No...you can't bring in a "new" TDI to Calif, as the car is not Calif
Emissions Certified. Should you try and get around your Calif residency,
you will need to be a cash buyer, as financing will be impossible to obtain,
and you will need an out of state residence address to use. In addition, you
would get the double hit for sales taxes, as Calif will come after you for
the 7.xx% upon bringing a car from out of state. You can bring in a used
TDI, that has over 7500 miles on the odometer and save the depreciation hit
as well, as well as paying only for Calif taxes.


"lgcharlot" > wrote in message
m...
> Has anyone heard if the TDI will be available in the upcoming model
> year (2005) in the 5 or 6 states that it's been "not available" in
> 2003/2004? In particular California? With fuel prices averaging almost
> $2.5/gal in some parts of the state, like the Bay Area and San Diego,
> I've got to get something with the best possible fuel economy, but
> don't want to go "hybrid" (Prius/Insight) until that technology has
> had a few more years to mature. The TDI engine has been around a long
> time and the Golf seems like a nice enough car, although I have been
> told that it's no longer available with the diesel engine in the
> two-door version (which I would prefer). It's maddening to know that
> I can buy a TDI just 130 miles away in Carson City, Nevada, but not
> here in central California.