# Positive Review - From A VW TDI Owner



## KpaxFAQ (Sep 1, 2013)

Pretty realistic outlook on the car. Not a bad little piece. 

I like the honest bit about VW being a "lifestyle" choice. It lowers my expectation of bias from him. He also gets how the pricing works...almost everyone is quick to point of that the Diesel option costs 5-6k more. These people shouldn't be writing or reviewing anything if they can't at least understand how basic trim levels in a vehicle work. 

Also, he did not take a definitive "this car is better" point wisely. They really are different animals if you ask me. I don't think my CTD is absolutely better then a VW TDI, but it better fulfilled what I was looking for. If I had a couple teenage boys, this car wouldn't be in my driveway right now. 

It was funny when I told my old man that I chose my CTD over a VW TDI his response in true "**** my dad says" style was "good, it seems the type of guy who drives a VW is the type of schmuck I always seem to want to pound the crap out of". True story.  Current or former VW owners don't get thin skin, it's just "**** my dad says" and was said in jest.


----------



## blk88verde (Apr 30, 2011)

Nice review! Autoweek seems to do a good job when it comes to car reviews. The Autoweek review of the ECO in early 2011 helped me decide on my purchase of an ECO.


----------



## ParisTNDude (Oct 7, 2013)

I cross shopped the Passat TDI Sportwagon and thought I would buy it, but at the same time frame dealerships began getting the Cruze TDs. I drove both and found the Cruze more to my liking. 

You know something that bothers me about VW???...you don't find a dealership in every city in the US. I would have to travel 130 miles round trip to a VW dealership and if I didn't like that one, the next closest is 125 miles...no thanks. I can't imagine driving across the US in a car that you couldn't get serviced or that, should it break down, you couldn't find a dealership close by. Have you ever priced VW maintenance and repair parts?....hmmmm, check that out.


----------



## diesel (Jun 8, 2013)

Nice article. The word is slowly getting around.


----------



## gulfcoastguy (Feb 21, 2013)

ParisTNDude said:


> I cross shopped the Passat TDI Sportwagon and thought I would buy it, but at the same time frame dealerships began getting the Cruze TDs. I drove both and found the Cruze more to my liking.
> 
> You know something that bothers me about VW???...you don't find a dealership in every city in the US. I would have to travel 130 miles round trip to a VW dealership and if I didn't like that one, the next closest is 125 miles...no thanks. I can't imagine driving across the US in a car that you couldn't get serviced or that, should it break down, you couldn't find a dealership close by. Have you ever priced VW maintenance and repair parts?....hmmmm, check that out.


That's true, and I own a VW. I've told several people not to buy one it you don't live within 50 miles of a dealer. There are exactly 2 dealers in my state though we do have 2 dealers close to the state line along the coast and one near the state line in Memphis. Fortunately I live only 10 miles from one. Since VW is coming out with all new diesel models(for the 4 cylinders) and gas models over the next 12 months we'll just see how it turns out. They will have urea injection for the 4 cylinders this redesign. They wanted to use it in the last redesign back in 2007 or 8 but they couldn't convince the EPA that people would actually put the fluid in it. That left them with the choice to get fancy with the EGR(and reduce mpg) or stop providing diesels to the US If they had stopped providing diesels to the US I sincerely doubt that we would have a diesel Cruze available. Now if chevy would just produce it in a manual shift wagon form….?


----------



## MotleyCruze (Nov 17, 2013)

Yes, Autoweek is pretty good. You can sign up for their daily emails, and most of the time they have something interesting. I know, every day sounds a bit much, but I find myself looking forward to them at work. But only at lunch! They do have more of a measured tone, which is refreshing compared to say Car&Drivel, which used to be funny and relevant, and is now just cynical and [email protected]


----------



## plasticplant (Mar 26, 2013)

So far I've had 2 VW Jetta TDI guys approach me when filling up (one just yesterday). Both have been very impressed with the car and its numbers. Both guys have stated that they had no idea the Cruze Diesel existed and after a breif chat, both of them left saying they wish they would have know about the Cruze (both just purchased 2013s).


----------



## diesel (Jun 8, 2013)

plasticplant said:


> So far I've had 2 VW Jetta TDI guys approach me when filling up (one just yesterday). Both have been very impressed with the car and its numbers. Both guys have stated that they had no idea the Cruze Diesel existed and after a breif chat, both of them left saying they wish they would have know about the Cruze (both just purchased 2013s).


I am sure there are a lot of people out there who would buy one... if they knew about it.


