Diesel just doesn't win me over....

Diesel just doesn't win me over....

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E65Ross

Original Poster:

35,081 posts

212 months

Saturday 18th April 2015
quotequote all
Been on holiday this week and a friend of mine is driving, a 2.0 diesel passat, the 170bhp one. It's not the performance that's the issue but it's so brash and unrefined. The noise is awful, the power seems to drop off considerably past 4k rpm.

Start stop REALLY doesn't work well either in this car. Every time the engine is stopped or started again the whole car shakes as the engine is rough. The only other car I've experienced stop/start in is a new M6, and it works very well as it has a nice smooth petrol engine.

Still, I suppose it's cheap on fuel and monthly payments.

Not too long ago I drove a 3.0 V6 TDI Audi A6 and that wasn't TOO bad, although at low speeds it is a bit unrefined but ok on the motorway. This 4 cylinder one is brash even on the motorway.

I'm not the only one who thinks this, am I?

E65Ross

Original Poster:

35,081 posts

212 months

Saturday 18th April 2015
quotequote all
Straight 6 diesels are much nicer.... But they aren't as nice as straight 6 petrol.

If fuel was 10p/litre there's no way you'd choose a turbocharged 3 litre diesel over a turbocharged 3 litre petrol. It's not as smooth, in gear it's no faster etc etc...

E65Ross

Original Poster:

35,081 posts

212 months

Saturday 18th April 2015
quotequote all
f1nn said:
E65Ross said:
Straight 6 diesels are much nicer.... But they aren't as nice as straight 6 petrol.

If fuel was 10p/litre there's no way you'd choose a turbocharged 3 litre diesel over a turbocharged 3 litre petrol. It's not as smooth, in gear it's no faster etc etc...
As much as I'm with you to a degree, there is a but....

I recently drove a M135I, fitted as you know with a 3.0 turbocharged straight six. Fabulous little car with an amazing engine and box combo. Once the novelty had worn off and I started to drive it how I drive a car normally, (and I'm not expecting the majority to agree with me) the torque delivery of a diesel just makes more sense to me for the type of driving I do.
If the gearing is set to the same road speed then the diesel has no more low down grunt at all. Unless you drive everywhere and shift gears St the same rpm no matter the car? A car which had a 10k red line isn't working hard at 4k rpm yet a diesel with a red line at 5k rpm is....

The torque curve of the M135i engine is very much like a traditional diesel engine because it's turbocharged. It doesn't have any less low down power than the equivalent diesel.