my son wants to buy a vw. He is interested in a jetta diesel turbo. He is also looking at the passat turbo (not diesel). Someone told him that when you have a turbo, you have to buy premium gas. Is this so. I am against him getting diesel but if he has to buy premium gas then maybe he should go with the diesel.
vw turbo gas question
- Thread starter buzz2400
- Start date
The turbo isn't (by itself) what makes a car require premium gas. But specific cars sometimes recommend premium or require premium. Some cars that recommend premium may perform slightly better when premium is used.
Are you talking about an older Passat?
The new gas Passats are either a 5 cylinder normally aspirated engine (not turbo) that takes regular gas or a V6 normally aspirated engine that requires premium. (I had a VW salesman tell me that the car I was cross-shopping got 1 MPG less than the V6 Passat. I was happy to give up the 1 MPG and pay for regular gas!)
I checked Edmunds and according to them, the 2010 Passat with the 2.0L I-4 Turbo is "premium unleaded recommended."
StitchesGr8Fan
DIS Veteran
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Diesels also have a higher resale value that an equal car with a gas engine. They also usually get better MPG.
The only thing is that not ALL gas stations sell diesel. Most of them do now, but there are a few small gas stations that don't. So just make sure there are enough stations in his regular driving area that sell Diesel.
Oh, and at Ikea you get special parking if you have a hybrid, electric, or diesel vehicle. ;-)
msmayor
Finding my beach...
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- Jun 29, 2005
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My son drives a turbo ( though not a diesel) and premium is the recommended fuel.
The other thing to remember about a turbo is to be religiously faithful to changing the oil on time. My son carefully watches his mileage and makes sure it is done every 3000 miles...early if necessary and never more than 20-30 miles over.
The other thing to remember about a turbo is to be religiously faithful to changing the oil on time. My son carefully watches his mileage and makes sure it is done every 3000 miles...early if necessary and never more than 20-30 miles over.
SGB13
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- 483
My husband has the jetta turbo diesel. We love the car. He has over 120,000 miles on it and is getting over 40 mpg doing mainly highway driving. The car runs like new and is still just as comfortable.
It convinced me to get a diesel VW toureg. More stations are getting the pay at the pump diesel now too!
It convinced me to get a diesel VW toureg. More stations are getting the pay at the pump diesel now too!
Something to consider -- today's diesel engines are not the old smoke-belchers we grew-up with -- in fact, diesel is more environmentally-friendly than gasoline.
Although diesel is more expensive than regular unleaded, the extra MPG gained will offset that expense.
If anyone is interested in diesel cars, the Chevrolet Cruze (currently the top-selling American-made car) will introduce the diesel version for the 2014 model year (which is said to get about 700 miles with a tank full of highway driving).
Most turbo engines do require a higher grade of gasoline (premium) - this is also true of the gasoline engine portion of the Chevrolet Volt.
I've read that the diesel gets the same milage as the eco and costs 5k or so more. 26k for a small diesel car doesn't seem so hot.
huskies90
DIS Veteran
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My last 3 cars were the Audi A4 turbo (pretty much the same engine as the VW turbo's), the 2.5 gas VW Golf and my current car a VW Golf TDI turbo diesel. I would sometimes put 89 (mid grade) fuel in my Audi even though it said it required premium. I had no problems with it. When I traded it in, I wanted a hatchback and was looking at the A3, for the price the VW GTI was actually as nice a car with the same engine for quite a bit less. And the Golf was actually just a tiny step down from the GTI and a steal at the price I paid.
The TDI is a perfect cross between the GTI Turbo and the Golf Gas. It actually reminds me more of my A4 than my Golf. It is that nice. The deisel has incredible torque and the gas mileage is outstanding. I am AVERAGING 45 mpg mostly using it for a highway commute. On the commute itself, I have broken 50 mpg's a few times if traffic is light.
You absolutely cannot compare a VW Diesel with those crappy eco cars.
First of all the mileage ratings are completely not "real world" ~ like you drive at exactly 55 mph on a flat highway in "eco" mode and you get 39 mpg. I was looking at a hyundai elantra and they actually "restated" their mileage and gave customers fuel cost rebates to make up for it. The VW mileage statements are very conservative and real world.
Second, and this may not be important to alot of people but the VW is just such a great car. It accelerates, it is sporty, it is solid and safe and it handles like a German car - wait it is a German car. If you replaced the VW on my steering wheel with 4 rings, you would have a tough time telling the difference between it and an Audi. Most of those eco cars and many of the hybrids are cheezy plastic boxes that cannot get out of their own way.
Finally, as stated, the diesel will depreciate much better and the engine will last much longer.
So don't look at cost as simply an MPG on window sticker.
The TDI is a perfect cross between the GTI Turbo and the Golf Gas. It actually reminds me more of my A4 than my Golf. It is that nice. The deisel has incredible torque and the gas mileage is outstanding. I am AVERAGING 45 mpg mostly using it for a highway commute. On the commute itself, I have broken 50 mpg's a few times if traffic is light.
You absolutely cannot compare a VW Diesel with those crappy eco cars.
First of all the mileage ratings are completely not "real world" ~ like you drive at exactly 55 mph on a flat highway in "eco" mode and you get 39 mpg. I was looking at a hyundai elantra and they actually "restated" their mileage and gave customers fuel cost rebates to make up for it. The VW mileage statements are very conservative and real world.
Second, and this may not be important to alot of people but the VW is just such a great car. It accelerates, it is sporty, it is solid and safe and it handles like a German car - wait it is a German car. If you replaced the VW on my steering wheel with 4 rings, you would have a tough time telling the difference between it and an Audi. Most of those eco cars and many of the hybrids are cheezy plastic boxes that cannot get out of their own way.
Finally, as stated, the diesel will depreciate much better and the engine will last much longer.
So don't look at cost as simply an MPG on window sticker.
PirateFuzzball
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- May 2, 2013
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- 17
This being my first post on the boards, I can't post links.
If you really want more information on a specific VW, I'd highly recommend checking out VW Vortex (forums.vwvortex.com). There are other forums out there, but "the 'tex" has the larges community and has specific forums for models and their generations as well as forums dedicated to a specific engine since they're shared between models. If you go diesel, the TDI Club (forums.tdiclub.com) forums is also a great resource.
To add to some of the comments here, don't let the premium gas requirement be a deterrent. If a VW/Audi engine specifies premium, put premium in there. It can handle lower grade fuels, but it will only retard the timings after the knock sensors detect it knocking. You will also get less fuel economy with regular gas in one of their engines designed for premium.
Factoring fuel costs and efficiency for my 3.2L VR6 BJS engine, it costs the same and at times less with premium due to better efficiency. Given that and the damage knocking does to an engine, I don't have a reason to not get premium.
The turboed VW/Audi gas engines are easy to tune and can get a bunch more power from an ECU flash. Their diesel engines can also benefit well from an ECU flash, but may not be the best idea if you have a lead foot since diesels already have a bunch of torque.
If you're looking for high fuel efficiency and longevity, go with the diesel. They last longer and are more simpler in design. To meet the newer emissions regulations, the newer engines inject a fluid called DEF into the exhaust which will need to be topped up on occasion. If you do get a car that uses DEF, don't bother with the dealer filling it up; it's a non-toxic solution that's easily handled. Also, some diesel cars that use DEF won't start without it so factor that before purchase and having a small extra bottle in the trunk should alleviate any concerns.
Another benefit to Diesel is one can put in straight vegetable oil (SVO) in an emergency or some modification when going full time. The manufacturers generally don't approve of this, but most people that own diesels consider it safe in warmer climates. Colder climates require SVO to be warmed up since it will gel below a certain temperature. Used vegetable oil (WVO) needs to be filtered of contaminants and may require additional modifications over SVO.
Diesel is surprisingly an efficient fuel and engines can go past a million miles with proper maintenance. I've read some people with Beetles and Mark IVs able to get past 60mpg hypermiling with 40+mpg daily when driving quite conservative. Talking about longevity, there was a guy on the TDI Club forums that went past 600k miles; though, he did have to replace the clutch and 5th gear a few times. TDI Club has a great FAQ on getting the most out of the engine.
I would stay away from the FSI gas turbos (TFSI and TSI branded are fine) and the Pumpe Düse diesels (aka PD-TDI) as they have an engineering flaw with the Cam Follower that needs to be maintained. If you're handy working on engines, replacing the Cam Follower every 50k isn't a whole lot of trouble, but if it not replaced, it will fail and cause more damage. VW has increased the warranty on these engines as a result, but that warranty only goes so far.
If you plan to keep a VW or have multiple VWs and maintain them, investing in a VAG-COM from Ross-Tech (ross-tech.com) is a good investment. They reversed engineered VW/Audi's communication protocol so their tool can talk beyond the government mandated OBDII protocols. One can run diagnostics on almost everything, even the radio and AC. Modifications are limited to a handful of items on K-Line cars, but CAN-bus cars have more options with longcoding. If it's a CAN-bus car, the cheaper Micro-CAN cable is fine. If the car is K-Line, you'll need the more expensive ($100 more) HEX cable. There are Chinese knockoffs in fleaBay, but they use older software from years ago. When shopping around for used cars, this cable is handy since it might tell you there's a major problem with it before you bother going for a test drive. When shopping around for my wife's car, the diag showed that this one car had issues going into 3rd gear on the automatic trans; a test drive confirmed the diag. If you don't want to invest in one, there may be someone local that's willing to do a diag for you or lend you theirs; most people request a six-pack or lunch in return.
Yes, I am a VW fan of sorts, but I don't claim they make perfect cars. I enjoy how well most VWs handle and the torque from their engines; most other manufactures just aren't as fun for me even as objective as I am. Every manufacturer, Honda and Toyota included, has their problems. Regardless of what brand you buy, never get the first couple of model years in a new generation of car. It's best to get the last year in a generation since they should have worked out all of the bugs by then.
If you really want more information on a specific VW, I'd highly recommend checking out VW Vortex (forums.vwvortex.com). There are other forums out there, but "the 'tex" has the larges community and has specific forums for models and their generations as well as forums dedicated to a specific engine since they're shared between models. If you go diesel, the TDI Club (forums.tdiclub.com) forums is also a great resource.
To add to some of the comments here, don't let the premium gas requirement be a deterrent. If a VW/Audi engine specifies premium, put premium in there. It can handle lower grade fuels, but it will only retard the timings after the knock sensors detect it knocking. You will also get less fuel economy with regular gas in one of their engines designed for premium.
Factoring fuel costs and efficiency for my 3.2L VR6 BJS engine, it costs the same and at times less with premium due to better efficiency. Given that and the damage knocking does to an engine, I don't have a reason to not get premium.
The turboed VW/Audi gas engines are easy to tune and can get a bunch more power from an ECU flash. Their diesel engines can also benefit well from an ECU flash, but may not be the best idea if you have a lead foot since diesels already have a bunch of torque.
If you're looking for high fuel efficiency and longevity, go with the diesel. They last longer and are more simpler in design. To meet the newer emissions regulations, the newer engines inject a fluid called DEF into the exhaust which will need to be topped up on occasion. If you do get a car that uses DEF, don't bother with the dealer filling it up; it's a non-toxic solution that's easily handled. Also, some diesel cars that use DEF won't start without it so factor that before purchase and having a small extra bottle in the trunk should alleviate any concerns.
Another benefit to Diesel is one can put in straight vegetable oil (SVO) in an emergency or some modification when going full time. The manufacturers generally don't approve of this, but most people that own diesels consider it safe in warmer climates. Colder climates require SVO to be warmed up since it will gel below a certain temperature. Used vegetable oil (WVO) needs to be filtered of contaminants and may require additional modifications over SVO.
Diesel is surprisingly an efficient fuel and engines can go past a million miles with proper maintenance. I've read some people with Beetles and Mark IVs able to get past 60mpg hypermiling with 40+mpg daily when driving quite conservative. Talking about longevity, there was a guy on the TDI Club forums that went past 600k miles; though, he did have to replace the clutch and 5th gear a few times. TDI Club has a great FAQ on getting the most out of the engine.
I would stay away from the FSI gas turbos (TFSI and TSI branded are fine) and the Pumpe Düse diesels (aka PD-TDI) as they have an engineering flaw with the Cam Follower that needs to be maintained. If you're handy working on engines, replacing the Cam Follower every 50k isn't a whole lot of trouble, but if it not replaced, it will fail and cause more damage. VW has increased the warranty on these engines as a result, but that warranty only goes so far.
If you plan to keep a VW or have multiple VWs and maintain them, investing in a VAG-COM from Ross-Tech (ross-tech.com) is a good investment. They reversed engineered VW/Audi's communication protocol so their tool can talk beyond the government mandated OBDII protocols. One can run diagnostics on almost everything, even the radio and AC. Modifications are limited to a handful of items on K-Line cars, but CAN-bus cars have more options with longcoding. If it's a CAN-bus car, the cheaper Micro-CAN cable is fine. If the car is K-Line, you'll need the more expensive ($100 more) HEX cable. There are Chinese knockoffs in fleaBay, but they use older software from years ago. When shopping around for used cars, this cable is handy since it might tell you there's a major problem with it before you bother going for a test drive. When shopping around for my wife's car, the diag showed that this one car had issues going into 3rd gear on the automatic trans; a test drive confirmed the diag. If you don't want to invest in one, there may be someone local that's willing to do a diag for you or lend you theirs; most people request a six-pack or lunch in return.
Yes, I am a VW fan of sorts, but I don't claim they make perfect cars. I enjoy how well most VWs handle and the torque from their engines; most other manufactures just aren't as fun for me even as objective as I am. Every manufacturer, Honda and Toyota included, has their problems. Regardless of what brand you buy, never get the first couple of model years in a new generation of car. It's best to get the last year in a generation since they should have worked out all of the bugs by then.
I had a TDI diesel beetle from October of 2005 to July of 2012. It had just short of 96K on it when i traded it, averaged over 50 mpg driving in Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico terrain, was a blast to drive and never had a single ENGINE issue. Having said that-i will never ever own another VW america product-volkswagen or audi ever again.
For the entire time i owned it it never went more than 6 months without needing a major electrical repair and by the time i traded it resolving the electrical issues and keeping it running was costing more per month than the payments on my 2012 Acura RDX.
For the entire time i owned it it never went more than 6 months without needing a major electrical repair and by the time i traded it resolving the electrical issues and keeping it running was costing more per month than the payments on my 2012 Acura RDX.
I had a passat turbo and hate to say its a gas guzzler. I now drive a chevy volt. The Passat was costing me about 75-85 per fill and only drank premium plus gas. I'd say have him look into the Jetta hybrid or push him towards a leaf. I will never drive a gas guzzler again and when I sold my car back to VW I told them come out with a viable hybrid and call me. I loved my Passat it was a joy to drive but hated filling it with gas it was a constant reminder of our dependence on foreign oil. I have to say my Chevy volt on electric sport could easily take my Passat even when on turbo =) just some food for thought. I'm a very very happy volt owner and I can say I truly loved my Passat.
Daisy'sMama
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jan 21, 2009
- Messages
- 186
I bought a 2002 Jetta TDI about a year and a half ago. It is the second best car we have ever owned (the first best was an Opel Astra when we lived in Germany). I get as good as 49 mpg highway and average 42mpg around town. Yes, diesel costs more, but the economy is worth it. The car has 170K miles on it and runs like a top. It is fully loaded with leather seats and a sunroof. I expect to get 300K miles out of it. I know it was made in Mexico, but it is still good German engineering and it is designed to last.
DisneyMomma81
DIS Veteran
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- Aug 18, 2007
- Messages
- 5,902
My brother has some sort of VW *Jetta or Passat - no clue if it's diesel...
He's dealt with some electric issues *starter* but last I heard the previous owner put too powerful a battery in *I think* all is well since he swapped the battery...
windycitymom
DIS Veteran
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- Jul 14, 2006
- Messages
- 607
We have a 2012 VW Passat and love it! It has so much leg room - even in the backseat. While our Passat isn't Turbo, we do use "regular" gas and not premium gas. The gas cap and manual say "regular" gas is fine. We were considering the Jetta but it's the size of a Ford Focus. I would have no problem driving a Passat to to Disney World. The trunk space is huge for a car.
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