Comparison Test: 2009 Toyota Prius vs. 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI

[bwilson4web]

2009 Toyota Prius Hybrid vs. 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Comparison Test

. . .
The two-week fuel-economy average we got for this 2009 Toyota Prius was 39 mpg, slightly below what we've previously recorded. Our best tank returned 49 mpg (beating both the EPA's city and highway estimates), and on one city stint, the driver managed a steady 54 mpg for almost a hundred miles. One driver even stacked the bar graph display with four columns of 100 mpg economy.
. . .
(By the way, there are ways to game the display to trick your friends into believing you are a god of efficiency.) . . .

I have this vision of 3 or 4 Edmunds 'drivers' testing the Prius:

"Top Gear" guy - who floors the accelerator going up hills and tests the ABS brakes going down a hill: 39 MPG.

"Sensible" driver - who drove at reasonable speed without doing anything nuts: 54 MPG.

"Joker" driver - resentful of getting car sick with "Top Gear" guy, stacked four: 100 MPG bars ... and called over the others.

Schadenfreude, Edmunds never gets the same Prius mileage in their many "tests." They grab the Prius and another car and regardless of the mileage, the other car always get top recommendation. So I've decided to write a Edmunds style review:

(Edmunds) This month we are testing a Catapiler 939C Hystat, a 90 hp, 20,908 lb., track loader versus our Prius:


Our standard test is a drag race over our specially prepared track:

The Catapiler 939C made short work and within 3 minutes was off. But the Prius simply buried itself into the pile and failed to move for three days.

. . .

So Edmunds can only recommend the Catapiler 939C and once again, the Prius has come in second.

So what do you think, Edmunds quality?

Bob Wilson

[EZW1]

Originally Posted by danl

Wow. Just wow. That's just pure misinformation at its best... It just doesn't make sense.

.... pure Edmonds bull-c**p at its best. This doesn't surprise me in the least.

[danl]

lol @ bwilson4web's post. Thanks bob, that made my morning.

[JSH]

Well I have to say PriusChat has not disappointed me. It seems that this group in unable to fathom that someone would like another car more than the Prius and that they may value different traits.

The Jetta TDI has fully adjustable power seats complete with adjustable lumbar and heat. The wheel tilts and telescopes. The TDI is 19% faster 0-60 and has a 14% more roadholding as measure on the skidpad. Yes it less rear legroom, gets less mpg, and has higher emissions. These might matter to you but to many people they don't. Lots of people moving from 15 mpg truck or 25 mpg car will be absolutely thrilled to get "only" 35 mpg combined.

Same thing with the Fusion review: "How could they like the Fusion better, the Prius gets better mileage"!

Different strokes for different folks people.

[omgitsroy326]

review said 6 k difference.. but is this fair to compare it to the touring? one has navi the other doesn't... etc etc

[JSH]

Originally Posted by omgitsroy326

review said 6 k difference.. but is this fair to compare it to the touring? one has navi the other doesn't... etc etc

I think the Touring was used to give the Prius the best handling available from the factory. The Touring model has noticeably better performance numbers than the Base and Edmund's liked the Touring version better than the Base.

Yes, the Prius has Navigation, the TDI has a moonroof. The Prius has HID's, the TDI has 36K miles of free maintenance. The TDI has fully adjustable power seats, the Prius has minimally adjustable manual seats. The cars aren't identically equipped because that is impossible.

They could have compared a base TDI to a base Prius, but then the Prius would had even fewer features and even poorer handling. It would even up the difference in cost though.

Again it comes down to personal wants and needs.

• Do you want power of fuel economy?
• Do you want lowest cost A-B transport or creature comforts?
• Do you get excited about taking a set of corners perfectly or seeing the highest MPG on the trip computer?

[miscrms]

Originally Posted by JSH

Well I have to say PriusChat has not disappointed me. It seems that this group in unable to fathom that someone would like another car more than the Prius and that they may value different traits.

The Jetta TDI has fully adjustable power seats complete with adjustable lumbar and heat. The wheel tilts and telescopes. The TDI is 19% faster 0-60 and has a 14% more roadholding as measure on the skidpad. Yes it less rear legroom, gets less mpg, and has higher emissions. These might matter to you but to many people they don't. Lots of people moving from 15 mpg truck or 25 mpg car will be absolutely thrilled to get "only" 35 mpg combined.

Same thing with the Fusion review: "How could they like the Fusion better, the Prius gets better mileage"!

Different strokes for different folks people.

Sure, different people prefer different cars. What I think gets people upset is when the automotive press allows their personal bias to clearly skew the way in which they present two vehicles. Thats pretty unprofessional in my book.

- The article claims to be a "battle of efficiency", not handling and acceleration. Yet the primary reason they prefer the TDI is its more fun to drive, despite being less efficient (despite the dismal numbers they somehow managed to get out of the Prius).

