I will try not to bore you, but here's the brief story.

I've been driving for 10 years or so, and have primarily always had diesels for economy. Apart from an old Sierra 1.6 (pinto engine) and a 1992 1.4i Astra, both just after passing my test, all my cars have been diesels.

I'm on Motability now, and my current car (63 Astra 2.0 CDTi 165ps) is horrible. Sorry but it is. It's relatively flat until 2,000rpm and not only feels frustrating to drive (I swear most cars beat me from the lights even when I try, it's a bit of a lemon) but it's constantly in the garage for various faults. Motability have allowed me to switch cars (for other reasons), and I'm set on a 2014 Octavia mk3. I had a 60 plate Superb 1.9TD PD Greenline before and loved it, so I'm definitely wanting to go back to Skoda.

Against my better judgement I test drove a petrol after trying their 1.6 CR 105ps diesel. The petrol was a 1.4 TSI 140ps and I have to say I was absolutely stunned by how much nicer the drive was compared to the diesel! It shoved you off right from starting off, and just continued to pull and pull you all the way through to the red line. The rep encouraged me to push it and see how it responded, and I must confess that after 10 mins of motorway and a good long stretch around A and B roads I finished the test drive with the biggest grin I've ever had from a car! I was amazed at how smooth, progressive and relentless the power delivery was. I actually remarked it's like the best of diesel and petrol in one car, and why had I not had one before?!

The only thing that concerns me is economy. Granted, virtually the whole test drive I red lined the petrol through every single gear change, and really did kick the backside of the thing. But when we got back to the dealership the trip computer said 33mpg (versus 55mpg for the diesel, which was admittedly more gently driven). The deposit/advance payment for the petrol (1.4TSI SE estate) is £695, whereas the diesel 1.6CR SE estate is £795. I could also get a 1.2TSI SE estate for just £495, which was actually my initial choice once I started considering petrol.

Traditionally my mileage has varied between 20k and 50k per year and involved a ton of motorways. However, now I'm married and not travelling donkey's miles twice a day to meet my wife (before we moved in together and got married), I've found in the last 12 months we've only actually done 12k miles and most of it is town based. Generally it's nipping to the school, supermarket, visiting family and driving to the park etc. A couple of times every week or so we make a motorway run of 30 to 60 minutes duration. There's three humans and a very large dog (10 stone) to transport.

It seems that despite the lower economy petrol might actually make more sense? I know over the three year lease the extra £100 deposit for a diesel would soon pay me back with interest, and it's not a bad drive by any stretch. But... that 1.4 TSI literally was a world apart, and I'm reading real-world examples from owners (on here) who say they're hitting 45-50MPG combined without any real trouble if they don't drive like the car's on fire all the time. Others suggest 20 to 30 mpg is more like it unless you drive like a vicar. The latter would be unacceptable to me, unfortunately, as I'd like at least 40-45mpg combined if possible.

So, your advice is gratefully received. Please do try to account for our usage and the fact that economy over 3 years is important to us. We don't have to worry about depreciation, insurance, tax or BIK as they're all accounted for in the lease (which is the same price monthly regardless of engine). Provided I go petrol (even the dealer suggested we do), would the 1.2TSI suffice with its 105ps or should we just have done and go 1.4TSI 140ps for the extra shove and the better rear suspension setup?

 

One or two reviews say the 1.2 might struggle on hills or fully loaded, BUT they do sound like they haven't actually driven it. Others (AutoExpress for example) rave about the 1.2 and say it's the best engine going and suits the car admirably. The dealer reckons the 1.2 is ample and very punchy, and it was their own recommendation. However 105ps to 140ps seems like a big improvement for a mere 3mpg loss over the smaller engine. Real-world I could easily imagine the larger engine would actually fare better in fuel consumption by not being worked as hard. The new 1.4TSI only hits 2,000rpm in 6th at 70mph which is diesel territory really.

