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The Jetta 1.8T SE and SEL models feature a new EA888 Gen 3 turbocharged and direct-injected four-cylinder engine that is made in Silao, Mexico. This 1.8-liter engine produces 170 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque – the same power, but seven pound-feet more torque, delivered lower in the engine speed range than the 2.5-liter five-cylinder powerplant. (Volkswagen)<\/p>\n
Auto watchers have long predicted the demise of gas engines. The rising cost of fuel justified the premiums of diesel and hybrid engines. But as the turbocharged 1.8-liter 2014 VW Jetta TSI I\u2019ve been flogging around Detroit shows, gas power is a moving target. It just keeps getting better.<\/p>\n
The gas engine is dead. Long live the gas engine.<\/p>\n
The 1.8-liter gas turbo replaces the unloved five-cylinder 2.5-liter gas engine with better fuel efficiency but without sacrificing any grunt. Indeed, the new, smaller displacement engine actually gains seven more pound-feet of torque over the old nail. The bigger news, however, is the new gas model gives up just 13 percent in fuel economy to the Jetta\u2019s 34 mpg diesel offering.<\/p>\n
That means my Jetta SE gas turbo,\u00a0with 30 mpg and a sticker price of $21,240<\/a>, costs about the same as my $21,295 Jetta diesel turbo \u2014 but causes less pain at the pump. Do the math.<\/p>\n Conventional wisdom says Americans have resisted popular European diesels like the 2.0-liter VW Jetta TDI because they are haunted by the black smoke-belching oil-burners of the 1970s. Don\u2019t you believe it. The real reason is price. Diesel\u2019s high fuel costs negate the 25-40 percent better fuel economy advantage they have traditionally enjoyed over their gas-juiced counterparts. You had to rack up a lot of miles to earn back diesel\u2019s $4-a-gallon premium over $3.40-a-gallon gas.<\/p>\n Only Volkswagen has been able to translate its diesel success in Europe to the States, where diesels made up a paltry 2.7 percent of new vehicle sales (similar to hybrid sales, incidentally) in 2013. VW owns the American diesel market with 75 percent of sales. They hope to grow that market if only … they can overcome their own turbo-riffic\u00a0gas<\/i>\u00a0engines.<\/p>\n Before we go any further, a brief lesson in acronyms.<\/p>\n VW brands its turbo (T), direct-injection (DI) diesel a TDI and its turbo (T), direct-injection (DI) gas engine a TSI. Huh? Both are direct-injection turbos so both deserve the TDI label. To sort things out, VW bestows the TDI label on the diesel, while\u00a0calling the gas version TSI<\/a>\u00a0(for Turbo Stratified Injection). There\u2019ll be a quiz at the end.<\/p>\n The TDI has long been a favorite of truckers with two-thirds of heavy-duty pickup sales powered by diesels. Truck buyers love the TDI\u2019s inherent low-end torque for pulling boats up a ramp out of Lake Michigan. In an ice storm. With a full bed of mulch. With Chris Christie riding shotgun.<\/p>\n The Jetta\u2019s TDI will run rings around the TSI in torque with a jaw-dropping 236 pound-feet vs. 184. But unless you\u2019re planning to trailer boats (or Chris Christie), torque is less a priority for sedans. Meanwhile, the TSI\u2019s mpg gains are a game-changer \u2014 and you don\u2019t have to consult Google Maps to find scarce diesel stations.<\/p>\nTDI vs. TSI<\/h3>\n