A Prius battery replacement typically costs $2,200 - $3,000 new from a Toyota dealer. If you were to buy used, they can be found for $500. And hybrid batteries typically last the life of the car. The overwhelming majority of 10+ year old Prius hybrids are still returning the same 45+ mpg with original batteries. Turbos, DPF systems and diesel injectors can also cost thousands, but they actually have a higher failure rate than hybrid batteries.

that VW certainly is a beautiful car

I just recently bought a 2003 Jetta TDI (Diesel) with over 200K miles... runs like a champ!.. my first german car and I'm impressed with the quality and finish so far.

funny seeing a short guy complain about room in the Jetta. I am 6'6 and don't even have the seat all the way back!

Slim down the Prius? I think the large volume of interior space is the payoff for the styling you find unattractive. Overall a great video...Thanks!

I own the Jetta TDI and I love it! My mom had to be rushed to the hospital via ambulance and the paramedic told me to follow the ambulance. He went a steady 110mph. I followed in the Jetta and it was quiet and stable. If I had a Prius, I wouldve lost the ambulance within the first minute.

This is the reviews I like to watch. I like that each person is telling there cars benifits and competing almost against each other. Keep up the good work guys. Good reviews

Guy says he loves VW reputation, is that supposed to be an irony?🤣

My friend at work is a certified technician and has been working on cars like the Subaru WRX series and the TDI motors from VW for 15 years, and he has no complaints whatsoever about the TDI engines. He said it's been much easier and cheaper for him and his customers to maintain and insure TDI's than anything he's worked on.

Between the Jetta and the Prius the Jetta is a yes without thinking it twice. I won’t be seen dead driving one of those.

Diesel sound unattractive? Wow

Well, the average real world fuel economy of the Jetta and Passat TDI on Fuelly for the USA is right at 40MPG. The Prius, 48MPG. And keep in mind that the Prius has less energy to work with, because diesel has around 11% more energy in a given volume than gasoline so the diesel engine has more energy to work with. You can find similar real world number on Fueleconomy

They fail to mention that the Jetta TDI gets >50 MPG on the highway, and NOT 42. Source: I own a Jetta TDI.

Look how amazing that Jetta interior is. He couldnt have said it better when he compared it to a BMW, Mercedes, and I would say Audi as well. I think the outside of the Jetta is classy and sleek. I like it alot.

I was surprised as well. My commute is mostly on the highway, which also really helps the TDI's numbers. And no use of cruise control either.

Make more videos together...this was very enjoyable!

Loved this video!!! Thank you two for this review!!!!!!! bets ever!!! Most balanced and neutral!!! Way to go!!!

42 on the highway in the Jetta? Um, no. I average 42 mpg in city and a whopping 55 on the highway. I drive all day in traffic and never hit less than 38 mpg. On regular trips of over 200 miles I average 55+ mpg, so it must be different in Ontario. :-)

If the prius didn't kill all driving fun, then I would agree with you, but unfortunately Toyota thinks economy is the same as misery and that is not cool

Consumer reports shows the Jetta TDI only gets 34 mpg average. Fuelly shows most owners are getting 36-39 mpg average depending on the year. Motortrend tested the TDI in comparison to gas engines returned 41 mpg but only on the highway, not in mixed driving. If you're not exaggerating your mileage, you're not calculating it correctly.

well our family has diesels from 1998, 2002, 2006, 2011, and 2012. Ram Cummins and the rest VW 1.9 and 2.0 TDI's all engines have been perfect and provide amazing economy and reliability. If you had to get an HD truck that has to tow 15,000lbs+ what motor would you get for the best torque, power and efficiency?

Read my other comments. Our company's replaced many of our diesels because of operating costs. Same with many other companies. Natural gas is also becoming very popular with truck fleets.

I think the Prius looks good. This 3rd gen Prius has nice edges and you can get a rear sway bar and performance tires, it'll corner really well

is that Rosedale Valley Road in Toronto?!!

No, the Passat TDI also uses a DPF to burn the soot in the exhaust like all other complaint diesels. No, compliant diesels require diesel emission servicing. It's also very common for emission control systems to fail at ANYTIME. If any of it fails, it's usually expensive and complicated to repair. And yes, CONTAMINANTS IN FUEL! Do you know why diesel fuel systems fail? It's very common problem and even more common with the TDI engines.

