I've logged many miles in our certified 2005 VW Jetta TDI, including a trip to the base of Mt. Whitney in Lone Pine, California.
I can hear a chorus of "Nooooo!" being shouted at me right now in response to the headline. Yet, it's my task to sell our long term 2005 Volkswagen Jetta GLS TDI.
Seriously folks, this Jetta is actually still worth a lotta dough. Our True Market Value price for it is $12,900. Considering it cost $24,000 new, it's held its value remarkably well.
If gas prices hadn't gone south our Jetta would be worth far more. Further eroding its desirability is the appearance of the 2009 VW Jetta TDI, which was a complete home run. It's also the first time a diesel has been available in California in over 10 years. Ergo, my phone is not ringing.
Still, consider these arguments in the TDI's favor.
Fuel economy. Who cares, right? I mean, gas and diesel is cheap and it will always be that way. Well, if you're of the mind that oil is a limited resource and it will shoot up again as soon as the economy shows a flicker of life, then you'll love getting 49 mpg. That's what I got on the last tank of diesel. Few other cars on the road can lay claim to that kind of mpg.
Range. Here, the TDI obliterates the competition. Over 500 miles on a (small) tank. The only range better was our thirsty 2009 Infiniti FX50 which runs on premium gas.
Reliability. We bought the Jetta with 50K miles on it; it now has 70K. Problems? Two fouled fuel filters. And that's because we ran it on American-made B99 biodiesel.
Fun to drive. Uh, here I better be careful. I can only say that the 1.9 liter, 100 hp diesel is the most determined and hard working engine you'll ever feel under your hood.
I understand that car enthusiasts will crap all over this car because it is a diesel, is slow and has a sloppy suspension. But for day in and day out, point to point driving (what most of our driving is) the TDI has been a loyal friend and provided hours of comfortable saddle time.
Philip Reed, Edmunds.com Senior Consumer Advice Editor @ 70,000 miles
canadaphant says:
12:53 PM, 04/30/09
Would I buy it? God no, I'm trying to figure out if there's any way I can buy a GXP and bring it across the border into Canada on my income...
carguy622 says:
01:00 PM, 04/30/09
Good luck with the GXP, I'm with you on that... I wish I had the cash, and I don't even live in Canada.
I don't consider the looks of the new Jetta a home run. It's a German Corolla. In fact I liked the previous version a lot better.
lenoroc says:
01:16 PM, 04/30/09
The "Fun to drive" "selling point" is a reason why I'm saving up for a 335d.
Speaking of, could you guys please get one for the long-term blog? :D
estreka says:
01:25 PM, 04/30/09
If I were going to buy a TDI, I'd buy a much older one with all the depreciation wrung out.
throwback says:
01:47 PM, 04/30/09
I would buy it as I have a 130 mile daily drive. but I am not in the market for a car, sorry. The E46 M3 however...
kingkhalas says:
01:47 PM, 04/30/09
sorry, no.
stovt001 says:
01:48 PM, 04/30/09
Its not that I wouldn't buy this car - its just that I wouldn't buy it from you guys. No offense, but cars don't exactly come away from your garage in pristine condition.
TxRider says:
01:55 PM, 04/30/09
I have an identical car to this, except mine has the leather seats and 98k miles on it. I have really enjoyed reading this blog and will miss it. Great to see reader feedback about the TDI as well. My next car will be a tough choice, but one I won't have to make for another 100k miles. This car is a long term play for anyone considering it because the buy-in cost is a bit higher than other cars of this vintage, and the real payoff will come in year or so when fuel prices go back up past $4 per gallon for regular unleaded.
Thanks again for selecting this car!
canadaphant says:
02:09 PM, 04/30/09
1. Speaking as one in the thick of the oil industry-there was never any reason for oil to hit $100+ a barrel (hence the huge collapse in prices), so don't expect a fuel price jump to suddenly justify this car
2. If Edmunds tests a 335d, we may have to put them in a dark padded room to recover from BMW over exposure
brn says:
02:27 PM, 04/30/09
I can't say that I'm thrilled with the interior of the 2005 Jetta. I was generally disappointed as it looked like it was from 1988. VW's reliability record is another turn off. Diesel is cool, but the overall package isn't up to snuff.
I certainly wouldn't pay a premium for it.
firstwagon says:
02:27 PM, 04/30/09
I really like the car and diesel is 10 to 15 cents a litre cheaper then regular here now but would I buy one? Probably not.