- As usual they chose to compare the most expensive / least efficient Prius to an almost base TDI. If this is about efficiency, compare base to base. If its about value, compare similarly equipped. Instead they chose to perpetuate the myth that the Prius is a $30k car.

- In almost every case, they actively downplay the Prius' advantages, while playing up the TDIs strengths. The Prius uses $3600 less gas over 5 years (at current prices), but that doesn't matter since they chose to compare a model that costs $6k more (instead of a base that would be the same or less than the TDI). The TDIs fake leather is mentioned as a plus when the Prius has real leather (which the Jetta doesn't offer). Having a vent in the back seat is apparently more important than having room for your legs. The Prius may be a lot roomier and carry more cargo, but the Jetta has a moonroof! The Prius may have a smartkey, HIDs, and touch screen normally only found on luxury cars, but the Jetta has a $20 120V inverter built in! Apparently they also don't know where the Prius Aux in jack is. From the amount of time they spend talking about them, the Prius' main features are apparently its unadjustable seat and steering wheel.

- Even though the info on the '10 Prius has been out for almost a month, there is no mention of the fact that it addresses almost every single criticism, aside from a vague postscript. Its easier to make the Jetta look good when you're comparing it to the five year old Prius I guess.

- Yet again they make sure to emphasize repeatedly that the Prius doesn't feel like a "real" car. All that complexity Stephen Hawking couldn't even understand, constant engine starting and stopping, funny little gear shift lever, and planetary gearset. Who could possibly ever live with all that weirdness?

Rob

[jayman]

As far as comfort, I'll readily admit that the driving position and seats in my FJ are light years better than my Prius. For example, the FJ seats are better shaped, and the driver seat has height adjust

A couple of days ago, I sat in a brand new 2009 Highlander Hybrid Limited. That machine has *very* nice seats, and a tilt/telescopic steering wheel

I'd be almost tempted to trade my FJ for a new HiHy ... almost

[JSH]

Originally Posted by miscrms

Even though the info on the '10 Prius has been out for almost a month, there is no mention of the fact that it addresses almost every single criticism, aside from a vague postscript. Its easier to make the Jetta look good when you're comparing it to the five year old Prius I guess.

You continue to perpetuate the myth here on PriusChat that the Jetta is new. It is not new. The A5 platform was introduced in Europe in 2003 for the 2004 model year. The A6 platform went on sale in January 2009. VW always introduces to the European market first and then the US market 1 to 2 years later.

If you want to look at the US Jetta specifically, then it was introduced in 2005 for the 2006 model year. It is scheduled to be replace in 2011 for the 2012 model year. Do you think that VW is standing still? No, they will make improvements for the next generation just like Toyota has for the 3G Prius. In fact, prototype A6 Jettas show ~ 2 inches added to the rear seating area. Though as someone that has ridden multiple hour long trips in the back of a TDI Jetta behind a 6'4" driver I don't see what all the fuss is about. (I'm 5'10 with a 32" inseam)

Edmunds compared 2009 vehicles. When the 2010 Prius comes out I expect they will review it and I also expect they will review it much better due to the projected improvements in power, feel, and handling. Edmunds is very clear about what they like and don't like. Their feelings on the 2G Prius are neatly summed up in their 2009 test:
2009 Toyota Prius Road Test and Video on Inside Line

What Works:
Feel-good fuel economy numbers; space-efficient design; outstanding fit and finish.

What Needs Work:
Awkward driving position; absence of steering feel; erratic brake pedal action; dated touchscreen interface.

Bottom Line:
Five years on, the Toyota Prius is as fuel-efficient and practical as it has ever been. And if it matters, we still don't think it drives very well.

If you read that article you will see that they included quotes from very happy owners that couldn't care less how the Prius drives.

[danl]

Well put miscrms. You itemized exactly what the holes in that Edmunds article.

JSH, noone here is stating that the Jetta is not a good car. Noone mentioned that prius > jetta. I've driven both the jetta and the GTI, and I gotta say, those are fantastic "fun" cars. I would own a GTI myself if it wasn't for the need of some practically in the current segment of my life. The argument is that Edmunds put up an unfair comparison and they "conveniently" ommited alot of important details. As it is, the article would tend to misinform unsuspecting consumers more than help them make intelligent buying decisions. While Edmunds specifically mentions "Touring" whenever they refer to the Prius, they make no mention of why the Touring trim was selected for comparison. Nor do they ever make any mention of the Base models' features or lack of features. The article seems to focus alot on the comforts and handling of the Jetta, but those are all very subjective comments. Anywhere else that may be acceptable, but Edmunds being one of the largest most popular automotive websites out there, an article like this only serves to mislead the public.