1.4 TSI or 2L TDi

[michaeld]

I'm looking at maybe buying a 1.4 GT TSI or a 2L GT Tdi (140bhp or maybe even a 1.9tdi).

I do a far amount of driving in heavy traffic so want something that is ecconomical.....at crawling speeds would a smaller engine be better?

I also have a couple of long motorway journies every week and would like something that is comfortable and relaxing to drive.

I like the 1.4 for it's ecconomy and performance. Is it a smooth engine though and what's it like to drive long distances in? What about running and servicing costs compared to the diesel? What about long term reliability.....would the diesel be btter?

The TDi may be more robust for the stop start journies I have. If I remapped it then it would probably be as quick as the 1.4.

Any comments....has anyone driven them both?

[Wazza_G]

I'd say...

If you do quite a bit of long distance driving then go for a diesel as you'll make savings on the amount of fuel you use.

Yes the diesel is rattly when it's cold, but once warmed up it's fine & at motorway speeds it's almost if not as quiet as petrol.

Why have it remapped? Isn't 140 or 170 bhp enough? :boggled:

If you remap it you'll have to tell the insurance company & you'll pay those crooks even more, besides you're just increasing your chances of getting a ticket & points on your licence. :zx11:

If you do mostly shorter journeys with irregular longer ones then it maybe better to have the petrol, you can get some good economy out of a petrol, but like I said you'll get more mpg out of a diesel.

I have the 2,0 TDi, I fill it up on pay day and I don't have to fill it up again for a month, that's with the 16 miles a day to/from work & a couple of trips down a motorway if required.

[descb600f]

The TSi has better 0-60 times which confuses me slightly as the Torque figure is quite a bit lower.
I would expect real world performance to be better with the diesel and you should need less gear changes too saving your right leg which i find usefull with my dodgy knee.

[Wazza_G]

Well get one with a DSG box if you have a dodgy knee, but I just don't see the need for very rapid acceleration, other than for overtaking, all it's going to do is get you points on your licence & a dent in your pocket with the fine.

Blatting it only increases your fuel consumption, increases tyre wear and unless you have a completely empty road ahead (unlikely) you'll just catch up the traffic ahead.

[descb600f]

It's not just about acceleration it's about how hard the engine has to work, the diesel should have to work less and will pull better in a higher gear for a given speed.
I would expect the diesel to give you better economy in day to day situations.
It may be a 1.4 but remember they have had to turbo and supercharge the engine to get the performance figures. If you just want economy go get the bluemotion but I suggest you don't want a dog slow car as your looking at these two.
Both offer a better compromise between performance and economy at the end of the day.
If you compare urban economy its 40.9 for the diesel and 29.7 for the petrol.
extra urban is 60.1 vs 49.6
combined 51.4 vs 39.8.
You get better economy and the added bonus of extra oommpphh when you need it like motorway sliproads or overtakes I cant believe the TSi compares on 70-90, 50-70 times as well but I stand to be corrected if anyone knows better.
As an aside they quote the diesel as quieter probably because of the lack of a supercharger but it suggests that the petrol is in a higher state of tune, that or there is more sound proofing.

[Desertfish]

Don't have experience with the 1.4 and 2.0 but I was blessed with driving the 1.9TDi for a few weeks... I thought it was a monster of a car. When I got into it for the first time I was wondering why the thing needed 6 gears. I soon found out... It's got some awesome power in low revs. My first time on the motorway with it an I was up to 90mph before I knew it. Very smooth drive. I don't know if its true but some people told me that the 1.9 is even better then the 2.0.

Second week I was driving it I had to make a trip from London to Blackburn. My girlfriend told me to take it easy as she didn't want me to get a speeding ticket so I did 70mph on the motorway all the way. By the time I got to Blackburn the thing had given me 75mpg... Did about 650 miles with just under 50 liters of diesel...

