“(That’s why I have one!)”
Jetta?
Model?
Yes
Model?
Mine is an older one.. 1997, manual trans. Will drive it until it dies ;-) Had to replace the turbo at about 300k miles (oil seals went), and the clutch at about 435k (it was original).. It has a block heater installed, but I have never plugged it in. It has always started no matter what the temp (as long as I didn't get a batch of unwinterized diesel, but you solve that by getting the fuel treatment and putting it in the tank every time you are forced to buy diesel at an unfamiliar station - might be nothing wrong with their fuel, but a little prevention is better than a jelled up fuel line.) Keep an eye on the replacement interval for the timing belt and regular oil/filter and you're good for a long long time.. I'm trying for a million miles, but I think the body will give up before the drive train ;-)
Each generation of the TDI has had an improvement in hp and torque. Mine is the first TDI series VW sold in the US (they dropped the US diesel between 1993 and 1997 but it was still available in Canada) The TDI has some electronics and of course the turbo which made it a big improvement over the earlier VW diesels (of which I have had quite a few and all of them had over 300k miles on them before I replaced them..) The new 'clean diesel' TDI is the fourth or maybe the fifth generation of the TDI offered in the US market and is 50 state legal emissions wise. Last I checked it gets the same/close milage to the Prius and the TDI can get out of its own way (and doesn't have a $10g battery to replace in 100k miles ;-) And the Jetta (or even the Golf) has more metal than the SmartCarCoffin so you're ahead there. If you are into SUV's, the TDI in a V6 version is available in the Touareg and has garnered some good reviews. (When I replace my wife's Audi Quattro wagon, I will probably get her the TDI Touareg..)
I recently test drove one of the new models. I told the salesman that I had no compelling reason to get rid of mine since it was still getting over 40 mpg and wasn't using oil, so he wasn't going to make a sale but I needed to know if there was a viable replacement when and if the time came. The new ones are so much quieter than my '97, and they have a surprising increase in acceleration over the early one, and I thought mine was pretty peppy (I once ran a kiddiepunk with one of those Civics with the fartcan muffler into a radar trap because he insisted in his delusion that he could pass me, so after I took him up to the 90 mhp range from a roll start, I backed it off and let him 'beat' me right into the waiting arms of the local LEO... I was so, um, sorry for him... ) (I did know the LEO was hiding there though, maybe that was unfair? Nah..)
If you are thinking along these lines, it certainly would not be a waste of your time to check it out. If you can drive a manual I would opt for that only because the automatics don't last 470k miles, but if you don't keep them as long as I do and you do a lot of rush hour rubber banding, then the auto will be a better choice, but it will give you about a 5 mpg hit in stop and go stuff (highway will be close for both stick and auto.)
Hope that wasn't too much information (was certainly more info than you asked for;-)