Tow rating of a VW Jetta TDI wagon?

JB

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I paid $3.25/gal for premium to fill up my beloved ML430 yesterday.:( At 18-20mpg that is gonna keep me home too much. :( :(

So now I am shopping for a Diesel and am limited in what I can spend.

Found one I like. '02 Jetta wagon. 45mpg hiway. TDI, automatic, but I haven't a clue what it will tow. My boat/trailer only weighs about 1200#, but my utility trailer with Big Orange (Kubota BF2150) aboard has to weigh close to 4,000#.

Anyone know or can give me an address where I can find out?
 

samo_ott

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Re: Tow rating of a VW Jetta TDI wagon?

check the edmunds.com site. But it's not going to be much!
 

wbeaton

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Re: Tow rating of a VW Jetta TDI wagon?

Towing capacity is 1000 lbs.
 

fixb52s

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Re: Tow rating of a VW Jetta TDI wagon?

I am going to guess a skateboard with a with one inflatable tube strapped on.
 

CLN DSL

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Re: Tow rating of a VW Jetta TDI wagon?

The current European Golf Estate which is the Jetta sportwagen we are getting in N. America is rated to tow 1357 kgs with the 1.9l 105hp engine. This sounds crazy high, but in Europe they tow everything with cars. N. Americans are much more conservative. Note that this isn't the engine we are getting in the new jetta wagen, that's a 2.0l 140 hp engine (current 09 jetta)

I would thinkt he kubota might be a bit much but the boat shouldn't be a problem. Maybe the kubota would be alright if you had a good electic trailer brake set up. I would reduce your speed tho.

my $0.02 and I'm sure someone will disagree strongly.....
 

SnappingTurtle

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Re: Tow rating of a VW Jetta TDI wagon?

Not sure if you have received the information you were looking for yet, but I thought I would try to help if I could. For what it is worth, here goes ...

I called three VW dealers here (Germany) and they were not really willing to help much.

One said towing with the automatic is not recommended, but said a mechanic had a 2003 1.8 turbo Standard Shift, and called him to the phone, he said, 1500 lbs max with trailer brakes, level road, short distances only for the automatic.

I called another, and got totally different information, no surprise.

12% - 8% maximum grade
2645 - 3300 lbs with trailer brakes
no brakes – 1475 lbs

Once again not recommended with automatic, and both were giving European numbers, which are notoriously high in comparison to the States.

To be fair, the European versions generally have much bigger brakes and beefed up suspension for the Autobahn, when compared to the cars sold in the States with our “snail speed” limits .

I then had the idea to call a dealer that use to sell U.S. Spec to the military here, and he said ...

State side with trailer brakes
Gross Trailer Weight: 2000 lbs.
Tongue Weight: 200 lbs.

Unofficially, he added, not recommended with the automatic.

Feel any better, or a maybe a little confused? I am a little confused.
 

mthieme

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Re: Tow rating of a VW Jetta TDI wagon?

Your Kubota weighs 1700# naked with no attachments.
w/plow 2400#, 4WD 3000#.
I would expect you utility trailer is double axles and constructed half way decent - should be at least 2000#.

A little much for a Jetta.
Boat, maybe, but scary.
 

CChase86

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Re: Tow rating of a VW Jetta TDI wagon?

Hello,

You need to think about more than just the weight of the trailer compared to the power of an engine. Trailer weight ratings for vehicles are based on far more than whether the engine can easily tow the weight. In fact, this is probably fairly low on the list.

Other factors go into this, including the ability of the chassis and suspension of the car to support the tongue weight of the trailer, the overall weight of the vehicle, the ability of the transmission to handle the load (both in terms of actual strength of transmission bands as well as the ability of the transmission cooler to COOL the transmission fluid properly), the ability of the brakes to properly slow the vehicle and trailer, and a plethora of other things.

I certainly wouldn't tow much over 1,000 lbs with a Jetta whether it had brakes or not.
 

medic181075

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Re: Tow rating of a VW Jetta TDI wagon?

Check out www.tdiclub.com

When I read this I called my dad. He said that your 1200 lb boat would be no problem with good shocks. If you are going to use this to tow more than occasionally, you may want to get airbags for the rear to keep the car level. I helped my dad install a hitch and airbags on his 2002 Jetta TDI. It took about 2 hours combined. The toughest part was getting the airbags inside of the coil springs.

FWIW, you will not find a tow rating in any owners manual from VW USA.

