Volkswagen Jetta TDI

There’s nothing like a road trip to either prove, or in some cases disprove, the merits of a car.

The car was a 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI sedan and the road trip was a whirlwind, three-day golf trip with three buddies to Palouse Ridge in Pullman, Circling Raven in Worley, Idaho, and Coeur d’Alene golf course.

That’s four golfers: Stan, Chris, Kelly and your friendly writer. Two of them are wide-bodies; I’ll withhold names to protect the innocent. It was also four golf bags, four weekend bags, and an assortment of other essentials.

I was somewhat skeptical about the smallish Jetta TDI’s ability to get the job done. But get the job done it did. The Jetta trunk was up to the task, even when loaded with purchases made along the way. It also accommodated two old-fart broom putters, more names withheld, without having to use the pass-through door to the car’s back seat.

For the uninitiated, TDI is V-Dub speak for turbocharged, direct-inject diesel engine. Clean diesel. And even when loaded down beyond belief, the 2.0-liter, 140-horsepower four-cylinder inline wunderkind delivered around 42 miles per gallon on the highway. My tester came with a six-speed manual transmission.

Here’s an interesting factoid for Americans – who, unlike the rest of the world – are latecomers to the diesel party. EPA research has concluded that if diesels were to power one-third of all light-duty vehicles in the U.S., the shift would save approximately 1.4 million barrels of oil each day – equal to our daily shipments from Saudi Arabia.

And don’t look now, but diesel is actually less costly to buy per gallon than unleaded at your friendly gas pump. Who needs hybrids?

The second biggest test for the Jetta TDI to pass was passenger comfort for the 5.5-hour trek to Pullman. This was judged better on the ride over than after playing 72 holes of golf and riding home. Hmmm.

Handicapped by shaky lower backs and unstable bladders, eating and rest stops along the way were the perfect excuse to stretch legs that could have used a little more room. Another distraction, which made the cross-state trip palatable, was satellite radio.

One is never out of range from the ol’ satellite, whether you’re at the summit of Snoqualmie Pass or in the middle of Nowheresville in Eastern Washington. Sirius’ Classic Vinyl station pumped out Grand Funk Railroad, Jimi Hendrix, Foghat, Led Zeppelin and ZZ Top to our hearts’ delight, almost making us feel young again.

Power was not an issue, as the TDI easily scaled steep grades and passed slower cars on two-lane roads without risking life and limb. My passengers might have questioned driver judgment at times, but not the VW.

The TDI includes six airbags, electronic stability control, anti-lock brakes, anti-theft alarm and traction control.

Also worthy of note are the air conditioning and cruise control functions. Often taken for granted or underappreciated, both features were elevated to godsend status during temperatures hovering in the low 90s and vast expanses of asphalt patrolled by Washington’s finest.

Yes, the Jetta TDI passed the road-trip test with flying colors. Alas, this writer’s golf game did not.