Diesel Toad

With today's computer controlled injection systems (both diesel and gas), short trip driving is less of an issue. Adjust oil change intervals accordingly or just follow the oil change indicator if the car has one. It will adjust for short trip driving if the car has one.

VW has never approved towing their vehicles (at least in the last few decades).

Not sure that is not more of their lawyer speak than engineer speak.

Ivylog wrote:
Only problem is you will only get 38 MPG instead of the 50 MPG it will get out on the road. Not sure a automatic is towable, the manual tranny is. A friend pulls one and loves it although he just had to replace the flywheel and clutch at 120K miles.$$$$
OP, not sure your dad was corect as in Europe diesel cars are everywhere. I've even seen Dodge Caravans with diesel engines.

Every taxicab in Germany, Italy and France is a diesel! And they run for ever!

We have a 2010 VW TDI Jetta Sportwagon with 6 speed manual trans. Great HWY mileage 48 mpg and about 36-ish combined city/Hwy. We tow it on a Kar Kaddy SS, which is ok per the manual. We love the car.

We have a 2002 Jetta TDI manual transmission. The VW Automatic transmission are NOT 4 down towable. First the Jetta as a TOAD is great, can't even feel it's back there. Second, it is a good 4 hour PLUS job to install the tow brackets and wire it up. The shop where we had it done was mumbling alot about NO MONEY MADE ON THAT JOB. Third is the Jetta itself, if you are of any "Size" be aware that it is NOT a comfortable vehicle to drive on long trips. That left foot area is extremely uncomfortable as well as the center console hitting your right shin. Lastly, the redeeming grace so to say about the TDI's are the FUEL (not Gas) Mileage. I have never seen ours drop below 44 mpg, and on the open road with THE CRUISE CONTROL ON at 70 mph on I-5, it does exceed 58 MPG.

With all of that said, if I were you, I would look for a TDI PASSAT manual transmission station wagon. You won't get as good fuel mileage but the comfort driving it will be worth it.

In your profile you show a Storm as your RV. Is it gas? If so one thing you might want to consider is having your tow car gas so you can have a "spare gas tank" for emergencies. In that case i would recommend a Toyota Yaris. Mine gets 42 mpg combined on regular gas.
And the weight of mine is 2198lb, by the CAT scales with full gas.

Just my opinion. YMMV.

Ski

JohnQ wrote:
We have a 2002 Jetta TDI manual transmission. The VW Automatic transmission are NOT 4 down towable. First the Jetta as a TOAD is great, can't even feel it's back there. Second, it is a good 4 hour PLUS job to install the tow brackets and wire it up. The shop where we had it done was mumbling a lot about NO MONEY MADE ON THAT JOB. Third is the Jetta itself, if you are of any "Size" be aware that it is NOT a comfortable vehicle to drive on long trips. That left foot area is extremely uncomfortable as well as the center console hitting your right shin. Lastly, the redeeming grace so to say about the TDI's are the FUEL (not Gas) Mileage. I have never seen ours drop below 44 mpg, and on the open road with THE CRUISE CONTROL ON at 70 mph on I-5, it does exceed 58 MPG.

With all of that said, if I were you, I would look for a TDI PASSAT manual transmission station wagon. You won't get as good fuel mileage but the comfort driving it will be worth it.

JohnQ,
May I ask, did you find any info at all concerning the towing or non-towing of the "stick" Jetta? As I stated in one of my earlier answers here, I'd have loved to have purchased a newer Jetta or Bug TDI for our toad but, we were under impressions that there was no authorization from VW stating that they were flat towable. Now I know you said yours was a 2002 and I'm talking 2011-12 so, it's apples and oranges, so to speak. I dig these cars and TDIs in general. I love the power. I sure wish VW would authorize the 2013 Jetta TDI Auto to be flat towed, I'd have one in a heart beat.

I'd do all the setup myself on the base plate install and wiring so that's no big deal.
Scott

FIRE UP wrote:

JohnQ wrote:
We have a 2002 Jetta TDI manual transmission. The VW Automatic transmission are NOT 4 down towable. First the Jetta as a TOAD is great, can't even feel it's back there. Second, it is a good 4 hour PLUS job to install the tow brackets and wire it up. The shop where we had it done was mumbling a lot about NO MONEY MADE ON THAT JOB. Third is the Jetta itself, if you are of any "Size" be aware that it is NOT a comfortable vehicle to drive on long trips. That left foot area is extremely uncomfortable as well as the center console hitting your right shin. Lastly, the redeeming grace so to say about the TDI's are the FUEL (not Gas) Mileage. I have never seen ours drop below 44 mpg, and on the open road with THE CRUISE CONTROL ON at 70 mph on I-5, it does exceed 58 MPG.

With all of that said, if I were you, I would look for a TDI PASSAT manual transmission station wagon. You won't get as good fuel mileage but the comfort driving it will be worth it.

JohnQ,
May I ask, did you find any info at all concerning the towing or non-towing of the "stick" Jetta? As I stated in one of my earlier answers here, I'd have loved to have purchased a newer Jetta or Bug TDI for our toad but, we were under impressions that there was no authorization from VW stating that they were flat towable. Now I know you said yours was a 2002 and I'm talking 2011-12 so, it's apples and oranges, so to speak. I dig these cars and TDIs in general. I love the power. I sure wish VW would authorize the 2013 Jetta TDI Auto to be flat towed, I'd have one in a heart beat.

I'd do all the setup myself on the base plate install and wiring so that's no big deal.
Scott

It is my understanding that the generation of VW platforms, the MK IV (Jetta's & Beetles) used a common manual tranny that flat towable. I checked it out via the Tow Guides here. That MK IV series ran from 99.5 through 2004, then it was upgraded. Those upgraded platforms I do not know anything about. None of the VW Automatics were ever towable. That base plate setup was a bear to install. Basically the te ch had to disassembled the entire front end, install the base plates then re-assemble the front end again.

John,
This topic is of interest to me as we will be looking seriously at MH's after our boat sells. I just checked the 2012 Guide to Dinghy Towing provided in the March Motorhome Magazine and it does not reference VW, ANY VW, that may or may not be towable. The TDI would be a great option if it was flat towable, but one would have to check with VW. Check with several dealers as you may get differing opinions, as I did when checking on Subarus. The Guide indicated Subaru as being towable with manual transmission, but my dealer, and others, say not so. Be careful when choosing a vehicle for a toad. Verify, verify, verify.

Plenty of manual transmission Subarus being towed.

Would like to see any official source suggesting they are not.