2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid
Up until now, Volkswagen’s preferred method of maximizing mileage has with TDI turbocharged diesel engines. But despite wider availability, and ever cleaner exhausts, high diesel fuel prices have stalled their appeal to Americans. What to do? Well, you could turbocharge a small gasoline engine as many automakers are doing to EcoBoost their mileage, and of course there’s always hybrid powertrains. Well, how about combining the two… in the Jetta!
You won’t see turbo in the name, but the 2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid does indeed get down the road with a combination of internal combustion, forced air induction, and electric power. And it all works fairly seamlessly, though you can feel some shudder when the gas engine engages and disengages. It’s not disturbing; just more of a reminder of what exactly is going on.
And, what’s going on is 1.4-liters worth of all-aluminum, direct injected, turbo-charged I4 combined with a 20kW electric motor to output 170-horsepower and 184 lb-ft. of torque. This combo produces Government Fuel Economy Ratings of 42-City, 48-Highway, and 45-Combined. That compares to 34 Combined for the TDI. Still, our lead-footed drivers netted nowhere near the hybrid ratings, averaging just 36.7 miles-per-gallon of Premium. That’s about 5% less than our last Jetta TDI. To be fair, we tested the hybrid in freezing temperatures which required additional gas engine running time so mileage should improve in warmer weather.
No disappointment with the very good Energy Impact Score of 7.3-barrels of oil burned annually with yearly CO2 emissions of 3.3-tons.
And we love almost everything about the Jetta Hybrid, as it is all so well done. The under-hood is pristine and purposeful with little hint of hybrid hardware, save for the orange high voltage cables. Trunk finish is exceptional for a non-luxury compact car; you do lose some cargo space due to the battery, 11.3 cubic-ft. versus 15.5 in a standard Jetta; but you still get fold down rear seatbacks for long item storage.
You can follow along with hybrid goings-on with a unique instrument cluster that forgoes the tach for a power gauge with readings for eco, charge, and boost. If you opt for navigation, you can also keep up with the specific hybrid screens and power flow diagrams. And there was good power flowing at the track, as the Hybrid feels every bit as spirited off the line as the standard Jetta and a bit better than the TDI. 0-60 in 8.0-seconds flat. And, that’s still with 40 MPG potential.
The Hybrid comes exclusively with Volkswagen’s 7–speed DSG automatic gearbox and we have no complaints about its very smooth operation or the commanding feel of its shifts as the car worked its way to the end of the ¼-mile in 16.2-seconds at 87 miles-per-hour. The Jetta’s mix of turbo and hybrid boost proved to be a great pairing; you get the e-boost off the line and once you get rolling, the turbo gets spooled up and gives you another. It’s surprising to us that it’s taken this long for such a powertrain to arrive.
When it comes to cone carving, the Jetta is by far at the top of the compact hybrid heap. The independent rear suspension comes straight from the sportier Jetta GLI and makes the Hybrid feel light yet solid, and very sport sedan like. It’s the hybrid you would expect Volkswagen to make. While on the street, the brakes may have a grabby feel because of the regenerative braking, especially at slow speeds, we were more than impressed at the track where we averaged just 119-feet to stop from 60.
The Jetta Hybrid will drive on battery power alone, but due to the small 1.1-kWh size, only for about a mile and only up to 44 miles-per-hour if E-mode is selected. But it is easily the most entertaining full hybrid out there, not so much that you forget it’s a hybrid, but pretty darn close.
You’d be hard pressed to tell by looking at it either, as the Jetta Hybrid is not super flashy looking, and bears little indication of its new eco-friendly credentials. But the details are nice, with the blue-highlighted VW logo and hybrid badging integrated smoothly into the Jetta’s classy and understated design. It also adds a new front fascia with redesigned air inlets, unique 17-inch wheels, and a rear spoiler.
When it comes to pricing, the Jetta Hybrid starts at $25,790. If you’ve been contemplating a hybrid, but non-committal due to not wanting to drive a boring car, well here’s the car you’ve been waiting for. And since you asked, yes Volkswagen will continue to offer the Jetta TDI which is far less well equipped but still cheaper by 2-grand.
Which one is right for you? Well we can’t answer that, but the 2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid is a beautifully done hybrid wrapped in a very tidy package that we would enjoy living with every day. That’s why we picked it as our MotorWeek Drivers’ Choice Best Eco Friendly. And if you were to pick one for yourself, we think it would be just as friendly to you as it is to the environment.
Specifications
- Engine: 1.4-liters
- Horsepower: 170
- Torque: 184 lb-ft.
