1.4 TFSI vs 1.6TDI

[Countrystock]

Hi

My wife has decided on an A3 in the next few months. It has to be White, 5 Door, S Line and a maximum of 3 years old. The only thing left to decide upon is the engine.

We were pretty decided on the petrol 1.4 but may be swayed towards the 1.6 TDI.

She covers approx 9k miles per year on A roads as we live on an island with no motorways, but visit the mainland on a handful of occasions each year

Which engine do you think is the best

Many Thanks

[james_tiger_woo]

At that mileage, the petrol for sure...

[Oliver Head]

I would say diesel.

They're far more fun to drive and torquey! Not to mention the current fuel costs and 50+ mpg.

With the newer engines having active regeneration shouldn't have dpf issues.

I have the 2.0 tdi in my 2015 A3 best engine I've ever had, I've had a remap and it's phenomenal!

[C172s]

The petrol 1.4 122 is a great engine. It's very quiet and refined however packs a punch if required. It's also great on fuel consumption.

Granted the 1.6 has more torque but it's not much different. The 1.6 has 250Nm compared 200Nm with the petrol 1.4. There isn't enough difference in the torque stakes between them. Audi and VW have improved their petrol engines dramatically and they are very very good. It's all coming out as diesel takes a hit in the media

If it's low mileage you are doing and you want great refinement with decent performance. Petrol is your bet.

[Bloater]

My wife has a 1.4 COD TFSi engine in the cabriolet and its a great engine. I currently have a loan car which is an A3 with 1.6TDi and I find it's poor. Very lumpy, I drive a 2.0TDI usually and that's much better. The diesel performs strangely at times, seems to pulse when driving. It also recommends 6th gear at about 45mph, and that creates one hell of a vibration in the cabin, so I ignore it.

I'll be glad to hand the diesel back, but like the way the petrol responds.

HTH

[Oliver Head]

the newer 288 diesels are just as refined as the petrol.

In fact you cannot hear the engine in mine under normal accelleration.

With the window or roof down I can only hear the turbo hiss.

I do low ish mileage and consistently hit 50+MPG.

The new engines are Euro6 compliant, and not even affected in the "scandal"

[rickerby]

[QUOTE=Countrystock;1001665]Hi

My wife has decided on an A3 in the next few months. It has to be White, 5 Door, S Line and a maximum of 3 years old. The only thing left to decide upon is the engine.

We were pretty decided on the petrol 1.4 but may be swayed towards the 1.6 TDI.

She covers approx 9k miles per year on A roads as we live on an island with no motorways, but visit the mainland on a handful of occasions each year

Which engine do you think is the best

Many Thanks


Only 9K miles a year and living on the Isle of White - I would have thought this is a no brainer, it has to be the TFSI. The 1.4 Engine used in the A3 with or without CoD is an absolute gem of an engine, smooth, refined, very economical but with an almost diesel like punch low down. Given a petrol engine car will probably be cheaper to buy and service and the general groundswell of disapproval building towards diesels that is sure to see them being hammered fiscally in the near future and you would need to be certifiable to pick the 1.6 TDi

[cuke2u]

The 150ps 1.4 has more power and the same torque than the 1.6 diesel, it is a far more refined engine, quiet, refined, fun to drive and gives almost as good mpg as the diesel does. At 9k miles per year you are wasting money in the diesel as it'll never pay for itself in the added cost.

[CJJE]

I had the 1.6TDI engine in my Golf Plus, but switched to the 1.4TSI (125) for my Golf SV. The initial cost is much less, with no worries about NOx emissions (which I would suggest the government will have to start penalising sooner than later), the performance is better, and it's also quieter. I do about 10,000 miles a year, with a mix of local journeys and longer trips up motorways once every couple of months. The fuel consumption for my SV is around 43 mpg (brim to brim over 15 months) which is much better than I'd expected. My 1.6TDI was in the low 50's over a similar period. I had expected petrol to be cheaper than diesel, but for the last year or so of course it's been the other way around Even so, it would take me many years for a 1.6TDI to recover it's extra initial cost, and even having driven diesels for the previous 20 odd years I've found the switch back to petrol to be painless (as well as morally better for the environment).


Chris