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VW Jetta Sportwagen

246 messages,  Last post on Sep 06, 2012 at 11:31 AM

You are in the Volkswagen Jetta Forum.

What is this discussion about? Volkswagen Jetta, Wagon

Messages Page 25 of 26

#233 of 246 Re: 2011 Jetta Sportswagen S vs 2011 Ford Fusion SE vs Nissan Altima 2.5S [huddler] by ggeeoo

Mar 31, 2012 (8:55 pm)

Replying to: huddler (Sep 01, 2010 9:21 am)
I used to be a outside sales for Xerox I put 50,000 miles on a Car. I wish somebody offered something back then like the TDI. I had four kids so the Oldsmobile Station Wagon was my choice MPG was maybe 13 MPG but gas was 50 cents a gallon. The TDI on cruise control is 50+ MPG even though your not paying it your manager might keep you if you spend less. In addition VW
TDI has a great crash test rating. Gas can catch on fire easier than Diesel.
Obviously Diesel is no problem on the HWY because all the Trucks use it. Your
teenage daughter that needs to charge her cell phone will love the 110 outlet.
You can shave with your electric shaver or the wife can blow dry her hair after
that impromptu swim in the lake etc on your next road trip. At XMAS the tree fits in the wagon.

#234 of 246 ancient TDIs / 50k miles per year / current TDIs & 110VAC outlet by elias

Apr 01, 2012 (7:08 am)

Replying to: ggeeoo (Mar 31, 2012 8:55 pm)
gggeeeooo, VW probably *did* offer you the Diesel Dasher (!) back around the time when you were an outside sales rep for xerox in your 13 mpg oldsmobile ! (1980s?). or if it was the 1970s, there was always the microbus :} .
 
TDIs are great for driving 50k per year - I can vouch for that - saved me thousands in fuel costs yearly for a decade or so...
 
ps - good luck with that blow-dryer in the car's 110V outlet...

#235 of 246 Re: What's up with the head rest removal design? [ggeeoo] by cosmo

Apr 01, 2012 (12:40 pm)

Replying to: ggeeoo (Mar 31, 2012 8:12 pm)
Another solution is to wipe the headrest posts with a paper towel soaked in WD-40. The posts are tight when new, and the WD-40 loosens them up so they slide up and down easily. I carry a small screwdriver (smaller than the one in the VW tool kit) in the glove box for occasions when I want to fold the seats flat. I just stick the screwdriver in the release slot (it stays there without holding it) and pull out the headrest. It also makes it easier for rear seat passengers to adjust the headrests.

#236 of 246 Jetta Wagon in the snow by carteach

May 26, 2012 (11:43 am)

I usually drive an AWD wagon. Wondering what experiences any of you have had with this car in the snow or slippery conditions.
 
Thanks for your input.

#237 of 246 Re: Jetta Wagon in the snow [carteach] by cosmo

May 26, 2012 (6:03 pm)

Replying to: carteach (May 26, 2012 11:43 am)
My experience is that the VW FWD TDI's with ESP and studless winter tires are superior to AWD rigs with all season or mud and snow tires on ice and snow. In the past eight years my greatest challenges driving Cascade Mountain passes in blizzards has been getting around the AWD and 4WD SUV's and crossovers that get stuck going uphill or end up in the middle of the road after spinning out. Studless winter tires mounted on winter steel wheels are less expensive than an AWD option, and the FWD versions of almost all models get better fuel mileage than the AWD versions year around. Of course, an AWD rig with studless winter tires and traction control and stability control would be optimal for winter conditions. But who drives in snow and ice all year long? We've owned two 4WD SUV's with stock all season tires, and I would chose any of the 3 VW TDI's we have owned over either SUV in a blizzard. I have chosen to invest in the studless winter tires for traction in the winter and still benefit from the better fuel mileage throughout the year. I have driven Audi Quattro's, and I appreciate the improved handling AWD provides on most road conditions, but I don't drive that aggressively anymore. By the way, before the advent of traction control and stability control, FWD Audi's were found to outperform AWD Audi's in cornering and braking on ice. The Quattro's were better at accelerating and hill climbing on ice. Would I trade our Jetta TDI Sportwagen for an AWD version if VW made it? Nope.

