2011 Volkswagen Jetta 2.0L TDI Review
- Written by David Miller
- Published in CAR REVIEWS
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There is arguably no other issue that grabs more attention in the news than the price of fuel. If there is any opportunity to lessen the amount of times to go to the pump, people might just go for it. Now throw in some power and performance and this is why you may get excited for the 2011 Volkswagen Jetta 2.0 TDI (Turbocharged Direct Injection).
Volkswagen has been known for their history of great diesel-powered vehicles and this new Jetta is no exception. It does come with some differences to the Jettas of the past. Volkswagen is currently building them in Puebla, Mexico and has put their long-term goal in place to make them more affordable vehicles and in turn create more sales. This has led to a small downgrade in quality for the Jetta, but it still rivals no other TDI in its class.
I recently had a chance to drive the TDI through some city driving throughout Toronto during the week and a trip up the 400 North and Hwy 26 into Orillia and Collingwood on the weekend.
It took some time to adjust to the quick braking on the Jetta in the stop-and-go traffic commute coming from their Canadian head office in Ajax, ON, but after the hour drive I felt more relaxed and comfortable. A usual negative towards diesel-engines are the noise it creates, but I must say the wind and engine noise was hardly noticeable.
Once I hit the open highway on the trip up north, the TDI showcased its 140 hp and 236 lb-ft of torque. The engine has a lot more power than expected from your typical diesel. You can accelerate from zero-to-hundred in 9 seconds – 2.3 seconds quicker than the gas-engine Jetta. Even though, the Volkswagen engineers lengthened the wheelbase 2.9 inches compared to the previous model, this TDI managed the highways with great flexibility.
My six-speed DSG (direct shift gearbox) with Triptronic automatic Comfortline TDI was equipped with four-wheel disc brakes and a double-clutch transmission. If you want to be more aggressive on the road, the option to select your gears manually is provided, even in automatic mode. The double-clutch transmission let’s you have control with one clutch managing the odd gears and the other managing the even gears.
The best aspect of the TDI is in its fuel economy. I ended up logging 910 km before filling up the 55-litre fuel tank, which was very impressive. You get the most bang for your buck as it uses only 4.6 L of fuel per 100 km. For city driving, the TDI can go 750-800 km. In the long run with escalating gas prices, this will make a big difference in your wallet.
The interior of the vehicle is very spacious with plenty of room in the front as well as the back. The back seats even have three inches more room than the previous model. However, it appears the downgrade in quality comes a bit into play with the hard plastic dashboard inside. It is understandable that if you are going to make any concessions in order to make the Jetta more reasonably-priced, it might as well be for the interior material. The interior is still very nice with a beautifully-crafted touch screen display, Bluetooth, iPod interface, sunroof, and audio controls from the steering-wheel. The tester that I had did not have Sirius satellite radio activated and unfortunately there was no option for a navigational system. As in most Volkswagen vehicles, the trunk has ample space to fit plenty of luggage, golf clubs, groceries, etc.
The tester I had with the DSG transmission puts the price at $28,575, which is a little steep in comparison to the lower-costs of the latest gas-engine Jettas. Nevertheless, if you are looking for a fuel efficient car that possesses a decent amount of power and performance – the Jetta 2.0L TDI could be just what you were hoping for.
