TDi or not to TDi

[Mx]

Hello all
Looking to get a scirocco dsg and don’t like the idea of 24mpg from the 2.0tsi or unreliability from the 1.4tsi so that leaves the TDi (170 bhp of corse).
I do about 24 miles round trip to work but with some longer journeys every couple of weeks so I don’t think the DPF will be a problem.
I mainly want to know if a 2010 onwards scirocco will be safe from the diesel laws coming in as not to clued up on them?
Thanks in advance !!

[sparks_E39]

The 2.0 tsi gets more than 24 mpg. Also the 1.4 tsi problems are vastly overrated, but the one to have is the 2.0. To be fair the tdi is a great engine.

If you don’t live in a big city forget about the diesel laws.

[Ron99]

Mx said:

......Looking to get a scirocco dsg and don’t like the idea of 24mpg from the 2.0tsi..........

I'd be surprised if the mpg was that poor unless you thrash it about everywhere, overtake everything just to get to the next traffic light, or sit in long queues of crawling traffic.

I bet you could sit at 70-80mph on the motorway and still easily get 35mpg. Probably easily get 45mpg on single carriageway at 50-60mph.

[Jimmy No Hands]

Unhook that caravan you're pulling and you'll easily achieve 32-38 mpg with the TSI. If not more.

[Mx]

sparks_E39 said:

The 2.0 tsi gets more than 24 mpg. Also the 1.4 tsi problems are vastly overrated, but the one to have is the 2.0. To be fair the tdi is a great engine.

If you don’t live in a big city forget about the diesel laws.

I joined the owners club on Facebook (probably the nicest owners club I’ve been in that makes me want to get one even more) and most of the people said around 24/26mpg from the dsg 2.0tsi. And I think if you get the turbo only 1.4 it’s fine but the twincharged is problematic.

And I live in Surrey outside London and only drive into London to watch football which isn’t often!
It’s the thought of nearly 300 torque after a map but still keeping 40+ mpg sounds so good haha

[Mx]

Ron99 said:

Mx said:

......Looking to get a scirocco dsg and don’t like the idea of 24mpg from the 2.0tsi..........

I'd be surprised if the mpg was that poor unless you thrash it about everywhere, overtake everything just to get to the next traffic light, or sit in long queues of crawling traffic.

I bet you could sit at 70-80mph on the motorway and still easily get 35mpg. Probably easily get 45mpg on single carriageway at 50-60mph.

Hmm sounds good. I was going from figures I’ve asked on the owners club. I’m coming from a manual mk5 gti golf so similar engine which in summer gives me about 32mpg and 30mpg in the cold

[Mx]

Jimmy No Hands said:

Unhook that caravan you're pulling and you'll easily achieve 32-38 mpg with the TSI. If not more.

Haha that made me chuckle!
I thought as much but apparently it’s the laziness in me wanting the auto which doesn’t help as I’m getting 30mpg now in my mk5 gti Golf

[Ron99]

Mx said:

Haha that made me chuckle!
I thought as much but apparently it’s the laziness in me wanting the auto which doesn’t help as I’m getting 30mpg now in my mk5 gti Golf

Given the usage you describe, I'm surprised you only get 30mpg from a Golf GTi.
Do you accelerate hard all the time? Do you brake hard all the time? Do you overtake everything in front of you?

[Mx]

Ron99 said:

Mx said:

Haha that made me chuckle!
I thought as much but apparently it’s the laziness in me wanting the auto which doesn’t help as I’m getting 30mpg now in my mk5 gti Golf

Given the usage you describe, I'm surprised you only get 30mpg from a Golf GTi.
Do you accelerate hard all the time? Do you brake hard all the time? Do you overtake everything in front of you?

.....maybe
No to be honest I work shifts so when it’s early in the morning or late at night I do drive a bit spirited but when driving home or to work during the day very granny style as busy roads.

It’s 12 miles to and back but all backroads so quite a bit of accelerating and braking

[samoht]

Mx said:

I mainly want to know if a 2010 onwards scirocco will be safe from the diesel laws coming in as not to clued up on them?
Thanks in advance !!

The diesel laws that were recently announced at the last budget will not affect any used cars, only new diesels bought from April next year. So a 2010 Scirocco won't be bumped up into a higher tax band, tax will just go up with inflation, same as everything else. I think it would be unlikely (though not impossible) that existing diesels would be retrospectively hit with substantial tax increases beyond inflation (although Gordon Brown did apply retrospective tax increases in the past).

I would expect that within the next 3-5 years, the South Circular road will be an emissions boundary, and a 2010-era diesel would by that time have to pay more to go north of there in towards central London. But if you only go there a few times a year, no big deal.

A 2.0 turbo petrol Scirocco should do the same economy as a 2.0 turbo petrol Golf GTi I would have thought. With older turbos a remap can improve economy, if the Scirocco really does 24mpg there's likely room to improve.

[Ron99]

Mx said:

.....maybe
No to be honest I work shifts so when it’s early in the morning or late at night I do drive a bit spirited but when driving home or to work during the day very granny style as busy roads.

