2001 Volkswagen Jetta GLS review from North America

Driver front door window regulator failed. Fixed under warranty.

Passenger front door window regulator failed. Fixed under warranty.

Armrest compartment latch broke. Whole armrest replaced under warranty.

Small piece of plastic trim on inner sunroof fell off. Fixed by myself.

My Jetta TDI Diesel has been a generally enjoyable vehicle.

Aside from the small, little niggling problems with interior trim and window regulators, I have not had any problems with the powerplant or transmission or any major failures in 25k miles of mixed city/highway driving. In fact, I hope to drive my TDI for at least 200,000+ miles, as the Diesel engine has much more longevity than the average gasoline counterpart.

I previously owned a 1995 Toyota 4Runner, and it was useful in the fact that I had plenty of cargo space to haul equipment, but SUV's just aren't fuel efficient enough for me to justify owning one. Driving one was a drain on my finances, while being no more 'safe' than a regular mid-size sedan.

The initial cost of the Jetta with the TDI engine option was generally more expensive than it's Volkswagen 2.0L and 1.8T gas-powered brethren, but in the long run (if you plan to keep the car), the operating costs should be equal to or even less than owning a 'gas' car.

The economy is all due to the TDI engine. Diesel engines are generally 25-30% more fuel efficient, a gallon of Diesel has more energy versus a gallon of gasoline, and Diesel burns cleaner as far as greenhouse gasses go. The soot/particulate emissions that are inherent with Diesel are still a minor issue, but no more serious than the emissions from gas-powered cars.

You may think that because it is a Diesel, that this car will be loud, smoky or slower than a turtle. By no means is a TDI the fastest thing on the street (well, maybe if you modify a few things). That does not mean it takes 5 minutes to get up to highway speed. The TDI powerband is such that the engine delivers a great deal more torque at lower and mid RPMs, so much that it is truly a capable car whether passing on the highway or driving around town. It takes a slight adjustment in driving style, but after seeing the positive results in fuel economy, it's easy to become a convert.

While the car 'sounds' a little different and it might be a few dB louder at idle, by no means does it 'smoke' or belch soot (which is actually what you see coming out of city buses or big semi trucks, it's not smoke). Major US car makers did a lot of damage to the image of Diesel back in the '70s/'80's with their poorly designed/executed Diesel cars. It created a whole generation of drivers who thought of Diesels as loud, smoky, slow and hard to start. The modern TDI engine is leaps and bounds, even light years ahead of that old technology.

Other than the engine, the car has the usual nice features such as heated leather seats, heated side mirrors, cruise, CD, etc. and has very attractive 'German' styling inside and out. I have had some minor issues as stated above, and have encountered my fair share of interior noises, rattles, and squeaks. Nothing major, but still annoying.

I can honestly say that this car has been easy on the wallet. For me, Diesel fuel prices are generally a bit more than regular unleaded gas, but usually stay below the super premium price point. I don't have to fill up every week or couple of days. I can go 10 days to two weeks between fill ups. The oil changes, while a bit more expensive than standard gas/3,000 mile changes, for the TDI, my intervals are every 10,000 miles.

I think my car speaks for itself.