OMG how could you even complete these two cars.

The black guy said he felt the Jetta TDI can be "touchy" at times. He doesn't know how to drive the car. The TDI is "pushy" because of its torque and the TDI is "waiting for something to happen" because of the HP it lacks. He also failed to mention that the TDI comes with DSG.

With all this said, how big are the fuel tanks? Yes the Prius may get more MPG but how big is the gas tank? How big is the gas tank on the VW?

lol at the jetta sportwagen blowing by the prius in the background at 6:24

Actually there was a story on the VW site that a couple drove their Passat from Houston Tx to somewhere in North Carolina or Virginia on one tank and got in the 80s/gallon.

I currently own a 06 Jetta TDI with the DSG 161k on it pkg 2 loaded it is rough was hit in rear not long after i got it and there are pieces missing everywhere but it has not ever left me stranded i did have to put a new starter in but the car is much more solid better crash rated and yes the TDI Torque the sound and most of all the power enhancements that make it a real contender and alot of fun i get average 500 to a tank 43 mpg lateley been light footed getting 570 havent calculated mpgs. My 2010 toyota Prius loaded with the solar panels as well was a very cool car easy to drive driver friendly and it was pretty quick in power mode i surprised a few with it and a constant 47 mpg but i could only go 400 miles before filling up and i am in sales the jetta has gotten as much as 600 before fill up wife driving lol but with tunes they get better mpg and useable torque guys saying 650 to a tank. i didnt do a thing to my prius in 80k i drove it except tires the brakes were done at 120k yes original so reliability all the way well worth it plus the features it was a very sweet ride til the bank took it bad times. so i have the 06 jetta now and looking for a 2010 loaded that will get software upgrades as well as exhaust and fueling etc to boost twice the stock hp and still get 50 mpg ofcourse not leaded footed but its nice and the jetta is a car that requires maintenance unlike the prius but i wouldnt go back. but its just real preference drive both in either order then make your decision.

i did the calculations and he got about 46 mpg in the jetta and he said 57 in the prius

The diesel is slightly louder but not to the point where it's an issue, if anything I actually like the sound. The one and only valid complain about the Jetta is the diesel smell, which doesn't really bother me (It's mild and I only notice it when idling) But I can see how it would bother some people. The Prius is a great car, but I love the extra power I get with the TDI, you can tow a small trailer no problem with a TDI and you still get amazing fuel efficiency!

If was stuck in the 50's, I should love diesel. It's now 2013. Today's emission regulations have cleaned up our air, but they've made diesel engines unreliable, overly complicated and uneconomical.

Wrong, diesels require more maintenance because of contaminants in the fuel and emissions controls. 65% of cars in Europe WERE diesel. Due to the rising operating cost of diesel engines, it's now dropping below 50%. And diesel is not 35% more efficient. When not hypermiled like they did with these tested cars, the EPA says you can get 40 mpg highway with the Jetta TDI with an automatic transmission. Well, MOST SMALL GAS CARS DO THAT FOR THOUSANDS LESS THAN A TDI JETTA!

A my friend has traveled over 400 million kilometers and has never replaced the batteries of Prius. Never malfunctions mechanical and electronic. Great car.

I drive a 2001 TDI that got 56.6 MPG in the US..... I don't have to worry about the 3000 dollar batteries going out, and I have awesome power. There has not been any major problems in the 380,000 miles I have driven it. I never have to plug it in (which does cost you money adding to your cost per mile)

1. Diesel 2. CNG 3. Gas 4. My bike 5. My feet 6. The Bus 7. Kim Kartrashian 8. Hybrid * Riding preference list

The smart money goes for C) none of the above - Golf TDI .

I've actually traded in my Prius for a VW TDI Jetta. I don't regret it for a second! Granted it was not the latest Gen of engine. However things that don't change is the weather has to be at optimum to get the best out of your batteries. I live in a very hot climate in the summer and the batteries have to fan to cool down. Did not like that. Also in the winter the car has a hard time as well and loses MPG.

