Golf 1.4 TSI 150 GT DSG
Discussion
Anyone got one of the ACT 1.4 petrol Golfs? I've asked a few times in the past but am intrigued on in particular MPG & what they're like to own etc? It's just become an option on our company scheme, BIK tax is less than the diseasal & I fancy getting out of derv.
Any thoughts?
BTW, are they 150bhp, thought they were 140's but our lease co. says not!
Any thoughts?
BTW, are they 150bhp, thought they were 140's but our lease co. says not!
the-photographer said:
Many thanks for the link, on the basis of the first page at least it confirms my fears, MPG is a long way off stated. I can accept that but if it means I'm subbing the company then it's a no. Dam. That said page 2 improves timings dramatically it would seem!
I'll spend a lot of time on the motorway/A road network in and around the South East & Midlands. I'm happy to drive 'sensibly' to maximise MPG but part of the point of considering the petrol is the ability to rev it, as oppose to riding the torque curve of the diesel.
Problem currently is getting to use a demo, VW dealers don't seem particularly useful!
Problem currently is getting to use a demo, VW dealers don't seem particularly useful!
the-photographer said:
acme said:
I'll spend a lot of time on the motorway/A road network in and around the South East & Midlands. I'm happy to drive 'sensibly' to maximise MPG but part of the point of considering the petrol is the ability to rev it, as oppose to riding the torque curve of the diesel.
Problem currently is getting to use a demo, VW dealers don't seem particularly useful!
I would expect that you would get close the the COMBINED figure (extra-urban remains fantasy land).Problem currently is getting to use a demo, VW dealers don't seem particularly useful!
VW Driver got 46 overall and 65 when realllllly trying (Polo).
Have you used the request a test drive function on vw.co.uk?
No I haven't, but thanks for reminding me, appreciated. I called a couple of local dealers yesterday to see if I could compare back to back the 2.0TDI GT and the ACT and neither had a petrol at the moment, but they're working on it! You may have seen previous posts from me on this subject/company cars, but it's taken 7 months for our company to sort its new policy out, now I can order my 'own' car I can't get a drive in a demo to compare, very frustrating!
Cheers, hoping a local dealer might come good. It would appear the ACT is quite rare, of the very big dealer in question there isn't a single one as a demo! Would you spend 25k on a Golf without driving it!
Anyone see the 'Shetland' light interior in real life, I really fancy a lighter interior for once but it's seemingly a rare beast!
Anyone see the 'Shetland' light interior in real life, I really fancy a lighter interior for once but it's seemingly a rare beast!
Managed to get a test drive comparing the 1.4 140ps (as mentioned it's been upped for the 2015MY - thanks) manual vs the 2.0TDI 150ps diesel manual. I'd been promised the diesel in DSG which is what I'll order but when I got there it wasn't available.
Did about 10 miles in each, the first difference is on start up, you hardly knew the petrol was on, in fact whilst sitting there talking to the salesman I had to rev it to check, thinking the stop/start had kicked in (wouldn't make sense as it had only just been started!). I have to say considering it's only a 1.4 the power is incredible! OK, it's not hot hatch quick but feels very impressive and joining a dual carriageway was very impressive. But it wouldn't really rev, not deep into the revline, possibly due to it being a turbo? (first small capacity petrol turbo I've driven, more use to large capacity NA petrol's and modern diseasals). Overall MPG 36.7.
On the diesel you instantly knew it was one on start up and that typical heavy leaden feel, fairly quick but can't say I massively noticed the additional 50lb/ft of torque. Slightly less miles and not through town on the way back, overall 49.9MPG, and perhaps there's the PITA, a lot more 'efficient'...
Food for thought...
Did about 10 miles in each, the first difference is on start up, you hardly knew the petrol was on, in fact whilst sitting there talking to the salesman I had to rev it to check, thinking the stop/start had kicked in (wouldn't make sense as it had only just been started!). I have to say considering it's only a 1.4 the power is incredible! OK, it's not hot hatch quick but feels very impressive and joining a dual carriageway was very impressive. But it wouldn't really rev, not deep into the revline, possibly due to it being a turbo? (first small capacity petrol turbo I've driven, more use to large capacity NA petrol's and modern diseasals). Overall MPG 36.7.
