Dark charisma is going to hate on me, but I was really considering a passat as a dd. Looks like the 2011 and newers can be had for 15k. I heard about electrical issues, but down here there isn't any salt. I don't know if that helps, but I really like the diesel mileage. I am just curious as to how reliable the engine and trans are.

We had one for 3 years, and had good luck with it.

Check out the TDI forums.    Plenty of expensive horror stories.    Fuel pumps and cam shafts come to mind.

As a whole across the industry  unless you just can't live without the torque a diesel can put out they make no sense from a fiscal standpoint vs gas. Largely due to more expensive routine  service and spectacularly expensive repairs that happen all too often thanks to modern emissions controls

I second Krochus' post. Any advantage diesels had in the past, due to their simplicity and longevity, is long gone now because of expensive and extremely trouble-prone emissions and fuel systems. Diesels are far more complicated than gassers nowadays, and when you add in the higher cost of fuel, the need to add DEF, more frequent and expensive repairs, etc, you're not saving anything by getting one. These are not the TDIs of old, where you could count on 300K miles before any major repairs.

You're going to need a bigger boat.

 

I have a 6.4 power stroke so I know about maintenance cost. Another thing is I would rip the egr/dpf/urea off the car right away. I'm sure they make tunes like my ford has.

Ok by the time you make these expenditures you have already used up any fuel savings you might have made for a 100,000 miles over a gas car. Throw in an injector replacement somewhere down the road and this car NEVER saves a cent over even the v6 engine option  

A 6.4 is absolutely primitive compared to new diesels.

In what way primitive, I have a common rail system and dpr/egr. It's not overhead cam though.

So, I guess it's a roll of the dice on reliability.

Have gad two, a 2005 Jetta TDI and a 2010(still have) Jetta Sportwagon TDI. Would buy again, no issues with either.

What kind of mpg's you getting?

I have a 13 golf TDI, last of the ones made in Germany, before that i had an 02 i drove to around 270k

MPG mid to low 40s not babying it mixed driving
27-30mpg towing my motorcycles or jetskis down the interstate at 80mph.

I had my 13 DPF deleted and tuned before it had 1000 miles on it.  Malone for tuning, rawtek for the DPF delete.
Block EGR so your intake manifold stays clean.


My advice would be to get a 08-10 Jetta TDI, these were the last years of the nicer mk5 jetta before VW severely "cheapened" them in the mk6 update for a bigger market share.
The DSG transmission is nice there is a guy who tows his airstream bambi sport all over the US with his mk6 DSG TDI golf.

German cars are nice, there's a million little things about them that make them superior to others.

From forged door hinges to every control in the car being illuminated in a soft red, to cruising at over 120mph with so little windnoise and such great rock solid stability.
Cruise control as a switch instead of a damn button you have to turn on every time, to being able to set the cruise at 130mph or 13mph.
Headlights that on low beam make your american or japanese highbeams seem like a flashlight.
Being able to program in nav adresses etc while driving..  Just seems germans have more faith in people as drivers and there's much less nanny shit than cars from other countries including the US.

in short, VW TDI is g2g except for the pumpe duse. 04-07
Run an additive such as diesel clean to protect your fuelpump from our shitty low sulfur US diesel.

137mph (TDI is no slouch)



I love my car.
Just get some good properly speed rated (H or better) tires for your trailer :P

 

Had one on my Jetta TDI.  Save it more than once.

I have a 2003 Jetta TDI 5-speed.

Bigger nozzles, "chipped" and EGR is deleted. Pretty darn speedy for what it is and great torque.

Awesome engine. Love that little car.

Just get a skyactiv mazda 3.  Great fuel economy without the hassle.   A Camry hybrid may also be in your price range.



LOL.  It's fine that you like your car, but please spare us from the anecdotal opinions that are posted as facts.

People seem to love them.  My buddy got a new one last summer and is on his third turbo.

Liked the 2 TDI's  I've owned. Got tired of the dealing with the local dealer. Repair and maintenance costs will eat up your fuel savings money. Always liked to check out the dealer and see all the out of state plates lined up on Monday morning waiting for repairs. That's a VW thing not necessary the TDI's fault.

We've moved onto Honda's. Still get GREAT fuel mileage and they just run and run. Twice the resale value. All done with VW never again.

A buddy of mine has a TDI Bug that had the turbo lose a bearing. Dealership replaced the CHRA and he hasn't had a problem since. He seems to really like it.

That's my only experience. Its worth what you paid for it.

Most VWs seem to last forever. The ones that do not will cure you of ever owning another Dub again.

I had a loaded to the gills Passat (2.0T gas engine) that spent more time in the dealer service bay than every other car I have ever owned combined. I hated that fucking car with every ounce of my being.

I'm on my third TDI. Great cars.

I had a 2010 jetta tdi.  Or was it an 09?  I don't remember anymore.  Put 40k on her, only had to replace a single gas strut on trunk lid.

Traded it for a 2013 jetta tdi.  Needed it to be like four inches bigger, which made the newer car perfect.  Put 35k on it, then traded it for an 04 z06, because fuck the dinosaurs, polar ice caps, and your four dollar a gallon diesel.  The corvette has been cheaper to operate and gets more smiles per gallon.  Plus I can take it to car shows and get noticed.

Seriously, loved the jettas.  I was just smitten by the vette.  The older jetta was a real eye opener.  Really performed well with four wheel independent suspension and its small size made it very nimble in comparison to the suburban it replaced.  Went from 10mpg at 55 to 38mpg at 80.  The 2013 would do 42mpg at 80.  Seemed to regen the dpf far less frequently.

was it all little stuff or a lot of major stuff?

Seems to be either / or. I had a couple VWs, did all my own work, had VAGCOM, etc. but got tired of fixing all the little stupid shit that was always wrong or breaking on them. Spend some time on VWVortex before you buy.

 

I sure will, thanks. I need a daily driver since the f250 is killing my back. Now I need to decide if I am going to be practical or not with my car choice. I really don't want to be practical.

Mixture.

The day I took delivery the rear hatch (it was a wagon) motor failed in the dealer lot. Awkward, but shit happens right? We brought it back a week later and they repaired it.

Then the steering wheel radio controls quit. Replaced. Took two visits for them to get the steering wheel back on straight however.

Driver side seat motor failed.

Airbox "collapsed" while on vacation which put car into limp mode. Spent a day in out of state dealer, they didn't have an air box so rigged it up and reset computer. Back to my dealer when I got home for new airbox.

Passenger side rear window stopped working.

Rear hatch motor failed again.

Then the turbo ate itself.

All at less than 36k miles, and this was a babied car driven by my wife.

Dynamically, driving the thing was nice, rode great, handled great, decent power, looked good. It's just that it was the worst fucking car I have ever owned. After constant dealer visits and perpetual headaches with the service manager, the dealer took the car back.

I know many people who have had super reliable Dubs and who love them, but there are enough horror stories out there, coupled with my own experience, that I will never buy a VW again.

And yes, before I get jumped, I know that any car make can have these issues. Be that as it may, I've never personally had it happen with anything else I've owned. YMMV

yeah I can see how that would be a pain in the ass. It must have been made on a monday.

Seems to be either hit or miss with VW. Either you have owners who love their car and wouldn't own anything else or horror stories who practically give them away.

I had a jetta 1.8T rental for a month, absolutely loved it.

that;s how the MIL is, she says her car is the most favorite car she ever owned. Passat 1.8T I think

Have 310,000 miles on my 97 passat. Can't kill the thing.