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2011 + VW Jetta TDI reviews, FAQ, and buying guide

67K views 27 replies 17 participants last post by  jerrymander 
#1 ·
This article describes what's known about the 2011 Jetta TDI. Any reviews and updated information like MSRP or invoice pricing of options will be added as they come up. Right now there are some video reviews comparing the mk5 and mk6 Golf because the mk6 Jetta will probably get some of the changes that were on the mk6 Golf like thicker windshield, glass, more laser welding, and more NVH noise vibration harshness tuning.

Of note are the more curvy mk6 Golf style dashboard and mk6 side view mirrors that are now on the Jetta sedan TDI. My best guess is that the 2011 Jetta TDI sportwagen will keep the mk5 style side view mirrors for a while. There are supposedly significant differences that are under the door panel that aren't readily visible. This was one of the reasons why the Dynaudio was available on the new Golf and not the old Jetta for 2010. This may change for the new 2011 Jetta TDI.

Also, the RNS510 GPS system is still available on the Jetta. The RNS 315 GPS VW system is the replacement on the Golf but I see no reason why you couldn't add either one to either car as parts after your purchase.

http://www.myturbodiesel.com/1000q/a6/2011-VW-Jetta-TDI-buying-guide-reviews.htm
 
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#4 ·
Wow. How much does the extra 1/2" of screen space cost? I actually like it when something is plain and simple but not when it looks like something is missing. That's what makes the ignition slot blank and the half screen look really cheap. Or is the ignition slot blank actually a slot where you have to insert the key?
 
#5 ·
article updated for most current info from the info in this thread:
http://www.myturbodiesel.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2742

Here are some of the additions:
There are only 2 trim levels: TDI and TDI with the nav package. Dealer installed options like body kits or floor mats will be extra.
Standard TDI trim level:
4 wheel disc brakes, 16" "mambo" alloy wheels, trip computer, sunroof, RCD 510 touchscreen 6cd changer radio w/SD card reader, cold weather package (heated front seats and windshield nozzles), leatherette (v-tex vinyl) seats, leather multifunction steering wheel, parking brake, and shift knob, bluetooth, MDI ipod cable, Sirius radio, keyless entry, and 6 speaker sound system.

Safety equipment: front, side, and head curtain airbags, ESP (stability control), ABS, TMPS (tire pressure monitor sensors), LATCH (child seat anchors).

Navigation package ($1200 MSRP)
: this is the only factory installed option package on the Jetta TDI trim level. You can add dealer installed options like all weather floormats or body kits later. This adds: RNS 315 GPS navigation w/SD card reader, foglights, chrome trim on the grille and windows, keyless access with engine start button, and driver's seat lumbar adjustment. See 1000q: RNS 315 GPS FAQ for more info on the GPS system.


Official pricing for 2011 VW Jetta TDI sedan
Destination fee of $770 not included in the prices below.

MSRP in US$
6 speed manual VW Jetta TDI 22,995
DSG (auto) VW Jetta TDI 24,095
6 speed manual Jetta TDI w/nav package 24,195
DSG (auto) Jetta TDI w/nav package 25,295
 
#6 ·
After checking the numbers, the standard 2011 VW Jetta TDI (no nav package) will be about $1000 less than the 2010 VW Jetta TDI.

However, it loses such premium features like:
-independent rear suspension
-110V (household) outlet in the rear of the armrest center console (assuming this because it's not listed)
-removal of standard lumbar adjustment on driver/passenger seats. The nav package adds driver lumbar.
-water and fuel gauges - they are now in the MFD (instrument cluster display)
-VW Jetta trunk hinges used to be more expensive articulated units that took up less room (on left). The 2011 Jetta TDI (on right) now uses a simple arm hinge that swings inside the trunk when closed. The trunk also gets plastic and painted metal instead of full carpeting lining. Instead of trunk struts on both left and right sides, there's 1 trunk opening strut on the right side of the inside-roof of the trunk.
-shopping bag holder in the trunk (the cloth loop hanging down in the pic left). It's not clear if the 2011 has a similar device.
 
