We have a 2003 Jetta TDI 5-speed. Found a cream-puff with 30K in Greenville, SC for 16K. Still had a year of warranty left plus 2 years for the certified used VW program. The car was ilke new.
And I did a lot of research before we started looking. 2003 was the latest year that looked to offer good reliability and outstanding mileage. I noticed that all the reviews of the 2003 VW Jetta TDI in the car survey site you mentioned were favorable with only one complaint about a leaky window seal. Thus far we've put over 30K on the car and no problems. It has been on several long trips including my 20 yr old son has been from Nashville to Dallas and Nashville to Atlanta. Driving conservatively yields an average of 60 MPG. According to consumer reports who bases their past-year reviews on subscriber responses, the gas models do have problems.
But this TDI has it's own quirks as well which I knew about going in. Timing belt has to be changed every 100K, intake parts gets plugged up with a goo created by a combo of soot from the EGR and oil vapors from the CCV after a while. But all in all, I really like the little car. I keep the mtce up and it in turn gives me outstanding MPG and has never left me stranded.
Would I buy it again? Absolutely. Check out
Fred's TDI Page. TDIClub.com. VW TDI Enthusiast Community for more info on these little oil burners.
