Mk5 Golf GT TDI 170 or Audi A3 S line 170

[Welshangler]

Hi guys ,, iv just signed up to pistonheads 😀 And this topic has probably been talked about a million times on here but I was just wondering if I could get a bit of advice. I'm looking at buying a new car in the next couple of weeks and i have narrowed it down to these 2 ..
i have around £6000 to spend but not sure what one to go for ,, what's the pro's & con's with both cars ?..
Any help would really be much appreciated ,, Thanks in advance 👍👍

[ZX10R NIN]

They're the same car one has a posher exterior/interior than the other, so the simple answer is whichever one you like the most on your test drive

[AJB88]

PD170 engine is notorious for DPF issues.

VAG essentially took the fairly reliable PD140 engine which had a Bosch ECU setup. Fitted a bigger turbo, fitted Siemens PPD injectors and ECU and bolted on a DPF.

DPF and Injectors can be problematic on these!


Saying that I ran one for 2 years in 2008, injectors were fine (even running stage 2 tune) but I had the DPF removed.

[Welshangler]

Thanks for the reply guys ,, after doing quite a bit of research i can see the dpf filter is a real issue with the 170 models .. I been looking at 140 models and this seems a better buy as you don't have this issue unless someone chose it as an extra witch is unlikely,, Also looked into blanking off the dpf and having a re map if i do buy a 170 but it's not the road I want to go down if I'm honest ..
Has anyone drove the 140 & 170 and do you think there's a big difference in power ?...

[ZX10R NIN]

You can map the 140 to around 180bhp with no issues so you won't have the deficit in power there are lots of reputable companies that will do this for you.

[AJB88]

ZX10R NIN said:

You can map the 140 to around 180bhp with no issues so you won't have the deficit in power there are lots of reputable companies that will do this for you.

I never get people that say you can map a 140 to match a 170...

because you can map a 170 to 210 easily. I had 238 out of mine without changing turbo.

[mike9009]

AJB88 said:

ZX10R NIN said:

You can map the 140 to around 180bhp with no issues so you won't have the deficit in power there are lots of reputable companies that will do this for you.

I never get people that say you can map a 140 to match a 170...

because you can map a 170 to 210 easily. I had 238 out of mine without changing turbo.

????

[AJB88]

mike9009 said:

????

People that try to justify buying the lower powered model because you can map it up to match the higher powered model.

[bearman68]

Having had lots of experience (and none of it particularly positive) of the DPF issue on the 170 horse engine, I would take it into a field and burn it. 6k is a nightmare amount of money. Not enough to spend to get something with manufacturers warranty, and too much to bin if it goes wrong.
Would you be at all persuade-able to spend less on something like an older Alfa?

[ZX10R NIN]

AJB88 said:

ZX10R NIN said:

You can map the 140 to around 180bhp with no issues so you won't have the deficit in power there are lots of reputable companies that will do this for you.

I never get people that say you can map a 140 to match a 170...

because you can map a 170 to 210 easily. I had 238 out of mine without changing turbo.

If you read the whole thread you'd see the OP doesn't want the 170 due to reliability issues therefore I'm giving him the option of having the car mapped so he can still have 170 performance with less chance of there being reliability issues.

You're right you can map 170 to more power but that wasn't the point this time.

[keo]

I have got a 170bhp quattro, i needed a car quickly at the time and ended up with it. Its nice enough, not as economical as i would have thought but i suppose that has alot to do with the 4wd. Hopefully i shouldn't have dpf issues as i use it for 100 mile round trips for work.

How about a BMW 1 series? I wish i had looked at these when i was after a car. I am stuck with my a3 now really as if i sell it i would lose quite a bit after putting 18k on it in 7 ish months and i am a tight haha.

[Willy Nilly]

Won't you get more petrol car for your money and less expensive issues?

[HughS47]

I own both - wife has the 140PD mk 5 GT sport and I've got the 170. Much prefer her car (140) to drive. Remapped mine and its not very pleasant to drive, but nippy enough.
Probably come to sell the 170 first when changing next, even though hers has done 40k more. The 17" rims are much more comfortable than the 18" for ride.