| 777 | Date: Thursday, 28 Oct 2010, 21.24 | Message # 1 |
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Group: User
User ID: 777
Joined: 18 Oct 2010
Messages: 1035
| I mostly like the new Audi A3 TDI diesel -- I just don’t like it enough to spend an extra $9,000 over the new Volkswagen Golf TDI.
In fact, at a tested price of nearly $40,000, Audi’s compact hatchback -- despite returning a stellar 38 mpg in combined city/highway fuel economy during my testing, and 48 mpg when driven gently on the freeway -- struck me as the most hopelessly overpriced car I’ve driven this year. And if a huge diesel groupie like myself can’t get past the price tag, that doesn’t speak well for the Audi’s chances.
The Audi’s base price of $30,775, as mentioned, is nearly nine grand over the price for the terrific new VW Golf TDI -- and Volkswagen’s platform for that vehicle is the excellent sixth-generation Golf, while the A3 diesel is built on the aging fifth-generation platform. In other words, the A3 TDI is a lame-duck model, a way to sell a few more A3s until the all-new model arrives next year. And its wrinkles become more apparent the second you drive the Volkswagen TDI diesel, which simply feels newer and more substantial than the Audi, offers the identical 2-liter turbodiesel engine and dual-clutch automated gearbox, and carries the same EPA mileage rating of 30 mpg city/42 mpg highway.
The A3 still handles nimbly, looks sharp, and is practical as all get-out. But the A3's funereal black interior is looking tired, especially at these prices.
The strangest thing about the A3 TDI is how two great components, the diesel engine and Audi’s groundbreaking dual-clutch DSG transmission, aren’t integrated well enough to play nicely together. The throttle feels stiff and unresponsive; there’s excessive turbo lag; the normally swift gearbox lags the pace, especially at around-town speeds. Mashing the gas in certain situations, I practically counted to three before the engine’s fat 236 lb-ft of torque could spool up, leaving the Audi hung up in traffic. When I drove the Volkswagen diesel in Germany last year, I recalled no such problems. What I do recall are some spirited autobahn runs, in which the Golf TDI cruised effortlessly at 100 mph, and then returned a remarkable 50 mpg when driven at a more gentle pace.
The Audi’s daunting price premium brings up one of the biggest obstacles to mainstream diesel adoption in America: There are practically no affordable choices. (The Golf and Jetta Sportwagen diesels are the only two that come to mind.) Everything worthwhile with a diesel in it (aside from heavy-duty pickups) is a German luxury car from BMW, Audi or Benz, most priced at $50,000 or more. And faced with the high technology costs for diesel engines and expensive emissions controls, automaker after automaker has reversed plans to offer diesels in the U.S. General Motors, Ford, Nissan, Honda, Hyundai and Subaru have all pulled out -- though Mazda does intend to offer a diesel here, likely at first in a crossover model like the CX-7 or CX-9.
As a diesel lover, I hope that situation will change -- but I also wouldn’t count on it. There are just too many obstacles in diesel’s path in the U.S., including diesel fuel that costs more than gasoline in most states, which is a situation that most energy analysts don’t expect to change in coming years, especially given growing worldwide demand for diesel fuel and flat or declining demand for gasoline. And even the diesel kings like Mercedes and BMW are beginning to focus resources on hybrids, especially in the U.S.
For now, that leaves the VW Golf TDI and its Jetta offshoot as the only truly affordable diesel cars in the U.S. Fortunately, thought, that’s a pretty sweet pair.
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