It seems like that Volkswagen has been churning out diesel cars forever but they are still a minority in the US of A. Most of the cars driven by our brethren across the Atlantic are diesels while we are still stuck with gasoline powered engines. That is changing though thanks to some aggressive initiative taken by the German manufacturers.
Historically, diesel engines have been limited to big rigs and trucks that need tons of torque to haul heavy load. So it wasn’t a surprise for us when we pulled into a gas station to fill up our 2010 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup Edition and ran into an interesting conversation. The diesel pump was not accepting credit cards so we had to walk in the station to pay. Here is how the conversation went with the clerk:
Clerk: “That’s a slick looking ride”
Me: “Thanks! Let me get 10 gallons”
Clerk: “That’s a diesel pump so you might wanna move the car to the pump next to it”
Me: “That IS a diesel vehicle”
Clerk: “You have gotta be kiddin’ – That is too sporty”
Me: “It sure is and I don’t mind 600+ miles from a full tank either”
What was the point of sharing that conversation? Well to make a point that diesel cars are still rare in the Americas but people do appreciate them.
Our test vehicle was a 2010 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup Edition with Black Exterior, Interlagos Cloth Interior with a 6-Speed manual transmission and a sticker price of $25,965 (Base Price $24,990).
Our Jetta TDI Cup Edition was dressed in the same bodykit that you would see on the TDI competition cars. Front Fascia is aggressive but not too outrageous and we thought the whole body kit gave our Jetta a very subtle sporty look.
Volkswagen keeps the sporty theme going with red-painted calipers, larger brake calipers, 18” alloy wheels with 225/40/R18 all-season performance tires, Anti-Slip regulation, sway bars and the list goes on. One thing is for sure, Volkswagen was serious about building a Jetta that didn’t just “look” sporty but actually was sporty.
Step inside the Jetta and you are greeted with an Interlagos cloth interior and leather wrapped steering wheel with thoughtfully mounted system controls. Cloth seats were very comfortable during our long drives and the lumbar support was very adequate.
When we drove the 2010 Volkswagen Golf TDI, we were really impressed with the indash multimedia system that was optioned out on that vehicle. Our Jetta did not come with the navigation system but we were still impressed with the whole audio experience. You have an option for AM/FM, 6-CD/MP3 Changer, Sirius Satellite Radio and Aux input. Bluetooth feature can be used to connect your cellular phone or another audio device for streaming audio. Overall we must say that Jetta addresses all the important questions when it comes to the interior of an automobile.
Again, the interior and exterior is not the main purpose of this vehicle even though they do matter. The real strength of this vehicle is the 2.0 Liter turbodiesel power plant that gushes out 140-hp and 236 lbs-ft of torque. We understand that 140-hp is nothing to brag about but the real beauty is all that torque that makes up for the lack of horsepower.
Most of the testing involved highway driving with some backroad stretches. On the freeway, Jetta is all muscle while still averaging 45+ MPG. Jetta’s torque makes sure that you have enough power if you decide to pass any other vehicles on the road.
Jetta really comes alive when you hit the back roads and you start appreciating the great steering, smooth power output and suspension setup.
So what did we think about our experience with this 2010 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup Edition? We were very impressed to say the least. We are all about fuel efficiency without sacrificing performance and 2010 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup Edition does just that. So if you are like us and looking for a great, fun filled daily driver without sacrificing performance and fuel efficiency then the Jetta TDI gets our nod.
