1.4 or 2.0 petrol estate?

[RCS]

We want to buy a newish Superb estate; must be petrol.

 

Salesman tells us the fantastic modern 1.4 will comfortably handle hills and all other situations even when carrying family of 5 + full load of luggage. Do you agree? Or will it struggle a little and make us regret not stretching to buy 2.0 instead? Thanks for any advice!

[Gizmo]

Welcome

 

Obviously the 1.4 is going to be slower, as it’s 0-62 is 1.5 seconds slower, however more importantly the 1.4 has just 250Nm compared to 350Nm for the (220) 2.0, this is where you will notice a big difference fully laden going up steep hills.

 

Really you need to drive one, take all the family and load the boot up with something heavy if you can.

 

It does sound like you will be better with the 2.0 though.

[100andthirty]

Like Gizmo68, you'll love the 2.0. You need to remember that the 2.0 engine only comes with DSG.

[Rainmaker]

Welcome. As above, test it and see how you feel is the only real way. In theory it should be fine, as it's turbo and still 150ps. My Mazda 6 tourer had similar size, weight and power and handled a family of five and luggage just fine.

 

The 220 (which we currently have) is obviously even better, but if you prefer manual I doubt you'll lose much going for the 1.4 in reality. You'll gain in fuel efficiency too so swings and roundabouts. There's a thread asking whether the 1.4 is powerful enough if you search. It's full of owner stories. I'm on my phone sorry else I'd have found it and linked you. 

[Rainmaker]

Managed to find it. Here it is.  

[RCS]

Thanks, I'll look at that thread now!

 

[old newbie2]

12 hours ago, RCS said:

We want to buy a newish Superb estate; must be petrol.

 

Salesman tells us the fantastic modern 1.4 will comfortably handle hills and all other situations even when carrying family of 5 + full load of luggage. Do you agree? Or will it struggle a little and make us regret not stretching to buy 2.0 instead? Thanks for any advice!

I'm looking for a newish Superb 3 estate to replace my remapped Mk 2 Superb 2.0 TSi so I'm looking for a 280.....

I've driven a few Mk. 3's, the 220 is a good choice, the 1.4 works but is lacking power & torque, especially when loaded, the 280 is a little bit overkill perhaps 

but quite fun to drive.

 

As for your salesperson's opinion, it's worth noting that not many sales-staff will have had the chance to drive either of the 2.0 engines, so their view might well be influenced by what they've driven, or have for sale....... 

Rainmaker's advice is on the button, drive before you choose.

 

DC 

[skidpan]

We  had a 1.4 TSi 140 PS Seat Leon for almost 4 years. It had the same engine as the Superb 1.4 TSi but with 10 PS less (same torque). It was obviously smaller and slightly lighter than the Superb but managed fully loaded (nearly overloaded) holiday trips fine, it never lacked power for overtaking. The Superb feels pretty much the same but is still very new and a bit tight, don't expect any issues at all. The demo one was fine in the hill when we borrowed it.

 

Suggest you drive both and then decide.

[RickTT]

The 1.4tsi is fine for day to day duties... If you only load the car up a handful of times a year with the family and luggage, it's easy enough to compromise that it maybe a bit slower but it will pull it's weight fine.... Plus if the car is fully loaded you won't be driving it hard anyway...

[walrus]

1.4 has plenty of power for going up hills.  I had the same concerns as you, but I wouldn't worry.

 

We were out and about at the weekend, with three of us and a decent wedge of luggage on board.  We were still comfortably overtaking and getting up the hills.  Even the most powerful of car will handle differently with a full load.

 

Compared with the more torquey diesel's I'd driven (up until recently), I often needed a lower gear, but it was effortless.

 

I've not driven the 2.0 and I imagine it's on another level, but it's also about £2-3k more expensive.  

[RickTT]

23 hours ago, RickTT said:

The 1.4tsi is fine for day to day duties... If you only load the car up a handful of times a year with the family and luggage, it's easy enough to compromise that it maybe a bit slower but it will pull it's weight fine.... Plus if the car is fully loaded you won't be driving it hard anyway...

