Anybody ordering or has ordered a TSI 1.4 ACT?

[sebtomato]

It looks to me that it is one of the best engine available (at least on paper), particularly for company car drivers, given the low Co2 and the petrol engine attracting no penalty.

Speaking to the VW car fleet manager for organizing a test drive, she told me that nobody is ordering the 1.4 Tsi, and therefore they won't have any test drive cars (for fleet buyers) with that engine, and are not planning to order one. Their advice is for me to find one in one of the dealerships, and organise my own test drive (even though I wouldn't buy the car there). Not that great for a car worth £27K+...

She is telling me that people mostly order the 1.6 or 2.0 TDI. Looking at the numbers and reviews, I can't really see the point of the 2.0 TDI, unless the person drives a really high mileage.

Surely, this can't be right? Maybe she is thinking about the old 1.4 Tsi engine without cylinder on demand.
I don't really understand why the vast majority of Golf Mk7 reviews in websites and magazines were done on the 1.4 Tsi ACT engine and that no-one would be interested, or VW wouldn't have test drive cars...

Thanks,
S.

[ashakeeluk]

I can believe what she is saying because the desiels hold the value much better at resale when they go to auction after the contracts end. I have been looking at the leasing deals nealy all the contract hire rates are on the diesels for the Mk7. Pity because the petrol engine is very good.

[sebtomato]

I can believe what she is saying because the desiels hold the value much better at resale when they go to auction after the contracts end.
It would make sense that the depreciation is lower on a diesel.
However, looking at monthly rental cost between a 2.0 TDI DSG and a 1.4 Tsi ACT DSG, the price is the same for a 4-year lease. I guess the 1.4 Tsi is probably cheaper to buy also, but has a slighly higher depreciation.

[Evil Dan]

It looks to me that it is one of the best engine available (at least on paper), particularly for company car drivers, given the low Co2 and the petrol engine attracting no penalty.

Speaking to the VW car fleet manager for organizing a test drive, she told me that nobody is ordering the 1.4 Tsi, and therefore they won't have any test drive cars (for fleet buyers) with that engine, and are not planning to order one. Their advice is for me to find one in one of the dealerships, and organise my own test drive (even though I wouldn't buy the car there). Not that great for a car worth £27K+...

She is telling me that people mostly order the 1.6 or 2.0 TDI. Looking at the numbers and reviews, I can't really see the point of the 2.0 TDI, unless the person drives a really high mileage.

Surely, this can't be right? Maybe she is thinking about the old 1.4 Tsi engine without cylinder on demand.
I don't really understand why the vast majority of Golf Mk7 reviews in websites and magazines were done on the 1.4 Tsi ACT engine and that no-one would be interested, or VW wouldn't have test drive cars...

Thanks,
S.

This is probably true as it is only available on the highest spec model and even then a significant proportion of GT purchases will be diesel, especially if it is fleet purchasing.

I've ordered this engine as I'd prefer the petrol engine and 7-speed vs 6-speed DSG. Fuel prices will only be marginally different and it has a faster 0-62mph time and a quieter engine.

[J400uk]

I don't understand how the fleet manager can say that given the 1.4 TSI ACT has only just gone on sale, sounds like she is talking about the old MK6 TSI which was quite unpopular. It is likely to sell well given its in the same tax band as the diesel and very fuel efficient. Will definitely make more sense for people doing 10-12k miles per year.

[sebtomato]

Exactly.

It's actually a much lower tax band than the diesel, for company car users. The 1.4 DSG has a BIK rate of 13% while the 2.0 TDI DSG has a BIK rate of 17%. That's a difference of £30 - £40 a month on tax alone, for cars of identical retail price (so a higher specced 1.4).

If the fuel consumption is close, the difference of price per litre between diesel and petrol adds a saving of about 8% on fuel. So basically, just on tax and fuel alone, the 1.4 Tsi should be cheaper than the 2.0 TDI, while having some other benefits (quieter, lighter, smoother engine, smoother start and stop, latest generation 7-speed DSG gearbox etc)

[J400uk]

Yes you're right. I think the problem is people seem to automatically assume the diesel will be best without doing the sums. You see lots of clowns doing low mileage in a TDI and wondering why the DPF is constantly clogging up etc.

I wonder if they'll apply the same cylinder de-activation technology to the 1.2 TSI, as they could potentially get it down to 99g/ km Co2 which would be seriously impressive.

[sid taylor]

orderd mk7 golf 2.0tdi on 13.1.13 dealer rang yesterday to say car had arrived seems a bit quick or are they not selling many told dealer to keep car till 1.3.13 looking forward to having the car



2.0tdi white no extras

[glospete]

Presumably this was not a factory order and was a car that was in stock in the dealer or he got it from another. So far the stock cars all seem to be 2.0TDI models. Good luck to you - you should enjoy it!

[sebtomato]

Just test-driven a 1.4 ACT GT DSG today, for about 25 minutes. It's was a struggle to find a dealer around London with that model!

Positive points:

* Car was very quiet, in term of engine noise or road noise. We disabled the start/stop function, and still couldn't hear the engine or feel vibrations when at traffic lights. Impressive
* Start and stop works very well, and forgot about it very quickly
* Car was comfortable and good suspensions (had active suspensions). Changing the mode didn't seem to make much difference
* Car and steering felt very light
* Central screen is not shiny (matt) so shouldn't show fingerprints too much, and easier to see

Negative points:

* The central screen seemed quite low definition. I am yet to see a car with the larger screen. None of the cars at dealerships have that option, for some strange reasons. I don't know if the bigger screen is also better in term of contrast and resolution.
* The DSG gearbox was not that great, and felt a lot like a regular automatic gearbox, with noticeable gear changes and lag. Gearbox seemed sometimes confused. Didn't feel anywhere as smooth as my current S-tronic, particularly when accelerating hard. Very surprising, as my current car is diesel and has an older generation S-tronic/DSG.
* At low revs and in traffic, engine seems to lack a bit of punch (compared to my current 2.0 TDI car and its torque), or maybe it's the ACT lag
* The side mirrors seem very small
* A lot of piano black plastic in the central console that will attract dust and fingerprints!! But I guess there is less of it when upgrading to the larger screen and also automatic aircon
* Manual aircon on a GT trim, weird!