On the diesel you instantly knew it was one on start up and that typical heavy leaden feel, fairly quick but can't say I massively noticed the additional 50lb/ft of torque. Slightly less miles and not through town on the way back, overall 49.9MPG, and perhaps there's the PITA, a lot more 'efficient'...
Food for thought...
the-photographer said:
Really depends on your driving style and roads, with my mix I can get close and sometimes beat the claimed combined mpg figure.
Re the above comment, do you have a Golf 1.4 TSI ACT or Polo GT? You've been able to get close to the 58-60MPG mark?I ask as I know in the past you've been helpful in your responses to my posts in the VW section.
So far on the basis of my ridiculously short tests the diesel massively beats the petrol, unsurprising I guess.
the-photographer said:
Another suggestion, get your hands on ANY petrol. Fill it up, drive it normally for a week (or more) then measure the actual consumption.
How close are you to the combined MPG in percentage terms, under over?
Apply this figure to the ACT engine.
Make decision!
On the basis of yesterday I wish it was that efficient!How close are you to the combined MPG in percentage terms, under over?
Apply this figure to the ACT engine.
Make decision!
Test drove another yesterday, a second hand one with approx 1100 miles on it. Over 21 miles, 14 of which were on a dual carriageway a third of which is speed restricted to 50mph with cameras I got 40MPG, I was driving like a granny frankly. The MK7's have three trips; overall combined/since refuel/since last start up - the first was 37approx & the PO was a guy in his 60's, so I can but conclude you couldn't get anywhere near the 60 combined! Bo**ox........
Appreciate that it's somewhat annoying when someone asks for advice especially around a 'what car' or similar post and doesn't give feedback. Well in case anyone's interested I ordered a midnight blue 1.4 TSI ACT DSG - that's a mouthful!
Having driven back to back with the 2.0 TDI GT I just couldn't ignore the far smoother powertrain, the near silent engine except when redlined, the smoothness of the stop/start or the general feeling of being back in a petrol!
Cheers for the input.
Having driven back to back with the 2.0 TDI GT I just couldn't ignore the far smoother powertrain, the near silent engine except when redlined, the smoothness of the stop/start or the general feeling of being back in a petrol!
Cheers for the input.
Not expecting a great deal feel wise, though I think that's true of most modern cars. Did a fair few miles in a current gen 1 series, got back in my then MK5 Golf and I was overwhelmed by the amount of info being thrown at me, and I bet a MK5 is hardly the last word in steering feel!
gizlaroc said:
I was lent a 2.0tdi A3 and then the 1.4tfsi A3, on the same 90 miles course they both returned 48mpg.
Thanks for that, I'm hoping along with my recent experience of 40 albeit gentle motorway miles at 47.5mpg I've made the right choice. TBH once I'd tested it back to back with the diesel there really wasn't any choice to be made.gizlaroc said:
I thought the same, the petrol was so much more refined, the clutch was nicer, the gear change slicker, the thing handled better and didn't crash about as much over poor surfaces, and the fact it was fun to drive where as the diesel was a bit of a chore make it a no brainer.
Even though I was not considering one, I have been thinking maybe an A3 sportback or Q3 as an everyday car for nipping around might be a good option.
There were some silly cheap contract hire deals on the A3 or Q3 1.4tfsi last quarter but now they all seem to be 2.0tdis again, but I will keep an eye out.