Another thing you may want to consider is mechanical work that you will need to get done to the vehicle. My dad has to drive over 100 miles one way to get anything other than oil changes done to his car. The TDI is not an engine that the average mechanic can work on. It requires specialized tools and computer programs. The engine oil for this car is at least $8 per quart, but you can run it for 15,000 miles.

My dad also recommended against towing your Kabota, and he is neither conservative or liberal when it come to towing with his car. You will find a few people that will tell you it can be done, but is it really worth it to take the chance?
 

Bob_VT

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Re: Tow rating of a VW Jetta TDI wagon?

JB your kubota will tow your jetta fine!! :)

Use the Mercedes for the kubota and the jetta for the boat.
 

SnappingTurtle

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Re: Tow rating of a VW Jetta TDI wagon?

I talked to another friend last night. He designs, builds, and rents trailers here (Germany). The largest trailer rental business in Frankfurt.

He laughed. :eek:

He questioned, why would anyone in America, the land of proper towing vehicles, use a Jetta to tow anything bigger than a small trailer with a little push mower. Your putting a lot of faith in German engineering, unfortunately, according to him, it is a misplaced faith.

He is German, and drives a Mercedes & a BMW X5, so I don't think you could say he was German bashing.

He said you will be not only a danger to yourself, but to every one else on the road around you. Maybe it would be OK to move it around the yard, but not for anything more than that.

But hey go for it, people do it here all the time.

It just voids their warranty when it breaks, and their insurance won't cover any damages when they wreck. The German Polizei (Police) would love to catch you on the Autobahn (highway) with such a towing package.
 

Bob_VT

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Re: Tow rating of a VW Jetta TDI wagon?

Snapping Turtle....... I remember the TUV being far tougher than the local state inspections........ I imagine the polizei would be mumbling verrucht
 

Silvertip

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Re: Tow rating of a VW Jetta TDI wagon?

I fail to see the economics in this scenario. You won't spend $3.25 for fuel for a much more substantial tow vehicle, but you will spend thousands of dollars more, plus insurance, tabs, and maintenance for a second very marginal tow vehicle that burns $4.00 fuel. That vehicle will NOT get 45 MPG towing anything more than the previously mentioned skateboard? Explain how that makes any economic sense. If for some reason you actually need another vehicle, then that adds a bit of "reason" for doing this.
 

SnappingTurtle

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Re: Tow rating of a VW Jetta TDI wagon?

Snapping Turtle....... I remember the TUV being far tougher than the local state inspections........ I imagine the polizei would be mumbling verrucht

I keep our cars in as new condition as I possible can, and I still shake in my shoes, everytime I go to the German TUV (Safety Inspectors).

One small problem, one false word, and they pull your car off the road and take your plates. I just got my 13 year old car through it again “ohne Mangel” (no problems), it tested as new, from a safety, structural, and emissions standpoint. A week before I had already prepared myself for selling (giving it away) it to eastern Europe if it didn't pass.

The Polizei (Police) set up mobile weigh stations on the Autobahn (highway) all the time, and pull vacationers over to check their vehicles, papers, and trailers. If all is not perfect, you don't move it from the spot.

People here tow with these vehicles because they have no other choice. Not because it is a good idea.

The versions sold here also have bigger brakes, larger radiators, oil coolers, heavy duty suspensions, other computer/black box programming. The list of differences just goes on and on. This is all because of the no speed limit Autobahns.

People here drive at very high speeds for hours at a time, this requires the vehicles to be set up to different standards when compared to the same models sold in America. At 110mph you are running in the middle lane of a three lane highway, with the fast lane reserved for those pushing at times upwards of 150mph, and the right lane reserved for trucks & cars with trailers.

Even when taking all these differences into consideration, these vehicles are just not made for towing anything but small trailers. People have these small trailers because they can't have pick-ups.

They are nice vehicles, but they all have specific functions they were designed to do, and at the moment, there is not a non-commercial vehicle on the German market that was designed as a towing vehicle.
 

JB

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Re: Tow rating of a VW Jetta TDI wagon?

This discussion is obsolete, guys.

Since I posted this thread in February I bought Mercedes Diesel sedan, drove it 5 months, sold it and bought another '99 ML430.

I had forgotten how much I like driving a ML and how little I like driving anything else.

This adventure should probably be in Stupid Human Tricks.:redface:
 

on_ice

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Re: Tow rating of a VW Jetta TDI wagon?

For future reference, I will be towing a 13' boston whaler with my TDI Jetta, ill let you guys know how it goes
 
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