I don't want to end up disappointed with an underpowered, boring and frustrating car that has awful economy. If I can get off the lights, cruise at 'motorway speeds', overtake without dramas, and still get decent MPG I'll be happy. However I am honestly torn between heart and head. On one hand the petrol will get closer to the book MPG figures, and makes most sense around town. On the other the diesel seems to do 55mpg+ without even trying and I'd finally be able to stop visiting the petrol station twice a week (bloody Astra!).

What say you?! TIA.

Hi there,

I went for SE 1.2 hatch 10 months ago and initially I loved it however I had to drive up to Edinburgh and Highlands and with 3 people and boot full of luggage and the car did struggle a bit. You will have to plan well in advance to over take. I have done 15000 miles so far and getting around 50 MPG. Cant complaint however my current milage is going to increase and wanted a bigger boot. Now I have gone for a 1.6 black edition estate which is due to come next week.

I had driven a 1.6 diesel before and have to say the drive is not much different than a 1.2 TSI however you still get a good pull from it. My biggest reason of going for a 1.6 is no road tax and increased MPG.

I had a 1.4 TSI as a loan car and it did put a big smile on my face every time I took off however I never got more than 35 MPG. If you try really hard then you might be able to get around 40.

IMHO, if its the economy you are after then 1.6 however performance you will get from a 1.4 TSI.

Lets see what other people have to add.

Cheers

Saurabh

Hi there,

I went for SE 1.2 hatch 10 months ago and initially I loved it however I had to drive up to Edinburgh and Highlands and with 3 people and boot full of luggage and the car did struggle a bit. You will have to plan well in advance to over take. I have done 15000 miles so far and getting around 50 MPG. Cant complaint however my current milage is going to increase and wanted a bigger boot. Now I have gone for a 1.6 black edition estate which is due to come next week.

I had driven a 1.6 diesel before and have to say the drive is not much different than a 1.2 TSI however you still get a good pull from it. My biggest reason of going for a 1.6 is no road tax and increased MPG.

I had a 1.4 TSI as a loan car and it did put a big smile on my face every time I took off however I never got more than 35 MPG. If you try really hard then you might be able to get around 40.

IMHO, if its the economy you are after then 1.6 however performance you will get from a 1.4 TSI.

Lets see what other people have to add.

Cheers

Saurabh

 

Thanks so much for the interesting reply. To be fair, was that the older 1.4TSI? I got almost 35mpg on my test drive and I couldn't have booted the thing harder if I tried. I literally red-lined it between each and every gear change the whole way through, and still got the 35mpg. Surely with 'normal' driving that would improve rather drastically? Or perhaps it's one of those cars, like my current Astra, that just seems to give a set MPG regardless of how gently, or hard, you treat it?

 

I too would love to hear more from other owners. Thanks again!

I would suggest you test drive the 1.4 again, but this time drive it like you would normally. That will give you a better idea and TBF if it still gave you 33mpg when you were ragging it that's not bad. I would steer clear of the 1.2 now you've tried the 1.4 as you'll always be comparing it the bigger engine. Don't forget the 1.4 will warm up quicker than the diesel so if you're doing loads of short trips round town the economy gap will be less. Don't forget to factor in tbe difference in cost at the pumps too which will again reduce tbe running cost gap. With an extra 35ps on tap that will make the 1.4 a much sweeter car to drive and you don't have to use the performance all the time. By now you probably know which I'd suggest would be better for you! 1.4 all the way.....

Most of the people I've spoken to so far seem to get around 40mpg average with a lot of town driving. Up to around 50 with lots of highway. A few get worse but unless your doing crazy short trips (1-2 mile) or driving it like it's stolen, 35mpg would be a pretty safe bet to work out economy on. I'd personally pay the extra for the refinement and power/flexibility of the petrol, plus no short trip dpf issues.

It really depends what you value more, outright mileage or driving experience. With the low mileage you do, it won't make a huge difference.

