I bought my 2000 Jetta TDI Diesel in October 1999 because I have long been a Diesel lover. As an example, my "other" diesel is a 1981 VW Diesel Rabbit. I'm middle aged, and after 30K miles it's turned out to be one of the great cars of my life.

For starters, I can't find a single imperfection that demands a warranty repair. The wait time for the glow plug light to go out is never more than 3-4 seconds in the coldest weather, and there has never been the slightest hint of diesel smoke or smell even on the coldest startup. My wife is a confirmed diesel hater (after all the others I've burdened her with) and swore she would never drive it. Now, I have to fight her when I want the keys!!. The little Jetta has become her daily 40 mile round trip work car.

The little turbo equipped engine is peppy (though not as hot as the V6 gas engine), and after having just returned from a Wyoming and Colorado vacation, I learned that it is almost altitude proof in terms of performance (thanks to the turbo which spins up enough to compress thinner air). At 12-14,000 feet in the Rocky Mountain National Park, and Snowy Range, performance was excellent when many of the gasoline engines were struggling to make the climb in the rarefied air.

Even better, the thing got 52 mpg; and that after running the air conditioning and driving 80 mph nearly the entire way. In fact, the 14.5 gallon tank has a 700 mile range, and it was necessary to refuel only once on the 1,200 mile trip (mileage did drop to 46 mpg above 8,000 feet). The tank will outlast your posterior and bladder and most stops you make will not be for fuel!

The handling is positive and there is plenty of passenger room up front, even though leg room is minimal for back seat passengers. There is some diesel rumble and fuel knock as expected, but the motor is very quite for it's 19.5:1 compression ratio thanks to the covers on the top and underside of the engine. On the downside, both covers must be removed to perform an oil change and this adds extra steps to the process.

The factory sound system is adequate, though I admit my ears have never been discriminating in terms of stereo quality. The six disc CD changer in the trunk is a plus, although it can be a bit annoying to have to stop and raise the trunk lid in order to change a CD!

I also have never much cared for a car's styling; color doesn't even carry much weight with me. My criteria has always been functionality, and I never bothered with worrying how I looked going down the road so long as the ride was clean. Even so, the little Jetta looks just classy to my somewhat indifferent eyes.

I like this car after all things are considered and would recommend this vehicle to anyone. These cars are hard to get however; many dealers are asking prospective customers to wait 90 days for delivery. Of course the gas engined Jettas are readily available, but for me it just wouldn't be the same.