Sometimes, things work out for the best. I’ve been happy as a clam this week, test driving a 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Sportwagen. I had initially hoped to test drive the Jetta TDI last summer when the model was first reintroduced to America, but circumstances being what they’ve been, the opportunity did not present itself until now.
And that’s a nice turn of fate.
At the peak of last summer’s gas price madness, diesel fuel was a dollar or so more expensive than regular gasoline, with prices dancing around five dollars a gallon. As gas prices crashed last fall, diesel fuel prices fell, but a large price differential remained between gasoline and diesel. At some point, that gap began to narrow. Now I’m not going to be a complete cynic and attribute the narrowing gap to the departure of the oil men from Our Nation’s Capitol, but it does seem odd. Perhaps what we’re seeing right now is a result of the switch in refinery production from heating oil to diesel fuel. Or not. I was just glad to have not paid five bucks a gallon testing a car that I was drooling to drive … for hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of miles (for your benefit, of course).
This morning, with the Jetta TDI’s tank just under half full, I decided to head up the road a few miles to the next town to fill up the tank. Now some folks still cling to the thought that diesel fuel is hard to come buy.
To that I gladly and wholeheartedly say hogwash.
MPG-o-Matic Honda Fit Sport Summary: While it’s a good bit pricier then the Chevy Aveo, Nissan Versa, and Toyota Yaris, the Fit Sport trumps the competition with a sporting card, a versatile interior, distinctive styling, and excellent gas mileage.