Views please

(10 plate 1.9TDi Sport with under 4k miles)

1.9 Tdi Sport but then I'm biased against petrol engine's but the 1.9 Tdi's low down torque is brilliant :D :D

1.9TDI Sport for sure. I've driven both now. The 1.2TSI sounded very busy at motorway speeds, whereas the diesel is just ticking over. Nothing very much against the brilliant 1.2TSI, but the much less complex diesel will outlive the petrol 1.2TSI and will be much cheaper to repair in the longer term. Even the economy in terms of mpg will be much better in the diesel. Am I biased. Yes! Once you've had one of these PD diesels, you don't want anything else...except just a DB or two less noise at tickover!

Skoda has a recent history of putting "SPORT" on low spec models with a couple of go faster stripes. How does the kit level compare to the Elegance?

Will the used model be a FL model?

The Yeti owners seem more than pleased about the 1.2tsi, do their reports match your expectations?

The 1.9 PD is so agricultural these days, can you still put up with it? (bearing in mind whatever it is replacing)

Views please

(10 plate 1.9TDi Sport with under 4k miles)

Hmm. Performance of the two would be about the same (if it's the 105 TSI we're talking about), the TSI has a lot of low-down torque too, a very flexible engine, I am impressed with it. It drives more like a diesel than a traditional petrol.

The TSI should be a bit quieter, even at 70 on the motorway mine is only pulling about 2700rpm. I hear wind and road noise more than the engine TBH.

The diesel will win on economy, and it will be easier to achieve that economy. The TSI will get over 50mpg, but you will have to pay attention to get it. As far as reliability.. The diesel is well known now, the TSI is still very new, but it is a very simple design (8 valves) so there's less to go wrong (that's the theory anyway, we will have to wait and see)

The Sport spec was a bit lower than the Elegance, (has sports suspension and seats though) so you would get more stuff, It may come down to expected mileage. Less than 12K p/y and I'd go petrol, more than that and the diesel is more attractive.

Oh, and the Sport will be a pre-FL, the TSI will be FL, which is nicer IMO.

Dunno if that helps.

Edited 18 July, 201015 yr by Mike Wrightson

All helpful comments so far thanks

Either engine will be far superior to the pathetic 1.4 petrol in SWMBO's Meriva, which is shockingly gutless, and wouldn't pull the skin off a rice pudding :no:

IMHO its a no-brainer - the 1.9TDi. Easy to remap to 130+PS (the car really shifts with the extra power and torque). Even with a remap and driven hard it will return over 45mpg, and a lot more on a gentle run. The engine is pretty much bullet proof and its popularity means that most independent garages can deal with general servicing and fault-finding.

The 1.2 is a very highly stressed engine and technically a lot more complex. It is however a lot smoother, but it lacks the pulling power of the 1.9TDi.

1.9tdi all the way probs be quicker than the 1.2 and more refined and gutsy

The 1.2 is a very highly stressed engine and technically a lot more complex. It is however a lot smoother, but it lacks the pulling power of the 1.9TDi.

Seriously, the TSI is not more complex than the diesel. The entire design of it was to keep it mechanically simple for reliability and reduced internal friction. It's 8 valve, has a cam chain drive, no variable timing systems etc. It's a back-to-basics engine. Then they stick on a turbo and a charge cooler. The biggest difference between it and a diesel is that it has spark plugs. I don't see it as a highly stressed engine at all, especially when you don't need to rev it over 3000rpm in normal driving. I don't think there would be as much performance difference as you think.

Obviously, as I said, the diesel will win the economy battle quite easily, good though the TSI is. For ultimate pulling power, yes the diesel has more, but that will only matter if you are towing something, carrying big loads a lot or going up a serious hill.

I would recommend anyone to go test drive a TSI, especially the 105. You will be surprised, it's far quicker than you would think.

Economy wise the worst I have had on the 1.9 Tdi at a steady 85 mph on the cruise control is 48 mpg and that's with the climate control always on - the best trundling around the Highlands of Scotland at 35-40 mph was 62 mpg so you will struggle to beat that with the 1.2 TSI .

The wife has a 1.9 Sport and I find it a joy to drive, and more comfortable

than my vRS.

