Topic: First Drive: 2015 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Clean Diesel

[Autos_Editor]

The refreshed 2015 Jetta gets a new diesel engine with an eye on the future.

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[dirtyjeffer]

"the 2015 Jetta TDI with six-speed DSG returns 7.5 L/100 km highway, 5.3 city and 6.5 combined. The six-speed manual car is 7.7 highway, 5.2 city and 6.5 combined."

i think you have the city and highway reversed...higher number should be city, lower number should be highway.

[Oldsguy]

Addition of cheap "piano black" (a.k.a. hard shiny black plastic) trim is never a step forward. Inside and out, this car is just the epitome of bland and characterless.

[OliverD]

Addition of cheap "piano black" (a.k.a. hard shiny black plastic) trim is never a step forward. Inside and out, this car is just the epitome of bland and characterless.

I'll take it over fake wood.

[JacobBlack]

"the 2015 Jetta TDI with six-speed DSG returns 7.5 L/100 km highway, 5.3 city and 6.5 combined. The six-speed manual car is 7.7 highway, 5.2 city and 6.5 combined."

i think you have the city and highway reversed...higher number should be city, lower number should be highway.

Woop. Fixed. 

[dragonfly]

   Wait a sec here...That's not a VW; that's a 2008 Corolla if I ever saw one.. Gawd,what an ugly car..Efficiency is cute..but it can't overcome oppressively ugly...Life's too short to drive an ugly, bland crapmobile...Jack

[hemusbull]

All VW group's derivatives of Golf/Jetta are better looking than this one here. From budget oriented Skoda through more aggressive Seats to...luxury level Audis! This Jetta's front is like DIY design from twenty years ago.

[EV-Light]

seems like a nice host of upgrades! all the tech is there now. Wish I had tested the TDI when I bought mine, but I'd bet discounts would be harder to get.

[Blueprint]

And meanwhile in China...

[Diesel Advocate]

The refreshed 2015 Jetta gets a new diesel engine with an eye on the future.

Read More...

Looks a tad more upmarket but still doesn't look anywhere near the quality of the Golf which is more expensive and small than the Jetta. (Never really worked that one out). Given that the Jetta is available in some European markets, why does VAG continue to change the rear light setup for the North American market. Do they think that the cars will sell more if they look like they've been "Americanized"? Porsche, Mercedes, BMW and anyone else who "Americanize" their products, Combined turn-signal and brake light is NOT as safe as the Rest of the World setup of separate Amber turn-signals and brake lights. Sorry for rant. Love the Diesel though.

[dtep]

Pretty decent upgrades. Glad to know some of the newer techs are now in the Jetta.

What bothers me the most is the lack of Rear AC vent in the Jetta. A new $18k Golf has one but not in the $30k Jetta.

[OliverD]

Looks a tad more upmarket but still doesn't look anywhere near the quality of the Golf which is more expensive and small than the Jetta. (Never really worked that one out).

The Golf is a relative niche player in North America so there wasn't any point in creating an NA-specific product like they did with the Jetta. This makes the Golf more expensive, which is fine because it means they can target traditional VW buyers with the slightly upmarket Golf while at the same time capturing new, more value-conscious buyers with the "Americanized" Jetta.

[Noto]

What bothers me the most is the lack of Rear AC vent in the Jetta. A new $18k Golf has one but not in the $30k Jetta.

^^ This is my issue with the Jetta (and lack of AWD ).  Somehow, even if they throw back some of the tech/features that they deleted in the last redesign, it still seems like a cost-cutting exercise.  "How cheap can we make the Jetta?"  VW is making the Golf a premium platform, with its sedan sibling (the Jetta) getting the shaft.  Now a move up-market, but still with cost-cutting.

And what irritates me more is that they combine "chrome trim" with all other packages like anyone would say "OOOH, I WANT THE HIGHLINE BECAUSE IT COMES WITH CHROME!"  More likely, "I want the Highline because it comes with Navi."  Achem...that is, if you get the tech package.   

Problem is, even if I like the Jetta, VW's marketing and sales department is taking it completely out of the equation for me (though I don't care to look up sales - I leave that, as always, for SirO).

[Noto]

Wish I had tested the TDI when I bought mine, but I'd bet discounts would be harder to get.

See, I used to be a firm believer in the TDI, but now I'm not.

While the fuel savings are notable (36mpg diesel vs 27mpg 1.8T, combined ratings) and the power difference is not, the volatile diesel prices, now coupled with the cost of the ad-blue treatment (and the reliability of the system/potential for freezing lines in the winter) raises questions for me.

...and the upfront cost.

[bombastic]

And meanwhile in China...

Yeah, that is the Chinese Jetta. Nice looking.

[WRX_Pilot]

Looking forward to when the Jetta gets the MQB platform the Golf rides on.  2016?

[dkaz]

Combined turn-signal and brake light is NOT as safe as the Rest of the World setup of separate Amber turn-signals and brake lights. Sorry for rant.

I'm also not a fan of cars with combined or even separate red turn signals. I've caught myself a couple of times not noticing when people wanted to change into my lane because of the red turn signals until it was too late. The exception to this is bright red LEDs in a separate lens that's in I believe the Audi Q5? Also the Kia Sportage.

Otherwise, amber signals are much more noticeable.

the volatile diesel prices, now coupled with the cost of the ad-blue treatment (and the reliability of the system/potential for freezing lines in the winter) raises questions for me.

...and the upfront cost.

I believe it's been mentioned before that the Jetta and Golf do not need Ad-Blue. And I noticed that diesel in Vancouver tends to hover around 140.9 to 144.9 mark all year while gasoline swings up to 1.529 in the summer and down to 135.9 in the winter. So gasoline prices seem like the volatile one to me.

I would still opt for the 1.8 TSI if I were car shopping today.

[KD]

Combined turn-signal and brake light is NOT as safe as the Rest of the World setup of separate Amber turn-signals and brake lights. Sorry for rant.

Otherwise, amber signals are much more noticeable.

I agree.  They should be mandatory imo.

[Noto]

I believe it's been mentioned before that the Jetta and Golf do not need Ad-Blue.

The previous 2.0L TDI did not require urea, but this new one does:

a new diesel engine is available. Part of the new EA288 TDI family, the new 2.0-liter turbodiesel I-4 produces 150 hp and 236 lb-ft of torque, which is 10 ponies more than the previous version. Torque, which the Jetta TDI always had plenty of, is unchanged. While the previous diesel didn't require any extra emissions control hardware, the new engine uses AdBlue DEF to improve fuel economy and reduce emissions.

Read more: http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/sedans/1404_2015_volkswagen_jetta_first_look/#ixzz3CC4YUNGW

[EV-Light]

how much is this adBlue thing anyways?