The resale is just to high. Here in Vancouver they range from a low of about $12,000 to a high of $24,000 for a 2005 Jetta TDI . If you weed out the extremes they seem to average just under $20K CDN with 40 to 60 thousand miles.
That would buy you a brand new Fit Sport or well equipped Kia Soul.
Neither can match the mileage of the TDI but they are good on gas and are really fun cars and would be brand new.
Maybe if the price of gas goes back up to $1.50 litre (about $6.00/ gallon) then I would change my mind.
TxRider says:
02:30 PM, 04/30/09
We can only hope you are right about #1 above "canadaphant" but time will tell if your expert opinion holds true...
autoboy16 says:
02:58 PM, 04/30/09
You guys should list it on TDIclub.com. They go gaga over Jetta TDIs!
I'd buy it, but I just started my new job and I won't have 12k for awhile...
xbjay says:
03:04 PM, 04/30/09
I like the style of this particular Jetta. It doesn't have to be TDI for me, maybe the 1.8T :) but i heard the backseats are ridiculously cramped in this generation.
DCuerpoJr says:
05:04 PM, 04/30/09
I'd buy the 2009 Jetta TDI to use as a daily commuter. My only concern would be finding gas stations that have diesel. Believe it or not, they're pretty rare in downtown Seattle.
cwc1 says:
08:19 PM, 04/30/09
But the MkIV Jetta TDI (and its platform siblings) will go so far on a tank of fuel that even when there aren't as many stations that sell diesel, you can drive to another that does. My 2002 goes at least 600 on a tank, and sometimes past 700 if I get the fuel tank extra full. And when I need fuel, I can always find station - they're not as rare in the Dallas area as some people think.
I would love the power of the 2009, but not the Corollaish styling. And while its mileage is quite good, it's hard to be impressed when I'm used to getting 50 MPG or more.
Monocrom says:
11:11 PM, 04/30/09
Okay, so the '05 Jetta is the best appliance you can buy... if you're dead inside.
TxRider says:
07:29 AM, 05/ 1/09
Bring in the cat and get your gun.
firstwagon says:
09:58 AM, 05/ 1/09
"Okay, so the '05 Jetta is the best appliance you can buy... if you're dead inside."
You can say the same about a lot of sedans. At least this one has a mountain of torque and uses 1/2 the fuel of the others.
creeper says:
10:11 AM, 05/ 1/09
@ lenoroc~
just what we need, ANOTHER bmw in the long term test fleet. why not get a used aztek and see how they hold up as a collector's car?
hondacura4 says:
10:22 AM, 05/ 1/09
I wish Acura could have offered its excellent diesel here in the TSX. Although it would have had a higher starting price vs the VW, its validated due to its larger size and standard feature content. Id take a 6MT i-DTEC TSX over the VeeDub.
mustang5507 says:
12:48 PM, 05/ 1/09
You can fix the suspension with a new set of springs. my best friend installed eibachs on his 03 1.8T, and it feels tauter than my dad's old Focus did at its best, while maintaining good ride quality. But I'd definitely shoot for a new Jetta diesel over the old one.
canadaphant says:
02:23 PM, 05/ 1/09
TXRider-
Well, since I didn't think there was a reason for the run on oil in the first place, unfortunately that leaves the door open on further spikes in price b/c of nonsensical trading in the future. Am I betting that people will become smarter? No.
Colorado_Al says:
05:55 PM, 05/12/09
Sorry to see your Long Term test ending on the 05 TDI. While 70k might be a lot of miles on a gasser, this TDI engine is really just past broken in. The diesel engine will last well beyond 200k, I have seen many with over 300k on them, and in good working order. If you really want to long term test a diesel, you need to put at least another 100k on that engine.
I have the same year TDI wagon with 80k on the clock. I'm not selling it. Biggest drawback is small backseat/legroom. While fuel prices are half what they were a year ago, diesel is about 10% cheaper than gas right now, and the TDI goes 30-50% farther per gallon, than a comparable gasser. With my 20k miles per year, with diesel at $2/gal, and gas at $2.20/gal, I'm saving over $750/year on fuel over a car that gets 25 mpg on gas. Couple that with the fact that I won't need to buy a new car when the engine is at 200k, and you see why the TDI holds its value.
Over 10 years (200k miles) (even if fuel prices stay where they are now) I'll save $7500 to put towards a new car, while you'll have already bought another gasser and be ready to replace it.