Best 4-cylinder diesel engine?...
Discussion
£3-4k would put you in a clean Mk4 tdi anniversary. Which would get you the very comfortable recaros and a sportier ride. and it looks nicer than the standard mk4. Plus theres a chance you'll not loose any money on it as the prices are slowly starting to creep up as more get broken for parts leaving less on the road.
TCX said:
Vauxhall 1.7cdti 55/06
I am using the wifes Astra 2.0 165 as my commuter now , not a great car but very good commuter. 45+ mpg, decent power and torque and comfy and refined, decent kit too in elite spec (her only criteria was it had to be red with heated leather seats), much better than equivalent VW/Ford. Has also been 100% reliable in 5 yrs owningCivic 2.2 that has been mentioned is a good engine, but not a good commuter, visibility and ride aren't great, Mazda 3 2.2 would be only other shout, good engine, decent kit and better drive but reliability is iffy
The 2.2 in the Alfa Giulia is a pretty fine engine. I was very surprised.
I am quite pleased with the 2.2 in my Freelander 2 too, from what I have heard they are pretty bulletproof.
No way I would recommend a VAG diesel. They are decent enough until they get found out for fiddling emissions tests and then the recall kills all power and/or economy.
I am quite pleased with the 2.2 in my Freelander 2 too, from what I have heard they are pretty bulletproof.
No way I would recommend a VAG diesel. They are decent enough until they get found out for fiddling emissions tests and then the recall kills all power and/or economy.
After doing 2 or 300k in the UK, many PD TDIs are purchased for practically zero pounds and subsequently dragged to Eastern Europe where they go for another decade or 2 - they are the clear favourite out there for good reason (although emissions isn't one of them...)
Somehow the Audi A3 8L gets overlooked - I find it the perfect receptacle for the 130 6 speed version - small, comfy, bombproof and better ride/handling than the Golf in SE form.
Somehow the Audi A3 8L gets overlooked - I find it the perfect receptacle for the 130 6 speed version - small, comfy, bombproof and better ride/handling than the Golf in SE form.
My vote is for the BMW '20d, before the redesign brought in the chain drive fiasco of course. Mine returned over 70mpg on long runs (a best of 78) and over 60 on back roads. I even got 35mpg towing a huge 1450kg covered trailer. 163bhp isn't bad for that economy either. They had a much wider power band than most diesels and reliability is solid - a friend's has well over 200k and still going strong. The only downsides I can think of are inherent with it being a 4 cylinder diesel engine - i.e. the sound! Much above 40mph with the windows up though and you can't really hear it.
For £1500, suitable for a long commute? I'd look no further than a Rover 75 diesel.
Diesel 4-pot, about 130bhp however the same engine used in the 320d of the day was tuned for more power, so considerably understressed. Also the Rover variant didn't feature swirl flaps as on the BMW models, which were known for disintegrating and destroying the engine. ECU maps are available to increase the power up to 160 if the standard map isn't enough.
Chain driven and pre-DPF, so no complicated emissions guff to go wrong at vast expense. On a run, 50mpg is easily attainable. In the MGR community there are plenty of 75's with the diesel that have passed 200,000 miles with only normal servicing, there's even a handful over 300,000 and I know of one or two with over 400,000 miles. So much for the myths surrounding unreliability..
It is very much a tractor engine in my eyes, it's fairly simple and robust, not massively refined but then in the 90's all dervs clattered.
If the 75 is too twee, same engine can be found in the MG ZT/ZT-T.
Diesel 4-pot, about 130bhp however the same engine used in the 320d of the day was tuned for more power, so considerably understressed. Also the Rover variant didn't feature swirl flaps as on the BMW models, which were known for disintegrating and destroying the engine. ECU maps are available to increase the power up to 160 if the standard map isn't enough.