 

 

I change my opinion.. 

 

I have a octy 3 1.4 tsi hire car while mine is in the garage... Even in the octy it feels gutless compared to my 150tdi and thats unloaded.

 

I wouldn't want a superb with this engine. Only done 30 miles it in so far so not a true long life test... But make sure you test drive one first !!!

[penguin17]

6 minutes ago, RickTT said:

 

 

I change my opinion.. 

 

I have a octy 3 1.4 tsi hire car while mine is in the garage... Even in the octy it feels gutless compared to my 150tdi and thats unloaded.

 

I wouldn't want a superb with this engine. Only done 30 miles it in so far so not a true long life test... But make sure you test drive one first !!!

Was just about to post similar. 

 

Great engine and fine in a smaller family hatch or supermini but vastly under torque'd for such a big car.  

Edited 4 April, 2017 by penguin17

[Gizmo]

What power is it Rick?

 

they also put a 1.4 TSi 125hp engine  (as well as the 150 go option) in a Kodiaq! !

[RickTT]

36 minutes ago, Gizmo68 said:

What power is it Rick?

 

they also put a 1.4 TSi 125hp engine  (as well as the 150 go option) in a Kodiaq! !

 

This is a good point. It's a 66 plate 1.4tsi without an engine cover...  (And I put it in sport mode too!)

 

Would need to check the vin to confirm the output of it.

[ionelmc]

On 02.04.2017 at 13:44, RCS said:

Salesman tells us the fantastic modern 1.4 will comfortably handle hills and all other situations even when carrying family of 5 + full load of luggage. Do you agree? Or will it struggle a little and make us regret not stretching to buy 2.0 instead? Thanks for any advice!

 

Sounds like you already suspect it won't handle the load and want people here to sell you on the 2.0. You can easily decide yourself what to pick - just ask yourself - would you regret paying 2-3L worth of petrol more every 100km? Unless you're doing over 20.000km annually the answer should be easy.

[RickTT]

7 hours ago, Gizmo68 said:

What power is it Rick?

 

they also put a 1.4 TSi 125hp engine  (as well as the 150 go option) in a Kodiaq! !

 

its a 150bhp

[Gizmo]

20 minutes ago, RickTT said:

 

its a 150bhp

 

 

Hate to think what 125 hp in a Kodiaq is like then.

 

Obviously it is all subjective to what you need / want, but I’m concerned that 180 hp in a Kodiaq will not be ‘enough'

[old newbie2]

51 minutes ago, Gizmo68 said:

 

 

Hate to think what 125 hp in a Kodiaq is like then.

 

Obviously it is all subjective to what you need / want, but I’m concerned that 180 hp in a Kodiaq will not be ‘enough'

In our humble opinion after driving a a 180ps Tiguan, it won't be enough, especially since the Kodiaq is larger / heavier than the current Tiguan.

 

DC

[bigjohn]

You really need to drive the 1.4 to see what you think. I generally find my old gen 1.4 125 tugs my Superb II  along reasonably well (suprisingly nippy at times) - although I did have to drop a cog up a steep motorway in France when fully laden with people and stuff. 

 

However the 2.0 220 looks interesting especially with the combination of port AND direct petrol injection. Should hopefully "negate" the future need for a GPF (direct injection poor re particulate emissions) and drastically reduce (or even eliminate) valve carbon build-up 

Edited 4 April, 2017 by bigjohn

[RickTT]

3 hours ago, Gizmo68 said:

 

 

Hate to think what 125 hp in a Kodiaq is like then.

 

Obviously it is all subjective to what you need / want, but I’m concerned that 180 hp in a Kodiaq will not be ‘enough'

 

 

 

ps.  mpg is so far 25mpg over around 40 miles... (15miles since I put a further £6 fuel in it )

 

If you drive it harder, (ie harder than a diesel) it does pull a bit better than i first thought it sport mode but you have to use the higher revs.

