What the Dickens?! The Surpring 2010 Jetta TDIs

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” Thus begins one of English literature’s better known works; Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities, and thus begins my experience in a pair of 2009 Jetta TDIs. For you see, although there may be little that technically separated my Jetta TDI wagon from its sedan stable mate, the two were worlds apart.

But before I delve into a longwinded, breathy, Dickens-inspired (blame the University of British Columbia) dictation of the pros and cons of the Jetta TDI line, perhaps a little backstory is appropriate: I loved the last TDI. Although having had my test period in the previous generation model cut short, it didn’t take long for the accessible torque, lovable engine sounds and excellent fuel economy to wrap their little Volkswagen-branded tendrils around my heart. Traversing over 700 kilometres on a single road trip and consuming just 5.5 litres of diesel fuel for every 100 of those kilometres, it offered up the same perks and practicality of the Toyota Prius, albeit without the dreary driving experience.

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• Also: Volkswagen Jetta wagon 2009: A category all its own!

And the 2009 Jetta TDI sedan rekindled my belief in the small, diesel-powered car. Equipped with a new 2.0L turbocharged diesel powerplant, the new car was better in every way. Gone was the noise associated with the old Pumpe-Duse injection system, replaced by the subtle clattering of the new, more precise common rail injection. Using a single high pressure pump to deliver fuel to a shared fuel rail (hence, common rail injection), the new system is cheaper to produce and maintain, and allows greater control over the injection pulses than the previous Pumpe-Duse system. This is turn allows VW engineers to fine-tune the pre-injection pulse that precedes the primary injector pulse to quiet down the engine’s detonation, and gives both economy and emissions benefits. Under way, the difference is very noticeable, and the new car rushed away from stop lights with an exhaust note that’s easily dominated by the huffing and puffing of the diminutive turbocharger. Equipped with the same DSG transmission as before, the sedan snapped of impossibly quick shifts, and delivered exuberant performance in traffic. Sadly, there are no provisions for steering-wheel mounted shift paddles, which is a pity since the TDI/DSG combination is surprisingly sporty.

However, after spending just a few days aboard a 2009 Jetta TDI wagon, I quickly found myself enjoying the benefits of walking. For, while my previous TDI experience had been nothing but the best of times thanks in part to Volkswagen’s capable dual-clutch DSG gearbox, the 2009 wagon in the driveway was equipped with the standard issue six-speed manual. Of course, as a red-blooded automotive journalist/Michael Schumacher in training (it’s a very long training program), the sight of a clutch pedal is typically cause for excitement. Of course, when that clutch pedal is as vague as the average interpretive dance, it’s a hell of a lot less so. Gone was the lusty acceleration meted out by a pair of computer controlled clutches, replaced by the single worst piece of friction material to ever meet a flywheel. To give you the best picture possible of just how terrible it was, consider placing a vindictively drunk monkey atop your own clutch pedal. Yes. It was that bad. Any attempt at an energetic launch was quelled by the sight of the tachometer plummeting towards zero the second the uberlight clutch began to engage, and any subsequent shifts were plagued by long throws and a longer clutch pedal stroke that saw the turbocharger bid farewell to any boost it had developed. That is only if you could actually get the shifter to engage the right gear; quite a task when the gates are just ¼” of apart. Of course, rev the ever-loving-you-know-what out of the thing, and 236 lb-ft of torque would overwhelm the front tires, making you the subject of countless disapproving stares that you’ll be forced to meet as you try to make a quick getaway and inevitably fail.

Of course, in either guise one can opt for the DSG transmission, and enjoy an excellently equipped entry-level sedan. The interior is practical if a little underwhelming, but feels as if it will wear excellently. Soft touch plastics abound, and an impressive range of adjustment in both the seat and steering wheel provides a comfortable place to pass any number of miles.  New for 2009, all Volkswagen cars come equipped with Bosch’s ESP system; a welcome addition to a raft of safety features already made standard in the Jetta. Both sedan and wagon offer plenty of room, with the wagon capable of swallowing downright massive cargo loads thanks to the dual folding rear seats. However, all that extra cabin capacity does seem to tax the air conditioning, and getting the expansive interior back down to a reasonable temperature took quite a while in the heat of the summer sun. Furthermore, the long cargo area can be sheltered from prying eyes by a soft cargo cover that flaps distractingly rearview mirror, should you try to open a window while you wait for the air conditioning to kick in.

So, to once again lean heavily upon the words of an eminently more capable writer than myself, when it comes to the new TDI it truly is both the best of times and the worst of times. For all but the most demanding buyers, the sedan offers up all the practicality one could ever desire without $800-$1,300 premium the wagon commands. And with less weight, it offers a slightly more sporting driving experience without the frustrations of a flappy cargo cover and an overwhelmed air conditioning unit. And the transmission? Well, suffice it to say that I’d heavily suggest ticking the box labelled DSG, because although $1,400 may sound like a lot, it’s nothing compared to what you’ll spend on cycling gear if you don’t.