Chain driven and pre-DPF, so no complicated emissions guff to go wrong at vast expense. On a run, 50mpg is easily attainable. In the MGR community there are plenty of 75's with the diesel that have passed 200,000 miles with only normal servicing, there's even a handful over 300,000 and I know of one or two with over 400,000 miles. So much for the myths surrounding unreliability..
It is very much a tractor engine in my eyes, it's fairly simple and robust, not massively refined but then in the 90's all dervs clattered.
If the 75 is too twee, same engine can be found in the MG ZT/ZT-T.
Had VW 1.6, 1.9 and 2.0. Between 96-2012
Ford 1.8
Honda 2.2 2004
Toyota 2.2 2008
BMW 1.6 2017-
I would say the Honda was the best. Had 140bhp same as the VW 2.0 but felt faster. Don’t know what the torque was Obviously the older , Ford esp were rough . No issues with any of them.
All around 50 mpg in general use, except Toyota in a RAV4 , low 40s.
Ford 1.8
Honda 2.2 2004
Toyota 2.2 2008
BMW 1.6 2017-
I would say the Honda was the best. Had 140bhp same as the VW 2.0 but felt faster. Don’t know what the torque was Obviously the older , Ford esp were rough . No issues with any of them.
All around 50 mpg in general use, except Toyota in a RAV4 , low 40s.
Another vote for the PD. Gruff and a bit agricultural, but effortless and punchy feeling, very unlikely to throw a massive bill at you, capable of starship mileage, and deliver genuinely impressive real world economy.
I preferred it to the XUD having owned both. The XUD was definitely smoother and quieter (above idle), but the one we had (1998 306 D Turbo) always seemed to take conscious effort to stop it dropping below the boost threshold. Both engines sounded and felt unhappy at higher revs, but the XUD wasn't happy at lower revs either.
I preferred it to the XUD having owned both. The XUD was definitely smoother and quieter (above idle), but the one we had (1998 306 D Turbo) always seemed to take conscious effort to stop it dropping below the boost threshold. Both engines sounded and felt unhappy at higher revs, but the XUD wasn't happy at lower revs either.
A1VDY said:
white_goodman said:
A1VDY said:
There's only one, VW 1.9 PD.
Various power outputs, 100, 115, 130&150hp. They're all good. Be aware though that the 6 speed gearbox can be trouble some in some variants..
Remind me which ones got the 6-speed? The 130/150 mk4 Golfs IIRC but maybe not the B5 Passats (apart from the Sport)? My spec of choice for the Passat was the Highline. More comfortable seats than the Sport and didn't ground out as easily, albeit a bit floatier...Various power outputs, 100, 115, 130&150hp. They're all good. Be aware though that the 6 speed gearbox can be trouble some in some variants..
IIRC it's the 6th gear synchro which can cause issues.
The 130hp versions were the best all rounders, plenty of torque and without the slight lag of the 150 with the bigger turbo.
Hadn't heard of 6th gear synchro issues with the 02M boxes, but I had heard of people nuking 3rd gear with big torque remaps. The 6-speed will also come with a larger clutch compared to the 5-speed (240mm vs 228mm iirc).
You'll also get this engine in the Leon/Toledo as another option.
I don't really understand the love for the VW diesels. Surely they produce less power and have poorer economy than the equivalent BMW engine? (320d ED is 163bhp and a genuine 70mpg+, so it trumps the VW on both). The VW engines also have a noticeably narrower power band and a less natural turbo feeling. I'm not saying they're bad in absolute terms, but I'm struggling to see in what way they're better.
Edited by RobM77 on Wednesday 8th July 14:17
ryan1684 said:
£3-4k would put you in a clean Mk4 tdi anniversary. Which would get you the very comfortable recaros and a sportier ride. and it looks nicer than the standard mk4. Plus theres a chance you'll not loose any money on it as the prices are slowly starting to creep up as more get broken for parts leaving less on the road.
I'm a big fan of the Mk4 Golf in TDI form, but the idea of spending £3k-£4k on one is insane!Gassing Station | Car Buying | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff