Sporty Diesel

Author
Discussion

theshrew

Original Poster:

6,008 posts

183 months

Friday 19th September 2014
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Its looking likely that im going to have to start doing a quiet a few extra miles each week to get to work ( if i get the job ) Sadly that means my low 20mpg petrol guzzler is going to have to go furious

I really really dont want to go turn into a dull old fecker over night.

So can you lot recomend me something thats on the sporty / hot hatch type of direction, at cars 5-6 years old.








djgritt

618 posts

163 months

Friday 19th September 2014
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Octavia vRS TDi

simo1863

1,866 posts

127 months

Friday 19th September 2014
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Golf GTD
125D

hammerrr7

55 posts

120 months

Friday 19th September 2014
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Can't go wrong with the BMW 330D

cerb4.5lee

30,197 posts

179 months

Friday 19th September 2014
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hammerrr7 said:
Can't go wrong with the BMW 330D
This.

barpilot

174 posts

134 months

Friday 19th September 2014
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Scirocco GT170 TDI if you can forfeit a little space

kambites

67,463 posts

220 months

Friday 19th September 2014
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hammerrr7 said:
Can't go wrong with the BMW 330D
I think you can if you're expecting it to feel "sporty". hehe

Wills2

22,669 posts

174 months

Friday 19th September 2014
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Just gone from e92 M3 with competition pack to F31 335d, it's very quick but not very sporty.


Mr2Mike

20,143 posts

254 months

Friday 19th September 2014
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hammerrr7 said:
Can't go wrong with the BMW 330D
Though the 330D itself can go quite wrong.

RizzoTheRat

25,085 posts

191 months

Friday 19th September 2014
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Depends on your definition of sporty.

If you mean quickish hatchback then the Leon FR or Octavia vRS are pretty good. I average about 47mpg (mixed driving, spending more times on the motorway gets me in to low 50's) from the vRS and it has an enormous boot compared to the Leon, and is pretty well specced with dual climate control, cruise, etc. It's no sports car but it's got enough grunt to overtake which is what a commuter is about. It does suffer from a bit more road noise than more expensive cars though, I don't have an issue with it but if you're used to a luxury barge you might find it annoying, dunno if the Leon is the same.

330D or 335D will be quicker, quieter, but a lot more expensive.

aarondbs

843 posts

145 months

Friday 19th September 2014
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RizzoTheRat said:
Depends on your definition of sporty.

If you mean quickish hatchback then the Leon FR or Octavia vRS are pretty good. I average about 47mpg (mixed driving, spending more times on the motorway gets me in to low 50's) from the vRS and it has an enormous boot compared to the Leon, and is pretty well specced with dual climate control, cruise, etc. It's no sports car but it's got enough grunt to overtake which is what a commuter is about. It does suffer from a bit more road noise than more expensive cars though, I don't have an issue with it but if you're used to a luxury barge you might find it annoying, dunno if the Leon is the same.

330D or 335D will be quicker, quieter, but a lot more expensive.
I'm often quite tempted by a VRs as they seem to have almost MX5 levels of goodwill here on PH.

The OPs question however on Sporty and Diesel bothers me a little. There have been some relatively quick Diesel cars in my history but none of them Sporty (whatever the trim level was called). I enjoyed driving the C200 petrol I was given as a courtesy car much more than the c220 cdi (Sport SE!!!!) I had at the time and the Swift Sport we have now is so much sportier than any diesel I have owned or driven. Coursing through the gears to 7000rpm and being quick and nimble is an experience no diesel will ever be able to replicate though I would avoid any traffic light GP in the Swift against some very mundane rep spec diesels.


jimi

521 posts

262 months

Friday 19th September 2014
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Ive just been out in a new Audi TT - it was pretty good, what I would expect people to call "sporty".

cerb4.5lee

30,197 posts

179 months

Friday 19th September 2014
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kambites said:
hammerrr7 said:
Can't go wrong with the BMW 330D
I think you can if you're expecting it to feel "sporty". hehe
That is a fair point and agree the aren't that "sporty" because they are too heavy and better suited to an auto so both those things are as far away from sporty as you can get...

Although as a comfortable all rounder with fairly decent economy and a fair turn of pace(for a diesel)then they don't make a bad motor at all I think and we put over 150k miles on one in six years and not a single thing went wrong with it, as long as you get one that`s been serviced and looked after.

cerb4.5lee

30,197 posts

179 months

Friday 19th September 2014
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Wills2 said:
Just gone from e92 M3 with competition pack to F31 335d, it's very quick but not very sporty.

Look on the bright side though because at least now you don't get turned over by 640d`s anymore! hehe

NWTony

2,847 posts

227 months

Friday 19th September 2014
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Use miles, mpg and diesel v petrol price along with the cost of replacing or adding a new car to see where your break even point is smile Does 45mpg justify £5000 of second hand car?

Devil2575

13,400 posts

187 months

Friday 19th September 2014
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Personally I couldn't think of anything worse* than doing high miles in a genuinely sport car. What i'd much prefer is a comfortable mile muncher. I realise that this isn't very PH, but there you go. I love cars but don't feel the need to drive everywhere like my hairs on fire.

  • Note this is a turn of phrase, I can think of plenty of things that would be worse.

Jasandjules

69,825 posts

228 months

Friday 19th September 2014
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170bhp Passat?


gizlaroc

17,251 posts

223 months

Friday 19th September 2014
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theshrew said:
So can you lot recomend me something thats on the sporty / hot hatch type of direction, at cars 5-6 years old.
Jasandjules said:
170bhp Passat?


ORD

18,086 posts

126 months

Friday 19th September 2014
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There is pretty much no such thing as a "sporty" diesel. A fast diesel, yes. A bloody fast diesel, yes. But "sporty"? Not in my experience.

Why not go for a petrol car that will get you 35-40mpg and also be more fun to drive? It's not a choice between 20mph (petrol) and 50mpg (diesel) these days, not by a long stretch.

A lot of "sporty" cars also pretty refined and comfortable (but they tend to be expensive, to be fair).

tjlees

1,382 posts

236 months

Friday 19th September 2014
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supercar manual with with ultimate handling, feel, performance, looks and sound - definitely not

sporty in a diesel no problem - the 330d easily hits the mark, out handling the Porsche Boxster for instance - wet or dry (see autocar 27 Jun 2012 & 21 Nov 2012)

Lasting fun in a diesel is a different matter, though there is masses of torque at low revs for performance, the delivery is peaky and rev delimiter low so you are forever changing gears. The sound has come a long on the V6 diesel but it ain't a flat 6.

To OP, look towards bmw and Audi for a sporty diesel - if you want fun and frugal the manual mini JCWs, fiesta STs etc hit that mark quite easily but comfort/packaging is sometimes a problem