Yes Im not proud, I'll admit that I am paying more for diesel. But remember I live in Canada so I dont pay as much a premium as the US does. Diesel here is much cheaper. I will also admit diesel cars are much more to buy in the long run but so are hybrids. And I do see your point that Hybrids arent all boring because the Jetta hybrid sounds like a very fun car. The only reason I love diesels is you can thrash them, go fast, have fun, and still get good fuel mileage.

I just always lean towards diesels since I grew up with them and my first car was one. Time will tell to see about our newer cars reliability. You have to admit though, that a Jetta is much more fun to drive than a Prius. I would drive a hybrid but not a Prius.

I have a 2001 MK 4 with 380,000 on the clock and going strong!

Yes, I said operating costs. Fueling is a diesel operating expense. I'm curious... Why are your diesels less expensive to maintain? Most of our diesels have been by far more expensive in the long term. Basic servicing is not much more, but there are plenty of other things that can be expensive. Cooling system maintenance and repairs, emissions issues and repairs, fuel system servicing and repairs, major engine repairs... This can be extremely expensive for our diesel fleet.

driving a prius screams I don't get laid........... and helps keep it that way

Newer ones have a 1.8. The new Prius C does have a 1.5 though.

PORsche had the first battery electric gas car in 1912 or so. He was away ahead of his time it was 4WD. Diesels don't require more maintenance,, they have LESS. That's why all big trucks have em for a million + miles.

I agree completely. That Jetta is pretty damn nice.

Understand what a DPF/EGR equipped diesel is. The consumption of diesel fuel is increasing, not sales of diesel engines.

I think the Prius looks good. This 3rd gen Prius has nice edges and you can get a rear sway bar and performance tires, it'll corner really well. For 2015, Toyota is making a new Prius, and it'll have AWD!

Wait.. Is this in Canada? I tho the prices there were higher

A diesel's main weakness isn't internal, it's emissions related. Go search what DPF systems do to Cummins 6.7L diesel. Go search what the requirement of ULSD does to TDI fuel pumps. Go see what EGR systems have done to 6.0L powerstrokes. There are numerous engines experiencing issues because they must be compliant. This isn't 2006. The diesel engine of today isn't what it once was.

Man, you're totally right!!

The Jetta appearance is divided even among the VW community but the TDi engines will long outlast the Toyota's, we have had many TDi's all of them over 300,000 with just basic maintenance. And the rear leg room is actually great in the Jetta I have no complaints from my buddies over 6 ft. sitting in the back. Plus if you drive a lot highway miles you can get 50 MPG out of even the older heavier jetta's with the A/C cranked loaded with luggage and people for a road trip.

I would like a Jetta cause I'm a kinda guy that like cars with power and slickness which the Jetta provides. I'm gonna be honest the Prius is big fat and chunky and slow. But it's still a good car.

I liked hearing both sides of the cars from these 2 guys......still not sure if I was buying either of the cars I was sold on either car yet. Cost of repairs would be something id keep in the back of my mind. Id think the Prius would cost so much more if any electronic stuff had to be repaired.

I can't belive that no one likes the look of the jetta ???

one thing that they didn't mention is of course that diesel fuel is going to be much more expensive than gasoline.

Not a car, just the technology. We've been able to understand hybridized electrical power for almost as long as we've been able to understand electrical power. But the idea and usage of hybrid power has been around even longer than electric motors and even electricity. So we're now going well past the 1800's.

that generation of Jetta is very sharp looking car, somewhat conservative styling, but nothing wrong with that, don't get the looks critique, I love my 2013 TDI!

did they choosed these colors to make the Jetta obsolete ?

Your very lucky! Keep that baby running strong, and it should last forever!

I don’t get why someone tries to suggest that Prius has anything more than just higher MPG, because it doesn’t. Jetta TDI or Jetta Hybrid bits any small car including the lunch box Prius. I just wish that VW didn’t take away some of the detailed features of previous generation of Jetta.

Many people have no other choice but to cold run engines and/or drive in city traffic. It's part of why modern diesel engines are bad for so many people. And you also need to remember that complexity can create problems. A car + more things = a car with more things that can break. HP-ULSD fuel systems, turbochargers and DPF systems are very complicated and expensive. You can try to maintain them, and they maybe be working now, but they add to list of things that are going to eventually break.

