TDI's from LA to NYC earlier this fall. I was in a Q5 TDI and we made it to NYC in ~ 46 hours at ~38 MPG. The A6 and A7 TDI's came in at about 42 MPG. The modern turbo diesels get great mileage and are fun to drive. I wish I could afford one.

[skrebel33]

I guess I should mention that my wife's car is a 2013 Ford Explorer. When I drive it, I can get 24/mpg for it. While that is not great, it's surprisingly better than both her Honda Odyssey and the 2013 Toyota Sienna. We traded the Honda for the Toyota and the Toyota for the Ford.

The difference in the mileage I get compared to my wife can be attributed to her not using the shift option. She simply puts it in drive. I on the other hand would much rather shift through the gears. This way I can do so in a more efficient manner.



Skrebel33.

[andyrobo]

Welcome to Fuelly. We have a lot of VW Jetta Diesel tracking here at Fuelly, you can see them here:
http://www.fuelly.com/car/volkswagen/jetta/diesel%20l4

@Jay - I didn't know you were on that Audi Truth In 48 drive from LA to NYC. How did you get invited to participate, are you friends with Wayne from CleanMPG?

[Jay2TheRescue]

AAAUGH! You got me. Yes, I'm friends with Wayne. It was a great trip. I'd love to do something like that again.

[andyrobo]

I saw the news about that trip, it looked fun but also probably pretty tiring. Those diesel Audis are beautiful but as you noted, pretty pricey.

One thing that I look forward to seeing in the future on Fuelly is the total cost of ownership of a diesel vs a gas vehicle. I don't have any facts to support this at this time but it seems to me one of the largest expenses to vehicle ownership is depreciation. I appears that diesels tend to retain their value better then their gas counterparts because they are in more demand and the engines tend to last longer. Once we expand Fuelly so users can track more aspects of their vehicle ownership we should have the data needed to test this theory.

[Jay2TheRescue]

Yes, it was pretty tiring... I was diagnosed with arthritis in my cervical spine earlier this year, and that trip had coincided with a flareup of my symptoms. I have since switched to taking something else for the arthritis and haven't really had any symptoms since.

[trollbait]

Originally Posted by andyrobo

I saw the news about that trip, it looked fun but also probably pretty tiring. Those diesel Audis are beautiful but as you noted, pretty pricey.

One thing that I look forward to seeing in the future on Fuelly is the total cost of ownership of a diesel vs a gas vehicle. I don't have any facts to support this at this time but it seems to me one of the largest expenses to vehicle ownership is depreciation. I appears that diesels tend to retain their value better then their gas counterparts because they are in more demand and the engines tend to last longer. Once we expand Fuelly so users can track more aspects of their vehicle ownership we should have the data needed to test this theory.

Total cost of ownership tends to be better for a diesel compared to its gasoline sibling. At least out to 5 years/75000 miles.