1.2 petrol vs. 1.6 diesel - which is best for me?

[jimjazzuk]

Hi guys,

 

My old MK2 is nearing the scrapheap and it's time to upgrade to a MK3!  My current MK2 has the old 1.9 TDI.  I'm currently torn between the diesel 1.6 and the petrol 1.2 (105 most likely).  I'm a little put off by the current negativity towards diesels (which I imagine will only get worse), and worry that a £9000 MK3 may depreciate quicker if it's a diesel.      

 

Here's what I do:  around 15k per annum.  50/50 between motor ways & start stop 40 MPH max rush hour traffic.  Am I likely to receive a similar MPG with each of the engines I've mentioned?  I drive like a granddad and stick to speed limits.  

 

What are people's experiences with the two engines and which option would you suggest I go for?

 

Thanks,

 

J

[Bidey]

EASY!!!

1.2 TSI 

Had mine 2 years and no issues.

ave MPG is high 40's with mixed driving.

PS: suggest DSG as its perfectly matched

[Stubod]

..no brainer....get the petrol if its anything like the 1.4Tsi.

 

I changed from a 2.0 ltr diesel (2005), to the 1.4 tsi petrol (2010). The 1.4 Tsi is an absolute peach of an engine (122hp version). It drives very similar to the diesel with the benefit of being that quite I kept thinking the engine had stopped. The 1.4 Tsi also delivers the same (occasionally better), mpg than the diesel. (I have just completed a tank to tank check and got 49 mpg (actual mpg). Today completed a 190 mile round trip (50% part motorway), and got 56mpg, (heavy rain, driving slowly admittedly). I would have gone for a 1.2 but need a few more horses due to occasional caravan towing.

Edited 24 January, 2018 by Stubod

[Smiorgian]

In similar traffic on my recently departed 1.6 TDi I was getting long term average over 60 mpg. And was better the more I ragged it! Horses for courses though. New 1.5tsi nowhere near as economical but way smoother to drive. 

[snowjoe]

1.2 was only available on lower spec models, not SEL or Elegance. A friend was looking for one and they seemed to be pretty rare. IIRC they travelled quite far to buy one

[Gerrycan]

The 1.9pd was a great drive and economical.

From all accounts the 1.6tdi and 1.2tsi offer similar performance but different driving characteristics.

I would expect the 1.6tdi to be noticeably more economical than the 1.2tsi in your driving conditions.

So obviously I am going to recommend the 1.4tsi (140/150 hp version) that I drive.

Similar economy to the 1.2 and a lot more in reserve.

Go for a few test drives and tell us what you think.

 

[SashaGrace]

I’d go petrol (says she with a diesel, but 25+ kpa miles here) and wouldn’t really mind either 1.2 or 1.4 TSi but by virtue of being able to have an Elegance/SE-L I would probably end up in a 1.4 because the toys matter to me. The 1.6 oil burner never was all that good an engine IMO, competitor small diesels had many advantages and the emissions update has ruined them. My brother was getting 550 miles to a tank in his 1.6 TDi Fabia and since the update the best tank has been 450, but usually under 400! I get more than that out of the Octy! 

[MoggyTech]

I'd go for petrol and although the 1.2 is a decent engine, the 1.4TSi is a peach. I went from a 2.0CR diesel VRS to the 1.4TSi 7 speed DSG and the 1.4 is slightly quicker 0-60 and returns a long term average of 50.8 MPG

[Gerrycan]

I really must emphasise that you MUST get thorough test drives of all potential candidates and not just because of different engine characteristics.

All of the suggested mk3 have torsion bar rear suspension and your mk2 will have superior independent rear suspension.

While I don't find the ride difference that apparent on normal roads it has been a major factor for disappointment for others transferring from mk2 to mk3.

 

Only mk3 with irs are vRS and AWD models.

[TLV]

2 hours ago, SashaGrace said:

The 1.6 oil burner never was all that good an engine IMO, competitor small diesels had many advantages and the emissions update has ruined them. My brother was getting 550 miles to a tank in his 1.6 TDi Fabia and since the update the best tank has been 450, but usually under 400! I get more than that out of the Octy! 

 

The OP is looking into buying an MK3 Octavia, not a MK2. I have the same EA189 1.6 diesel on my MK2 Superb like the MK2 Octavias do. It's an alright engine without the emissions fix. Some of the engines come from the factory with bad injectors and AC compressors, shamefully. A remap supposedly transforms the car, according to the testimonials on the forum here.

 

The EA288 1.6 diesel on the MK3 Octavia is a completely different beast altogether, so it shouldn't be lumped in with the old engine. Haven't looked into how reliable it is, but getting to drive MK3 manual 5-speed 1.6 diesel Octavias a lot got me looking at Skodas in the first place. I found them fantastic to drive.

[classic]

Jimjazzuk, definitely get a petrol. I do similar mileage to you and had a 2014 1.6 tdi. Don’t get me wrong, it was good to drive and I had no problems with it, but diesel is not the future, every time the dpf regens the mpg drops sharply which destroys the true average mpg.

The 1.0, 1.2, and 1.4 are all excellent engines which get very close to the 1.6 for mpg but are many times smoother, quieter, and better to drive.

 

[Guest]

What the OP doesn't say is what spec of car he's after, how old is the car he's buying and how long he intends to keep it. At £9000 it's not going to be nearly new. And if you believe a diesel is going to depreciate more because of bad press, then it follows the diesel you're buying is going to cost less too. If like your current car you intend to keep it until the scrapheap beckons, depreciation wont be a factor - it may even play to your advantage. A diesel engine will last longer than a petrol too.

