fordrollo,
While we don't presently have one, I've owned two, late VW TDI cars. Both were the Bugs. Both were 5-speed sticks. Both got no less than 42 mpg, no matter how I drove them or, how many people were in the car or, if the A/C was on etc. One was an '03 and the other, an '04. I loved both of those cars.
Anyway, back to the point. While VW of America does not authorize ANY of it's fleet to be flat towed, I have talked with many men at campgrounds/RV parks who, pulled into the parks towing late model VWs. About 98% of them, when considering towing late model VWs, went directly to the local dealership and, by-passed the service writers and went straight to the transmission techs.
And, based on what these folks told me, they said the trans techs told them that the stick tranny versions of, the Jetta, Sport Jetta Wagon, and Bug, could all be flat towed without any issues in the transmissions what so ever. But, they (the trans techs) could not put that in writing because of VOA rules and regulations pertaining to flat towing.
Many of these folks that I talked with, had several thousand miles of flat towing their late model VW Jettas and Bugs and, not one of them EVER had any issues.
Now, none of this is really substantiated in writing but, I'm only going by what I've been told by folks ACTUALLY towing VWs, in front of me, and are still doing it. It we did not have specific need for towing a full sized truck, we'd have one of those in a heartbeat. Good luck.
Scott
