1.9tdi advice would be really appreciated.

[Alans27]

Hello, well I'm looking to replace my current car a Toyota Corolla 2.0 d4d and I'm thinking of going for an Audi A3. It needs to be a diesel and it can't be the 2.0 due to this oil pump problem and also the newer ones will have a dpf so that's no good either. Don't want a dpf, nasty horrible things!

Which brings me to the 1.9. I'm really unsure with this engine, some say it's very noisy and others say it couldn't pull you out of bed. In comparison my Corolla is very rattley when cold but once warm it it's very refined once moving. Almost petrol like at times when on the move and warm. So in comparison to that is the 1.9 fairly quiet when warmed up and on the move or is it noisy all the time? There's no point in swapping my Corolla for an Audi in search of more comfort if the Audi is going to be more noisy is there?

Secondly, below about 1800 rpm the Corolla is certainly no rocket! Doesn't have much torque at all tbh. Then after 1800rpm the power comes in and it's got plenty of go. I had a Peugeot 307 1.6 hdi 90bhp previously and the Toyota is nowhere near as punchy despite the Toyota having the bigger engine. What's the A3 1.9 105bhp like? I've read it's pretty gutless, is it really that bad?

Thirdly, on Michelin tyres my Corolla is not too bad when it comes to road noise. You get a bit but it's not bad. What's the A3 like for road noise? With it being an Audi you'd expect it to be nice and quiet....

My worry is I don't want to replace my Toyota with an Audi only to find the Audi is noisier and gutless.

One more thing, I may go for an A4 or even an A4 advant 1.9 which are down as 113bhp or something like that. Do they feel quicker than an A3 105bhp or does the weight even the whole thing out?

Sorry to prattle on....

thanks,

Alan.

[Alans27]

Surely one of you has some insight into their A3?

[zollaf]

more to the point, no one has drive a toyota corolla d4d, whatever that is, to be able to compare. i know its japanese, so you will find the german car is far better built and probably a lot quieter. but i don't know for sure, so could only suggest you take some cars for test drives.

[Alans27]

Sorry, yes a d4d is what Toyota call their diesel engines.

[Col]

If I were to use my own money on a new(er) car I'd buy a petrol engined one.

The old 1.9 VW / Audi TDI's up to about 2005 were very good reliable engines with a resonable turn of speed. The modern stuff is strangled by emission control sytems and are fragile. Some modern VW / Audi 1.9's are very fragile indeed and can suffer catastophic mechanical failures.

Three options really;

1, Keep the Toyota
2, Buy an older VW TDI, the 130hp PD TDI being a fantastic engine
3, Buy a petrol

[Alans27]

That's very interesting mate, I thought the 1.9 engine in say a 2007 A3 would be the same as these 130bhp 1.9's just detuned and maybe a different turbo? Still as reliable though or so I thought?
I've also read these modern petrols like the tsi etc aren't that reliable at all? Correct me if I'm wrong of course, this is just what I've read in my research.

thanks.

[zollaf]

some of the post 2004 1.9s had chocolate conrods. i think there was a bad batch but you do hear some horror stories. the petrols are direct injection and can be troublesome and exopensive, but are pretty good overall. as col says, the 130 bhp awx engine is the pick of the bunch, as found in upto 2004 a4's and passats.

[Alans27]

That's really helpful, thank you very much

So on the subject of the petrols I know there's fsi and tfsi which I'm pretty sure means it has a turbo. Are any of those two more reliable than the other?

[Alans27]

I see what you mean about the Conrod problems. The BXE engine eh? One to avoid for sure.

[Col]

Don't discount the older cars with the more robust engines, they can be picked up cheaply now. The car bodies are very well screwed together and do not rust unless they have had a bad accident repair. You may need to spend a few hundred getting the suspension refreshed but one would be far cheaper and more reliable than a new(er) one...

It is why I won't part with my gracefully aging Passat.

I think Zolaf has a very old and massive high mileage Audi.

The old ones are the good ones as they say.