I wouldn't want this to turn into a 'I hate diesels', because I don't, I very happily owned a MK5 Golf 2.0TDI (PD)for five years but the latest company diesels I've owned have got less MPG than the MK5 despite being common rail and only 1.6's, doing the same commute of 27 miles each way. Apart from personally preferring petrol I also wanted something different if I got another Golf, I think the petrol & DSG just about does that. Got to say when I test drove the manual the difference between the two was even more pronounced, the lightness at the front was astounding, the fact it seems to be a very good engine and not only has comparable BHP but decent torque of 185lb/ft (same as my current A3 1.6TDI, 50 less than the 2.0TDI granted) too made the decision for me.Even though I was not considering one, I have been thinking maybe an A3 sportback or Q3 as an everyday car for nipping around might be a good option.
There were some silly cheap contract hire deals on the A3 or Q3 1.4tfsi last quarter but now they all seem to be 2.0tdis again, but I will keep an eye out.
I test drove four;
10 miles; 37.5mpg (manual) (same route manual 2.0TDI got 49mpg)
21 miles; 42.5mpg DSG
10 miles; 39mpg DSG
40 miles; 47.7mpg DSG
The 40 mile one had 3k+ miles, the rest circa 1k.
Think it's fair to say you can get reasonable MPG but you need to be driving sedately.
The thing is I test drove the manual petrol and 2.0TDI back to back, if you REALLY want the diesel don't do this, as once you have there is no decision to be made, not only is the petrol MUCH better than the diesel for the obvious reasons, it's clearly a good engine in it's own right, and with 80kg less over the nose it's a revelation in comparison.
Mines due late September and I'll be reporting back frequently on MPG, I'm hoping this engine could give hope for those desperate to get out of derv yet still retain some decent MPG, we shall see.
10 miles; 37.5mpg (manual) (same route manual 2.0TDI got 49mpg)
21 miles; 42.5mpg DSG
10 miles; 39mpg DSG
40 miles; 47.7mpg DSG
The 40 mile one had 3k+ miles, the rest circa 1k.
Think it's fair to say you can get reasonable MPG but you need to be driving sedately.
The thing is I test drove the manual petrol and 2.0TDI back to back, if you REALLY want the diesel don't do this, as once you have there is no decision to be made, not only is the petrol MUCH better than the diesel for the obvious reasons, it's clearly a good engine in it's own right, and with 80kg less over the nose it's a revelation in comparison.
Mines due late September and I'll be reporting back frequently on MPG, I'm hoping this engine could give hope for those desperate to get out of derv yet still retain some decent MPG, we shall see.
LeoSayer said:
Thanks for the post, but I think the Golf SE has 125PS engine, not the 150.
Agreed, it also doesn't have ACT, but it will be interesting to see the difference - I think VW quote something like 0.7l/100km saved with ACT, & given their overall of MPG of 60 (DSG) & my stats on test drives I'll take this equally with a pinch of salt!JackReacher said:
Surprised it weighs that much more. But as always with these reviews quoting the official figure isn't much help is it! If they genuinely drove it why can't they give their test mpg.
I'm finding it incredibly difficult to find a 1.4 ACT to drive in a Golf/Leon/A3. I need more than a trip round the dealers 3 mile test route too. I really want to go petrol but worried that the average economy isn't going to be up to it. Our current A1 1.6tdi averages 55-60mpg on the commute doing 20,000 miles a year. That's about 73-80% of the official combined figure. If I apply that to the 1.4 ACT I'll be looking at 44-48mpg, which will cost about £460 a year more in fuel than the 1.6tdi.
I'm trying to convince myself that's a small price to pay for a refined petrol engine with more poke
If you read back over my posts you'll see I was in a similar position - albeit I'm off setting some of the additional cost from the cheaper BIK. I'm finding it incredibly difficult to find a 1.4 ACT to drive in a Golf/Leon/A3. I need more than a trip round the dealers 3 mile test route too. I really want to go petrol but worried that the average economy isn't going to be up to it. Our current A1 1.6tdi averages 55-60mpg on the commute doing 20,000 miles a year. That's about 73-80% of the official combined figure. If I apply that to the 1.4 ACT I'll be looking at 44-48mpg, which will cost about £460 a year more in fuel than the 1.6tdi.
