Your thoughts: Jetta TDI vs. Accord/Civic

[AstroVic]

Within about a year (or less) I'll be in the market for a new car. I normally don't buy new cars and I typically opt for American vehicles, but I'm thinking outside the box on this one, so bear with me.

Jetta TDI - roughly $25,000
Pros: Awesome fuel economy (36/42) combined with the historically lower cost of diesel; nice interior; intriguing thought of long-life with the diesel engine; and excellent crash-test ratings.
Cons: I've never owned a diesel (or a VW for that matter) and I'm somewhat fearful of the cost to maintain/repair the thing; higher cost of purchase than the two alternatives (esp. compared to the Civic); likely higher insurance.

Honda Civic - roughly $18,000
Pros: Near-Jetta fuel economy (30/40) at a much lower initial purchase price, excellent reliability & driveability of Honda 4 cylinders; I've owned several Hondas (including Civics) in the past and always loved them; nice that it has all of the airbags/curtains but still a bit small.
Cons: Probably a "bit" small for my needs (but could work when needed).

Honda Accord - roughly $23,000
Pros: Decent fuel economy, plus the reliability of Honda's 4 banger as mentioned above; relatively cheap insurance; awesome safety features (similar to the Jetta - with side air bags/curtains).
Cons: Almost as expensive as the Jetta but with the drawback of lower fuel economy (26/34 I think?).

I will probably drive the car for 6 years and then pass it down to my oldest daughter. Therefore, it has to be something I would like to drive and yet something she won't kill herself in. (This is difficult to accomplish, trust me!)

The car will probably get 15,000 to 20,000 miles of commuting per year while I drive it, so gas mileage is a huge concern - as is safety, reliabilty, insurance premiums, and the ability to accommodate me (6'02" & 275 lbs.) and my wife/three daughters on relatively short trips. I live in Texas, so "short trips" are usually anything up to 250 miles. (We have the Yukon XL for the really "heavy-duty" family stuff.)

Any thoughts/comments/suggestions/ideas are welcome!

 

[moribundman]

I'm not convinced that late model VW diesel engines' life expectancy compares favorably with their predecessors. People used not to hesitate buying used cars with diesel engines, even with a lot of miles on them. This is not the case any longer, and selling VW diesels with over 100k miles on them has been difficult in Europe.

 

[pitzel]

One problem with the VW TDI engine is that the PD design is set to be phased out this year, to be replaced with common rail next year.

Which somewhat leaves the PD engines as orphans, only in the lineup for 2 years.

Can you wait a couple years until the Honda TDI is introduced in the USA? From every report I've read from England, its an absolutely fabulous engine, with better performance/fuel efficiency than the VW TDI.

 

[kanling]

From your pros and cons, it sounds like the lowest probability of deciding later that "I made a mistake" would be the Accord.

 

[michaelc80]

Last year I was in the market and also looked at the Jetta TDI wagon. However, given the high price of diesel compared to regular gasoline and the higher up front cost, it would have taken me around 6-7 years to start to see any payback from it with my 20-25K miles per year. Diesel pumps seem to be somewhat limited as well-at least around here you have to hunt for them a bit unless you're close to the Interstate.

I don't remember the exact figures, but the ones above are pretty close.

I wasn't too concerned about the drive train in the Jetta, however I did have concerns about everything else. I expect quality and there were (at that time anyway) lots of horror stories about Jettas-things like the power windows not working and things like that. I don't know if the current Jettas are any better than the 2005 models.

I also considered a Civic Hybrid, however the payback for my driving style/mileage just wasn't there.

I finally settled on a Subaru Outback Sport-mainly for the combination of mileage, comfort and all wheel drive. If I would have settled on a 2WD I would have had to purchase a used 4X4 something for the winter. We're out in a rural area and get some serious snow. The OBS gets 28MPG when towing the utility trailer, and up to 32MPG when running down the highway with no trailer.

 

[JHZR2]

I was hit by an uninsured driver who ruined my 83 MB 300D turbodiesel.

At that point I didnt want a car to tinker on, I wanted a car that would run and give me excellent economy.

I went to VW, and was turned off by their attitude and ack of good deals.

I went to Honda to look at their stuff, and was treated similarly.

I went to Subaru and was treated great... but the legacy wasnt what i wanted at the time.

I went to Saab, and was treated great, and got a heck of a deal on a new 9-3... EPA highway of 34 is the same as the accord, real life I almost always beat it, despite sitting in LOTS of traffic. I can get real close to 40 mpg on easy highway trips.

A Saab isnt for everyone, and some will get all upset that I dare reccomend it... but Ive been REALLY happy with it.

If a good deal can be had with a jetta diesel, id go for it - so long as the electronics are robust, proper maintenance will get you 150-200k, the same as what a civic will... but if not, look at the honda fit. Its economy isnt super stellar (33 MPG city is great, 38 MPH hwy isnt, IMO), but its a nice little vehicle that apparently is quite fun to drive.

