Autoblog

The gauntlet is thrown: VW Jetta TDI vs. Toyota Prius

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Sedan, Green, Toyota, Volkswagen

Clean diesel or hybrid drive? It's an intriguing question, and one that's not quite so easy to answer. There's the price of diesel fuel to consider, which runs a few dimes over that of regular gasoline. Then there is fuel mileage. Does the Volkswagen Jetta TDI have a shot at dethroning the Toyota Prius as the undisputed mileage champion of the U.S.? To get a preliminary answer to some of these questions, Popular Mechanics put almost 500 miles on both cars, dividing up their miles between the city and the highway. It's not a knock-out for either car, but it may offer some early answers to a few questions.

First, the mileage. In the city, there's just no beating a hybrid, which uses its electric motor to good effect and scores over ten mpg better in the stop-and-go traffic of Los Angeles. On the highway, though, the Jetta TDI is able to eke out a narrow victory, scoring less than one mile per gallon better. Once the price of crude is factored in, the Prius remains the overall cheaper car to keep filled up. Of course, there is more to the story than that, including which car is a better to drive -- according to PM, the Jetta. Finally, the TDI qualifies for a $1,300 tax credit that the Prius can't claim. It's too close to call. Expect a rematch soon enough.

Read our First Drive of the 2009 VW Jetta TDI and full review of the Toyota Prius to see what we think.

[Source: Popular Mechanics]

The gauntlet is thrown: VW Jetta TDI vs. Toyota Prius originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 24 Sep 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Diesel rush begins: VW Jetta TDI now being delivered

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 15:05:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Hybrid, Sedan, Wagon, Green, Volkswagen

Lovers of both fuel mileage and torque can finally rest easy; Volkswagen of America is now officially selling its 50-State-approved, clean diesel engine in either the Jetta sedan for $21,990 or Jetta SportWagen wrappers for $23,590. Equipped with the six-speed DSG transmission, both Jetta gets an EPA rating of 29 miles per gallon in the city and 40 on the highway. We expect to see better real-world numbers, though we're a bit wary of VW's advertising its alternate rating of 38/44 -- a number that is impossible to compare with anything else currently available. In any case, the $2,000 premium for the TDI engine will be lessened somewhat by the Fed's $1,300 tax credit which applies to either TDI model. Look for an early test of the oil-burner on these pages shortly.

[Source: Volkswagen]

Continue reading Diesel rush begins: VW Jetta TDI now being delivered

Diesel rush begins: VW Jetta TDI now being delivered originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 18 Aug 2008 15:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autoblog Podcast #99

Dan Roth — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 18:01:00 EST

Filed under: Podcasts, Spy Photos, Green, Celebrities

Jeremy, Chris, and Dan push us right up to the cusp of three digits with Autoblog Podcast #99. The topics are wide and varied, such as motorcycles in the Autoblog Garage, the Acura NSX on the 'Ring, and Volkswagen's semi-bogus third-party fuel economy numbers. Some people thought last week's 'cast was too short, so this week, we fill an hour. Now for those of you who think this is too long, we really are trying to please everybody. See you next week for the epic extravaganza of Podcast #100. We're still taking suggestions, too -- hit us up at podcast at autoblog dotte comme.

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Autoblog Podcast #99 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 25 Jun 2008 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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