1.4 tsi or 2.0 tdi?

[l.e.star]

hi im planning on uprgrading my leon cupra 1.8 turbo early next year to something a bit more econmical. i dont think i could ever go back to a non turbo car and i want to stick within the seat range i have narrowed it down to 2 cars 1.mk2 seat leon 2.0 tdi. 2.mk2 seat leon 1.4 tsi.
i have searched other threads but have not found an answer.
does anyone have any experiance in moving froma 1.8 turbo to one of the above?
i do 8 miles to work and 8 miles back which one will prove to be more economical.
sorry if this as allready been covered elswhere.
thanks

 

[jezyg]

hi im planning on uprgrading my leon cupra 1.8 turbo early next year to something a bit more econmical. i dont think i could ever go back to a non turbo car and i want to stick within the seat range i have narrowed it down to 2 cars 1.mk2 seat leon 2.0 tdi. 2.mk2 seat leon 1.4 tsi.
i have searched other threads but have not found an answer.
does anyone have any experiance in moving froma 1.8 turbo to one of the above?
i do 8 miles to work and 8 miles back which one will prove to be more economical.
sorry if this as allready been covered elswhere.
thanks

I had an 03 MK1 Cupra and both will feel a bit slower obviously. Depends on what you want and your budget?

The 1.4TSi is a good lump and is quite revy in nature but does run out of puff after the intial punch but may be better on the shorter runs you do, 2 litre TDi I assume 138 you are after feels stronger and better mid range punch if not quite so responsive. TDi will be a little more economical but cost more to buy in the first place.

As always go take both for a spin and see how you get on even the newer 2 litre TFSi is a little more economical that the 1.8 20VT mine use to drink a little.

By early next year you may be able to afford a 1.4TSi FR that is just about to come out again depending on your budget and if you are going new/used. But if you can go for a FL model as the interior improvements I think are worth it exterior changes are more a personal taste thing.

 

[l.e.star]

thanks for the quick reply j.
my budget is around 8k i have seen a lot of 2.0 tdi (138) all with above 60 k on the clock for my budget. i have been planning on buying the tdi for some time but only realised a few days back that there was actually a 1.4 turbo version which got me thinking although on my budget there was only and handfull for sale.
the tsi i want because i think i will miss the sound of a petrol turbod car and the tdi i want because it has more power and can be remapped to nearly 200bhp.
decisions decisions decisions!
does the leon tdi boost like a petrol turbo?

 

[dannychapman10]

By gums the old PD diesel engines do
My PD170 FR Leon went like stink

 

[jezyg]

thanks for the quick reply j.
my budget is around 8k i have seen a lot of 2.0 tdi (138) all with above 60 k on the clock for my budget. i have been planning on buying the tdi for some time but only realised a few days back that there was actually a 1.4 turbo version which got me thinking although on my budget there was only and handfull for sale.
the tsi i want because i think i will miss the sound of a petrol turbod car and the tdi i want because it has more power and can be remapped to nearly 200bhp.
decisions decisions decisions!
does the leon tdi boost like a petrol turbo?

The tdi strangely does actually feel like the 1.8T and has a similar narrow power band although slightly narrower than the 1.8T. 1The.8T is a solid if a little rough unit and I always felt sounded and felt more like a diesel than a petrol But was a corker my only complaint was heatsoak on a hot day.

At your budget it will be the older PD unit without the DPF which is a good thing. 1.4TSi is smoother and more refined but even chipped will hit 158Bhp and 270Nm torque so pretty quick as well.

 

[l.e.star]

hey thats good to know the tdi boost like a 1.8t. as that was one thing i would surely miss.
i did also orginally look at the fr tdi but the dpf issues put me off as from what i read those who were only doing shorter journeys were suffering dpf issues more frequent although i read you can bypass the dpf it seems a lot of trouble.
im starting to lean towards the diesel side purely beause of economy (mpg and lower tax band) and that it will hold more value but what put me off the diesel is the sound and people say they are smokey is it really as bad as what some make out?
looking at figures the tsi has 10 mpg difference but is also in the the next tax band.
i did look at the 2.0 tfsi out of curiosity and was amazed that it was more economical then the 1.8t.

 

[jezyg]

hey thats good to know the tdi boost like a 1.8t. as that was one thing i would surely miss.
i did also orginally look at the fr tdi but the dpf issues put me off as from what i read those who were only doing shorter journeys were suffering dpf issues more frequent although i read you can bypass the dpf it seems a lot of trouble.
im starting to lean towards the diesel side purely beause of economy (mpg and lower tax band) and that it will hold more value but what put me off the diesel is the sound and people say they are smokey is it really as bad as what some make out?
looking at figures the tsi has 10 mpg difference but is also in the the next tax band.
i did look at the 2.0 tfsi out of curiosity and was amazed that it was more economical then the 1.8t.

Under full load and not having a DPF will smoke a little more a puff of black smoke under full load. Diesels do hold their value but at your price range not such a big difference just more expensive to buy.

I am going back to an FR TSi in June after having had an FR TDi for just over a year and looking forward to having a petrol turbo again after years of diesels. Have to wait and see on the economy front but again expect it to be 10 mpg worse though diesel is more expensive. Just on the short journeys especially in the winter the TDi drops to 36 as never has time to warm up properly, long runs see 50mpg easily.

