As the subject says, which would people advise for the 1.2TSI, going for standard servicing (for me that would be every 6 months), long life or getting it put on variable servicing?

Are you going to own the car or just leasing it for a few years?

Up to what suits you and your pocket.

They are putting in Long Life oil which ever you pay for Fixed or Variable.

http://volkswagen.co.uk/owners/servicing/regimes 

Whats your annual milage?

I do about 18,000 mpa, my current car 1.4tsi has been on the standard service plan for three years and has sailed through each service with no recommendations until the last one when I got an advisory on the brakes. I've been quite happy with that.

But I have just ordered a new Spaceback 1.2 tsi 90 and am planning to put it on the variable servicing. This is simply a cost decision. I hope it will be in for less services over the three years I own it. 

If you are high mileage (more than 10k miles a year), stick with variable servicing. 

 

However, whether you have variable or annual servicing, always spend the extra couple of quid on the long life oil. Your turbo will appreciate it. 

The Main Dealers will use Long Life Oil for Fixed or Variable.

If you want to have a Keeper with a TSI you might be much better actually doing fixed servicing and not Using Long Life Oil.

Oil is Long Life and Castrol / Quantum / VW Group have their recommendations, sadly the Long Life of a TSI seems not to go with Long Life Oil.

(But then the VW Group are into selling cars, and the Main Dealers sell them for them,and service them, old cars are not of interest to them.)

 

Advisories on Brakes are interesting, if it says Worn Pads, or Worn / Scored or corroded discs and actually they are not, they are just 'Upselling'.

I do 20,000 a year and I will have it for a minimum 3.5 years and would like to potentially keep it after that. If I do keep it then I want to be able to get to 100,000 miles before I consider switching. It's (or will be in 3 weeks) a brand new 1.2 TSI  110 SE Sport.

 

Comes down to if you want to be at a dealership having that service twice a year then, Minor & Major services or what you pay for a Major Service every 11 months or so.

See what the costs are going to be if the Dealer you use says Major Service each variable service.

Service plans might be worth considering or Independent Specialist servicing after 2 services if all is well with the car.

11 hours ago, dazedandconfused said:

I do 20,000 a year and I will have it for a minimum 3.5 years and would like to potentially keep it after that. If I do keep it then I want to be able to get to 100,000 miles before I consider switching. It's (or will be in 3 weeks) a brand new 1.2 TSI  110 SE Sport.

 

In that case, keep it on the variable service regime with long life oil. 

 

It certainly is a good idea to also consider interim oil changes between official services, given your high mileage. After all - £30 of good oil and a filter is a damn sight cheaper than the potential cost of replacing a seized turbo due to oil gunk blocking the feed pipes.

 

Frequent oil changes are a great way to keep the engine in good condition, you should have no issues taking it past 100k. 

Out of warranty at 3 years, maybe do the oil changes yourself. Could get one of these Pela oil suction pumps, and extract the oil through the dipstick tube. 

Possibly connected or possibly not - mine is on long-life service and needed a new turbo at 26000 (having had only one service at about 16k)