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2009 Toyota Prius Photo

2009 Toyota Prius - Review

 
7 18,558 views March 12, 2009

2009 Toyota Prius

2009 Toyota Prius

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By now the Toyota Prius defines the image of the high-mileage hybrid, with more than 1 million built and a full 750,000 sold in the United States. But it's hardly the only "green" car that gives 35 miles per gallon or more.

While a lot of buyers don't realize it, the difference between, say, 35 mpg and the 50 mpg of the 2010 Toyota Prius doesn't save you a lot. You use 86 fewer gallons of gasoline over 10,000 miles, or less than $200 at current prices. (Ah, but 10 mpg to 25 mpg, on the other hand? You save 600 gallons, or $1,200!)

So we view any car with EPA mileage ratings of 30 mpg or higher as a Prius competitor. And one of the most popular is the 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI, a "clean diesel" mileage champ with a fan base as avid as any Prius acolyte. And it's comparably priced, in the $20,000 to $25,000 range.

Despite EPA ratings of 29 (city) / 40 (highway) miles per gallon, our colleage Colin Mathews got 41 mpg in a recent Jetta TDI drive, and 51 mpg when he worked at it. And an independent testing firm hired by Volkswagen found that the Jetta TDI's real-world mileage was more like 38 city / 44 highway.

Those numbers are close to many people's Prius mileage, so how do the two cars compare? FamilyCarGuide looked at that very question, using the 2009 Prius (rated at 46 miles per gallon), and came to a mixed conclusion.

Reviewer Marty Padgett was honest enough to admit a bias toward the Jetta. He's a fan of sporty cars, and loves the Jetta's engine, transmission, and handling. He's also a clean-diesel fan, because those cars may (one day, under ideal circumstances, if science, politics, and agriculture all align) run on bio-fuel rather than liquid diesel refined from petroleum.


 
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Comments (7)

  1. By David Hoffman Posted: 7/16/2009 1:55pm PDT

    This Hybrids are a big lie. I had a VW TDI and got 54 highway with B60. I now drive an 94 Eclipse. 1.8 5sp with 170 miles. I have have spent 400 dollars to modify it and get 42 city 48 highway. This engine now has over 200 hp doing 0-60 in about 6 sec. Only car that is really green at this time is the Telsa S.
    Thanks for letting me tell the truth
    David
     
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  2. By  derek Posted: 8/19/2009 10:45am PDT

    I've driven both the Jetta TDI and 2010 Prius, the Jetta is by far the better choice for drivers who don't want to drive a hybrid weenie. For those who think they helping the environment and want to drive in the slow lane, the pretty Prius is a logical choice. For those who enjoy driving, want a car that has great fuel efficiency, and not concerned with making an obvious "green" look-at-me statement on the road, the Jetta wins all the time.
     
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  3. By  derek Posted: 8/19/2009 12:13pm PDT

    The drawbacks noted above are bogus, IMO.
    1. Diesel is available everywhere, not just at truck stops. Drop your zip code into gasbuddy.com to check availability. 2. Sales of VW diesels are lower because earlier models couldn't pass the strict emission regs of some states. Jetta’s are now 50-state compliant. 3. Yes, the 2010 Prius offers better performance, etc. than before, but it’s still a hybrid. A Jetta offers more interior space and performance over a Prius any day of the week.
     
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  4. By Bryan Posted: 8/25/2009 7:07am PDT

    I have driven my Prius 9 years and 213000 miles and am just now having to replace the high voltage battery (total cost $1270). Up to now I have replaced the foot pedal position sensor and the right rear wheel bearing. Thats it! Everything else is original including the 12 volt battery and the brake pads! I haven't even had to service the A/C! Once you experience "stealth mode" driving while in a traffic jam or in a drive through you won't want to go back! I just wish Volkwagon would make a hybrid version of the Jetta. It would probably be capable of 70-80 mpg with no sacrifice in performance.
     
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  5. By Bryan Posted: 8/25/2009 7:10am PDT

    I wasn't including regular maintenence in my previous post. I do replace the tires about every 40000 miles. I rotate the tires and change the oil every 5000 miles, and I replace the spark plugs every 100000 miles.
     
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  6. By  VW Parts Posted: 12/28/2009 4:27pm PST

    Yeah the Jetta is definitely more of the drivers car. No contest IMO.
     
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  7. By thetoolman Posted: 7/1/2010 8:13pm PDT

    I test drove the Jetta Diesel Sportswagen numerous times. I ended up passing it by since I found that the longer I sat in it the more the seat's stiff bolsters dug into my thighs. Too bad since it was a real nice car. I have since purchased a 2010 Prius V with the tech package. Yes it is slower than the Jetta and perhaps not as roomy but there is still plenty of room and the hatchback is great. The car handles super even on sharp turns probably due to the 17" wheels on the Prius V. The super high tech dash is a pleasure to look at and the seats are quite comfortable. Plus the tech package is something to marvel at. Built in radar tracking cruise control and accident avoidance, you can use talk commands to operate the GPS, radio, and the phone etc.and the car parks itself too. Go find those options on your Jetta! I haven't even mentioned the wireless key and start button and superb audio system or the incredibly roomy rear seat for such a small car. The bottom line is that I love my Prius. Unless you own one you guys have no clue about the car. Go buy your diesel fuel for thirty to sixty cents more per gallon and deal with Volkswagen's poor reliability. I will just continue to cruise comfortably along at about 57 MPG even in heavy traffic and buy regular gas.
     
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