150ps vs 190ps

[Glynn]

Evening all, 

 

Looking at returning to the Skoda fold (had mk2 octavia vrs pre-house!) now I have little one on the way. 

 

I have set my sights on the superb estate as nothing really compares to it size, tech, value for money etc. 

 

My main question is, What is the difference between the 150 and 190 2.0tdi with regards to the engine? Bigger turbo, diff injectors or just mapped different? 

 

The reason I ask is I notice the 190 only comes in a DSG which I have at the mo (audi a3 8p 2.0tdi), to be honest its not for me, I prefer a manual. 

 

Any info or reviews greatly appreciated! 

[Markbro]

Manual 190 estate here, I think the turbo is bigger than the 150.  From what I have read on here 150s seem to run around 160bhp and 190s a bit over 180bhp. Haven't driven a 150 but the 190 goes pretty well especially from 100km/h on. My 2wd struggled to put down the power on original tyres in the wet but changed to Goodyear and it seems to be better, will still get slight spin but then it hooks up

[mfm959]

Manual 150 4x4 estate here. I have been very happy with the 150. Have driven the 190 and did not feel it was as flexible to drive. There did not seem to be a lot of difference in power but the 190 seemed to be less eager to pull away. Have never lost grip with the manufacturer fit Pirellis but that’s the benefit of the 4x4. 

 

 

[Ivan8192]

Mine’s a 150 but DSG. In eco mode the accelerator is fairly lethargic unless you boot it but I think that’s a Skoda feature and that’s supposed to be economical. Dropping it into sport mode and I find it plenty fast enough. Okay, it’s not 280 fast but certainly great for a daily spirited escape from the lights, joining a dual carriageway/motorway or overtaking. Mine’s a 67 plate and doesn’t have adblue but I think shortly after that it was introduced onto the 150.

Edited 7 September, 2019 by Ivan8192
Correction to incorrect autocorrect!

[BriskodaJeff]

My recommendation is to try both.

 

FWIW my TDI190 blows me away on a daily basis. It's not the quickest away from the line, but from 30-80 it's fabulous. At 50+ mpg. 

 

Put simply - you will be delighted by either 150 or 190. DSG on the  190 is a joy, as is the sport setting for the gearbox. It's a cracking car. 

[Bap33]

If you're looking for a manual gearbox, the only solution seems to be the TDI150 or you accept the TDI190 and play with paddle shifters instead of letting the DSG doing it for you.

[Baggins]

I can't speak for the 150 but I love the 190, there's probably not much difference day to day but I chose more HP for the just in case.

[penguin17]

10 hours ago, BriskodaJeff said:

 

My recommendation is to try both.

 

 

Great advice from Jeff. 

 

I’d previously switched from 150 > 184 (190) TDI engines and was quite underwhelmed. I preferred the 150.

 

Having felt I made a mistake on that occasion I tried both the 150 and 190 Superb on back-to-back test drives and I still felt the 150 was the one to go for.  I surmise the larger turbo in the 190 (IIRC there’s only 2-3 part number differences on the whole block) takes a bit longer to spin up so you have to work the car more to feel that extra BHP.  The 150 feels more fizzy at lower revs with smoother power more readily available. 

 

All subjective though so defo try both. 

 

 

[BriskodaJeff]

5 minutes ago, penguin17 said:

All subjective though so defo try both. 

 

 

This is the most important point of all. FWIW my driving is 90% motorway and I like the extra mid-range oomph I perceive (subjectively) it gives me. Interestingly I was never even considering a 190 until this particular car came on the market - and I would very happily consider and realistically will almost certainly have a 150 next time. My previous Mk2 was a 140 and I never once felt it to be under-powered. Also FWIW I would not go back to manual having had DSG, regardless of engine size. Again, completely subjective on my part.

 

In short, you have a really nice "problem" with a win-win outcome. Enjoy solving it!

[Glynn]

Cheers for the gen everyone!

 

I have already test driven a 150dsg (as the dealer did not have a manual in stock) to be fair I was glady surprised! Felt as quick if not quicker compared to my A3 considering the extra size. However the dsg box is still annoyingly hesitant. 

 

That previous statement alone has probably set it in my head which way to go as I can just map a 150 to get the extra poke however I'll still try a 190!

 

Now to track down one that is not a million miles away! 

 

 

[TallPaul_S]

I drive a 245bhp petrol flat 6 engine currently and when I test drove a 150tdi I found it had plenty of grunt, lots more torque obviously. I'll be happy with either a 150 or 190tdi.

[BriskodaJeff]

1 hour ago, Glynn said:

However the dsg box is still annoyingly hesitant. 

 

Lots on here and in the "performance upgrade" section on pedal boxes and re-maps. Or, as I do, just flick the DSG lever into Sport when you want a quicker getaway. 

[Sheriff]

Just bought a 150 manual last weekend having moved from a cr170 vrs fl Octy. There's a noticeable difference in acceleration and the handling is much softer but this is more than compensated for by the ride quality and spec. Just come home from a weekend in Kent with the computer showing 66mpg from 480 miles since filled on Friday morning. I'm not sure how accurate it is but that's still impressive

 

[jstallan]

I've recently moved from the 150 manual to the 190 manual. I'm struggling a little on the fuel economy but loving the little extra power - so I can't have everything. 

 

I see you're near Swindon, so get talking to the people at Marshall Reading/Oxford. I got mine from the Oxford branch and they always seem to have fresh stock in every week or 2. Took me a while to find mine, along with loads of calls but got there in the end. I also found the main Skoda site very helpful if sourcing a used car, you just need to do a very generic search as some of the classifications (hatch/estate/dsg/manual) can be wrong. 

[DerekF]

I test drove the 190 and was surprised to be doing autobahn speeds on the slip road when joining a dual carriageway. Picks up speed nicely  and is fun to drive with the DSG gearbox in sports mode. I previously owned a 140 brake diesel Ford Mondeo which I also enjoyed driving, but this new Superb estate is one I have now bought and so far (two months in) I am enjoying owning it.