I'm trying to convince myself that's a small price to pay for a refined petrol engine with more poke
I test drove some second hand ones out of VW garages, with a few miles on them it should be more representative of what you'll get once run in. Just look on AT, there are few about - rarely do you see a petrol non-GTI Golf MK7, let alone one where the letters S & I of the TSI are red (denoting it's a 140bhp one). I'd say 44-48 based on my drives is on the good side of what you can expect if driven sensibly/sedately.
However, if you're thinking about erring on the side of caution i.e. getting the diesel do NOT do what I did & test the 2.0TDI back to back with the TSI, there's no decision to be made.
Incidentally you're not comparing like for like, the 140 TSi is comparable to the 2.0TDI, get yourself onto vwaudiforum.co.uk and read the long running post in the Golf MK7 section about 2.0TDI MPG being nothing like VW claims........
Edited by acme on Monday 18th August 22:44
Edited by acme on Monday 18th August 22:44
JackReacher said:
So I test drove a Leon 1.4 ACT today and we've decided it's the car for us. The engine really is good! It's quiet, refined, economical but also offers punchy performance when needed. We had the car on our own for about an hour, and I took the picture below at the end of the test drive. 49mpg from a petrol car offering 150bhp, it's very impressive. The car only had 750 miles on the clock so I imagine that would get better. I should say however that the roads where pretty much ideal without much traffic, which will be similar to our useage so I think this will be achievable for us but if you were doing more urban driving I'd expect low 40's. I did give the beans a few times in sport mode and it certainly has a decent amount of power.
As for the Leon itself, we've driven one a couple of times before but this engine is my far the best suited to it. It drives very well, loads of kit included, and I prefer the external look to the A3/Golf. Most of all, we like that it's a bit more individual and not just another Golf/A3. Getting back in the A1 after we didn't feel like we were getting into a more upmarket vehicle, the Leon interior has a few cheaper plastics but on the whole it still feels a quality/Germanic item. Starting up the 1.6tdi, it felt a bit prehistoric.
We will be ordering one as soon as we decide on spec. Need to negotiate with the dealer as well, they were fantastic, very helpful and we'd like to order from them. But they will need to get closer to the DTD price of £17,500.
Here is the evidence
Great that you liked it. I totally agree, after driving it in the Golf getting back in my Audi A3 1.6TDI was quite a shock! I think 49mpg is superb, and better than I got in a DSG Golf over 40 VERY sedate miles. As for 17500, that is superb, given that the Golf with DSG is 25k without discount!As for the Leon itself, we've driven one a couple of times before but this engine is my far the best suited to it. It drives very well, loads of kit included, and I prefer the external look to the A3/Golf. Most of all, we like that it's a bit more individual and not just another Golf/A3. Getting back in the A1 after we didn't feel like we were getting into a more upmarket vehicle, the Leon interior has a few cheaper plastics but on the whole it still feels a quality/Germanic item. Starting up the 1.6tdi, it felt a bit prehistoric.
We will be ordering one as soon as we decide on spec. Need to negotiate with the dealer as well, they were fantastic, very helpful and we'd like to order from them. But they will need to get closer to the DTD price of £17,500.
Here is the evidence
the-photographer said:
Full report when it arrives please
As per previous posts on here/requests I committed to giving some feedback. It's only been a week/700 miles but here's my initial thoughts;Engine
On start up it's silky smooth & inevitably this helps with the stop/start that I'd often turn off on my A3 1.6TDI. With the incredible NVH levels it really is a very relaxing car to drive - appreciate some might not want that in their car but this is just my daily driver/company hack so that's a real bonus to me. Inevitably I'm still running it in so can't really comment on power at the moment, but on the few times I've given it a quick squirt it seems to have plenty of kick down, in that respect it's diesel like - inevitable with a turbo & 185lb/ft.
