All I know is VW fall apart. Play at your own risk.
While nothing is perfect my 2003 Jetta TDI has 266k on it, still gets 53-54mpg, at 99k I changed the MAF, I packed the connector with dielectric grease and don't expect to change it again, at 225k the AC compressor clutch came apart, I change the oil oil filter, fuel filter and air cleaner every 20k, I run Miclean tires at 40psi and change them every 80k, and I don't rotate, brakes lasted 170k, and I'm still on the original clutch.
Had a 2005 Beetle TDI, dam thing was Yellow, my wife's car, we put 100k on it and sold it for $13k, not bad return on the dollar with only a $9k loss over 100kmiles
My wife now drives a 2011 Jetta TDI 6 spd manual, my plan is to take this car and buy her a new one so I screwed her with a manual trans, the DSG gets slightly better MPG but requires service every 40k, the tools to it cost 700 bucks, and the parts 120, or 400 ish at the dealer, so far this car is a total blast to drive, and of corse we have had zero problems with 40k on it, the engine still has 20k to go before its fully broke in, it averages 46mpg.
If you buy a VW/Audi product anywhere on the planet except North America the car will come with a STEEL skid plate, all NA cars come with a PLASTIC dust cover, I highly recommend a Panzer skid plate from
www.dieselgeek.com. If you don't have a skid plate DO NOT EVER pass over road dibre, the engine and trans are 4 inches from the ground.
The VW owners manual says change the oil every 10k, do it any sooner or more frequently and your costing yourself money, my 03 the oil is available at Walmart, I have done oil analysis and 20k changes are GTG. The 05 Beetle had a different engine and required special oil only available at the dealer, oil analysis also said 20k intervals were fine, I just did my first oil change on the 11, dealer did the others for free, at 50k I will send the oil off for analysis.
From 04 and on all TDIs require special oil to protect the cam, cam bearings, don't think that a issue, oil at the dealers is competitively priced, and is good oil, all TDIs use synthetic oil. I buy my filter packs from
www.idparts.com, there is no reason what so ever to get under the car to change the oil, the filter is on top, I suck the oil out of the dipstick with a Pela oil extractor, with the oil hot I pull the dipstick and stick the suction tube in, pump the Pela 4-5 times and come back in 10 minutes to finish the job, simply and easy, don't think for one second that draining is better, the dipstick goes right to the bottom of the oil pan, I have over 400000 miles of TDI use that backs this up as sound practice.
I would recommend finding a good diesel mechanic that knows VW's since it seems most of their guys don't really know crap about them.
