City driving & Euro diesels?

I am looking into buying a Jetta TDI, about 2002 model. (sorry there
is no volkswagon NG.....but you motorheads here will know). I MIGHT
move out of town in another 1,2 or 3 years, and have to commute a long
distance each day---- or it might not happen. If I just keep driving
shortdistances, mostly within the city, as we do now, does anything
bad tend to happen with these 4-cyl diesel engines? I have been told
that it can cause problems....these engines like to be driven on long
trips. But there are conflicting opionions on this it seems.

 

Only Diesel-engines with a particle-filter need from time to time a
longer distance to regenerate the filter. That means 15-20 minutes
driving after the engine reached normal operating temperature.

As far as I know, such old cars do not have a filter yet, at least not
in Europe.

Joerg

 

Short stops and starts are harder on any engine...makes no difference
whether it burns gas or diesel fuel.

 

If you spell it Volkswagen, you will find some newsgroups