Your comments would be appreciated as to the relative merits of the two engines especially reliability

(I am currently running a 1.9 SDI Fabia Classic and am thinking about replacing it with a 1.4TDI.)

Many thanks in advance

Martyn

The 1.9 SDI Has no turbocharger, the 1.4 TDI Does. The 1.4 TDI Will be very quick compared to the SDI, 0-60 willl come down by around 4 seconds with the 1.4TDI. Fuel economy will be better, as will everything else. Not really much more than that The 1.4 is 3 Cylinder though and has the added complication of a turbo, but as reliability goes I Think it's to early to tell as the 1.4TDI is fairly new

1.4TDI is a very nice engine - would recommend it over the 1.9SDI.

In fact, I'd also choose it over the 1.9TDI, but that might just be me ( ).

Get a test drive in one, see what you think...suspect you'll like it.

Rob.

1.4 TDI will be lighter as well? Should think the lump weighs a fair bit less. And being a turbo it will be nice and nippy still. I suspect its remappable to slightly past 100bhp too. Unlike the SDI.

1.4 80bhp TDi is much nicer than the SDi.

My mum had this exact dilemma when she chose her last car (Polo). She ended up emailing the Daily Telegraph's "Honest John", who told her to go for the 1.4TDI as he considered it streets ahead. Two cars before, she had a 1.9SDI Fabia, and the difference was astronomical in terms of performance, for very little difference in economy. I can't lie by saying the Polo was 100% reliable, as the turbo went a few weeks after she got it (manufacturing fault), but it was fixed under warranty easily enough, and served her well after that until she had to change it for an automatic 'cos of her arthritis. It coped happily with her fortnightly trips from Norfolk to Dorset to see her mum (my grandma) while she was living out her last few years in a nursing home, and she would quite happily do the journey at seriously foot-down speeds!

Definitely the three-pot 1.4 IMHO

Hands-down the 1.4TDI

I've had 2 1.4 TDI polos' recently and the engines are great, if a little breathless at higher revs. (understandable I suppose) . They also sound nice and grumbly!

to defiend the SDI once you get it rolling it is fine. My mum has one from before the 1.4 tdi. It is a grand car and the engine is virtually indistructiable! that engine will easly do 80 all day on the mortoway up and down hills ( I know I have regually done it in the past). yes I admit it is slow 0-60! I have also used it as a tow car for my boat and it did not feel like it was there even going up some very steep hills. I believe from what a dealer said to me that sometimes that the 1.4tdi can struggle up hills fully loaded and I know from experince that the SDI just keeps going

I would say go and test drive both and see what you think.

I like my SDI

Many thanks for all your comments.

I will test drive the 1.4TDI when I change cars as it sounds like a good car.

My SDI is a reliable workhorse and I agree with your comments about it being a little on the slow side!

I would still recommend trying out the SDI if your priority is a workhorse and not a racehorse (so that rules out all you VRS owners!)

I believe from what a dealer said to me that sometimes that the 1.4tdi can struggle up hills fully loaded and I know from experince that the SDI just keeps going

I would say go and test drive both and see what you think.

My 1.4Tdi goes great up hills even when fully loaded as long as you have it in the right gear. OK, so you may have to drop a gear lower than a 1.9Tdi, but it is quite a capable engine and sounds quite distinctive.

It will cruise on the motorway in 5th at 70mph at about 2600rpm so there is still a fair bit of torque left for overtaking if needed. Only niggle is that it is a shame that there is not a 6th gear to allow motorway cruising at 2300rpm to improve fuel economy on long drives.

how would the turbo effect the engine long term, would the sdi not last conciderably longer?

I dno't mind the old SDI. When i was a young salesman working for a Skoda dealer, it used to amuse the managers no end seeing me in a SDI classic estate in Rally red, while they had vRS's and Elegance TDI's. But i got attached to it in the end. It would do 120 flat out i think on the speedo and return 45+ mpg.

I have driven the 1.4 TDI and it is the better engine, but more to buy of course.

good luck

Andy

how would the turbo effect the engine long term, would the sdi not last conciderably longer?

Should imagine that by the time either unit shows worrying signs of wear most of the rest of the car will have worn out...they're both pretty strong units AFAIK.

Rob.

Depends how it's driven, if you treat the turbo to a normal life, i.e. stock boost etc, and allowing it to cool down a tad before turning off the engine after a 'hard drive' it should last for a pretty nice long time It is a part that may go wrong of course