#238 of 246 - by dudleyr

May 29, 2012 (11:55 am)

I concur. I have studless snows for all three of my vehicles and much prefer it to AWD with regular all seasons.
 
It is amazing how few people realize that for every uphill there is a down hill and for every acceleration there is a deceleration. AWD does nothing for you most of the time. On top of that not being able to stop is much worse than not being able to go. 4 snow tires help you all of the time, not just some of the time.
 
Of course if you run snows with awd you have the total package - congrats. I would still prefer fwd for the added economy.

#239 of 246 Re: - [dudleyr] by jayrider

May 29, 2012 (2:08 pm)

Replying to: dudleyr (May 29, 2012 11:55 am)
If the roads are icy, the only thing that helps is knowing how to drive on it. Those Alaska troopers seem to do fine with rwd and snow tires. Skill, technique and experience are a factor few factor into the equation , hence all those awds' in the ditch.

#240 of 246 AWD -vs- FWD by bpeebles

May 30, 2012 (4:37 pm)

Replying to: jayrider (May 29, 2012 2:08 pm)
I concur with the lat couple appenders. *MOST* people do not need AWD vehicle.
 
Contrary to what the TV ads tell us, on pavement there is absolutely no benefit to having AWD.
 
Cars have ALWAYS had 4-wheel brakes, so AWD does nothing to help you stop.
 
Also, AWD adds weight, complexity and more moving parts to a car... all of which detract from MPG while adding expense.
 
With that said, I live in Vermont and Subaru is the most popular vehicle (perhaps every 3rd vehicle is Subie) Vermont has a lot of dirt (mud) roads which may not even be plowed in the winter.

#241 of 246 Re: AWD -vs- FWD [bpeebles] by carteach

May 30, 2012 (4:43 pm)

Replying to: bpeebles (May 30, 2012 4:37 pm)
So, just to clarify. Are you comfortable driving a FWD with snow tires in Vermont? As comfortable as you would be in a Subaru? I live in CT where we get a considerable amount of snow though not as much as you do. I also have a 1,000 foot driveway.
 
Do you drive a Jetta?

#242 of 246 Comfortable snow driving [carteach] by bpeebles

May 30, 2012 (5:01 pm)

Replying to: carteach (May 30, 2012 4:43 pm)
You asked "Are you comfortable driving a FWD with snow tires in Vermont? "
 
ABSOLUTELY comfortable! (even without "snow" tires) I learned how to drive on snow-covered roads. I taught my kids to drive on the snow by FORCING them to slide around in empty parking-lots. (I would grab the parking-brake and then let them recover the skid) They have since thanked me several times when they found themselves sliding and knew EXACTLY what to do without any fear.
 
My *only* fear on snow-covered roads is out-of-staters who have no clue what they are doing and tend to slide into other cars.
 
I will say that the ESP on my VW almost makes snow-driving not fun because it will not slide sideways. The ESP is uncanny at keeping the vehicle from getting into a slide.
 
Do not forget that VW has a lot more than you may expect
 
ESP - Electronic Stability Program
 
Contains all of the following abilities:
 
Anti-lock Braking System (ABS)
Anti-slip Regulation (ASR)
Electronic Differential Lock (EDL)
 
These all work together when you accelerate in the snow.
 
 The EDL system will apply brakes to the wheel which is trying to spin. This forces the torque to the OTHER wheel.
 
If that does not work, The ASR will cut the throttle to keep the tires from spinning.
 
I can attest that all these fancy systems work together to make driving a FWD VW in the snow very mundane and uneventful. I can dump the clutch and mash the throttle... and the vehicle will simply pull away from a stop smoothly with no spinning of the front wheels...and in s STRAIGHT line.

Messages Page 25 of 26

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