2009 Jetta TDI priced

HERNDON, Virginia — Volkswagen of America said the 2009 Jetta TDI sedan will start at $21,990, while the 2009 Jetta SportWagen TDI will be priced from $23,590. Both models go on sale in August and are rated by the EPA at 29 mpg in city driving and 40 mpg on the highway.

The TDI's clean diesel meets stringent emissions standards in all 50 states. But diesel advocates had expected much higher EPA mileage ratings on the VW turbodiesel, due in part to the automaker's own aggressive positioning. On its Web site, VW says the TDI engine has "an anticipated fuel efficiency of mid-50s highway (and) mid-40s city."

But even the company's own testing, conducted by an outside firm, fell well short of that mark.

In part to blunt some of the negative feedback generated by the lower-than-expected EPA numbers, VW hired a third-party company, AMCI, to conduct what it calls "real-world testing" on the '09 Jetta TDI. The automaker said the AMCI tests showed the TDI achieved significantly better results — 38 mpg in the city and 44 on the highway — than the official EPA ratings.

What this means to you: VW takes some of the sting out of high fuel prices — and steep new-car stickers. But diesel aficionados who expected to rack up huge mileage gains may be disappointed both by the EPA figures and their own real-world driving experience in the new TDI. — Paul Lienert, Correspondent