I would always recommend buyers to get an engine output that gave them headroom above what they actually need. Good to know you would have extra oomph on tap, whereas with the 1.2 I think you would always want a bit more. Go for the 1.4, economy hit not bad compared to 1.2.

Thanks so much for the interesting reply. To be fair, was that the older 1.4TSI?

Hi, it was the mark 3 elegance DSG.

This might not be an option especially as it's a lease vehicle but remapping the 1.6TDI engine gets you more power than the 1.4 petrol and still keeps all the benefit of the extra mpg.  The cost of this probably negates getting it done in the first place as you are concerned over the price of your yearly fuel bill.

 

For my 2p worth, if the above is not viable then get the 1.4

I would take a 1.4 petrol over the 1.6 diesel every day.

The 2.0 diesel would be a fairer comparison to the 1.4 power wise, but from the journeys you say you will be doing, I would say the 1.4 would be the better option.

I had been driving diesel's for over ten years before I bought my VRS Tsi and I can tell you I won't be going back to diesel again in a hurry. A petrol car is just that much better to drive, and if you don't do a lot of miles, well then you should opt for the petrol engine. A lot of folks here are getting good MPG from that engine.

 

Best of luck with choice and happy motoring

Over the last 1000 miles I've averaged 35mpg with a 1.4Tsi DSG combi. But this was mostly insanely short trips (1-2 miles).

Previously I had a 2.0PD combi. I got the Tsi because I no longer do large mileages and didn't really require a diesel anymore. The Tsi is much more refined to drive than the PD and is just as powerful, although the low down grunt is not as good.

I don't regret the change and if you can't improve on 35mpg with the Tsi I'd be surprised (unless like me you do lots of short trips).

Personally I would avoid the 1.2 if you go for a combi or do any load carrying.

Edited 19 July, 201411 yr by Minimoke

Easy answer to this question, test drive the two cars again side by side driving the TSI normally and you will know which one to go for. 

 

After many diesels my mileage dropped to around 11000 miles and a TSI was on the cards but not certain well until the test drive and the 1.4TSI blows the 1.6TDI away.

 

As for MPG I do a lot of 5 to 10 mile drives around town at 30 or less with a bit of stop start and I am calculating 37.8 - some are less than a mile, not lazy it's safer for my disabled daughter.

 

Recently I had to do a 37 mile run down the M6 at varying speeds averaging 48mph and 52MPG, bit more traffic on the way back 50MPG.

I opted for the 1.4 TSI over the 2.0 TDI. So far, I've covered about 1000 miles and I'm averaging just over 40 mpg, mostly from short runs, but including about three 100 mile round trips at 70-80 mph on motorways. I don't drive like a vicar (no offence to the clergy), but I'm still running in, so keeping the rpm below 4500. I expect to see some further improvement in the mpg as the engine loosens up, so I would suggest that you would achieve 40 mpg easily, unless you kane it everywhere.

I have to say that the 1.4 engine performance is superb. I would say it's faster from a standing start than my previous 175bhp 2.0 dci Renault Laguna and I can't say I've noticed much difference in the 70-90 mph motorway acceleration in top gear. It doesn't have the "flat spot" either when accelerating from below 2000 rpm in second gear.

The car is nice to drive, but it's let down by the harsh ride over even the smallest bumps in the road. There is a constant slight vibration when travelling on anything but the smoothest of roads and since I prefer comfort over sportiness I find it most annoying. Would I buy again? No, unless Skoda acknowledge there is a problem with the suspension and do something about it to improve the ride.

Thanks again for all the input guys. It's really helped me sort things out in my head, as I am still pretty much heart/diesel and head/TSI. It seems that since my journeys are 90% town I'd not really get much more economy out of the diesel (always running cold, DPF considerations etc). I think overall the TSI will give us more enjoyable driving with not much of a penalty at the pump overall.

