Right, I need to make this decision and order the car by the end of April as my current company car, the 1.9 TDI Elegance Estate, is up for renewal early August.

I thought it was a straightforward choice - the 1.6 TDI CR (still Elegance Estate). I also want it to be the DSG and am having the paddle shift, spare wheel, electric folding mirrors and lighting assistant. My preference for the diesel has waned following the discovery of the dpf issue - I do around 7500 miles per year, the vast majority short stop/start journeys.

From people saying no way to a dpf to those saying they've had no problems and you'll be alright because the new CR doesn't clog it, the following two links have helped put things in perspective:

http://www.circleleasing.com/pdfs/VW%20DPF.pdf

http://www.seatcupra.net/forums/showthread.php?t=263734

The first appears to be an official VW document - the part about the light coming on any time "between 10 and 1000 miles" really puts me off. Jouney to work is 3 miles into the city centre. I can't turn up at work or get back home to find I need to go on a 15 minute 40mph+ run (excluding any time taken to get to and from somewhere where I can actually do this!). It's going to waste my time and cost me money in fuel. Thinking about it, a regeneration trip every two weeks at 25 miles per trip would cost £80 per year!

I average around 44mpg, near enough the quoted urban figure. Assuming I get the urban figure for the TSI and 44 again for the TDI (I don't believe the 50.4 quoted figure, and several people have said how disappointed they are with this engine's economy), the 1.4 TSI will cost me around £210 a year (£340 if I did get 50mpg) extra in fuel (at current prices, and excluding any extra miles I have to do to in regeneration trips!) but save me £70 in BIK.

£140 extra per year and better performance (£60 if I have to do regen trips!) - I think I've just answered my own question!!!

The 1.8 TSI would be an extra £290 per year over the 1.4 - anybody compared the 1.4 and 1.8? Would you pay the extra for the performance of the 1.8 over the 1.4?

I agree with your concerns over the dpf on the 1.6CR. If you want a diesel in the mix, why not consider another 1.9TDI rather than the 1.6CR?

Because I want a DSG and the economy and emissions figures for the 1.9 DSG are dire compared to the manual, so fuel and BIK will be £210 more than the 1.4TSI. Also want it to be quieter - 1.9 PD engine noise does my head in sometimes!

I used my aunt and uncles 1.8TSi DSG the other day (L&K combi) and on a trip of 15 miles to the dealership and back I averaged 35.6 as per the trip. It was a fair bit of traffic as the 15 mile trip took 45 mins. Its only got 600 miles on it so I would guess it would improve slightly with mileage.

Their overall average as per the trip computer is just over 25mpg but this is down to they use it for very short journeys.

Hope that helps with the idea of how good the 1.8TSi is on fuel

How funny. I've just had exactly this dilemma.

Company car is a 2.0PD DSG Elegance estate and I do about 22K miles pa of which 10K are for the company. It comes up for renewal in June but company has now decided we can only have German cars (BMW, MINI, Audi and VW)..... I don't want a poverty spec VW or Audi and still have a higher BIK. I want another Skoda.

So then I decided I'd forego the £400 allowance or £400 cash for car (about £250 after tax) and 12ppm, buy my own car on a PCP and go for the 40ppm (£400 per month tax free and no BIK). The main thing is I get to have whatever car I want.

I didn't want another diesel because you can't get the CR yet and because its £3000 more than the equivalent 1.4 TSI. I don't reckon I'll get more than late-30s mpg on average (but I've got that £3000 in hand so to speak) and maybe it'll do 40mpg. Who knows? I shall miss the torque but I will not miss the vibrations! Its also got the lighter 7-speed DSG. I'm having 3-spoke MFSW with paddles, leather, spare wheel, Corrida red (too mean to pay for metallic and anyway they're really boring colours), coming home lights and spare wheel. £16,800. Didn't want an L & K - 17" wheels.

I'm afraid I completely ignored the 1.6 diesel; just too slow and its got a PDF. I did consider the 1.8TSI. I'm sure it'd be be lovely and quick but I keep telling myself that its more interesting driving a slow car fast than a fast car fast. I don't do more than 80 on M/ways and you just don't need lots of power to do that. I expect I shall find it a bit slow but petrol's not going to get any cheaper and nor is VED. Got to pull the old belt in.

the dill

If most of your driving is urban commute don't get the 1.8tsi

I've got one, it's great, but urban mpg is not good. Also you'll never use its power (and it is really quite a powerful car).

The 1.4tsi sounds a good choice: still quick and flexible. And won't you pay less BIK than for the 1.6TDI?.

Edited 16 April, 201016 yr by helix

I had a similar decision too - for much the same price get a 1.6TDI and economy or 1.8TSi and performance. In the end I got the 1.8TSi because I reckon I'd get fed up with the diesels performance and I only do about 5000 miles per year so the fuel cost difference isn't huge. I was also put off by the DPF issues, but if yours is a company car I wouldn't worry since it won't be you paying to fix it.

Much as I like my 1.8TSi, I'd say the 1.4TSi is probably a better balance of performance and economy for most people. If it helps, I've been getting about 30mpg out of mine on shorter winter trips and about 37mpg on longer spring trips, you could probably add 4 or 5mpg for the 1.4TSi.