It seems like Richard is not a car guy that is passionate about cars like Colum. Richard seems like a journalist that reads scripts and does not give true enthusiast criticism or descriptions .

God, Volkswagen should thrust itself into the future. Seriously. I like futuristic design.

People don't get that the 60MPG Jetta gets is the European MPG ratings, the Prius is Europe gets 80MPG. In the US, diesel cost more than gasoline. Plus the Jetta being German, good luck with the repairs and maintenance.

Sure; go to a Chapters store and by a Consumer Reports issue on cars.

I think you guys forgot to mention that traditionally those jetta's cost more to maintain than the prius...And you get insurance discounts for Prius.

What about the biggest perk to the vw!!!! Manual transmission!!!!!

Me, my dad, uncle, sister, mom, aunt and grandfather all drive diesels. My dad drives a semi. He knows semis are very low maintenance machines that provide good efficiency. Also diesels are used to tow, why? Because they have bucket loads of torque. My uncles Jetta TDI, and sisters TDI get well over 50mpg on the highway, and not by the trip computers, by recording miles and fuel and doing the calculations on paper

The Prius is a snoozer, but it's hard argue with it when the cost of operating a diesel has become so ridiculous for the average driver. I'm hoping manufactures will find better, cheaper ways to produce diesels for the US market. Let's see what the Mazda Skyactive-D can do for us.

what do you mean?

No it doesn't. In Canada the Comfortline Jetta TDI comes with 16'' rims and 17'' on the Highline. In the US the TDI has 3 options, with premium, without premium and premium with navigation. Premium with navigation has the 17'' rims. Next time do your research.

You're also wrong, just because EPA says 40 mpg, my jetta tdi gets 55 mpg on an automatic transmission , I read in multiple forums as well that many other drivers are getting the same results, yes diesel engine may cost a bit more when it comes to maintenance but a diesel engine will always out last a gasoline engine. Diesel engine are meant to last, I know many diesel drivers who engines are above 200,000 miles. Diesel is more efficient than gas. And sustains better torque compared to gas cars

I like the color of the Jetta's leather.

tdi was great for highway! with this recall update coming that made change! With the new Prius gen 4 and chevy volt coming, vw tdi sales don't look promising!

TCD DAVE, the reason they are converting to LPG is the cost and availability of the fuel. I want you to go to the web site For dummies, pro and cons of diesel engines, and see what they say when comparing the different engines. Bad maintenance of long haul trucking on their diesel engines comes as no surprise.

Toyota is developing a turbocharged lean burning atkinson cycle engine for the future Prius, Google it. About 15% increase in real world MPG. The trickiest thing are emissions with lean burning engines, that's why Honda stopped make cars with them.

The funny thing is that the Jetta he's driving is actually the 2.5 Premium... The TDI comes standard ONLY with 5 spoke 15" rims.

Yes, the Prius is boring. That's more a Toyota problem, not really a hybrid problem. But you have to admit that you're now paying much more to own a diesel. Do you remember how much the starting price of the US spec Golf TDI was in 2003? It was $16,720. That's only about $1,500 more than base Golf GL. The current Golf TDI is $24,495. That's a huge balloon in price. If that isn't enough, the move to ULSD has driven up the cost of fueling it.

Diesel is only fuel efficient and faster in highways. Also, when stuck in city traffic, gasoline engines will just pass you by due to its faster acceleration. Not to mention that diesel exhaust drops lot of dirty particles like NOx, that can make you feel a bit more guilty. I know, modern diesel engines comes with filters, but they only function during high speed or high rev. Hopefully, Mazda's skyActiv D might have a better solution for diesel engines, and can lessen the guilt of using one.

I like it, I just wish the rear bumper had a little more flare to match the chin part of the front... People who like the prius make my brain hurt

i own a manual '13 tdi wagon and average 47mpg on a 22 mile commute of speeds ranging from 35-65.

On a road trip through the mountains there's no better car than a VW with euro suspension the torque of a TDI loves hills its a blast to drive on road. If you don't care about these things you're already dead so go buy a Prius.

