Hi all! We've been waiting a long time to get the official figures, and the EPA now as them posted for selected '09 models on its website. Here are the figures for the 2009 Jetta TDI:

6-speed manual: 30 city/41 highway
DSG: 29 city/40 highway

While good, I guess I'm a little disappointed after all the advanced publicity I heard promising 50-60 miles per gallon. But to put things in perspective, the ratings on the previous 1.9 TDI which was significantly less powerful, was 30/38.

What do you guys think?  

I THINK IT SUCKS, A HALF-TON TRUCK THATS SHAPED LIKE A BRICK, AND WEIGH 1.5 TIMES MORE WILL GET CLOSE TO 30 MPG, VW WILL ONLY GET 10 MPG MORE, I GUESS I EXPECTED THE 50 TO 60 MPG????  

My sister has the 1.9tdi and averages 45mpg  thats a lot higher then it was rated at.  Would be nice if the new one is like that.  

Yeah, I've been checking out some of the other TDI boards, and they're saying the same thing, that they generally get a lot better mileage than the EPA ratings. Let's hope that's the case with the new one, too.  

Easy I will make it get 50 MPG  

Well, I know this is kind of an apples & oranges comparison, but when I had my '93 Nissan Sentra, on one leg of a trip from home to college, I got nearly 44 mpg on the highway. This hauling probably about 200 lbs. worth of crap, and a bike on the back. EPA rating was 29 city, 38 hwy, and that was under the old rating system.

So I don't doubt the new TDI is capable of 50 mpg or better. Only thing is the new Jettas are kind of porkers. About 3,400 lbs. Imagine what kind of mileage they'd get if they were about 200-300 lbs. lighter!  

Hey you can throw out some crap the comes with them  

Hey thats almost how much a Nissan Titan weighs  

If I win the Mega Millions jackpot (or get a major promotion, probably about the same likelihood) I'd probably roll the Bimmer 335d. 265 hp/425 lb./ft. with 23/32 fuel economy. I'd imagine with just a few tweaks, that thing would crank out 300+hp and 500+ lb./ft. no problem.  

I doubt the new VW will even be able to achieve the EPA numbers. It's gonna have all the emissions schit saddled to it just like the new trucks do and look what it did for them. Cut their mileage nearly in half. If the older ones could get 45 mpg, then the new ones will probably be able to squeak out 30 at the most.  

Actually, from what I'm hearing, they should still do better than the EPA figures. In fact, I heard VW is actually appealing to the EPA to have them re-tested, since the EPA figures are so much worse than VW's internal economy figures. On VW's website, the fuel economy area for the TDI still says "TBD" which makes me think they're going to try to get revised (and hopefully better) numbers before the car officially goes on sale in September/October.  

I dont recall if this Q was asked but how come the government allows the euros in the country w/diesel cars and suvs and the big 3 has yet to have any on the market? Have they tried and got turned down, cause we make pretty damn good diesels between the 3 pups?

Just curious...cause then the big 3 could get better action on this diesel deal!  

I think the domestics have the following preconceptions when it comes to passenger-car diesels:

1) I think they believe that Americans want hybrids, by-and-large.

2) They think the prevailing attitude (partially backed up by survey data) that diesels still have a negative connotation with many Americans.

3) High diesel fuel prices will scare people away from buying them, regardless of the efficiency advantage.

Lately, it seems the price gap between unleaded and diesel is narrowing a little. If diesel and unleaded reach price-parity, I think the prospects for more passenger diesels increase exponentially.  

Well if any of the big 3 had a diesel car preferably GM, Id trade my 30mpg V6 malibu on one...I dislike hybrids and wouldnt put my family in one.
And it seems the survey they did was only in california cause I didnt get the memo and Im sure many other Americans didnt get the memo either.
You know if GM did produce diesel cars like the homemade buick/olds gn that gets 35mpg and gobbs of power!? Im sure pretty much everybody would be all over that one!  

I honestly think minds are going to be changed one at a time, by people giving their neighbors rides, and saying they're getting 30-40 mpg. And lately, the price gap between unleaded and diesel has been narrowing, at least around here.

I could see diesel cars taking off eventually, but my prediciton is it's going to be a slow start, then a full-on mania.