Economy is very good, returning up to 70 mpg on my drive to work

At least you know where you are with that engine, and the only negative

point is the long warm up period in the depths of winter

There's no question that the diesel will be more economical. The TSI does very well, but it won't match the TDI.

There's no question that the diesel will be more economical. The TSI does very well, but it won't match the TDI.

I agree with you Mike, the TSI is a good car. I've only driven the 1.2TSI with 85bhp. But it went well. I enjoyed it. The sales guy who was using it as his car said it's turning in about 39mpg overall with general running about and a 12 mile run into work and back each day. I didn't find it very diesel like in the way it drives though, torque was good for a petrol (at 160nm) but it puts out a lot less torque than even my 1422cc PD 3cyl 80bhp (which has 195nm). My diesel is returning anywhere between 54 and 71mpg all the time and that includes considerable urban and some town running everyday. My main concern is the possible fuel problems that petrol engines will suffer as bio fuel creeps into our petrol and then takes over in the coming years. If you look at what is happening around the world particularly in the states with the small european engined cars...they don't run well on it and it does shorten the life of the engine. The diesels however, do run ok on it.

Don't know if that's further food for thought Brimma.

Edited 19 July, 201015 yr by Estate Man

Id also go for the 1.9, who cares if its agricultural as long as you like it. Personally Ive owned just one car with that engine, a Golf Mk3. It was a heap of rubbish, but that engine made up for all its shortcomings and some.

A mate has a Leon and he can easily get 70mpg off the motorways.

Comparing torque outputs doesn't always tell the full story, since gearing will then control how much torque is delivered to the wheels.

I find the TSI diesel-like in that it starts pulling at 1500rpm, hits max torque at 2000rpm, holds that until 4000rpm, then performance tails off after 5000rpm. There is no point going to the 6000rpm red-line. It's a similar power delivery to my old vRS.

Comparing it to my previous Coupe with it's traditional 16v NA 2 litre, significant torque didn't arrive until nearly 4000rpm, if you put your foot down at 2K rpm, it was gutless.

Biofuel will never take over completely from petrol IMO, there is no way the planet could grow enough, we already see food shortages caused by farmers growing biofuel crop instead of food. It will remain as a low-level additive to fuels until electric/fuel cell cars take over, or something completely different is developed.

BTW, I'm not anti-diesel, I love a good TDI engine

Edited 19 July, 201015 yr by Mike Wrightson

Hi Mike, I must try to get a drive of the 105bhp TSI. I note you have that model. Glad you are pleased with it.

Got to confess that after a considerable time of working on engines for a living, I'm totally anti petrol now. Even the latest diesels are far easier to work on than the majority of petrol engines and far easier to diagnose problems. But hey, that just me. The experts are saying most bio fuel will not be grown in the ground in the future like it is now. It's already being produced in bio tanks full of bacteria that then convert themselves into an oil type substance ready for processing into fuel. Diesel is available in small quantities now in the states made from this process. Although bio petrol or gasahol from a similar process won't be available for a little while yet I understand. Eventually, this type of production will take over completely and will make internal combustion engines, both petrol and diesel very very clean even compared to what we have now. The process is so good that it may make an impact on whether or not we continue to develop some other technologies. This is the reason many manufacturers are hedging their bets on engine development for the future. VAG are heavily investing in diesel as the fuel of the future as is Ford and many others. Currently, manufacturers use little more than the government grants to develop hydrogen and electric vehicles, as most secretly seem to believe there won't be much of a future for this technology...and anyway it's decades away as yet before something really good from those stables is really usable. and yes I understand the public face of the manufacturers is saying hydrogen etc will be ok. Anyway, sorry to the original poster for bumping the thread. All interesting stuff though, and good to hear everyone's views.

Thanks for all the help guys

Deposit now been placed

Good choice, whatever it was.

1.9 TDi Sport won the day

1.9 TDi Sport won the day

Luvly Jubly you won't go wrong with oil burner :D

Brimma, that's a beaut!

Brimma, that's a beaut!

Thanks - collecting on Friday

I can't wait

Sorry, SWMBO can't wait

Nice one

Nice one

Guess what I'll be torquing about Friday night