New Jetta Hybrid

[kuzzi]

I considered a TDI in lieu of the Fuzzi. Decided to go with something I had never worked with before. Saving the TDI for an engine swap into a Bronco II.

[neod192]

LOL, the safest car is the one that doesn't get in an accident :)

[acdii]

LOL, the safest car is the one that doesn't get in an accident :)

You Betcha!

[hybridbear]

I finally drove a Jetta Hybrid today. For Earth Day the building management company at my office building had a local Volkswagen dealer come by with a Jetta Hybrid, Jetta TDI & Passat TDI. I drove the Jetta Hybrid & Jetta TDI.

 

The Jetta Hybrid is very nice. The seats were very comfortable and the interior was well designed. The powertrain was nowhere close to the FFH though. The car would lurch when the ICE came on when accelerating. Acceleration in EV mode was anemic. You'd depress the gas and the car would barely move then the ICE would roar to life and you'd race forward. The acceleration of the ICE in the Jetta is very fast once the turbo spools up.

 

Regen braking is terrible. The brakes feel very weird and non-linear. When you reach the speed where regen turns off the car all of a sudden rushes forward as if you aren't stepping on the brakes at all. This means that you have to quickly depress the pedal much farther than previously when the regen turns off. I had a very hard time stopping accurately at low speeds in parking lots and such because of this.

 

Gas mileage was quite good. The car was warmed up and with temps in the mid-50s we drove with the windows down and the sunroof open. I drove a ~10 minute ~3.5 mile city route and the trip computer showed 58 MPG for the drive. For comparison, the TDI got 43 MPG on the same test drive route.

 

Overall, the Jetta seems like a nice car, but the hybrid system lacks refinement. I expect that the 2nd generation Jetta Hybrid will be much nicer. I also expect that the forthcoming Gold PHEV will be much nicer because it will be an improvement on the Jetta Hybrid powertrain.

[Ted Swing]

Thanks for the review. According to Fuelly the Jetta Hybrid does get good MPG (39.4 MPG for 2013 and 41.3 MPG for 2014) - presumably your route, conditions, and SOC were pretty favorable if you got 58 MPG.

 

I've always had the impression that VW believed more in diesels than hybrids, but it sounds like the ones they make are credible (if not quite as polished as some others).

[GrySql]

I finally drove a Jetta Hybrid today. For Earth Day the building management company at my office building had a local Volkswagen dealer come by with a Jetta Hybrid, Jetta TDI & Passat TDI. I drove the Jetta Hybrid & Jetta TDI.

 

The Jetta Hybrid is very nice. The seats were very comfortable and the interior was well designed. The powertrain was nowhere close to the FFH though. The car would lurch when the ICE came on when accelerating. Acceleration in EV mode was anemic. You'd depress the gas and the car would barely move then the ICE would roar to life and you'd race forward. The acceleration of the ICE in the Jetta is very fast once the turbo spools up.

 

Regen braking is terrible. The brakes feel very weird and non-linear. When you reach the speed where regen turns off the car all of a sudden rushes forward as if you aren't stepping on the brakes at all. This means that you have to quickly depress the pedal much farther than previously when the regen turns off. I had a very hard time stopping accurately at low speeds in parking lots and such because of this.

 

Gas mileage was quite good. The car was warmed up and with temps in the mid-50s we drove with the windows down and the sunroof open. I drove a ~10 minute ~3.5 mile city route and the trip computer showed 58 MPG for the drive. For comparison, the TDI got 43 MPG on the same test drive route.

 

Overall, the Jetta seems like a nice car, but the hybrid system lacks refinement. I expect that the 2nd generation Jetta Hybrid will be much nicer. I also expect that the forthcoming Gold PHEV will be much nicer because it will be an improvement on the Jetta Hybrid powertrain.

You should have taken your car to work today and let the VW personnel drive it to see what their target should be. ;)

 

Of course, letting amateurs drive your car would have goofed up your Lifetime mpg's....

[hybridbear]

You should have taken your car to work today and let the VW personnel drive it to see what their target should be. ;)

 

Of course, letting amateurs drive your car would have goofed up your Lifetime mpg's....

Hahaha :hysterical: I was honestly quite impressed with the fuel economy of both the Jetta Hybrid and the Jetta TDI. While the Jetta Hybrid powertrain needs some refinement, it seems to be quite efficient!

The saleswoman who rode along was surprisingly knowledgeable about the Jetta Hybrid. She's also someone who is a fan of hybrids, diesels, BEVs, etc. She was telling me about how she drives a Passat TDI because the diesel is more efficient than the gas version. At their house they also recycle rainwater, compost, recycle and more. And even though she & her husband have 3 kids, they sold their sprawling suburban house a few years ago to move into a condo in a building that focuses on efficiency and green living because they were concerned about their high carbon footprint living in a large suburban house. I really enjoyed talking to her about hybrids, conservation and energy efficiency.

Edited April 22, 2014 by hybridbear

[hybridbear]

I should add that the Jetta Hybrid that I drove had 2700 miles on it and a lifetime fuel economy of 39.7 MPG according to its computer. That is also quite impressive considering that most of its driving has probably been short trips which aren't conducive to fuel economy.

[GrySql]

Well, don't forget the baseline maintenance, all the things that her VW diesels require that our FFH's don't.

I've been having that conversation with my brother for over a year now (on his 2nd TDI, Jetta & Golf) and he always likes to steer the conversation back to simple mpg's.

He has a gas powered Passat for their luxury car and it is nice.

His Golf TDI is not in the same league with my FFH in many important ways, like ride comfort, interior room, road noise and amenities.

 

Back in 2012 I was looking very hard at the Passat TDI, it was in my short list of choices for our next new car, then I saw the 2013 FFH.

I consider my final choice a good one.

 

If VW fixes the Hybrid drivetrain issues that you describe I bet it will be a nice alternative.

Edited April 22, 2014 by GrySql

[B25Nut]

It sounds like the Jetta needs more than refinement. I would never consider purchasing a vehicle with the characteristics you describe, even if it had superior MPGs. One of the major selling points of the FFH is that it drives nearly the same as, if not better than, the vehicles drivers are accustomed to.