 

[l.e.star]

I am going back to an FR TSi in June after having had an FR TDi for just over a year and looking forward to having a petrol turbo again after years of diesels. Have to wait and see on the economy front but again expect it to be 10 mpg worse though diesel is more expensive. Just on the short journeys especially in the winter the TDi drops to 36 as never has time to warm up properly, long runs see 50mpg easily.

so what has made you decide to go back to petrol?
at the minute im doing roughly 90 miles per week and filling up £100 a month so i dont know even if i will benefit going down the diesel route as i suppose only doing a 8 mile trek to work is not giving the engine enough time to perform its best.
the insurance quotes i have been getting are exactly the same as what im paying om my cupra which was a bit dissappointing i have worked out roughly i will be saving £30 a month with the switchover.
but sometimes i think sod it im gonna just gonna live life and buy a 2.0t
i think its just gonna be a case of trial and error if i do buy a diesel and decide i dont like i could always sell and buy a petrol and probably still have spare cash for some tuning.

 

[jezyg]

so what has made you decide to go back to petrol?
at the minute im doing roughly 90 miles per week and filling up £100 a month so i dont know even if i will benefit going down the diesel route as i suppose only doing a 8 mile trek to work is not giving the engine enough time to perform its best.
the insurance quotes i have been getting are exactly the same as what im paying om my cupra which was a bit dissappointing i have worked out roughly i will be saving £30 a month with the switchover.
but sometimes i think sod it im gonna just gonna live life and buy a 2.0t
i think its just gonna be a case of trial and error if i do buy a diesel and decide i dont like i could always sell and buy a petrol and probably still have spare cash for some tuning.

I have to admit the main reason was the cost to buy the FR TSi with SEAT's VAT free offer and that it worked out £60 a month less on finance. But I have wanted to get another petrol turbo for "fun" reasons with the low mileage we do, and when looking at the FR TDi looked at the Golf GTD and GTi and was impressed with the GTi engine.

With short trips with the odd longer journey and 36-38 urban mpg in the TDi felt that a petrol especially if brought a little cheaper would not work out any more expensive and warm up quicker. Even after my 5 mile commute my TDi on a cold day is still not at operating temperature. I have to wait and see if I am right or wrong on that one when I get it.

You won't rgret having a diesel I never have and had quite a few now few BMW's one awful Cadillac BLS (Saab 93) with the GM 1.9 TID real dog of an engine. I will say my CR lump in the FR is the best slightly smoother than the latest BMW lump I had in my previous 118d. Get some good test dives under your belt even go out in a 2 litre TFSi FR as prices are quite keen at the moment.

 

[sniperftw]

Well i have had both, 1.4tsi, very revvy, great punch from the start! Quite uneconomical, but thats because i loved revving it so i could hear the Forge BOV i fitted haha!

I have the TDI FR! Very nice, remapped, very responsive! very economical even when ragging it.

 

[l.e.star]

Well i have had both, 1.4tsi, very revvy, great punch from the start! Quite uneconomical, but thats because i loved revving it so i could hear the Forge BOV i fitted haha!

I have the TDI FR! Very nice, remapped, very responsive! very economical even when ragging it.

yep i can understand where you coming from. when i first got my dv installed and a jetex open cone fitted i found myself revving and lead footing every where purely for the sound which lost me a few mpg. i tend to drive a bit slower now days as the novelty has wore off a bit but when your stuck in traffic in the left lane and the right hand lane suddenly becomes traffic free there is always that temptation to pull out and floor it to get ahead of the traffic which today i learnt is a bad thing is it nearly cost 3 points and a fine.
p.s just seen some pics of your orange fr and it looks amazing.

 

[l.e.star]

You won't rgret having a diesel I never have and had quite a few now few BMW's one awful Cadillac BLS (Saab 93) with the GM 1.9 TID real dog of an engine. I will say my CR lump in the FR is the best slightly smoother than the latest BMW lump I had in my previous 118d. Get some good test dives under your belt even go out in a 2 litre TFSi FR as prices are quite keen at the moment.

cheers for all you advice and help mate i think im gonna try out the tdi if i do regret it i can always resell and more than likely go back to a petrol turbo and have some spare cash.
i will have to pop down seat soon and get some test drives in.

 

[SteveTDCi]

the TSi is way smoother than the TDi, and on the trips you are doing i doubt the TDi will be all that economical. I would go for the TSi I used to get 36/37 out of my A3 diesel and get 27 out of the Cupra, both are / were remapped.

 

[dukebox9reg]

ive got the tdi 140 dsg, id very much recommend. i've got an AMD map and is running 185bhp and 300lbft.it goes like stink and on my 20mile commute to work which is a full on combined of the full length of ipswich in town,a quick stint of the a14 and a bit of country driving and i average 48-49mpg and on a typical motorway run i get mid 50's.and as said before with it not having a dpf and especially with the map it is a bit smokey under full load but i like tearing away from boy racers in there saxos and fiesta st150s in a plume of black smoke.

 

[Subc]

I am changing my car soon and think I will stick to Petrol I have a 1,4Tsi and hand on heart I would say its a fantastic engine that good n fact we have 2 of them! A 08 Reference Sport and a 59 SE.With the price of fuel the Petrol Diesel Gap is widening and unless you do big mileages you will never recoup the extra outlay and I believe dearer servicing cost. My Tsi has the twin exhaust Pack and goes like stink havent mapped it but as posters say above thats available too. I have never kept a car 3 years in my life and am still swithering to keep mine,never owned a Leon Diesel but have driven a few.