Let me also add this.... If they made 6.0L to 12L turbo gas engines with direct injection or just some simple naturally aspirated gas big blocks, these engines would replace all our diesels because even these engines would be simpler and less expensive to operate in the end. In fact... We've been using gas guzzling Ford V10s in place of Powerstrokes diesels because the Ford PS diesels are so expensive and unreliable to keep going. CNG is probably our next step.

Really, because I bet you read that on the internet and havent owned a diesel ever. My whole family owns diesels except a few who do purely city driving. MY uncle has the newest diesel in them family, a 2012 Jetta TDI, VW promised him he wouldnt need diesel emission control servicing at all. Hes had it for two years and does city and highway equally and has had no problems. My sister has an 06 Jetta TDI and no issues at all anywhere. I dont want to drive diesels but its the logical choice

Pretty good point!))

TCD Dave, ever wonder why they use Diesel in long haul trucking? Diesel have a longer longevity to that of a gas engine. They are built stronger with more metal than a gas engine has. Rudolf diesel originally wanted the engine to run on non petroleum products. Look it up his story is on line. Also every wonder why one could buy a diesel engine in European luxury car brands? I own an MB bluetec, a friend owns the Jetta TDI, and on the freeway gets 47mpg which beats the EPA ratings!

Well according to Fuelly, the Prius gets 68MPG at it's highest.

there should be a 24 hours lemans class for stock economy cars like these types of cars, then we will see if audi/vw diesel dominates

Diesel fuel consumption is increasing in Europe, not sales of diesel engines. Euro III+ emissions standards are forcing EGR and DPF emission controls on diesels that have increased diesel consumption by the average European. If gasoline isn't the solution, it's because it's made from dyno oil. Diesel is not a solution because diesel comes from the same place gasoline does. It's a fact, it actually requires more oil to produce diesel than it does gasoline. That makes the problem even worse.

I am from the Netherlands and I will tell you why there are so many diesel engines here - Its very cheap. Its 1.45/liter for diesel and 1.80/liter for petrol. In fact many of us much prefer petrol because its much more refined but economics will always win. With that said, due to cheap road taxes, hybrid sales as a percentage are soaring over here as they are economical and very refined. You would have to be insane to buy a diesel in a country where diesel fuel is the same price.

not to mention when those batteries need to be replaced and they will serious coin right there

The '98, '02 and '06 have different emissions systems. They're simple and much less problematic than diesels that are 2007 EPA compliant. Your '11 and '12 are pretty new. Only time will tell how reliable they'll be. To answer your question about towing.... I would use the cheapest engine possible that can pull it. Our Fleet used to mostly diesel. Well, now it's mostly gas. Diesel was once our "do it all" fuel, but now it's used only when we need them because it's not as economical as gasoline.

I own a 2010 prius, so I DON'T believe the guy driving the Prius in this review. He said he got 57 miles per gallon, what was he doing driving down hill in neutral. The best I have been able to achieve using pulse and glide, slow start off from a stop sign, and being lite footed was 44.2. I also own a 2010 MB diesel, the new diesels are clean they are fuel effiient, better built engines than any gasoline engine on the market. Big diesel fan here, but I use the Prius as my boring daily driver

You can get a fully loaded Jetta TDI with Nav and sunroof for ~$27K, a Prius with similar features would cost you thousands more.

Jetta wins. in top spec jetta is 4,000 cheaper, it has 40 more horsepower, it has 131more ft-lb of torqe. it seats 5 comfortably. the EPA estimates don't do it justice. On a test drive last week my family averaged 44mpg after an hour in city/hwy driving with air con, radio, and 4 people on board. in the real world, diesel works better and is more fun. My family has had 4 diesel VW group products (2golfs, a passat and an A3 audi) and they all have 100K miles and work great. I see you point too.

Diesel was the very first fuel around, even gas wasnt available. Tell me which car was a hybrid in the 1800's! Batteries werent around then!

Search Edmunds. They compared diesel just on upfront costs and fuel mileage to gas engines. It takes nearly 20 years for most diesels to break even. If you ad in expensive repairs and servicing, you'll never break even. Diesel is less popular here because of tougher EPA regulations. If the rest of the world caught up to us, they'd dump diesel. In fact, that's what they're starting to do! And no, you're thinking of diesel of old! Modern diesels are junk compared to old/non-complaint diesels.