Small engines in large cars

[funkyrobot]

Whilst browsing for a new vehicle I've come across examples like this:



If i'm correct, it's a Skoda Octavia with a 1.2 engine.

Reviews seem to conclude that this combination works. However, is this just favouritism by the reviewers or does this package actually make sense?

I know there are other examples (Ford with a small petrol in a Focus etc), so do these packages actually work? Or is it a 'more value for your money' sort of thing?

[IanCress]

Ford have just put the 1.0 Ecoboost in the Mondeo. Reviews i've seen so far are a little under-whelmed, saying the 1.6 diesel is still the better option, although more costly.

The performance for the Octavia isn't bad at all, 10.5 secs to 60 versus 12 for the Mondeo. Quite surprising since the Skoda has 105bhp compared to the Mondeo's 123bhp. Perhaps it's down the the Octavia's lightweight MQB architecture.

[BuzzBravado]

It will be a pretty highly stressed turbo unit.


The Octavia is already the pinnacle of motoring for spend thrift monotonous types. So low tax and higher MPG in an Octavia will really get them hard.

Edited by BuzzBravado on Friday 6th March 08:54

Edited by BuzzBravado on Friday 6th March 08:54

[Jonno02]

Had a courtesy 1.4 astra J for a day and could not believe how awful it was. Third gear to get past 40, keep it in fourth to get to 60, and then about 60 seconds in fifth to reach 70. I'd have been sick if I had paid for that car. Wouldn't take it if it was free.

[g7jhp]

Not exactly on topic, but Fiat 500 with 1.2 engine that can't get up a hill. Hardly fit for purpose, unless you live in the Netherlands!

[JulianHJ]

I had a new Hyundai i30 1.4 petrol as a courtesy car about 3 years ago. It was the worst car I'd driven in a decade, and that included some woeful stboxes I used to have to drive working for a hire company in the early 2000's.

[Easternlight]

I think Soda also do the Superb with a 1.4
Greenline spec for even more thrift.

[funkyrobot]

I know the modern petrols have a blower on and this may help. However, I drove a brand new 1.8 petrol Insignia a few years ago. I think it was the worst thing I've ever had the pleasure of pedalling.

[DavidJG]

I can't help but wonder what the life expectancy of these engines will be. Logically, a 1.2 pulling a car that size is going to be working very hard all the time. Same with the 1.0 ecoboost Mondeo. New engine every 50,000 miles??

[Conscript]

Friend of mine has recently bought a 13 plate Focus with the 1.0 Ecoboost.
It's not fast, but a perfectly capable unit for the car and he's happy with it. But as someone said, I imagine that it's quite highly strung and turbo charged - I perhaps wouldn't want to own one a few years down the line when the warranty has expired...

[BritishRacinGrin]

A small turbocharged engine can make the same power and torque as a large naturally aspirated one, return better fuel economy and deliver peak torque lower in the rev range making them more comfortable to drive. This is not a new trend.

[grimmac]

Is that not the same engine they put in the VW Touran.. 1.2 tsi?

A bigger car weighting about 300kg more?

We have an 06 140bhp 2.0 diesel touran, and I really wouldn't want anything less. Gonna cause a problem soon as the wife wants to change it and the budget won't run to getting the same again but 5 years newer.

[Leins]

I have a Mk6 Golf 1.2 TSi, and it's perfectly adequate for daily driving purposes

[va1o]

Its the power you need to look at it. The latest 1.2 TSI is 110PS which is the as you'd get from an N/A or diesel 1.6

The other benefit is the turbo tends to mean lots of low down torque which makes them quite easy to drive.

This trend started nearly 10 years ago with the VW Golf GT using a 1.4 TSI 170 engine, and the problems those have suffered aren't really related to them been 'stressed', more just poor quality components (timing chains etc).

[anonymous-user]

This trend for small but highly tuned engines is good - they are much nicer to drive than the old wheezy small NASP engines you used to get in humdrum cars. As a previous poster has said you need to look at the power output rather than the displacement.

One that does spring to mind is the 1.6D (115bhp?) Volvo sold/sell in a V70 or S80. That's a BIG car and in the case of the estate is liable to have a extra 500+ KG in it when you put 4 people and their crap in. The only 140bhp NASP 2.4i car was a slug so god alone knows what that must be like. That engine is barely adequate in a Focus.

[BFG TERRANO]

14 plate Astra 1400n/a petrol here. God it's bad, very bad. Poor fuel consumption to. Teach me to pick a company car without driving one first.

[funkyrobot]

grimmac said:

Is that not the same engine they put in the VW Touran.. 1.2 tsi?

A bigger car weighting about 300kg more?

We have an 06 140bhp 2.0 diesel touran, and I really wouldn't want anything less. Gonna cause a problem soon as the wife wants to change it and the budget won't run to getting the same again but 5 years newer.

My fiancee drove a newish Polo 1.2 the other week. She currently has an 03 1.4 and she said that she noticed the difference (she pootles around normally). The salesman was hell bent on selling her a 1.0 or a 1.2, but she won't change for a smaller engine unless she finds one that feels like her current one.

I don't know if this is a direct comparison though as I don't know if the Polo 1.0 and 1.2 have a turbo on.

[skyrover]

BritishRacinGrin said:

A small turbocharged engine can make the same power and torque as a large naturally aspirated one, return better fuel economy and deliver peak torque lower in the rev range making them more comfortable to drive. This is not a new trend.

They also don't last as long and have many more parts to fail

[ajprice]

Easternlight said:

I think Soda also do the Superb with a 1.4
Greenline spec for even more thrift.

That's a petrol 1.4 with 148bhp which is luxury next to the 1.6 diesel Greenline with 118bhp and under 100g carbon so no tax (no torque figures in the article though) . Hmmm, one of those as an estate with a full boot, going up a hill http://m.whatcar.com/car-news/2015-skoda-superb-re...

[funkyrobot]

va1o said:

Its the power you need to look at it. The latest 1.2 TSI is 110PS which is the as you'd get from an N/A or diesel 1.6

The other benefit is the turbo tends to mean lots of low down torque which makes them quite easy to drive.

This trend started nearly 10 years ago with the VW Golf GT using a 1.4 TSI 170 engine, and the problems those have suffered aren't really related to them been 'stressed', more just poor quality components (timing chains etc).

Good point re the power.

However, the stress level of the engine using that power does concern me. I guess we'll only have long term info as time progresses.