----------



## gulfcoastguy (Feb 21, 2013)

I bought a 2013 VW, manual shift wagon, in December 2012. Due to a niece cracking up her truck and needing a good deal on a used vehicle in order to complete college, I couldn't wait any longer. If Chevrolet had a manual shift diesel wagon available at that time I would certainly have given it a test drive. Of course about the same time they were also saying that Mazda would be selling a diesel Mazda 6 very soon.


----------



## MotleyCruze (Nov 17, 2013)

I was hearing that the Mazda 6 diesel (2.2L, 300 lb-ft+ in the upper level version) was delayed until spring 2014, but now doesn't even have an estimated delivery date. Too bad. However, it's a big car, and the reason I like the Cruze TD is its size, coupled with a beefy TD.


----------



## KpaxFAQ (Sep 1, 2013)

MotleyCruze said:


> I was hearing that the Mazda 6 diesel (2.2L, 300 lb-ft+ in the upper level version) was delayed until spring 2014, but now doesn't even have an estimated delivery date. Too bad. However, it's a big car, and the reason I like the Cruze TD is its size, coupled with a beefy TD.


A Mazda 6 was the car I was buying if I didn't like the CTD. It seems like Mazda tried to have their cake and eat it too with the design of their low compression diesel engine not utilizing a DPF, or urea injection yet meeting strict US emissions and are paying for it dearly. 

I will be curious how they work their way out of that mess. They have been in full damage control mode since the release of the engine abroad with huge problems of rising oil levels. So far, their only solution to the problem has been to issue new dipsticks with a higher mark on them! lol


----------



## PanJet (Jun 18, 2013)

KpaxFAQ said:


> A Mazda 6 was the car I was buying if I didn't like the CTD. It seems like Mazda tried to have their cake and eat it too with the design of their low compression diesel engine not utilizing a DPF, or urea injection yet meeting strict US emissions and are paying for it dearly.
> 
> I will be curious how they work their way out of that mess. They have been in full damage control mode since the release of the engine abroad with huge problems of rising oil levels. So far, their only solution to the problem has been to issue new dipsticks with a higher mark on them! lol


Rumors are that the engine can pass emissions in the U.S., but "the challenge is engineering a car that delivers the kind of performance that a Mazda needs to have and we're unable to do that given where we are right now." 

The rumors (see below link) also say they might look towards an after-treatment system like an SCR, but they are hoping not to. That would void their claim that they can have a diesel that doesn't use DEF.

Automotive News Link

In lay men's terms, I take this to mean they can meet U.S. emissions, but only if they severely de-tune their engine to the point where it isn't even remotely competitive. I'm guessing if perennial diesel champ VW can't even do their diesel engine without DEF anymore (the new VW diesel engine coming out next year will have DEF), Mazda is going to find it very difficult.


----------



## DrKlahn (Feb 10, 2014)

The current Passat already has a DEF system. A buddy of mine just got one to replace his diesel Bug. The Jetta doesn't yet. Not sure on the Bug.


----------



## vwgtiglx (Jun 13, 2013)

MotleyCruze said:


> I was hearing that the Mazda 6 diesel (2.2L, 300 lb-ft+ in the upper level version) was delayed until spring 2014, but now doesn't even have an estimated delivery date. Too bad. However, it's a big car, and the reason I like the Cruze TD is its size, coupled with a beefy TD.


That is all true. After talking to a Mazda Corporate Rep. at the Chicago Auto Show yesterday, it seems like the diesel it is not coming anytime soon. There has been no mention of the diesel on their website for many months now. The Diesel SkyActive race car that they have been racing the past year was present at their display - there was no trace of the word "Diesel" to be found anywhere on that car. You can take that anyway you wish but Mazda, unlike Chevrolet, has never been one NOT to promote their products to their potential customers in anyway possible.


----------



## gulfcoastguy (Feb 21, 2013)

DrKlahn said:


> The current Passat already has a DEF system. A buddy of mine just got one to replace his diesel Bug. The Jetta doesn't yet. Not sure on the Bug.


 In the 4 cylinder diesel motors the only Vw that has SCR(urea injection after treatment) is the Passat. That will change with the 2015 models coming out soon. What I heard was that the Jetta will be the last to be redesigned, the Golf is first and the Golf Sportwagen(formally the Jetta Sportwagen in the US) will be second.


----------



## KpaxFAQ (Sep 1, 2013)

PanJet said:


> Rumors are that the engine can pass emissions in the U.S., but "the challenge is engineering a car that delivers the kind of performance that a Mazda needs to have and we're unable to do that given where we are right now."
> 
> The rumors (see below link) also say they might look towards an after-treatment system like an SCR, but they are hoping not to. That would void their claim that they can have a diesel that doesn't use DEF.
> 
> ...


That sounds like a car salesman answer for "We're having major mechanical issues" which the exact motor is in Austrailia.


----------

