This is the third and (hopefully) final post about my recent car crash and the financial aftermath.
After shopping around, we narrowed the field of contenders to just Volkswagens — either a Golf or a Jetta TDI.
The Jetta TDI was very fun to drive, especially the automatic. I usually drive a manual transmission, but these days, the automatic transmissions get just as good (and sometimes better!) gas mileage. And the Jetta manual has six gears. That’s a lotta shifting. I mean, it’s not like it’s a semi — it’s just a sedan. Why on earth, does it need so many gears?
I prefer the Golf styling. The Jetta is a garden-variety sedan. I love being able to haul stuff around, so the Golf’s hatchback makes more sense for me. The regular gas engine Golf is plenty fun to drive. The Golf TDI version is currently only available in the two-door model, which made it a non-starter for my three-person family.
TDI: Turbocharged Diesel Injection = Fahrvergnügen
Fahrvergnügen roughly translates to “driving pleasure,” and the TDI has it in spades. Not only is the engine plenty peppy, but it gets 47 mpg* on the highway. Wow! Toyota’s Prius is only rated at 55 mpg. Who knew that a diesel engine could be so efficient? Read the rest of this entry »
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