VW finds highest mileage diesel in Ohio
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Earlier this month, Volkswagen of America showed off the oldest VW diesel in the U.S., a 1977 diesel Rabbit residing in California. Today it revealed the second half of its search, the highest mileage VW diesel in the U.S. This one is a 1986 Jetta Turbo Diesel owned by Syl Schmid of Blue Rock, Ohio. It's racked up over 562,000 miles in its lifestyle and has the weary odometer to prove it. Not only that, but Schmid has records to prove that the car has consistently achieved over 50 mpg throughout its lifetime. Take that, Prius! Just don't ask about its particulate emissions, though. For its longevity, the car has won its owner a six-month lease for VW Touareg V10 TDI. Having owned two 1986 VW Jettas in my lifetime, both gas-powered, I can attest to VW's amazing find from central Ohio. Schmid's Jetta even has its original drivetrain and muffler! Both of my Jettas needed new exhaust systems thanks to the corrosive effects of Cleveland's salting strategy in the winter, so to hear a fellow Ohioan has made it through over twenty winters with the same exhaust is just incredible.
[Source: Volkswagen]
Gallery: Highest Mileage VW Diesel in U.S.
PRESS RELEASE:
VOLKSWAGEN DIESEL HERITAGE SEARCH FINDS HIGHEST MILEAGE DIESEL IN OHIO
1986 Volkswagen Jetta Has 562,000 Miles On The Original Engine
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – Volkswagen of America, Inc. announced that, as part of its Diesel Heritage Search, it has located the highest mileage Volkswagen diesel vehicle in the United States, a 1986 Jetta Turbo Diesel owned by Syl Schmid of Blue Rock, Ohio with over 562,000 miles.
The Jetta's mileage was recently verified by Volkswagen of America, Inc. and Byers Imports, a Columbus, Ohio-based Volkswagen dealer. Fuel and mileage records presented by Schmid show the Jetta frequently delivered fuel economy over fifty miles per gallon.
"Mr. Schmid has a story that is like so many of our diesel owners; he loves the longevity of the engine and fuel economy that his diesel Volkswagen has delivered these last twenty years," said Steve Keyes, Volkswagen Public Relations Director. "Throughout all of entries that we received for our Diesel Heritage Search, we found many VW owners who were passionate about their cars and the economic benefits of the diesel engine."
Schmid originally leased the Jetta for three years and decided to purchase the vehicle at the end of that period. After twenty years, and over a half million miles, he is especially proud of the original drivetrain and muffler. In recognition of owning the highest mileage Volkswagen diesel in the U.S., Volkswagen has provided Schmid with a Touareg V10 TDI to drive for six-months.
Volkswagen announced their Diesel Heritage Search in March 2007 and received more than 200 entries for the highest mileage and oldest operating U.S. diesel Volkswagen vehicles. Volkswagen recently recognized a 1977 Rabbit owned by Clint Wilson of Tehachapi, Calif. as the oldest diesel Volkswagen.
Volkswagen is a leader in the U.S. diesel passenger car market with over 815,000 diesel vehicles sold since the introduction of the 1977 Rabbit, the first U.S. Volkswagen diesel. In addition to the currently available diesel Touareg V10 TDI, Volkswagen has previously announced that the 2009 Jetta and Jetta SportWagen, which will be available late first quarter 2008, will feature a Clean Diesel TDI engine option.
Founded in 1955, Volkswagen of America, Inc. is headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It is a subsidiary of Volkswagen AG, headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany. Volkswagen is one of the world's largest producers of passenger cars and Europe's largest automaker. Volkswagen sells the Rabbit, New Beetle, New Beetle convertible, GTI, Jetta, GLI, Passat, Passat wagon, Eos, and Touareg through approximately 600 independent U.S. dealers. Visit Volkswagen of America online at vw.com.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Amsedan43 8:58AM (3/03/2008)
Have an 84 Jetta with 384600 miles and still going strong. Running on WVO at 84 cent/gal. and 38 mpg avg.
It is a bargain for a turtle.
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JFletch 1:40PM (8/23/2007)
I had an '89 Jetta as my first car. I loved it, the lack of a lap belt, all the plastic toggle switches, and the hand crank sunroof. The car had such character. The transaxle snapped in 2003, on the night of the Superbowl of course.
The car wouldnt start unless the shoulder belt was plugged in the receptacle on the door...
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Dave Nevland 11:11AM (10/19/2007)
Oooo 600K miles for a diesel. There's a handful of Volvo drivers with over 1 million miles on their plain old gas engines. Irv Gordon has 2 million miles on his Volvo, but they don't make 'em like that anymore. Thanks, Ford.
Farris 1:46PM (8/23/2007)
Wow! I hope my TDI lasts that long!
That really is amazing that he was able to keep the car running for so long. Not only that, but it looks amazing... I wonder whether or not he had it painted before he submitted his mileage to VW.