My verdict on the 1.9TDI:
- Long journeys: very smooth.
- Power: more than enough.
- Fuel consumption: magic.

Ahhhhhh if only I could get one of them...

[descb600f]

Or you could get the 1.9 lol
I wish I had the patience to stick to 70 and see what the 2.0 does

[Wazza_G]

It does 70 without very much effort...

I can't wait for my trip to the West Country & the drive on the A303 bar Winterbourne Stoke, Amesbury & few other locations with those little yellow greed cameras. :zx11:

[descb600f]

What does ??

[Wazza_G]

Sorry, the 2,0 140 TDi.

Forgot that bit, I'd just come off a 10h shift!

[BarneyBoy]

If you do a lot of stop/start traffic light journeys, the TSI will not be as economical as you may think. The Golf is a relatively heavy car and taking off continually takes its toll on economy (10/11 l/100km). Anything that requires less frequent stopping (steady 50+km/h) and the TSI returns _insane_ economy (I got 6.1 l/100km on a 40km freeway run the other day without trying at all).

But if you're after performance only, the TSI has the edge, albeit a small one. It sounds the best (IMO) both in exhaust note and super/turbo note.

Let's face it, both are a great buy. You won't lose with either.

[descb600f]

What's that in real money??

[BarneyBoy]

What's that in real money??

che? Oh, you mean Imperial? :D
10.5 litres per 100km is about 27UKmpg
6.1 litres per 100km is about 46UKmpg

What I meant to convey is that the TSI (like a lot of cars) will not be automatically economical at all times. I've observed that in very heavy traffic with traffic lights every city block it can be quite (relatively) thirsty, but given a chance to sit in 6th for a little while, it will return great figures.

An example: Just by changing my route to work, my fuel consumption dropped from an average of 8.9 to 7.1 (31mpg to 40mpg) - both suburban roads, but one with fewer lights and slightly higher posted limits.

I've converted the figures above to UK gallons rather than US as it looks like you're from Falkirk (home of the famous Wheel - what a crazy, neat piece of engineering!).

A handy fuel consumption converter here:
http://www.markporthouse.net/rangie/fuelconsumptionconversion.htm#

[Wazza_G]

It depends on what you pay for it.

The Golfs residuals are some of the best going hovering around the 48-52% mark after 3 years tailing off after that, it also depends on the car if it has a FSH etc.

Diesels seem to have a slightly higher residual value than their petrol rivals. Hence I chose a diesel, not only for the economy, lower tax, lower insurance & better return after 3 years.

[BarneyBoy]

It depends on what you pay for it.

The Golfs residuals are some of the best going hovering around the 48-52% mark after 3 years tailing off after that, it also depends on the car if it has a FSH etc.

Diesels seem to have a slightly higher residual value than their petrol rivals. Hence I chose a diesel, not only for the economy, lower tax, lower insurance & better return after 3 years.

True, the higher retail price of the diesel is often used as a disadvantage to buying a diesel (here is Oz, anyhow) but what they forget is that the diesel also retains that extra cost in its residual. So although it may cost 3K more (our $), it will return 2 of them back to you at resale.

What you need to work out is the Total Cost Of Ownership - purchase price, insurance, taxes, service costs, parts, distance travelled & fuel used, plus resale. Then add in what your heart tells you and get a bottom line. No sense opting for one model just based on money if you spend the rest of your life looking longingly at the other model every time you spot one on the road! That's just torture. :p

[hogwash]

I would go for the diesel for several reasons: first, it has more torque in the mid speed ranges which is excellent for overtaking without having to change down gear; second, as diesels are more torquey you don't have to change gear so much; third, as diesels are lower reviving engines they don't scream so much so the drive is more relaxing, especially when combined with few gear shifts; fourth, in my experience diesels are more reliable especially on starting as they don't have complicated ignition systems.
The running costs will be similar. It's a matter of personal preference. Get out there and drive both and pay your money and take your choice.
hogwash:o