[V8] Diesels, hybrids, continued! (mostly a review of new T-reg TDI)

[Unka Bart]

Great thread!  Kudos to ProfessorGT and Scott Justusson for excellent and thoughtful posts!

I don't have much to add to the discussion of technical issues, except perhaps to note that WRT the cost of Diesel, I've read that the yield of the current spec diesel from a bbl of crude is much less than the yield of gasoline, and that accounts for an increase in the price at the pump.  That said, in May I drove from Pensacola, FL to Lexington, KY (about 600 miles one-way) and noted several stations selling diesel for less than 93 octane for the first time in several years.  Go figure...

What I wanted to contribute is my recent experience with VAG diesels.  After my (late) elderly aunt came to live with me, I had to dump my beloved R32 VW in favor of something with easier ingress/egress and, seeing that the '09 TDIs were eligible for a major federal tax credit, I purchased an '09 JSW TDI.

Let me say that it was a major revelation for me!  I drove it on several 3000 mile round trips, averaging 42+ mpg and nearly 70 mph.  I loved getting over 500 miles from that 16 gal tank, and although diesel is not at every station, it's rarely a problem finding it in any state I've driven through.  That problem has largely gone away for me since my iPhone (and most other smartphones) now have aps that can show you where you can find it on the go, where ever you are on the road.  In my view, availability is a non-issue, but YMMV.

I was amazed that the 2L TDI produced almost the exact same torque as the 3.2L VR6 in my R32, and believe me, it scoots.  Now I never drove it above 90 mph so I can't say if it runs out of breath after that, but I can say that passing from 75+mph was never a problem, punch it and it rips.

When my aunt passed, she left me the funds and instructions to buy myself a nice toy as a reward for caring for her in her hour of need.  I complied with the purchase of a new Arctic Silver 987C, which I loved.  However, that trip in May I mentioned, convinced me to trade the Cayman for a Touareg TDI.  We took Susan's 4-door Taco because we had another passenger to haul (her son), and that damn Taco, despite having a 4-cam V6, couldn't get out of it's own way at highway speeds, and was a torture device for my back.  I vowed "Never again," and knowing that we're going to do a lot of travel in the near to longer term future (with her two young grandsons along), we needed a more comfortable and versatile vehicle.  She wants to keep the truck for truck use, so I bit the bullet and traded even for a new T-reg.

3l, over 200 hp, and, get this, 408 freakin' lb-ft of Torque!  Yeah, Baby, that's what I'm talkin' about!  Mated to a very fine, 8-seed auto (not DSG or PDK, but very smooth and responsive nonetheless), and passing at 75+ with your foot on the floor will have you seeing 3 digits before you can say it.

I've taken two 600+ mile (one-way) trips with it recently, one with a passenger and Jeep GC on a dual axel trailer (17 mpg) and one with just one passenger and no trailer (27.4 mpg.)  It doen't have the luxo-bling of any of my 3 V8Qs, but it does have that Audi Quattro AWD (and it has a bonus of an Off-road mode), and the feel is very similar.  All the materials are very high calibre plastics, no fake wood; and everything you can think of is standard equipment.

In fact, the only option I have is the factory trailer prep with the trailer wiring harness (absolutely worth getting, an mere $550 for all).  Also, it has a 26.4 gal tank, so 700 miles is possible, 600 is almost assured.  I freakin' LOVE it!  In my book, this is the ideal GT machine, in the classic sense of the word!