Hi

I bought a nearly new Skoda Superb 1.4tsi last year (now a year old) it was a bit of a rash decision and very unlike me as I normally research everything diligently. I was put of buying a diesel because of the DPF worries although I actually mainly do out of town driving. I am pretty happy with it it drives really nicely although at the moment to get the claimed extra urban figure I have to drive at 60mph. In retrospect I wish I had bought the diesel. I want to keep the car for a long time and now I am a bit worried about the long term reliability of it, as I hear people saying about the complexity of a supercharger and a turbo working together. I have two years warranty left.

I'm thinking about trading it in for a two year older Superb 1.9 pdi or a Superb 1.9 pdi greenline. Obviously I will have made a loss but the diesels hold there value more anyway and I'm thinking they would be more likely to last for ten years without any major work. I drive about 8000 miles a year and drive pretty sedately (well I do now).

What do people think? Is a three year old Superb 1.9 pdi or 1.9 pdi Greenline with 30,000 miles on the clock a good bet. Please be kind as I feel bad enough for making the wrong decision in the first place.

For 8,000 miles a year I think your TSI will be fine.

There are other Diesel issues like injectors and pumps but the Superb doesn't seem to fall that foul of either. I was tempted by Petrol but went for a brand new Greenline as I do 15,000 a year.

If the spec is good and you like it then I'd keep it. If not, go for one of the newer CR Diesels rather than a 1.9 PD.

Considering the higher diesel fuel cost over petrol and your low annual mileage TSI seems to be the better long-term bet.

Phil.

I'll give you a sum, based on 8,000 miles at current prices (£1.38 for Petrol, £1.45 for Diesel)

Petrol (30mpg) - £1670.72 a year

Diesel (50mpg) - £1053.28 a year

That's probably about as broader difference as you will find. Is the £620 a year worth changing?

I'll give you a sum, based on 8,000 miles at current prices (£1.38 for Petrol, £1.45 for Diesel)

Petrol (30mpg) - £1670.72 a year

Diesel (50mpg) - £1053.28 a year

That's probably about as broader difference as you will find. Is the £620 a year worth changing?

That's £50 per month so not to be sniffed at (for me anyway :'( ).

OP also needs to factor in cost to service/repair diesel over time and the intial £££s hit of trading for a diesel.

But if the OP's only doing 8,000 per year I can't see how he'd benefit

My real average is 45mpg with a mix of urban and motorway. My best so far is 57mpg on the trip on a long trip in the Summer. I'm guessing on the greenline 1.9 driving like that I would get about mid sixties at best and 60 mpg average real mpg. So I think the difference in petrol would be about approx£ 400. Then I'd have to add £150 extra per year for insurance for the 1.9 and roughly £60 a year for the belt change though I'd save on the tax a bit.

So I don't think there's that much in it, but my concern is more about the comments that people make, that a 1.4 tsi in a big car like the Superb is an accident waiting to happen and that you have the possible double expense of a new turbo and a new supercharger after the warranty expires. However if I do keep it I've decided to be on the safe side and to move to fixed servicing with long life oil and just before the warranty is up to have a full RAC inspection so I can claim any underlying problems that may have occurred after 3 years.

I suppose I could equally swap to a three year old second hand 1.9 greenline and it could have been looked after and driven badly and then I end up paying for problems anyway but I do see a lot of people saying they have 1.9's that have a lot of mileage whereas there are obviously no high mileage 1.4 tsi's around yet to console myself that the doom mongers aren't right.

The truth is, once you start thinking about changing your car, you're already half way there! Go ahead and enjoy - use the economy and future problem arguments to reassure yourself, but you know it's what you want to do.

So I don't think there's that much in it, but my concern is more about the comments that people make, that a 1.4 tsi in a big car like the Superb is an accident waiting to happen and that you have the possible double expense of a new turbo and a new supercharger after the warranty expires.

Isn't the 1.4TSI engine in the Superb the 122bhp version which has a turbo but no supercharger (unlike the 1.4TSI in the Fabia vRS)?

No, it's got the supercharger and the twin charger.

Thanks for everybody's advice by the way it is very helpful.

No, it's got the supercharger and the twin charger.

Thanks for everybody's advice by the way it is very helpful.

I just stumbled across this whilst browsing the forum. I am sure the Superb's 1.4 TSI is a single turbo charger version - ie no supercharger.

Second thing to consider is that the 1.4 TSI has timing chain instead of a belt and is likely to last the life of the car, so you save £400 every 4-6 years or 60k miles.

Edited 9 March, 201214 yr by My_Yeti

Thank you for all your advice and thanks Dippo for you comment as it was true. I have decided to take the hit and go for what I want, an older 1.9 greenline and get out driving more (Scottish holiday here we come!) and make use of it's great fuel economy and proven longevity. I'm hoping it will last me ten years (as I love the Superb and it's space is perfect for our camping trips) which will then be good value and make up for some of my losses. Sealed the deal today and expecting Greenline to be delivered next week.