 

At 15k miles I'd tend to look at diesel (both cars now cambelt driven so no savings in maintenance). 50/50 between motorways and start/stop should be sufficient not to have DPF worries but being an older car, my worry would be how was driven by the previous owner(s)?    

[MattChr]

I thought my old mk2 VRS CR diesel would be fine with mixed motorway (about 400 miles per month) and  stop/start/short motorway commute (160 miles/month). MPG was poor during commute, with regular DPF regens and struggling to get up to temp between Oct-Mar. That was before the emissions fix.

Running a used diesel longer term, I'd be considering:

- how often I'd visit larger cities that will have pollution charging (if not eu6)

- extra costs for adblue if fitted for eu6

- mileage and typical commute

- potential replacement of DPF for VAG eu5 cars, if buying used

- ensuring the DPF etc is still there (removal for road cars is an MOT fail).

 

Petrol is the simpler option now, but appreciate diesel can still work out well for higher mileages.

[jimjazzuk]

Thanks everyone for your opinions on this.  I'm still somewhat torn, but most people on here have suggested the petrol.  As they still make diesels (in huge numbers) I'm maybe being taken in by the media denigration of them too much perhaps.  There are so many diesels on the road still that I can't see any dramatic change in the next say 3-4 years (how long I would probably want the car for) that will mean taxes going up massively or anything, but who knows what the next government might do.  I like the idea that the diesel will offer better MPG, particularly if I end up driving more miles.  As I said, I'm a really careful driver so if anyone is going to get maximum MPG on either fuels it will be me!

[logiclee]

Well I've had a couple of 1.9TDi's. I currently have a Mk2 Octy 1.2TSi 105PS 8 Valve manual and a Yeti 1.2TSi 110PS 16Valve DSG.

 

But have recently purchased an Octavia Mk3 1.6TDi DSG.

 

I think 15k miles is around the change over point especially if you drive like a Granddad.

 

The 1.2TSi is smooth and refined and is a pleasure to extend the revs but isn't as strong as the TDi at low rpm.

 

Economy wise the 1.2TSi can get good figures at lower speeds and light throttle but the economy soon drops away if pushing on a bit. Certainly not as easy to get good economy like a TDi.

The reason I've gone for another diesel is I will be doing 20k miles and most of that will be high speed motorway work. At 65mph-70mph the 1.2TSi Octavia can achieve 50-55mpg but add 10-15mph and you can knock 10mpg of those economy figures.

The 1.2TSi is a great unit and I have seen 60mpg on a gentle run to the coast on slower A roads from the Octavia but use the power and the economy suffers.

 

It's a balance of how many miles you do, what type of driving and how hard you push. I think you have a hard decision that will only really be solved with extended test drives.

 

Lee

[logiclee]

Just to clarify some earlier comments for the OP

 

The Mk3 Octavia has the EA288 diesel so does not need any emission recalls that have affected the older engines fitted to other vehicles in the Skoda range.

Edited 25 January, 2018 by logiclee

[Cm11]

If I was in your situation I’d consider this.

Diesel v petrol 

Diesel is usually more expensive but you get slightly better mpg over petrol

 

Diesel seems to fallen out of favour with pretty much everyone so depreciation, the petrols are holding money pretty well

 

The noise.... most Diesel engines aren’t noted for their engine noise in a positive way 

 

The common turbo vains sticking for the diesel, DPF and erg valve issues (if you do the miles and drive it hard you’ll be fine) 

 

The lack of low down torque in the petrol but a change of driving style might help 

 

Personally for me I’d choose the petrol mainly because I don’t do big miles (company diesel car for me) I hate the noise of the clattering diesel I also hate filling up with diesel it always seems to be all over the pump so I stink of it for the rest of the day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[YMe]

I've had:-

Mk 2 Hatch with a 1.9TDi Ambiente DSG - great car.

Mk 3 Estate with a 2.0TDi SE L DSG - very good but not as good as the Mk2.

current car is a Mk3 F/L Hatch 1.5TSi SE L DSG - knocks both the others into a cocked hat and the others were good.

 

My vote - petrol every time.

[shyVRS245]

On ‎24‎/‎01‎/‎2018 at 21:09, jimjazzuk said:

Hi guys,

 

My old MK2 is nearing the scrapheap and it's time to upgrade to a MK3!  My current MK2 has the old 1.9 TDI.  I'm currently torn between the diesel 1.6 and the petrol 1.2 (105 most likely).  I'm a little put off by the current negativity towards diesels (which I imagine will only get worse), and worry that a £9000 MK3 may depreciate quicker if it's a diesel.      

 

Here's what I do:  around 15k per annum.  50/50 between motor ways & start stop 40 MPH max rush hour traffic.  Am I likely to receive a similar MPG with each of the engines I've mentioned?  I drive like a granddad and stick to speed limits.  

 

What are people's experiences with the two engines and which option would you suggest I go for?

 

Thanks,

 

J

We had the 1.2Tsi with 105PS in Spaceback for three years and more than 28,000 miles. Very quiet engine and responsive on the motorway, even in 6th gear, car was a manual. Averaged 47mpg mainly wife driving, thinks she's a rally driver. I managed a best of 64.6mpg, overall impressed and recently replaced by 1.5Tsi manual Karoq SEL which she loves, extra 45PS to play with. This is averaging 43.5mpg for comparison with my best being 56.1mpg on my 26mile commute mainly motorway.