Your advice is needed - - Golf or Jetta, TDI or not!

[Rams]

Hi Everyone,

New to this club, and wanted to get some feedback on which way to go with my next car purchase. I wanted to ‘side grade’ to either a 06 Golf or a 06 Jetta and not sure if I should go Diesel or stay with petrol? The diesel prices are on the raise, after some number crunching the savings are not as much as a year ago. As you can tell I just want a quality car that is super economical. I would appreciate your feedback to help me make my decision.

Thanks in advance

[STV4SYT]

Its harder to find a 2nd hand diesel around. and jettas generally dont hold their value as well as golfs. i guess it depends on what u can find around that is at the spec and money u want.

If u are doing a lot of km's then diesel will work out cheaper in the long run, but if u only use it for going to the shops then a petrol one will probably be just as good.

personally im hoping that the diesel prices will equalise soon.

THE new petrol price watchdog has promised to scrutinise soaring diesel prices, amid concern that oil companies are using the fuel to gouge profits previously earned on unleaded.

At $1.60 a litre, the average national diesel pump price is now 19 cents a litre higher than the average petrol price, compared with a price gap of just four cents mid-last year.


THE new petrol price watchdog has promised to scrutinise soaring diesel prices, amid concern that oil companies are using the fuel to gouge profits previously earned on unleaded.

At $1.60 a litre, the average national diesel pump price is now 19 cents a litre higher than the average petrol price, compared with a price gap of just four cents mid-last year.

Hopefully this happens sooner rather than later.

[chleo]

Hi Rams,

I am new to the forum too. I recently bought a Jetta '08 TDI and haven't looked back.

My wife and I chose the Jetta over the Golf for the prime reason that the Jetta has a much bigger boot (with the seats up) than the Golf. We needed to make sure that a pram fits into the boot and we can fit a baby seat. The pram fits the Golf but thats about it. With the Jetta, we can fit a pram and still have half the boot for shopping as well.

As for TDI vs petrol. I am not sure about '06 petrol engines but I would assume that they run on PULP, so the price point between diesel and PULP is not that great. After doing the sums, it will take me just under 5 years to pay off the difference. Do the maths for your self. I do about 25-30K km per year.

The other big advantage of diesel is the torque. My wife is not a speed racer and she doesn't care about the 0-100 but she lurves the big fat torque that the diesel gives.

You should go down to your local VW dealer and ask to test drive both the diesel and the petrol and come to your own conclusion and drivability. They both don't disappoint. We chose the TDI for its economy and torque.

Good luck

[Mischa]

remember the jetta is heavier and hence slower.

[Rams]

I have test driven the Golf TDI already and loved it! Test driving the Jetta is on my to do list..... but now really thinking if its worth going for the TDI with the ever increasing diesel prices. I do about 350km's a week so its about avarage I think.


my current car I’m only getting 340-350km per tank so I would be over the moon if I'm getting 800km+!

Is there much difference between the TDI golf and TDI Jetta fuel consumption? I have done some research but its always better to ask owners then what vw have quoted the consumption to be in the best possible scenario.

[Cupra]

hi Rams, welcome.

my 05 2.0 TDI DSG golf has settled down to 5.4lt/100 around town, that's from my company fuel logs with no mods to the car as it's under lease. My wife does most of the K's & we usually refuel between 880-920k on the trip meter.

Phil

[chleo]

Because I am bored and still at work.

Here is some calcs. The figures are based on current combined cycles (Hwy/City) from the VW brocheurs for Golf TDI / 2.0 L petrol with DSG and Jetta TDI and Petrol DSG. The prices for PULP / Diesel is current for Victoria from the motormouth website. Diesel is 158.9cents/L and PULP is 146.5cents/L.

So a Golf TDI will go thru 6.1L / 100km = $9.6929 / 100km
And you travel 18200km in a year (350km X 52)
So you will spend $1764.11 on diesel in a year.

The Jetta does 6.2L/100km
So you will spend $1793.03

For the same sums for Golf / Jetta petrol (8.6L/100km combined) = $2293.018

Hope that helps

[gregozedobe]

If you want to get a true picture of which car is cheapest to own you need to look at the difference in "whole of life" costs :

Fuel consumption and price per litre (as mentioned above by Chleo),
Servicing costs (eg petrol vs diesel, also incl special oil, brakes, tyres, timing belts etc),
Comprehensive or Third Party Property Insurance,
Purchase price minus sale price at end of ownership (depreciation).
Any other costs (that are different)

Was the 1.9TDI available in the 06 Golfs and Jettas ? I believe it is slightly more economical than the 2.0 TDI.

