VW Jetta TDI: Nice review!

What an introduction for the VW Jetta TDI: Tight handling, 40 mpg and the world’s best economy cabin.

While hybrids have garnered all the headlines and hype, diesel engines have maintained their traditional position, toiling away in anonymity while providing similar fuel economy to their shiny new hybrid brethren.

The availability of sleek-looking, fun-to-drive diesels like the Jetta TDI, along with the influence of VW's sister company Audi's recently announced diesel-powered Le Mans sports racer, should begin to boost the diesel from that anonymity.

The Jetta TDI isn't just "fun for a diesel." It is a genuinely entertaining ride, even for enthusiast drivers. The engine pulls strongly when it is on the turbo boost and the slick-shifting five-speed manual transmission slips easily into the intended gear every time, with the revs seemingly perfectly matched. The combination is an involving, amusing powertrain that conspires to keep the driver engaged even during the dullest commute, all while sipping its fuel oil at a miserly 40-ish miles per gallon.

Feel through all the pedals and the steering wheel is excellent, keeping the driver informed of the car's activities and exemplifying the concept of "European car" feel. The TDI is no GLI or R32, but in many ways that is good. The TDI is fun to drive in its own right, even if it doesn't imply delusions of Daytona. That fun is easier to enjoy in a world of high fuel prices knowing that it will be a long time before you'll have to refill the tank, in contrast to VR6-powered VWs.

The TDI features one of VW's trademark excellent interiors, so environmental responsibility is not the automotive equivalent of wearing a hair shirt. The materials and design are superlative, and the XM satellite radio makes it easy to pass the long hours between fuel stops on trips.