tdi to tsi

[harryd]

Hi everyone,

Ive been a member of the site for a while but havent posted much,

anyway, yesterday I traded in my 2008 2.0tdi dsg elegance for a 2008 1.8tsi manual elegance.

I had the 2.0 tdi remapped f by Viezu, not mentioned much on here but I found the map to be very smooth, and having taken the map off when changing the car it adds a noticeable amount of power, leaving the car feeling quite flat without it.

I just though I'd write a quick review of how the two cars compare, because when I was looking to change I was very unsure of whether or not to go for the petrol.

Having read many reviews on here I went for it, and I'm glad I did.

My main worry was that the 1.8 wouldnt have the torque of the diesel, and at the end of the day it cant quite match it in this respect.

However, it never feels lacking for torque, even from low revs, and I dont find myself having to change down unless I want to overtake or whatever, which I probably would have done in the diesel anyway. Note that on the motorway at 60/70 either car is happy to pull out for an overtake in 6th.

When the revs build and the turbo is on song the car really pulls, and although not scientific,

it certainly looks and feels as though it would outstrip the 2.0 tdi, especially as the speed increases.

Economy was anther factor, and again, although not scientific, the diesel did 50mpg on the 100+ mile trip to pick up the car, and the petrol did 42mpg on the way back. (both according to the onboard computer) Both journeys were mainly motorway and cruise controlled at 70. Obviously I did test the 1.8 at every opportunity!!

Until driving the 1.8 I always read the comments about the pd diesels having a lump of torque then running out of steam quickly with a pinch of salt, because it felt perfectly smooth to me,

however, having driven the tsi for a few days, my opinion is that it is much smoother (and quieter) and gives a better driving experience because of it.

The engine really is a peach, and for anyone else out there torn between petrol and diesel I can definatley recommend you give the petrol a chance!

I dont want this review to sound as though I'm bashing the TDI because that was a brilliant car in its own right, I loved the low down torque and the DSG box complements the engine really well. For the performance/economy its a great engine, and had I been doing more miles in a year (I do about 10k) it would have been another diesel for me.

In summary:

1.8 tsi

+ faster, smoother, quiter

- economy, but doesnt seem too bad so far.

2.0 tdi

+ bags of torque, easy to drive

- noisy, runs out of steam

Harry.

[Latte]

Welcome aboard Harry!

An excellent first post with a balanced view from someone who, like me, has moved from the dark stinky oil to the highly flammable stuff.

[lol-lol]

Caveman to astronaut.

[Bullit]

Nice balanced review from someone who has experience of driving both, welcome to the fold !

I await the arrival of the fastest, most economical, faultless CR diesel...3.......2........1 ! :0

[CEPi]

Remap it to stage1 and see how 1.8 will come to life and surprise you

[PC1212]

Remap it to stage1 and see how 1.8 will come to life and surprise you

I`ll second that... an incredible tsunami of torque, the perfect "Q" car!

[harryd]

thanks guys,

a remap is next on the cards!!

anywhere in the north east that you can recommend?

I think it'll have one of the protected ECU's

[PC1212]

I have a Pre facelift 58 Reg Tsi and for me it was a "Flashable" ECU

I went the blue fin route.... £460 and its dead easy, they send you a dongle you plug in under the dash, you plug it into your PC and then they email you the remap.... upload the remap, then replug it into your car...away you go.They also offer a 7 day full refund.

See below post and it I can personally vouch for the performance increase!

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/144541-1-8tsi-bluefin-remap/

[DGW]

I think it'll have one of the protected ECU's

My 2011MY 1.8TSI has a protected ECU but I would be surprised if yours is. I agree with your comments about that engine being a peach.

[harryd]

Thanks for the comments and suggestions,

if its not protected I might try bluefin or shark, having read loads of good reviews,

there's no way to find out if it is until you try to reflash it though?

[obi604]

Excellent review Harryd. I'm exactly like you, I love the torque of the diesel and wonder if the 1.8 petrol will be disappointing as regards torque..........I haven't had a chance to test drive a 1.8 tsi properly yet. I'm in Ireland and they are few and far between

Was your tdi the 140 or 170 BHP before it was mapped ?

Edited 2 May, 2012 by obi604

[CEPi]

Don't worry about protection, that's easy peasy. I had stage1 from Shark and now stage2 from Revo, I recommend them both.

[harryd]

mine was the 140 tdi before remap, I don't know exactly what it went to with a remap but it certainly made a difference.

Like I said above the 1.8 doesnt (in my opinion) have the same 'lump' of torque at low revs but it certainly does not feel underpowered in comparison.

Just need to find somewhere localish to get it remapped!

CEPi - I am leaning towards REVO or Shark, thanks for the advice!

Edited 3 May, 2012 by harryd