Good luck.

JMH

 

[Brett Miller]

I have a Civic and am extremely happy with it. The insurance is high on them though.

 

[ALS]

Gasoline can be procured at any gas station. That can't be said of Diesel. Plus 87 Octane is almost always cheaper than diesel.
My vote is to go with the Civic. The TDI is my gut choice but I'm going with logic.

 

[NJC]

Civic or Accord. I own a Honda (and never a VW) so that's my biased opinion.

 

[windnsea00]

I personally don't enjoy Japaense econo cars, they feel like tinker toys to me. The new Jetta feels much more substantial and not to mention has top marks in safety. Most car companies are going on hiatus for diesels until `08 models so it's hard to give an answer for this. VW is bringing back the Rabbit name (a Golf) and is going to be sold this summer in the US starting at $14.9k. Look at this link on the VW site, amazing all the extras you get in the new Rabbit (Golf) compared to the Civic of the same price! Not to mention VW's tend to feel of a higher grade with that solid German feel.
http://www.vw.com/rabbit/rabbitcompare.html?ic_id=promo_rabbit2006

 

[OriginHacker21]

My parents own a Honda Accord. Nice cars and good fuel economy. The new Honda Civics look nice, just too small for my comfort.

Personally, I'd look into the VW Jetta TDI. Autoweek (car magazine) had an article how they ran biodiesel in a TDI and got 50+MPG. The 0-60mph isn't all that great but if you are going for MPG then that won't matter.

 

[H2GURU]

You'll need to drive 30,000 miles a year to make sense with a diesel purchase. Diesel up here in the Northeast is running about the same as Premium which may add several thousand miles to the per year calculation. Check ALL the figures before going for the Diesel as , for most, it just doesn't make an economical choice.

 

[rjundi]

Honda Civic is smallish and feels like it. So does the Jetta TDI. For slightly less overall mileage the 4 cylinder Accord delivers excellent ride, comfort and room for three daughters.

Accords also hold up much longer if you go into the high mile range. My Civic felt used up around 150,000 miles (kept till 220,000 miles) while my friends Accords are hitting into the early 200k range and only starting to feel well used.

The Accord has much better staying power over the years.

 

[Drew]

Get the VW diesel. I bought my first VW diesel in 2004 and after 42,000 miles, sold it for 500 bucks more than I paid for it new. I turned right around and bought a new 06 VW TDI. Guess what, I've now come to the conclusion that I will never own a non-VW product again.

There is something about the ride and feel of a VW. I can't explain it but its there and no *** car that I've ever owned before has ever come close.

As for fuel economy, I regularly exceed the measly 42mpg highway fuel economy and am easily getting 46mpg with cruise set a 80 mph.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Astro, have you driven the Civic? A person of your size may feel cramped in it. Given the requirements you presented, I think the Accord is your safest bet.

As much as I love german cars, for the long term I can't recommend them to someone who is very cost-conscious. Sure, they're more fun to drive, but I didn't get a feeling that it is an important criterion in your book.

Personally, I'd be willing to pay premium for a fun-to-drive car, and be willing to pay the price of higher maintenance. But that's just me. Most people treat cars as appliances that help them get safely from A to B, and there is absolutely no need for those people to have to pay premium for it.


The engine in the TDI may be its strongest point (although with the lower quality of US diesel, who knows), but there is more to the car than its engine. There's a lot of electronics and gadgets/creature comforts that may become annoyances when they stop working, and fixing them will chew up any mpg savings that you may have accrued and then some.

 

[milwaukee]

None of the cars listed are my thing but I would go with the Accord given those selections.

VW's are hit and miss with reliability and TDI's are not economical at all when the increased maintenance and higher purchase price are factored in.

Civics are just too small for a normal sized man to be comfortable IMO and I HATE the new civic interior. In this size car I would either choose a new corolla or a lightly used focus.

 

[mormit]

Go with the diesel VW!!!

Mileage ratings for gas powered engines these daye are very optomistic. Hybrids even more so.

I have worked on my own and friends' VWs and Hondas. VW is built better and doesn't have the design flaws of lets say a 98-01 cracking exhaust manifold.

Just what my busted knuckels tell me.

mormit

 

[Steve S]

4 cyl Honda Accord or a 4 cyl Toyota Camry .All car purchases are a gamble but I try to go for the best bet.

 

[TooSlick]

I'd get the Accord or the Jetta, but I'd get the Jetta with the 2.5L, gas engine and not the diesel. I have 250k on the five cylinder engine in my 1990 Audi 100 and is still runs fine and burns almost no oil. The new 2.5L has chain driven cams and holds 7 quarts of oil, it's very robust design w/ a 10k service interval and low maintenance costs. It also runs fine on 87 octane fuel.

TS

 

[Ray Garlington]

if you are willing to spend $25,000 then take a look at a stripped toyota avalon. The basic package is pretty nice, and very competitive (better) than a loaded accord or camry.