To quote Dan Prosser in Evo when recently comparing & concluding the test on the Golf GTD & BMW 220D, 'they'll always be restricted due to their 4 pot diesel engines', well the 1.4TSI really shows this to be true, it's incredible how smooth it is. Plus with 85kg less weight over the nose as compared to the 2.0TDI it feels so much lighter on its toes, this is VERY noticeable when compared back to back with the 2.0TDI as I did.
Powertrain
Occasional jerks from the gear change and its interface to the engine, admittedly better than some manual gear changes, I've not really used manual so far, but seems good on the few occasions I have, worryingly neither have I really missed changing gear......(in my defence I've driven along some s
te roads this week!)NVH
Incredible in a word. Shut the doors and the world melts away, as above not all might like that but for what I do it's really appreciated.
MPG
First off it's clear it's not going to be as good as diesel. In my MK5 GT TDI (PD) I'd get OBC of 58mpg frequently on the commute, driven sedately the TSI's getting 48 - good but inevitably nowhere near 60 - as expected really. But, it's so much nicer than a diesel I simply don't care, I cannot get over how smooth it is in comparison, I'd defy anyone to do a back to back test with the diesel and prefer it, even non-petrolheads couldn't fail to notice the difference.
I've done four 120 mile trips this week, OBC of 45.9, 46.2, 47.9 & 49 - albeit 65-75 mainly with adaptive cruise on.
Quality/fitment
Some tests have suggested it's bank vault like, time will tell, but when Chris Harris tested the MK7 GTI he noted that VW were very good at making the common touch points feel like quality items but taking cost out of those outside peripheral vision - have to say I'd agree, some things i.e. the under seat storage appear quite cheap. But overall very good.
Interior/Comfort/gadgets
Personally I can't say the seats are perfect, apparently the non-sports seats (I think) won some back award.
Negatives
Ride - when I test drove one the first owner had part ex'd it because of the ride, he was retired apparently, and I can understand that for some it would be overly stiff. It's not as hard as a mates latter Mk5 GT (the ones which were badged GT) but MUCH stiffer than my early MK5 GT (wasn't badged as GT so I assume didn't have GTI suspension). It's OK for me as I appreciate the lowered suspension/17" wheels give a more 'sporty' ride but I can understand why one test I read suggested it spoilt the car.
Boot - it's suppose to be 30l bigger than the MK6 which I assume was the same as the MK5, it seems a LOT smaller in my eyes, and must be smaller than my old A3. If this was your only family car I think you'd have to consider very carefully if it was big enough, if you require pram/buggy space I think it would be far too small.
Looks - subjective I appreciate. I think it's a decent looking car, but of course it's a Golf, so rather 'boring' in many ways. With the GT spec I'd suggest the additional chrome/cherry red light clusters etc look good, especially against the darker colours. I appreciate a Golf is not suppose to be revolutionary, but I'd suggest this car is in terms of driving/living with and so you could argue VW are missing a trick, buyers will simply think it's another Golf.
Overall (bearing in mind I had a MK5 'til earlier in the year for 50k miles)
Couldn't be happier, I really wasn't sure if the diesel wouldn't be better for what I do and if a small 1.4 petrol would 'cope', as for DSG as oppose to my beloved manual........I'd say if you're considering one go for it.
As previously noted when this engine was launched in the Polo GT a couple of years back I did think then with the claimed MPG it would potentially give me a route out of diesel, coincidentally with a change of job and a company car I've now got the opportunity to find out. As a company car I'll be doing circa 20-25k miles so will report back in particular on MPG, of which (sadly) I'm logging on a spreadsheet!
Cheers
One test really was critical, but I do wonder if it's less about suspension harshness more that the chassis is very stiff- all part of MQB from what I understand.
I'd be surprised if 50 plus was possible, but could be once it's got a few more miles & perhaps not using the ACC.
On the first full tank OBC showed 46, brim to brim was 42.
I'd be surprised if 50 plus was possible, but could be once it's got a few more miles & perhaps not using the ACC.
On the first full tank OBC showed 46, brim to brim was 42.
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