Oh, and BTW... what's with the freaking LEASE of a TDI Toureg? Give him a Bluetec (or whatever they're gonna call it) Rabbit for Pete's sake.
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Don 4:36PM (8/23/2007)
I'm sure the gent treated his particular Jetta to unbelievable maintenance.
I mean, 20 yrs of records proving your car has consistently achieved 50 mpg?
Take that Prius!
Rodstar 1:48PM (8/23/2007)
That's it? A six month lease on an SUV? Man, those VW boys are bloody cheap.
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Kowell 2:32PM (8/23/2007)
My sentiment exactly..... they ARE cheap..... Beside, what is a retiree gonna do with a V10 Touareg...... just GIVE him a new Golf Diesel and he'll be much happier...
Simon 1:56PM (8/23/2007)
The guy found out VW is looking for an old diesel so he took his rarely driven car out of the garage, spun the odometer and gave it an extra 500k and called up VW.
That car looks as good as the Jetta did when new. It looks amazing. Not an Ohio car with 562,000 miles.
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felipe 2:01PM (8/23/2007)
yea sure.
that guy looks like a swindeler... esp in that shirt.
please, he couldnt turn a clock forward on DLight savings.
but i imagine its garaged and he doesnt leave his house in the bad weather.
SPG 2:00PM (8/23/2007)
How sad that the current Jetta (or the 98 Corolla Edition as I think of it as) is the only one I'd comfortably fit enough for a road trip.
Old guys really do love those Diesel VW's though, that's for sure.
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tbyron 2:18PM (8/23/2007)
I had an old girlfriend in South Dakota whose hand-me-down car was a late 80's Jetta. She had 210,000 mi on when she gave it back to her dad when she moved to NYC. Last I heard, he was still using it as a work car to go back and forth between their house and dairy facility.
A 6 month lease is shockingly cheap considering the marketing mileage they're getting out of this. C'mon VW...are you reading this stuff. Wake up.
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cog 1:51AM (8/02/2008)
I was thinking the same thing. You would think they could offer him free service to that car for the rest of it's life and give him another vw of his choice. A 6 month lease is just not enough.
Dinger 2:21PM (8/23/2007)
John Neff,
Blue Rock is south of I-70. They don't quite get lake effect down there and don't use anywhere near the mountains of salt that NE Ohio does so it's really not all that surprising.
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EM 2:36PM (8/23/2007)
I'm fairly certain that this picture is taken at Byers Volkswagen on Hamilton Road in Columbus, Ohio. I base this off the show room area and the Len Immke Buick Dealership in the background. Columbus does get its fair share of snow, trust me.
Also, Byers and Immke can feel free to send me a 6 month lease for the mention of those dealership. I'm sure Autoblog can tell you how to get a hold of me.
Dinger 2:58PM (8/23/2007)
EM,
Having grown up in NE Ohio, and then living in CMH for a decade after finishing up at OSU (had a nice little home in Clintonville) I would disagree with you over the claim that CMH gets its "fair share" of snow. I remember a few years back Jym Ganahl explaining why, having to do with the topography of central Ohio, CMH didn't really get all that much snow.
EM 3:09PM (8/23/2007)
Should have been there last winter then. Ha.
"fair share" would be a relative term I suppose.
However, the road crews seems to salt non-stop.
tr 10:38PM (8/23/2007)
EM,
i'd have to agree with Dinger. people in columbus "think" they get snow, but having lived roughly half my life in Cleveland/NE Ohio, and half in Columbus (living there currently), i can say that Columbus doesn't get nearly as much snow as the north (although, last year was a bit fun for a few days, with me and my snow tires), and they surely don't lay down the salt as much as Cleveland.
rgseidl 2:27PM (8/23/2007)
Ok, so here's an old man who has apparently driven his 1986 Jetta Tdi very gingerly to achieve a lifetime average of 50MPG and mollycoddled it through 20 Ohio winters.
Am I the only one who finds it richly ironic that his prize is 6 months in a totally ridiculous fuel-guzzling V10 Touareg designed for hard-core off-roading? Seriously, can you see this guy hooning out in the mud somewhere? VW USA needs some new marketing people.
An appropriate prize would have been a full 3 year lease on a 2008 T2B5-compliant Jetta Tdi. So what if that means waiting another 6-9 months - surely the old Jetta will last a little while longer.
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HineyWipe 4:08PM (8/23/2007)
Yep. VW is cheap. The free advertising alone with this search could be the MSRP (in value) of that Touareg. Or even a serious offer on 08-09 diesel Jetta or rumored Rabbit.
Nah, we want you to drive a pig.
Steve 3:09PM (8/23/2007)
I agree with all you guys. VW is cheap. They could give all those winners the Touaregs for free. What the hell is 6 months. I guess they would rather trash them in commercials and movies than have someone make better use of their cars by taking care of them and driving them.
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