Hi all,

I'm tempted by the 1.4 TSI but I have concerns about refinement, being such a small engine.

I know it's not an ordinary 1.4, but given the size of the car, I'm worried they'd have set the gear ratios in such a way that the engine would bark on motorways speeds... Or wouldn't it be even a problem as the engine noise would be contained anyway?

Thanks for feedbacks.

It's absolutely fine. The Octavia is fine with the 115BHP 1.6FSi engine and the Superb isn't much heavier than the Octavia. Combine the extra 10bhp from the TSi engine and the 6 speed gearbox and the car is actually quite nice to drive.

Performance wise, it feels quite a bit faster than the 1.9TDi. Not sure about the economy in real world driving I wasn't really looking at that but if the books at to be believed it should get a combined 41.5mpg.

The only that lets the 1.4TSi engine down is the fact they only offer it on the S spec and not the SE.

I think it'll be a sewing machine myself and tired before 50k.

I'm actually a lot more concerned about refinement (noise...) than performance.

Ideally, I'd take it in DSG flavour, but it seems it won't be an option

What's dramatically missing in the S trim that can't be taken as an option?

I think it'll be a sewing machine myself and tired before 50k.

It's possible, but I shouldn't be pushing it hard.

To give you a reference of how hard I push my cars, I currently drive a fabia greenline and I achieve close to the official comsumption figures : 62+ mpg at the pump (not the MPG reader which is a tad optimistic, accordign to it I should be above 70mpg ); I'm guessing I don't get the actual "official" figures because I actually drive at the speed limit, eventually.

All I can advise regarding it is that the VX Omega 2.2 DTi and 2.0 Petrol engines both struggled in that car, as did the Cavalier 1.3/1.4/1.6, the tech guys can gear a car up perform well at new, but their testing doesn't do real world stuff like jams and the got the needle have some pedal factors, the clues with engines are the smaller it is the more it's gonna rev to get anywhere, every engine only has so many revs in it, and the other is power to weight ratio, if you saw Top Gear last night JC managed to get a V6 Jag almost 800 miles on one tank, it averaged 49 mpg which should be impossible tbh, but where and how it did it was because he got up to speed with less effort than say the Polo RH was driving, so once it was moving it's weight helped carry the car more economically, personally I'd at the very least opt for a 140 diesel, even the 1.8 doesn't inspire me, and then there's resale time, which model do you think will hold value best, us cabbies won't want a petrol one and the public are still too snobby to consider Skoda, well, that's not entirely true as I could've sold mine to an impressed passenger last night.

, even the 1.8 doesn't inspire me, .

just curious - why ? is that with your cabby head on - ie not suitable for your line of work .

Thanks Supurbia, I'll take that into account, but sadly my budget isn't infinitely extensible... And I also really don't want a PD diesel.

So this leaves me with Petrol or the top of the range CR engine I can't afford to buy.

So that will be petrol for me

... Or a smaller car!

Also worth noting that not every single Skoda customer is a cabby.

Thanks Supurbia, I'll take that into account, but sadly my budget isn't infinitely extensible... And I also really don't want a PD diesel.

So this leaves me with Petrol or the top of the range CR engine I can't afford to buy.

So that will be petrol for me

... Or a smaller car!

just been looking at the pics of the new Octavia. it looks very nice and has many features in common with the superb. if you budget is limited maybe this would be a better option ?

just been looking at the pics of the new Octavia. it looks very nice and has many features in common with the superb. if you budget is limited maybe this would be a better option ?

Indeed, I have considered it, but I have discarded it eventually as my main priority is refinement and comfort... While still being relatively economical to run.

I'm looking for the most silent and smooth car my money can buy. Unfortunately, wind and road noise isn't so good in the Octavia, that's why I'm leaning more towards the 2nd gen Superb.

So... Currently, I have 2 cars in mind : the new golf and the superb, which is a bigger car, so a plus for running the family around.