[Gerrycan]

The Superb 1.4tsi is not that much heavier than the Octavia despite being a fair bit bigger so the power to weight ratios would not be that dissimilar and I find mine reasonably frisky.

Stories of a 1.4tsi (140hp version),  fully laden car and 1500kg caravan travelling happily across Europe from one of the Octavia contributors so I find it amusing that you think a few people and a bit of luggage in a 1.4tsi Superb is going to struggle to get up some hills.

 

Sure the extra power on the autobahn might be useful but realistically where would you need it in the UK, or even be able to use the extra power for more than a few seconds before risking your license?

 

 

 

[RickTT]

41 minutes ago, Gerrycan said:

The Superb 1.4tsi is not that much heavier than the Octavia despite being a fair bit bigger so the power to weight ratios would not be that dissimilar and I find mine reasonably frisky.

Stories of a 1.4tsi (140hp version),  fully laden car and 1500kg caravan travelling happily across Europe from one of the Octavia contributors so I find it amusing that you think a few people and a bit of luggage in a 1.4tsi Superb is going to struggle to get up some hills.

 

Sure the extra power on the autobahn might be useful but realistically where would you need it in the UK, or even be able to use the extra power for more than a few seconds before risking your license?

 

 

 

 

Saying what I said above.. With more miles done if you rev it a lot more it does pull, guess I'm used to low down torque and not used to using the final 33% of the rev counter..

 

 

[skidpan]

OP

 

Please go and drive a 1.4 TSi, just make sure its a 150 PS version. I guarantee you will be impressed by the way it goes. I am more than happy with our car which considering we had the same engine in a Leon for almost 4 years is no surprise.

 

Before we had the Leon we had a BMW 2 litre diesel. Similar power to the TSi but loads more torque. Did it go any better, to be honest the TSi was better everywhere. Even at the pumps the Leon was surprising, the BMW averaged 48 mpg over 5 years, in exactly the same usage the Leon averaged 45 mpg (both calculated).

 

But don't try and drive it like a diesel. They do like a few more revs but there is no need to rag them to the red line, anywhere between 2000 and 5000 and you will find power a plenty.

 

If you want slow try a Mazda 6 or CX5 fitted with the 2.0 petrol SkyActive engine. 140 or 160 makes no difference, both dog slow unless you keep the revs between 4 and 6000 and even then its not as impressive as the TSi.

[ionelmc]

One important point to make is that once you'll load the 1.4 fully it's gonna be much slower. To give some examples, if I put 5 people in my 1.4T-Jet punto (120hp) it behaves like an unloaded 1.6 naturally aspirated. I expect the 1.4 on the Superb to be similar (it has 40nm more than the punto, but heavier chassis). On the other hand it's hard to tell the difference with a fully loaded 280. I suppose the 220 ain't far behind (same max torque).

[Gerrycan]

I would not disagree that weight in a vehicle will have more effect on a less power engine than a powerful engine.

The point I was making is that most people drive their vehicle most of the time well below its performance potential and more power under the bonnet is likely to emphasise my premise.

There are a couple of long 10% hills out of Adelaide and the car can accelerate up them to the speed limits in top (manual 6th) gear but out of mechanical sympathy I usually choose to drop a gear to 5th if lightly loaded or even 4th if heavily loaded. Even in 4th I think we are only doing about 3500 rpm and the engine is so smooth no one notices anyway unless I give the accelerator a poke which usually provokes a surprised "How big is this engine?" question.

 

But at the end of the day the choice is up to the buyer and preferably after some good test drives rather than biased owner opinions.

 

One last point though: the 1.4tsi in the Superb is likely to be  the 150hp (110kw) version so is slightly less breathless at high revs than mine and it also has the ACT (cylinder deactivation) version so that when cruising only two cylinders are operational and that gives very economical returns.

 

 

Edited 6 April, 2017 by Gerrycan