When you look at the full financial picture, the Jetta TDI is a monetary no-brainer in the long run. Even with elevated diesel prices, the oil-burning Jetta's $700 price premium is earned back in about 20,000 miles. Moreover, used, high-mileage Jetta TDIs historically have been worth significantly more than their gasoline-engine siblings.
The financial argument alone makes the TDI the top Jetta engine choice for the mileage conscious. We've just added one to our Four Seasons fleet to see if it meets the needs of an office full of enthusiasts.
VW has sold almost 850,000 diesel-powered vehicles in America since 1977, ranging from the 48-hp, 1.5-liter four-cylinder in the 1978 Rabbit to the 310-hp, 4.9-liter V-10 in the Touareg. The best-selling diesel-powered Volkswagen in the States is the Jetta. Here's how the 2009 edition stacks up against its most frugal oil-burning predecessors:
| Body | Year | Size | Power | Torque | EPA City* | EPA HWY* |
| Mark 1 | 1982 | 1.6 liters | 52 hp | 72 lb-ft | 36 | 52 mpg |
| Mark 2 | 1985 | 1.6 | 52 | 71 | 31 | 41 |
| Mark 3 | 1996 | 1.9 | 90 | 149 | 34 | 44 |
| Mark 4 | 2003 | 1.9 | 90 | 155 | 35 | 44 |
| Mark 5 | 2006 | 1.9 | 100 | 177 | 30 | 37 |
| Mark 5 | 2009 | 2.0 | 140 | 236 | 30 | 41 |
*Highest EPA fuel economy ratings achieved by manual-transmission Jettas, adjusted to 2008 standards. ...next page >>