Overall, a very nice car, but I didn't find it as good as the reviews suggested, and despite having an identical BHP to my current car, a very different driving feeling.

On paper, it seems to be a nice replacement to a 2.0 Tdi, but driving it, I am no longer sure, mainly because of the gearbox and lower torque.

[glospete]

Jeremy Clarkson has given the 1.4TSI GT a good report in his Sunday Times article today (unusual for him). But his car did have the full set of options!

[J400uk]

Jeremy Clarkson has given the 1.4TSI GT a good report in his Sunday Times article today (unusual for him). But his car did have the full set of options!

Yes I noticed that also, very positive review. Don't think it was the DSG though. I have a feeling this engine will prove better with the manual, whereas the 2.0 TDI is always a match made in heaven to the 6-spd DSG.

[sebtomato]

I don't really care about what Clarkson says! He is far from impartial and gets free stuff from car manufacturers...
I much prefer test driving cars and make my own mind!

Based on my own test drive (see previous page), DSG with the 1.4 Tsi ACT was not great.
I have S-tronic on my current Audi A3 2.0 TDI and it's great. However, some of the reviews of the new TDI on either the Golf or the A3 with S-tronic are not that great.

Therefore, it depends very much how they tuned it and the engine associated with it...

[h5djr]

The difference between the DSG used in the 1.4 TSI ACT and the 2.0 TDI is that the 1.4 uses the cheaper 7-speed dry clutch DSG where as the 2.0 TDI uses the original 6-speed wet clutch DSG. The replacement cost of the 7-speed is £3720 where as the 6-speed is £5050.

A while ago my wife had a test drive in a new 1.4 Polo and it had the 7-speed DSG and it was no where near as good to drive as my current 2.0 TDI with the 6-speed version.

[gamichea]

Autocar mkVII launch video of 1.4TSI ACT/DSG here Volkswagen Golf Mk7 video review Car Video | Autocar (http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-video/volkswagen-golf-mk7-video-review)
I think the only -ve comment on the DSG was it can be a bit slow to react at times. Driving it on Sardinian roads would have been a totally different experience to London traffic. Mind you I'd want a lot longer than 25 minutes to form a definitive opinion.

After nearly 21 years and almost 300k miles driving TDIs this is the first petrol engine to interest me. The loss of torque compared to the 2.0 TDI is a concern but the TSI's torque curve is claimed to be quite flat and in conjunction with the DSG is an appealing combination on paper. Some of the stories I see about the DSG in everyday use are a bit concerning, particularly hesitation at junctions and roundabouts. That I would find difficult to accept whereas slow reactions I would be happy to deal with by resorting to the paddles or gear selector.

[h5djr]

I would definitely try and drive the 1.4TSI ACT/DSG conbination BEFORE making a decision. My wife view as the driver when testing the 1.4 Polo (not the ACT version) was that it hestiated at junctions and roundabouts which meant it was not very nice to drive, unlike the 6-speed on my 2.0TDI which she loves as much as I do.

She ended up not replacing her Polo with another Polo but with a new A1 1.6 TDI manual.

[J400uk]

The difference between the DSG used in the 1.4 TSI ACT and the 2.0 TDI is that the 1.4 uses the cheaper 7-speed dry clutch DSG where as the 2.0 TDI uses the original 6-speed wet clutch DSG. The replacement cost of the 7-speed is £3720 where as the 6-speed is £5050.

A while ago my wife had a test drive in a new 1.4 Polo and it had the 7-speed DSG and it was no where near as good to drive as my current 2.0 TDI with the 6-speed version.

The 7-speed also has a torque limit, which is why they only fit it to lower powered engines. Having said that it does generally get similar or better MPG than the equivalent Manual, whereas the 6-speed tends to worsen the MPG a little.

[h5djr]

I agree the 6-speed DSG has a torque limit but it is much higher than the 7-speed which, as you say, is why the 7-speed is used on engines with a lower torque output. All geaboxes and clutches have a torque limit, even manuals. Personally I'm more than happy to sacrifice a few miles per gallon for the pleasure of driving with a 6-speed DSG.

[sebtomato]

It was the first time I was driving a car with a 7 speed DSG gearbox. I have been driving a TDI with a 6 speed DSG/S-tronic gearbox for about 8 years. I have test driven a few petrol car in the past, but they had the 6 speed DSG gearbox also.

I guess I was assuming that the newer gearbox would be better (and lighter), but clearly, that's not the case. The gearbox, at least on the car I drove, didn't feel at all the same as my S-tronic gearbox.

I was already happy to test drive the car for 25 min, as a 1.4 Tsi ACT DSG is very hard to find.
If it hadn't been for the gearbox feeling like a traditional auto gearbox, I think I would have ordered one, as it is a very good car and well equipped...

[Handydave]

Must say, I find the 7 speed DSG on our Golf Mk6 is very good indeed. Smooth changes, no hesitations. Just as good as the 5 speed torque converter on our Merc E250 CDI Coupe.