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2013 TDI Diesel Purchase

11K views 11 replies 10 participants last post by  nord 
#1 ·
Wife wants to buy a 2013 TDI diesel. Is it as good as some say aside from the improved mileage because it's diesel? Appreciate any constructive feedback.

Mark
 
#2 · (Edited)
Have you checked tdiclub.com and myturbodiesel.com?

It appears the tires are a concern for some due to road noise, which can be easily replaced at some point after purchase. Then of course there are both the love and hate stories from everything from roominess (love) to the gas tank cap being on the wrong side (hate).
 
#3 ·
Tires may be an issue. I noticed this when we tried a TDI SE. Hankooks are noisy compared to the Contis.

Gas cap on the wrong side? What is a gas cap for heavens sakes? TDI's burn diesel fuel. And since we own nothing but TDI's we don't really think of it any more. It's a Dub after all!
 
#5 ·
I've had my 2013 SEL TDI for a whole week now. Sits alongside my 2007 Eos 2.0T. Amazing amount of rear legroom with my drivers seat set where I'm comfortable. I'm 5'-10". Ride comfort is subjective - I'm comfortable. But you can figure that out on a test drive. I've got 550 miles so far. Computer says 39.6mpg. 1/4+ tank left. Diesel has pep around town. Very convenient push button start (first time I had one with it). Remote start - haven't used it since I discovered it only last night. Nav/Fender audio connects to my IPhone reasonably quick (subjective). Cable to iPod is older 30 pin, Not the Lightning plug. I'm an easy driver. Nice easy starts & coast to stops where feasible (to avoid inducing road rage around me).
One fly in ointment is audio output of Fender audio system. Equalizer set flat sounds muddy. I expected the equiv. in television terms of a high def flat panel but got VHS on a 4:3 CRT. tinkering with the limited 3 "band" equalizer' (treble, mid, bass) maxed out treble, set mid to lowest & one bump on bass helped but is far far away from my Kenwood nav deck & Dyna audio in my Eos. Satellite radio, commercial audio cd, FM all equally muted. Will be dropping by the dealer to see if its my unit or if all Fenders in Passats are that way.
Other than that, I'm very happy with my new TDI.
 
#7 ·
New owner here for the 2013 Passat TDI. I have to say that I am pleasantly surprised with the fuel mileage my wife and I are getting with the new car. I have been tracking the mileage based on actual calculation (gallons to fill the tank verses miles driven) and we have been averaging about 43 miles per gallon. Of course, I live in Houston, Texas, where the only hills around are called overpasses, so it is pretty much flatland around these parts. Still, that is great overall mileage. On the highway, we are getting about 48 miles per gallon at 72 miles per hour, according to the MPG computer in the dash. If true, this is the first car I have owned that could actually drive completely across Texas East to West without refueling. Have to try that some day.

The car is very nice and actually fun to drive. It has only one particularity that can be laughable at times. The car has the GPS system in it. Sometimes the calculated arrival time is so far wrong that it is just plain silly. I mean, ridiculously wrong. Example, a trip that would be maybe an hour long sometimes shows that it will take us 4 hours to get there. And the time doesn’t get any better until you’re right on top of your destination. Not sure why that is. Hopefully, all that is needed is a software fix.

The other interesting thing about the car is that with the (non) keys for the car, it is important to note that as long as the key is in range of the car, the car is essentially unlocked. This means if you leave a key in the car and walk away, even if you lock the car with the other key, it is still unlocked and ready to drive away (simply lifting the driver's door handle automatically unlocks the car if the key is in range, and the car will start as well). Something to keep in mind.

Regardless, my wife and I really like this car.
 
#8 ·
I purchased my 2013 TDI back in July and just made my first payment this month. I put over 6000 miles on the car as I drive quite a long distance to and from work each day. I typically average about 700 to 750 miles to the tank or 44 to 47 miles per gallon. I've hit the 800 miles per tank / 50 mpg a couple of times by driving the fuel gauge into the red zone. I do realize that the majority of my mileage is highway but even with that, I'm more than doubling the miles I used to get with city driving than I did before I purchased my Passat.

This car is literally paying for itself with the money I'm now saving on fuel. I only need to "gas up" once a week now and don't have to push the fuel gauge into the red unless i want to see just how many miles i can get out of a tank.

As for the comfort, about the only issue I really have is the side panel for the drivers door. I don't really "need" a place to put a water bottle. I could use space for extra leg room but i find that changing the seat adjustment a bit helped me to settle that issue a bit.

I'm really loving this car right now and other than my Trailblazer that I use for dump runs and hauling, I think I'll be going VW from here on out.
 
#10 ·
Very Happy

Land vehicle Vehicle Car Alloy wheel Volkswagen



I traded in my 2012 Passat SEL 5 cylinder earlier this week for a TDI SEL Premium. VW is offering some great deals this month; rebates/cash back.
This is only my second VW; if this one is as good as my 2012 I will be very happy. The Passat is roomy, stable and offers a lot for the money. (SEL premium offers near luxury car experience at a fraction of the cost). The Passat is an excellent car for road trips and offers the extra space that makes it truly comfortable.
 
#12 ·
If it makes any sense... The understatement of Passat is actually the statement. Be it a fairly plain SE right on to the SEL Premium these cars exude understated class. Others have more curves and a riot of knobs and controls that Passat lacks. Fine for some I guess. With Passat simplicity is elegance.

Oh... We (family) have three. Two SE MT cars and a Premium. Each is a joy to drive and the economy is fantastic.
 
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