- 0-60 mph: 8.0 seconds
- 1/4 mile: 16.2 seconds @ 87 mph
- EPA: 42 mpg city/ 48 mpg highway
- Energy Impact: 7.3 barrels of oil/yr
- CO2 Emissions: 3.3 tons/yr
2025 Infiniti QX80
Infiniti’s Flagship SUV Sets A Course For Extravagance
This full-size Infiniti QX80 started out as the QX56, a hastily rebadged version of Nissan’s truck-based Armada full-size utility. That was in the early 2000s when the luxury SUV craze was exploding. It wasn’t as much as a game-changer, as it was “try to keep upper”. Now, this new QX80, Infiniti is promising to “Reimagine the luxury SUV”. Let’s see if Infiniti has turned their imaginations into reality.
Well, if over the top is what Infiniti was shooting for in the all-new 2025 QX80, mission accomplished. There’s an overall feeling of extravagance here that we haven’t experienced from Infiniti in quite some time.
It’s not just the open pore ash wood trim with aluminum inlays, 24-speaker audio, and plush quilted leather seating; there’s also nicely integrated ambient lighting, a massive glass roof, plenty of tech, lots of active driving assistance, and even chilled center console storage. Forward of that is a dual touchscreen setup; the top 14.3-inch touchscreen for infotainment sits next to the digital gauge display in a single housing; while just below, there’s a 9-inch one for climate controls.
You are reminded this is still a body-on-frame utility the moment you have to climb up into the cockpit, but there’s also the commanding view of the road that comes with that. Captain’s chairs are standard for the second row, but a three-place bench is optional with all trims except for top Autograph which comes exclusively with these climate-controlled massaging chairs, along with a touchscreen control panel. The third-row experience is great, too, with heated leather seating, and adult size room for three.
Now, there is a whole new experience coming from under the hood. The last gen’s V8 has been replaced with a new twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6 rated at 450 horsepower, 50 over the V8. More notably, torque is up by more than 100 lb-ft to 516. Transmission is a nine-speed automatic, two more gears than last year, with rear-wheel drive standard, four-wheel drive an option. Max tow rating is 8,500-lbs.
And at the test track, it did pull strongly off the line, getting up to speed in a hurry with the 0-60 sprint taking just 6.3 seconds. There is roughly 3 tons of weight to push through the quarter-mile, but that twin-turbo does it well, finishing in 14.7 seconds at 95 mph. Gear changes are incredibly smooth, while not hindering acceleration in any way.
It's an impressive looking utility from any angle.
In panic braking runs, there was some fade and a considerable amount of nosedive, but our average stopping distance of 115 feet is not bad for a vehicle as big and heavy as the QX80. Last gen, the QX80 moved from the Titan truck platform to the global Patrol SUV chassis, which shifted the vibe from budget Escalade to Lexus LX fighter. The attending improvement in ride and handling was the real bonus, and that largely continues for this gen with air suspension and Dynamic Digital Dampers on all but base QX80s. While we could certainly feel all that weight through our cone course, body roll was well-controlled and without significant oversteer or understeer.
It’s an impressive looking utility from any angle, starting right up front with the big “bamboo forest” grille. The overall shape is boxy, but all body panels are smooth; and for better or worse, Infiniti joins the flush door handle fad. Look for its “Artistry In Motion” design theme to work its way down through the rest of the Infiniti lineup. All QX80s ride on 22-inch wheels except for base Pure trim which makes do with 20s.
A full power play includes standard motion-activated rear liftgate and power operation of both second and third row seats, expanding cargo capacity from 22 cu-ft behind the third row to 59 behind the second, and a max of 101.0 cu-ft with both rows folded.
Government Fuel Economy Ratings with four-wheel-drive are not great: 16 city, 19 highway and 17 combined. We averaged 18.6 mpg of premium. That’s a much worse than average Energy Impact Score, using 17.5 barrels of oil annually, with 8.6 tons of CO2 emissions.
Driving such a PUREly LUXEurious SENSORY overload, you’ll probably be expecting people to want your AUTOGRAPH, which we’re guessing is how Infiniti came up with their grade structure; pricing starts with Pure at $84,445 and climbs to $112,590 for Autograph.
The 2025 Infiniti QX80 is a massive SUV that delivers massive amounts of power and luxury. They aimed for the moon here and have clearly blasted themselves into a much more competitive orbit in the big buck, big hauler, sport-utility galaxy.
Specifications
As Tested
- Engine: 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6
- Transmission: 9-speed automatic
- Horsepower: 450
- Torque: 516 lb-ft.
- EPA: 16 City | 19 Highway | 17 Combined
- 0-60 mph: 6.3 seconds
- 1/4 Mile: 14.7 seconds at 95 mph
- Braking, 60-0 (avg.): 115 feet
- MW Fuel Economy: 18.6 mpg (Premium)