Yes, BIK is less for the 1.4 tsi than the 1.6 tdi - helps offset the extra fuel costs.

I may not be the one paying for dpf problems, but I'm the one who would have to live with it on a day to day basis and have to deal with regen runs when the light comes on. I'm worried that, particularly in winter, I am likely to be needing to do this regularly. I'm not prepared to have the car dictate to me what I do.

I get 500 miles between fill-ups at the moment. This would probably drop to nearer 400 with the 1.4 tsi - I guess I'll put up with that if it saves me wasting time and money taking diversions buzzing round the ring road or motorway to clear the dpf. Why should I have to turn a 3 mile trip into a 25 mile one? And it'll be quieter.

Thanks for the comments re 1.4 v 1.8. I would love the extra power of the 1.8, but would probably seldom use it and it will cost me more to run. Would be nice though when you get a twerp in a Corsa with bodykit and drainpipe exhaust who thinks he'll burn off the middle aged bloke in the Skoda estate car next to him at the lights! I'm test driving the 1.4 next week - I'll try to get one in the 1.8 as well just to see what the difference is. Can the 1.4 cope ok with a fully laden car? The 1.9 pd's grunt manages fine on the family trips away, though the 1.4s figures seem to suggest it'll be ok. Not as much low down torque, but the dsg will mean I probably won't even notice.

Good luck trying to find a 1.8TSi to test drive, not many about. My dealer said mine was the only one he had ever sold.

With regard to having enough grunt to cope fully laden, I can't see the 1.4TSi being as good as your diesel in that regard. My 1.8TSi has similar levels of torque to the 105bhp diesels on paper but from memory (I've only driven a 1.9PD for a few minutes) it doesn't feel like it on the road but it does have a much wider power and torque band than the diesel. When laden you do feel it in reduced acceleration, but its still a quick car.

depends on where you are withams in Walton-on-Thames have a 1.8TSi DSG or atleast they did last time I was there.

From a diesel owner I love the 1.8TSi

Right, I need to make this decision and order the car by the end of April as my current company car, the 1.9 TDI Elegance Estate, is up for renewal early August.

I thought it was a straightforward choice - the 1.6 TDI CR (still Elegance Estate). I also want it to be the DSG and am having the paddle shift, spare wheel, electric folding mirrors and lighting assistant. My preference for the diesel has waned following the discovery of the dpf issue - I do around 7500 miles per year, the vast majority short stop/start journeys.

From people saying no way to a dpf to those saying they've had no problems and you'll be alright because the new CR doesn't clog it, the following two links have helped put things in perspective:

http://www.circleleasing.com/pdfs/VW%20DPF.pdf

http://www.seatcupra.net/forums/showthread.php?t=263734

The first appears to be an official VW document - the part about the light coming on any time "between 10 and 1000 miles" really puts me off. Jouney to work is 3 miles into the city centre. I can't turn up at work or get back home to find I need to go on a 15 minute 40mph+ run (excluding any time taken to get to and from somewhere where I can actually do this!). It's going to waste my time and cost me money in fuel. Thinking about it, a regeneration trip every two weeks at 25 miles per trip would cost £80 per year!

I average around 44mpg, near enough the quoted urban figure. Assuming I get the urban figure for the TSI and 44 again for the TDI (I don't believe the 50.4 quoted figure, and several people have said how disappointed they are with this engine's economy), the 1.4 TSI will cost me around £210 a year (£340 if I did get 50mpg) extra in fuel (at current prices, and excluding any extra miles I have to do to in regeneration trips!) but save me £70 in BIK.

£140 extra per year and better performance (£60 if I have to do regen trips!) - I think I've just answered my own question!!!

The 1.8 TSI would be an extra £290 per year over the 1.4 - anybody compared the 1.4 and 1.8? Would you pay the extra for the performance of the 1.8 over the 1.4?

Picked up my 1.8TSI Elegance Estate yesterday - the engine is a beauty, quiet effortless power and one for fast long distance pleasure trips - but I'll be surprised if I get 30mpg around town. For commuting and short distance business travel it would have to be the 1.4TSI.

I agree with your concerns over the dpf on the 1.6CR. If you want a diesel in the mix, why not consider another 1.9TDI rather than the 1.6CR?

Because the 1.9 is a noisy thirsty bag of bones in comparison to the 1.6

There's nothing wrong with a device that means you don't leave a trail of black smoke behind every time you give it a bit of welly.

Picked up my 1.8TSI Elegance Estate yesterday - the engine is a beauty, quiet effortless power and one for fast long distance pleasure trips - but I'll be surprised if I get 30mpg around town. For commuting and short distance business travel it would have to be the 1.4TSI.

I've now done just over 1000 miles in my new 1.8TSI dsg L&K estate. I've so far get overall 36mpg. Longer journeys up to 43mpg. My town driving doesn't seem to drop below 30mpg - though it won't be much more than that. I am reluctant to use the full power of the 1.8 (for reasons of economy) and agree that the 1.4Tsi should be more than adequate for many people. If it had been available on the L&K I would have had the same heartache in decision as the originator of this thread. Having said that I have no regrets getting the 1.8 and my last car was an Octy1.9TDI