 

The dealer has agreed to allow me to test drive the TSI again today, but this time without ragging the back out of it. Provided it's fairly sensible MPG after a spin around town and down the motorway (ideally 45mpg) then we'll place the order on a TSI. It feels SO strange to be ordering a petrol, especially in an estate! Times change, I suppose, and it'd be foolish not to change with them based solely on prejudices based on 1990s cars and technology. 

Just to update. I test drove the 1.4 TSI SE estate again today, this time 'properly'. I didn't try to be especially gentle, I just didn't rag it everywhere and drove as I normally would (except I did let it rev a little higher than I'm used to, given that it's petrol not diesel). 

 

We covered perhaps 5 to 10 miles of the M62 followed by a long slow drive back through congested traffic with a whole load of stop-start traffic queues and junctions. Overall the car achieved 48mpg and the engine was barely warm (sitting just under 90). It was at 49.9mpg on the motorway as I exited the slip road and I have no doubt had I continued it would have carried on climbing, as I was gaining about 1mpg every 30 seconds or so. 

 

So with 50/50 driving it seems almost 50mpg is not only possible but actually realistic. I have no doubt 45mpg average is what I should expect, with maybe low to mid 50s on a run and 40-45mpg around town. That's way in excess of what I expected and as such I was delighted. The drive was again phenomenally smooth and relaxed, with ample power in reserve. We placed an order for the 1.4TSI SE estate in metallic moon white and should get it within 12 weeks. 

 

Definitely glad I switched to petrol. Hopefully it doesn't bite me on the ass haha

I'm sure it won't and you made the correct choice for you. You'll probably find that in the real world it will be no more thirsty than the 1.2 expecially when you're heavily loaded as it'll get to your chosen speed quicker. I got low 40's long term from my 1.4 mk 2 which was less powerful and heavier so the numbers you got today should be easily achievable. Good luck, I'm sure you will not regret your decision.

Very good choice. The 1.4 is a really good engine, performance of the TDI VRS at a fraction of the cost.

I think you will be OK. There is nothing worse than driving a car that feels boring. I tried an hybrid (got a really good offer ) but was dull compared to the 1.4 and about on par with the 1.6 TDI.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Very good choice. The 1.4 is a really good engine, performance of the TDI VRS at a fraction of the cost.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yeah, you keep telling yourself that.

Very good choice. The 1.4 is a really good engine, performance of the TDI VRS at a fraction of the cost.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Lol

Very good choice. The 1.4 is a really good engine, performance of the TDI VRS at a fraction of the cost.

I think you will be OK. There is nothing worse than driving a car that feels boring. I tried an hybrid (got a really good offer ) but was dull compared to the 1.4 and about on par with the 1.6 TDI.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It has the performance of the 150ps TDI because it's a bit lighter but not the 184ps TDI that is over a second faster to 60mph.

With your significant reduction in mileage,the TSI should be just right for you.

Enjoy and welcome back to Skoda!

It has the performance of the 150ps TDI because it's a bit lighter but not the 184ps TDI that is over a second faster to 60mph.

A whole 0.3 seconds faster according to the brochure...

A whole 0.3 seconds faster according to the brochure...

Now you've done it. Run for cover!

Now you've done it. Run for cover!

We have a 1.2Tsi hatch and have done about 11,000 miles in the last 10 months. We get around 45mpg - up to 50 -55 on motorways if we don't hammer it - it helps with the long stretch of 50 limit on the M62. It is fine round town on our normal journey to work - around 10 miles busy dual carriageway and town roads. I have had to do more 150 mile motorway journeys in the last year than normal, and although it cruises nicely at 70 - the fuel consumption drops at above 60mph. Consumption also drops on the long hill climb up to Saddleworth. We never drive heavily laden - just me and my wife, not much in the boot. We are well pleased with the car but if you do a lot of driving with a heavy load - go for the 1.4.