New vRS estate. which engine?

[cip]

If I would buy now a new VRS as personal car, I would buy petrol.

I have the diesel one as company car, it is ok, but petrol is way better.

[Zdenek Fibich]

I'm on my third vRS estate: first a diesel manual, then (with annual mileage going down from 20,000 to about 12,000) a petrol DSG, and now a petrol manual.

 

The current one is easily the best: quieter than the diesel and livelier than the petrol DSG, which (although official performance figures are similar in both) seemed to hold the car back under acceleration, a feeling that I don't get at all with the manual.

 

The VAG TSI engine is really terrific.  What finally swung it for me was the low-down torque which diesels have but by no means all petrols.  This one does in spades, and given that a lot of everyone's motoring consists of pootling, it comes very close to my favourite engine of all, the BMW petrol straight-six.

 

If I only drove in town, consumption would be in the low 30s, but on regular trips from Berkshire to north Dorset, where we've bought a house for retirement, It's giving me 38 mpg, and on a recent trip across France to Switzerland it was a very creditable 41 mpg.  And I don't hang about - or I wouldn't have bought a vRS in the first place.

[Rainmaker]

What's your estimated cost to change? You're wanting to trade down from the beamer because you can't stand the fuel costs, but the VRS with that kind of spec and extras will buy you a LOT of diesel?.... Still, if you've got the itch I'd say petrol.

[Mence]

Apart from the different driving experience, It would appear residuals play a part in this whole story.

Without getting into too much detail, can anybody tell me roughly the difference in residuals percentage wise between petrol and diesel of similar spec?

[Orville]

When I purchased my TSI on 41 months PCP residuals were £1800 lower for the petrol but the TDI cost £1000 more Over three and half years this is £250 per year, plus £600 extra for petrol (8-10k miles), £100 more for tax, and maybe £50 for insurance. The petrol works out at about £1000 more per year on PCP for me, but it I s well worth it. It is faster (important when choosing a sporty car), much smoother, sounds much better, doesn't suffer smelly regens, has no potential for DPF failures, warms up quicker, plus it has two real exhaust pipes. Fuel economy is good for the performance but diesel will always be 40-50% more efficient.

Only you can answer whether the extra cost (~£20 per week) is worth it for you. Many people spend twice as much per week on cigarettes or takeaways.

[octaviaconvert]

Thanks for your help everyone, im still undecided but I have a lot more to think about now. Especially considering how due to their current finance offers and more favourable broker rates I can get a similar specced Audi a4 quattro for less than the vRS

[V6Jules]

Snala I don't know how you found the petrol less refined noise wise. There were no instances where I couldn't hear the diesel where as I can hardly hear the petrol engine at all unless I'm pushing it. Maybe you are referring to the sound generator which can be a bit intrusive in sport mode?

Mine is a manual so I don't labour the engine so that could be a dsg issue there but generally it will pull from idle in most gears, not that I drive it like that though

[loadswine]

I was going to extol the virtues of the petrol engined VRS, but if you can get an A4 quattro for less, then that kind of makes this thread academic.

For what its worth though, I was always going to go for the petrol this time around, having had many diesels before. I love the smooth, tractable nature of the petrol engine and it has sufficient grunt when you want to be entertained a little.

Long runs give me an easy 40 plus mpg, after the first few thousand miles. High twenties round town, stop start.

An A4 quattro, though will sway the maths and decision.

Good luck with your choice!

[Orville]

The A4 is a good choice if you do not need the extra space in the boot and back row seats. The interior is higher quality than the Octy, but the A4 is no longer a spring chicken and a new model is due soon. The Octy will stay newer for longer, and it is a little less common. Both are good cars.