I am going to replace my wifes Ford Ranger for a volkswagon PASSAT TDI . I thought that I would buy a clean low miles, used car , Is there any year model to be avoided or should I buy a AUDI TDI Any suggestions. Her truck is very clean and well maintained low miles, I just wont a diesel and better mileage....
I am going to buy her a nice car and I dont intend on putting her in a piece of junk. One car a year is all I can afford for her,
any ideas thanks Jim

 

VW and Audi diesel engines are more than likely the same one. Audi is partially owned buy VW...

I have a friend that has a TDI golf, he loves the thing and get some serious mileage out of it.... runs great too....

 

The Passat TDI was just returned after having several years off. The only other ones were something like 96-98 or 97-98 so you won't find any 02 or 03's.

I spoke with a VW guy at the New England Auto Show last November and asked about previous Passat's when he told me this. Certainly explains why most of the TDI's I see are Jetta's or Golfs.

 

The TDI's are great rides. I talked to a Golf owner last week when I was filling up. He had over 100k miles. 45+ MPG. I'm seriously thinking about getting my wife a TDI Beetle. Here's a great site that I found:

http://www.tdiclub.com

 

I talked my parents into a '02 Jetta TDI. It has been great. He gets 43-47MPG with the automatic.

 

Volkwagen has a diesel option on their toureg ($15,000 option) I believe it has twin turbos on it and it is a small V 10. that would be a fun liitle SUV if you have the money. European cars have many aftermarket suppliers and i don't doubt that they will have many upgrades soon for the VW toureg.

 

The TDI is one heck of an engine that VW puts out, in fact, I think the whole VW line is a very well put together. The Jetta and Passat are very well crafted. Audi has the VW engine in it too. My wife traded in her Lexus and got the gas Passat. I am impressed with them. She wanted the extra zip and chose the gasser over the TDI. But the TDI gets up and goes.

 

jimk I have a 95 passat diesel non TDI with 195,000 miles on it dam good car. I was told be a dealer VW dropped the TDI in 97 cuse of lak power car is alot heavier than the jetta. Mine is a good hyway car but could use a little more in stop and go city driving so if you find one take it for a good test drive . the TDI jettas are fun for only having like 90 hp.

 

I once owned an 81 VW Rabit Diesel with a 4 speed. I got 40 mpg but talked to guys with a 5 speed that said about 50 mpg in their's. It had over 300,000 on it when I bought it for $100. I replaced the head gasket and tru in new bearings and rings just to be safe. Thing ran great, put several thousand miles on it before selling it. The kid I sold it to drove it for a couple of years with no problems before he wrecked it.

 

The trick on the 1st gen standard trans Rabbit diesels was 55 MPH for 50+ MPG.
Yup, replaced many a head gasket & several sets of valve seals in the couple of years I turned wrenches at a VW dealer.
I saw guys pull the head bolts, pry the head up as much as possible, slip the old head gasket out, slip a new gasket in, and button 'er back up.
Flat-Rate head gasket change.

That's why I'm now a phone technician.
I couldn't compete doing it the "right" way.
My consience wouldn't allow me those kind of shortcuts.
(And I got tired of having to repair the "Come-Backs" from those guys
when the service record on those vehicles suddenly 'disappeared')

 

I had a 2002 Jetta TDI. It was a great car...I averaged 48mpg with my 5 speed, and drove it 65,000 miles with the only problem being one replaced MAF sensor(very common on tdi's). The fit and finish were fantastic, as was the ride/handling for a car in its price range. Once I bypassed the EGR, rerouted the nasty CCV, and added a chip to it, it was actually really fun to drive. I'd rag the crap out of it and the lowest I ever got was 45mpg.. Once drove from Sarasota to New Orleans on one tank.... I used to actually tow my ATV with the TDI on a little 4x8 trailer. I would drive 75-80mph with the a/c on and get 33-35mpg.

The latest tdi's switched to a new type of injection system (PD), and are a little more sensitive. I think it got them about 10 more hp, but now they are very finicky about oil.

 

I had the head decked and used a 5 notch head gasket, never had a single problem with it.

 

Deleted your "Double-Tap.

This happened back in the waaaay early 80's.
Been w/ Ma Bell (or what's left of her) since 81.

 

I have a 81 jetta 1.6 that has 300k on it and the things is worn out in many places. I run it wide open. I have a 81 vw caddy that is to be rebuilt unless I can find a nice clean caddy already finished and for sale.
My brother Roy had two jetta a tdi and a 81 also. The really funny things is he pulled his travel trailer to the lake with his chevy truck and his wife pulled a golf cart on a trailer behind the jetta. She pulled around the chev truck and with golf cart in tow flat out left the chev and the travel trailer. The chev is fuel injected v8 and runs good but when it comes to pulling a trailer it is just came up a little short. Roy was not happy with the truck that day. I said dont worry I could not done much better with the 95 dodge as the jetta will for sure run. I am not into racing anyway and for sure dont wont to be beat up on by a jetta. JIM

 

5.0 liter may be small to us, but to most who are use to having a whopping 3.0 v6 or something like that, they will be happy. 300hp, 500trq.. nice engine. egr system though