What engine do I go for?

[AUDI-NUT]

I have order the new A4 S-Line and will be going in to spec up very soon but still unsure whether to opt for petrol or diesel and wonder if anyone can give some advice as I have never owned a diesel car before.
Don't want my new car sounding like a taxi but I hear the A4 is a bit more refined.
Me and the wife don't do a ton of miles so not to worried about the economics
and we are considering the 1.8 petrol or 2.0 diesel.

Also, I know the S-Line comes with 18 inch wheels but I see they have some optional 19 inch jobs which look very nice. Will this make driving the thing less comfortable, considering the suspension is already lower on the S-Line?

Any thoughts are helpful. Thanks:Blush:

[browellm]

I have order the new A4 S-Line and will be going in to spec up very soon but still unsure whether to opt for petrol or diesel and wonder if anyone can give some advice as I have never owned a diesel car before.
Don't want my new car sounding like a taxi but I hear the A4 is a bit more refined.
Me and the wife don't do a ton of miles so not to worried about the economics
and we are considering the 1.8 petrol or 2.0 diesel.

Also, I know the S-Line comes with 18 inch wheels but I see they have some optional 19 inch jobs which look very nice. Will this make driving the thing less comfortable, considering the suspension is already lower on the S-Line?

Any thoughts are helpful. Thanks:Blush:

It's all a matter of opinion of course, but on pure economics I wouldn't look at the diesel unless you are over 12k miles per annum.

There is a 2k price premium on the diesel, and the cost of fuel is higher.

Of course, the diesel has that nice mid-range shove, and yes they are are quiet (though not first thing in the morning), but still not as quiet as petrol.

My own mileage is in the 20-25k range, so it's diesel all the way for me.

19" rims will defintely make the ride more skittish. Think long and hard before you take the plunge with 19's on our crappy roads.

[RickT]

Ii would go for the 1.8 rather than the 2.0 TDi.. reason.. the 2.0TDi they are currently offering is only the 140bhp... the 170 will by out late 2008 which will be the general engine to go for i think, so it may have a slight inpact on resale.

Also with the amount of miles you do, the petrol may be a good option....... BUT you cant beat the MPG on the 2.0TDI....

Rick

[paul b]

Seen as the economy doesn't matter for you... go for the 1.8T. In the past, diesel A4s tend to be more reliable, but if you don't cover many miles then this should not matter. 19s would make the ride quite punishing, I would have thought.
Paul

[Foringo]

I agree that on purely economic grounds if you only do low mileages then petrol make more sense. However I had an automatic-diesel the car before last and it was a great relaxed combination. I decided to go back to a petrol last time and regretted it, so this time I've plumped for the 2.7 V6 TDI multitronic. This will still be fairly economic and has the low down torque characteristics which makes them so much fun to drive in normal UK road conditions. The 2 litre TDI appears to get a good press though and some Testers appear to favour them over the larger engines...but you may only notice the difference in balance on a race track! It's also worth factoring in the additional residual value for a diesel when looking at the financial case....but I would just get the engine/gearbox combination I prefer. There will be a lot more engines in the range soon to choose from. My experience is that although modern diesels may sound a bit noisy from the outside especially on start-up, when driving the difference is barely discernable. It would be interesting to try different wheel sizes to see what difference they actually make but I suspect the lowered suspension is what really kills the ride quality. I didn’t consider the S-Line simply because of this…does look good though... especially as Audi in its wisdom are currently only allowing this version to be specified with Xenons and LEDs (still can't believe it!!).

[AUDI-NUT]

Thanks for all the useful comments. Much appreciated.

I think I will go with the 1.8T. we just don't do the mileage to worry about the economical factors.

With regards the wheel size, as much as I like the look of the 19inch wheels I might just stick with the 18's, they are big enough I suppose and considering the lower suspension I dont want to make the ride any more uncomfortable.

The only question now - what colour do I go for!!!!!!!!

[the_gasman]

I am having similar deliberations to Audi-nut.
I drive a diesel at the moment, and love the easy acceleration from low rev torque. However I'm really looking for a bit more than 140bhp, and that puts me off the 2.0tdi.

I test drove the 2.7tdi with the multitronic box today, and it was a lovely car - very smooth and quietly powerful. It' also a bit pricey for me, and I'm wondering if the 1.8TFSI might not be a more sensible choice (at £4000 less)! Fuel economy is similar to the 2.7 diesel, and power 30 bhp less (but much less torque). Has anyone driven the 1.8TFSI and the 2.7tdi and would be able to comment on the differences?

I hope to drive the 1.8 myself in the next few weeks.

Cheers.

[Red 2]

Very late to the party but I have been driving a 1.8T 160 since early March. I used to drive a Golf GT with a 170 Twincharger and I can tell you that the A4 beats it for fuel consumption. I undertake a 40 mile round trip each day with approx 1/3 of that stop/start town driving and I am now getting 44mpg.

Yes, a diesel is more economical but you have to weigh up your own travel requirements in terms of mileage,capital cost of the car and fuel costs.

1.8T is VERY quiet and the power is more than adequate IMPO. Nice one Audi!

[A1exp]

What about the 2.0 170 TDi?

More horsepower, more torque and not as expensive as the 2.7 TDi.