#8 ·
Some more info from a post by Turbo Paul @ millenium vw , added to the buying guide.

The tire pressure monitor sensors are no longer actual temperature/pressure sensors in each wheel. It now works off a calculated value off the ABS sensors. If the wheel senses a decrease in rotating diameter, it assumes that it's deflated.

The seat back tilt control is now manual instead of electric.

The glove box is now dyed bare plastic instead of lined with felt.

Strangely enough, there's a full sized spare tire instead of a space saver spare. If you want to cut costs, cut the full sized spare tire.
 
#10 ·
The tire pressure monitor sensors are no longer actual temperature/pressure sensors in each wheel. It now works off a calculated value off the ABS sensors. If the wheel senses a decrease in rotating diameter, it assumes that it's deflated.
I wonder how this system would deal with a complete wheel/tire package, upgrade or swap, that is not exactly the original stock diameter?

hmm.
 
#11 ·
I wonder how this system would deal with a complete wheel/tire package, upgrade or swap, that is not exactly the original stock diameter?

hmm.
There's a reset button in the glove box. Once you fix the problem, change the air pressure, or change wheel/tires, you press the button and the system learns the new values. This is how all the older TPMS systems on VW are. The advantage is that it works and you don't have to buy new TPMS sensors every 4-7 years. You can buy a set of used sensors for $100 but I believe 4 new sensors are over$300. The batteries in the sensors are not serviceable and the more you drive and the older they are, the more they drain. I don't know either way if it's as accurate or can react as fast.
 
#12 ·
There is one advantage. If you don't have the wireless sensors you can't be tracked through them or somehow hack them wirelessly: http://arstechnica.com/security/news/2010/08/cars-hacked-through-wireless-tyre-sensors.ars

The tire pressure monitors built into modern cars have been shown to be insecure by researchers from Rutgers University and the University of South Carolina. The wireless sensors, compulsory in new automobiles in the US since 2008, can be used to track vehicles or feed bad data to the electronic control units (ECU), causing them to malfunction.

Earlier in the year, researchers from the University of Washington and University of California San Diego showed that the ECUs could be hacked, giving attackers the ability to be both annoying, by enabling wipers or honking the horn, and dangerous, by disabling the brakes or jamming the accelerator.

The new research shows that other systems in the vehicle are similarly insecure. The tire pressure monitors are notable because they're wireless, allowing attacks to be made from adjacent vehicles. The researchers used equipment costing $1,500, including radio sensors and special software, to eavesdrop on, and interfere with, two different tire pressure monitoring systems.

The pressure sensors contain unique IDs, so merely eavesdropping enabled the researchers to identify and track vehicles remotely. Beyond this, they could alter and forge the readings to cause warning lights on the dashboard to turn on, or even crash the ECU completely.

Unlike the work earlier this year, these attacks are more of a nuisance than any real danger; the tire sensors only send a message every 60-90 seconds, giving attackers little opportunity to compromise systems or cause any real damage. Nonetheless, both pieces of research demonstrate that these in-car computers have been designed with ineffective security measures.
Would it be possible to do an attack over bluetooth or another wireless system? I doubt it but it's an interesting idea. If someone could get physical access to your car like a valet, they could put in a self erasing firmware which could do these: http://arstechnica.com/security/new...uld-turn-commutes-into-a-scene-from-speed.ars

Once the researchers had gained access, they developed a number of attacks against their target vehicles, and then tested many of them while the cars were being driven around an old airstrip. Successful attacks ranged from the annoying—switching on the wipers and radio, making the heater run full blast, or chilling the car with the air conditioning—to the downright dangerous. In particular, the brakes could be disabled. The ignition key could then be locked into place, preventing the driver from turning the car off.