That said, I'm also trying to find used cars that would match these criteria, although not finding many

To be honest with you, I think you'd be better off going for the Greenline over the 1.4TSI S.

Benefits are:-

Lower tax bracket

Leather steering wheel and leather pack

Cruise control

Sunset glass

Better MPG (55.4mpg vs 41.5mpg combined)

Better residual value

Negatives are:-

More money to begin with

Petrol engine which will be less refined than a diesel.

Overall I think it's a better purchase to go for the Greenline, unless you're dead set against diesels?

Not wanting to put you off a new car but... the biggest cost is depn rather than fuel economy. Obviously depends on how long you'll be keeping it for.

There are some absolute bargains on the used market including superb I's in edition 100 versions and even a6's and a8's not to mention the phaeton....

not to mention the phaeton....

Sorry but A guy looking at a 1.4 Golf/Superb in a Phaeton

i saw a BMW 7 series the other day - main dealer, massive spec. 28k miles 04 plate and it was only 16k .i even consider cancelling my superb order...well onyl for about 3 seconds then i realised this was stupid !!

Petrol engine which will be less refined than a diesel.

:confused::confused: did you mean to say this ? or should it be other way round ?

Diesels are refined when cruising, plus the lower down torque come into play when you need the shove so the revs don't rise much.

Petrols need to be revved a bit harder so can hurt the refinement a little.

I wouldnt mind seeing how the 1.4TSI copes in a Superb, its an interesting car with an interesting engine.

:confused::confused: did you mean to say this ? or should it be other way round ?

The other way around.

It's Monday and I tend to struggle to string a sentence together until about Thursday.

what you should say is "due to my super human intelligence my brain works much faster than my hands can cope with hence i get some typing wrong from time to time"

it happens all the me to time too....lol !

To be honest with you, I think you'd be better off going for the Greenline over the 1.4TSI S.

I agree, in theory.

Yet, as you stated, I'm dead against getting a non-common rail diesel. I'm currently driving the fabia greenline and I'm really hating the gut shaking experience. my wife also has a TDI powered car (touran to be exact) and even though they managed to confine more the engine, it's not nice.

So I'd rather "lose" more, but enjoy it more.

I agree, in theory.

Yet, as you stated, I'm dead against getting a non-common rail diesel. I'm currently driving the fabia greenline and I'm really hating the gut shaking experience. my wife also has a TDI powered car (touran to be exact) and even though they managed to confine more the engine, it's not nice.

So I'd rather "lose" more, but enjoy it more.

:thumbup: i agree

The other way around.

It's Monday and I tend to struggle to string a sentence together until about Thursday.

Was this before or after you convinced jcb to buy the Petrol ??

Was this before or after you convinced jcb to buy the Petrol ??

...and the second word is off :P

no convincing necessary - once i turned the key in the diesel demo i knew that i had made the right choice with the petrol

just curious - why ? is that with your cabby head on - ie not suitable for your line of work .

Not so much that, it's always been said if you step out of an Escort don't get less than a 2.0 lump, and the diesel will always sell before the petrol one does so the px on the petrol one suffers cos the dealer knows it could be resident for a while.

@ James ref not all..... reply

Are you sure ?

Not so much that, it's always been said if you step out of an Escort don't get less than a 2.0 lump, and the diesel will always sell before the petrol one does so the px on the petrol one suffers cos the dealer knows it could be resident for a while.

@ James ref not all..... reply

Are you sure ?

have you tried the 1.8T in any car ? its very much like a diesel in that it has lots of low down torque and good mid range shove from the turbo. I agree nothing less than 2.0 if its normally aspirated but the turbo is different. I run a BMW convertible with 2.5L straight six and my passat / audi feel more powerful even though they are 15BHP less. this is the same mid range power feeling you get with the diesel.

i guess my other point of view is that i am buying a car to live with and enjoy. I am not looking at resale,