Take a serious look at the new Volkswagen Jetta Diesel. I took a test drive at Lindsay Volkswagen in Sterling, and was very happy with what I found. The only drawback -- the Jetta Diesel still doesn't qualify for the same clean fuel license plates that hybirds like the Toyota Prius do, this despite the fact that the diesel engine is cleaner than just about any other conventional engine on the road. Without those plates, I can't hop on the HOV lanes on VA-267 or I-66, something which may very well lead me to buy something else.
UPDATE: Long-time reader Josh Crockett passed along the following:
As the owner of a 2003 Jetta TDI (manual transmission) with over 145,000 miles on it, I can tell you: if you're willing to put up with a few quirks that'll put the car in the shop for one to two days each year, they're damn fun cars to drive, and quite economical. Agreed that it's a shame about the license plates -- my top single-tank mileage per-gallon is 51, and I was averaging 45 until I moved down here and got a 2.7-mi commute. Hybrids wish they could pull those numbers.Unreal. I'm going to keep thinking about this.