Actual fuel consumption depends on how and where you do most of your driving (short trips of stop-start driving in heavy traffic with a cold motor and lots of strong acceleration uses a LOT more fuel than steady, medium speed driving on flat freeways).

[Greg Roles]

For me, by far the biggest real world thing is the simple fact I am standing at the bowser a whole lot less. I feel a lot more "free" in a car that has such phenominal economy over my prior fast, but thirsty car with a 400km range.

As an example, I've just spent the weekend just gone with my girlie, driving around quite a bit, having fun. I hop in the car Monday morning, and it's still telling me I have several hundred km's to go. No more morning rush to the servo, and I have several days to check out prices and window shop. I have to admit that when the refuel symbol pops up on the display, i'm quite shocked! It's a rare event.

Finally I love the fact I can absolutely thrash the thing, have a ball, and still get exceptional economy. Loaded to the hilt, even with a K1 kayak on the roof, I still get awesome performance, and only a tiny L/100km average increase. Far ken awesome.

Should see the look on people's faces when you burn them in a diesel WITH a whopping kayak on top!

[anthony]

I chose a petrol Jetta over a petrol Golf 2.o FSI because for 3000 dollars more,it offerred a lot more equipment.
I have been very happy with the consumption.
I get over 600 kilometers on a tank...it is the automatic,and I do mainly city driving.
This is better than what I used to get in my previous Astra 1.8 manual.

[Rileyowner]

If you have to ask about the diesel option then I think you might be better off with petrol.

From my experience (15 years with Landrover and Mazda diesels) you're either a happy 'dieseler' or you're not.

Satisfied ownership of a diesel vehicle is based on far more than the few bucks that might be saved in fuel costs.

A diesel is different. You are much more a part of the motoring experince. You can hear (and sometimes even smell) the engine. You notice when it's working hard and when it's just coasting on torque - and it challenges you to improve your driving skills to get the most from it.

My 2.0 TDI Jetta is the most fun I've had on (modern) wheels for a very long time.

[Mr X]

Cars,

1968 XT 3.6l petrol 99KW
1983 1.3 laser ??
1998 el 4.1 Fairmont 157KW boat!
2001 3.0 Honda Accord 147 KW not so much boat
2008 2.0 TDI GT Sport fusee (check your french!)

Best car I've ever had / driven including my brother's 2007 FPV GT.

Torque is great

great economy, great performance.

Murray

[BarneyBoy]

If you want to get a true picture of which car is cheapest to own you need to look at the difference in "whole of life" costs :

Fuel consumption and price per litre (as mentioned above by Chleo),
Servicing costs (eg petrol vs diesel, also incl special oil, brakes, tyres, timing belts etc),
Comprehensive or Third Party Property Insurance,
Purchase price minus sale price at end of ownership (depreciation).
Any other costs (that are different)

And don't forget resale as part of Whole Of Life costs - TDIs retain quite high resale, so you (chleo) may find that your payback time vs. a petrol is far less than 5 years - somewhere like 18 months!

I too wish that the gouging through high diesel costs will end - I hate the way we have a gun held to our wallets so often!

[gregozedobe]

And don't forget resale as part of Whole Of Life costs - TDIs retain quite high resale, so you (chleo) may find that your payback time vs. a petrol is far less than 5 years - somewhere like 18 months!

I thought I sort of covered that aspect with "Purchase price minus sale price at end of ownership (depreciation)"

But I'm right with you on the high price of diesel It has annoyed me so much I have ordered a (petrol) Skoda Octavia 2.0 TFSI RS wagon (the performance was just an unexpected side bonus). Still keeping my TDI Transporter van though

[chleo]

If you have to ask about the diesel option then I think you might be better off with petrol.

A diesel is different. You are much more a part of the motoring experince. You can hear (and sometimes even smell) the engine. You notice when it's working hard and when it's just coasting on torque - and it challenges you to improve your driving skills to get the most from it.

My 2.0 TDI Jetta is the most fun I've had on (modern) wheels for a very long time.

WAF (Wife acceptance factor) was good. She doesn't have much to complain about the noise and smells. It's less stinky than my '95 Camry.

I personally don't have any complaints about the modern TDI. I find its happy to rev and it redlines very easily if you're too slow on the manual shift DSG.

Insurance was cheap too. $541 for over 30yo driver, garage parked. (RACV)

The car is still new. So I can't comment on the cost of servicing. Planning to avoid dealer service centres and go to Volkspower.