WASHINGTON — The EPA's new fuel economy ratings for the 2009 Volkswagen Jetta sedan and Jetta SportWagen are in: The 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbodiesel engine with six-speed manual transmission is rated at 30 mpg in the city and 41 on the highway. The numbers are 1 mpg lower in each case with the six-speed DSG automatic.
To put things into perspective, the EPA rates the 2009 Chevrolet Corvette, with 6.2-liter V8 and six-speed manual, at 16 city and 26 highway.
The official EPA numbers for the '09 Jetta fall short of diesel enthusiasts' expectations and are strikingly lower than widespread optimistic speculation a year ago that the TDI might achieve ratings as high as 40 city/60 highway.
Reaction in VW owner forums has been mixed, ranging from disappointment to denial, with a number of former VW diesel owners reporting they'd achieved real-world fuel economy of 40-plus mpg.
Last November, VW said it planned to delay the U.S. launch of the Jetta TDI from April until late summer 2008 to resolve an unspecified "technical issue."
What this means to you: Real drivers may actually handily exceed the EPA estimates for the Jetta TDI. — Paul Lienert, Correspondent
To put things into perspective, the EPA rates the 2009 Chevrolet Corvette, with 6.2-liter V8 and six-speed manual, at 16 city and 26 highway.
The official EPA numbers for the '09 Jetta fall short of diesel enthusiasts' expectations and are strikingly lower than widespread optimistic speculation a year ago that the TDI might achieve ratings as high as 40 city/60 highway.
Reaction in VW owner forums has been mixed, ranging from disappointment to denial, with a number of former VW diesel owners reporting they'd achieved real-world fuel economy of 40-plus mpg.
Last November, VW said it planned to delay the U.S. launch of the Jetta TDI from April until late summer 2008 to resolve an unspecified "technical issue."
What this means to you: Real drivers may actually handily exceed the EPA estimates for the Jetta TDI. — Paul Lienert, Correspondent
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