The researchers could even upload new firmware to various ECUs, permitting a range of complex behaviors to be programmed in. What they tested was harmless—turning on the wipers when the car reached 20mph—but the possibilities were enormous: for example, the ECU could wait until the car was going at 80mph, and then disable all the brakes. They could also program in the ability to reboot and reset the ECU, so their hacked firmware would be removed from the system, leaving no trace of what they had done.

About the only thing it seemed they couldn't do was steer the car, and even that may be possible in high-end vehicles with self-parking capabilities.
 
#13 ·
I learned some more exclusive information on the 2011 Jetta TDI North American version from VW. This is straight from VW for public release that you will not find anywhere else because nobody else bothers to publish boring stats like these in their new 2011 VW Jetta TDI reviews.

0-60 at curb weight + 441 lbs (200kg) is 9.1 seconds for manual, 8.7 for DSG.
forecast EPA mpg is 30/41 with manual, 30/42 with DSG, bin5 emissions. This is unchanged.
18 cu ft of trunk volume. This is about 2 cu ft more than the last car.
fuel tank capacity is 14.53 L.
Forecast curb weight is 3,167 lbs with manual, 3217 with DSG. The manual is 63 lbs. lighter than the last car and the DSG is 68 lbs lighter.
 
#25 ·
Want to share some Info on my 2011 TDi Jetta Sport Wagon... I purchased new in February 2011, it has 6 speed manual trans.. to date I now have 145,000 miles driven. Another 75,000 miles that have been Towed, behind RV's.. I'm a retired airline/corporate pilot/aircraft mechanic. Now using the Jetta for transportation upon delivery of new manufactured RV's then dead-heading back to factories, at times over two thousand miles to pick up another new RV to deliver to RV dealers in US and Canada.. Pulling the the Jetta to the dealerships. I share this only to give you Input on how well the car has performed after 27 months.
Overall, I give it a 9 on scale of 10. I have had the normal recommended maintenance, just replaced Brakes, Rotors and Timing Belt, Water Pump, Serp Belt at 140,000 miles. I now have P13D7 fault code, showing, which is Glow Plug Pressure regulator on #4 Glow Plug which is built in to the Glow Plugs.. part #03L905061F, I will replace all four this week.. about a 30 minute job.
This car has performed excellently, with average fuel economy between 42-48, cruise speeds 68-72 mph. I did encounter one time, what I call a Liquid Lock during an unusual situation, which could have turned out to be catastrophic, but did not because I luck and knowledge. Warning. If you ever start your Jetta in extreme low ambient temperatures. I mean, well below freezing.. 15 degrees Fahrenheit or colder.. Make Sure You operate the TDi to full operating temperature, not just idle for short period and shut off.. as Condensation will build, freeze, thaw, collect in the Induction system, then when in warm temps, if you go to start the Liquid will Ingest and upon start up, will Lock/Stop engine from rotation/start.. Do Not Attempt to Restart.. as you may do Serious damage internally.. Get the engine,car into a warmer dry environment before restarting.. VW has a Bulletin about this issue... Some Jetta's have the Fix from the Factory on later model's mine was early production and did not.. There is a kit from the Dealer to prevent this from happening in future..
One Issue that has been plagued my Jetta. After the first year about 55,000 miles , A/C became intermittent. It would work, however, when it decided it was time.
You call for A/C, it may start working after 5 or 6 minutes, then it would be so cold you would have to warm the temp setting, other times, you'd call for it would not work, then start working.. I had VW work on it.. they replaced the Compressor, but in turn it is really the relay control valve that is mounted internally of the side of the A/C compressor.. VW will not replace the valve (a $70 part) they replace the compressor ($500).. That was after the first year, now past the second year I have the same problem again.. This time I will replace the valve myself.. My only issue.. I love my Jetta and I would recommend the TDi.. I'm sure the 2013/14 models have improved this seemed to be a past issue with earlier models. Happy Driving, Enjoy a Great Car and TDi. The car is still solid and tight with over 225,000 miles.. Someone asked me while I was filling up with Diesel, how I liked the car? My reply "If I could drive two at once, I'd buy another one" :)
 
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