My New Car

My old New Beetle is getting a bit long in the tooth and starting to cost me a little too much in repairs and maintenance. So I'm looking at various models of new cars. So far, I think I'll stay with the Volkswagen brand and my pick for now is the Jetta TDI.



I wanted to buy a hybrid initially, but I don't think the technology is mature enough for the Canadian weather. And I don't like the idea of being on a waiting list for the privilege of handing my money to a car dealer. So the next best thing, IMHO, is a diesel car. If you're interested, here's a review and specifications for the 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/23/automobiles/autoreviews/23-vw-jetta.html?em

Here's a recent press release about the Jetta TDI:

LOS ANGELES, CA and AJAX, ON, Nov. 25 /CNW/ - The 2009 Jetta TDI Clean Diesel has been awarded the 2009 Green Car of the Year(R) by Green Car Journal at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The editors at Green Car Journal nominated five vehicles that represented the year's best-of-the-best 2009 green vehicles, and announced that they have chosen Volkswagen's Jetta TDI Clean Diesel as the best-of-the-best and awarded it their 2009 Green Car of the Year(R).

For this honour, the Jetta TDI Clean Diesel topped the other Green Car of the Year nominees: BMW 335d, Ford Fusion Hybrid, Saturn Vue 2 Mode Hybrid, and smart fortwo. According to Green Car.com, "this is the first time that a clean diesel model has been awarded the title Green Car of the Year(R)". The jury included editors from Green Car Journal, automotive icon Carroll Shelby, 'Tonight Show' host Jay Leno, Sierra Club executive director Carl Pope, Natural Resources Defense Council president Frances Beinecke, and Ocean Futures Society president Jean-Michel Cousteau.

"The Volkswagen Jetta TDI rose to the top as Green Car Journal's 2009 Green Car of the Year(R) for some very important reasons," said Ron Cogan, editor and publisher of Green Car Journal and editor of GreenCar.com. "Hybrids have dominated the discussion of environmentally positive vehicles in recent years. The highly fuel efficient, 50 state emissions certified Jetta TDI shows that advanced clean diesel has arrived and is poised to change this dynamic. With its affordable price point, refined ride and handling, and high fuel economy, the Jetta TDI shows that hybrids now have a strong competitor in the marketplace."

In an interview with Mark Phelan of the Detroit Free Press, Cogan added, "The Jetta TDI epitomizes what the Green Car of the Year(R) honor is all about. It raises the bar significantly in environmental performance...the kind  of fuel efficiency offered by gasoline-electric hybrids but in a more affordable way".

Prices for the 2009 Jetta TDI Clean Diesel start at $24,275 for the sedan and at $25,775 for the wagon.