It’s 12 miles to and back but all backroads so quite a bit of accelerating and braking

I don't think 12 miles each way is really enough for a diesel.
A few years ago I had a diesel Astra and in winter it often took 10 miles or more along A-roads at 40-60mph just for the engine temperature gauge to reach normal.
During that time I never noticed it try to regen and it wouldn't surprise me if it is unable to regen until up to normal temperature, after which a regen lasting at least ten minutes can be performed.

[steve-5snwi]

I used to get 37mpg out of my remapped dsg A3tdi, the Leon Cupra manual that replaced it was 30mpg, i know what i would drive and it wouldn't be the tdi (i hated that audi it was so dull to drive)

[Mx]

samoht said:

Mx said:

I mainly want to know if a 2010 onwards scirocco will be safe from the diesel laws coming in as not to clued up on them?
Thanks in advance !!

The diesel laws that were recently announced at the last budget will not affect any used cars, only new diesels bought from April next year. So a 2010 Scirocco won't be bumped up into a higher tax band, tax will just go up with inflation, same as everything else. I think it would be unlikely (though not impossible) that existing diesels would be retrospectively hit with substantial tax increases beyond inflation (although Gordon Brown did apply retrospective tax increases in the past).

I would expect that within the next 3-5 years, the South Circular road will be an emissions boundary, and a 2010-era diesel would by that time have to pay more to go north of there in towards central London. But if you only go there a few times a year, no big deal.

A 2.0 turbo petrol Scirocco should do the same economy as a 2.0 turbo petrol Golf GTi I would have thought. With older turbos a remap can improve economy, if the Scirocco really does 24mpg there's likely room to improve.

Thank you for the nice in-depth information. Very helpful. Doesn’t look like if I got the TDi it could sting me as much. I thought the mpg should be the same, maybe a bit less going from manual to DSG.
I do plan to be getting a S14a or gtst as a weekend car so that’s why I guess I keep trying to put myself off the petrol so I don’t have to run 2 sport petrol cars haha.

[cuprabob]

I own a 170 Tdi Scirocco and it is a good compromise between performance and economy. I struggle to get the average less than 50mpg with normal everyday driving.

Market is flooded with 140 Tdi Sciroccos but we'll specced 170s are a bit rarer so finding a good one may be difficult unless you have a bit of patience.

2.0 TSI (210bhp) will get over 30mpg without too much difficulty unless driven by an idiot. Even the R will get more than 24 mpg unless it's driven around town all the time.

[Mx]

cuprabob said:

I own a 170 Tdi Scirocco and it is a good compromise between performance and economy. I struggle to get the average less than 50mpg with normal everyday driving.

Market is flooded with 140 Tdi Sciroccos but we'll specced 170s are a bit rarer so finding a good one may be difficult unless you have a bit of patience.

2.0 TSI (210bhp) will get over 30mpg without too much difficulty unless driven by an idiot. Even the R will get more than 24 mpg unless it's driven around town.

Good to hear. I think the ‘DSG Farts’ will be the main and only thing I’ll miss going TDi as I don’t plan to modify it much.
Also if I did it would 100% be the 170 as I like the nicer exhaust tips and correct me if I’m wrong but they have a internal sound generator in them?

[cuprabob]

Mx said:

Good to hear. I think the ‘DSG Farts’ will be the main and only thing I’ll miss going TDi as I don’t plan to modify it much.
Also if I did it would 100% be the 170 as I like the nicer exhaust tips and correct me if I’m wrong but they have a internal sound generator in them?

The chrome tips don't stay shiny long unless you keep on top of them.

Yes, it does have the Soundaktor which gives a nice raspy sound when you accelerate.

[Mx]

cuprabob said:

Mx said:

Good to hear. I think the ‘DSG Farts’ will be the main and only thing I’ll miss going TDi as I don’t plan to modify it much.
Also if I did it would 100% be the 170 as I like the nicer exhaust tips and correct me if I’m wrong but they have a internal sound generator in them?

The chrome tips don't stay shiny long unless you keep on top of them.

Yes, it does have the Soundaktor which gives a nice raspy sound when you accelerate.

Haha I’m sure I have some autosol around in the garage.

And I thought so, think it may be the one

[jsims1]

I've literally just bought myself a DSG 2.0 TSi Scirocco GT last Saturday and couldn't be happier with it. Came from a 2007 A3 2.0TDi 170 which although a good car didn't really do anything for me so bade the change after wanting one for a few years now.
The Scirocco is averaging 38.4mpg (according to the computer) on my 20 mile commute to work each way and I just got 420 miles out of this tank of fuel.
If you like petrol cars then get the TSi and don't look back, no point having the diesel when the petrol variant is this good!

[Mx]

jsims1 said:

I've literally just bought myself a DSG 2.0 TSi Scirocco GT last Saturday and couldn't be happier with it. Came from a 2007 A3 2.0TDi 170 which although a good car didn't really do anything for me so bade the change after wanting one for a few years now.
The Scirocco is averaging 38.4mpg (according to the computer) on my 20 mile commute to work each way and I just got 420 miles out of this tank of fuel.
If you like petrol cars then get the TSi and don't look back, no point having the diesel when the petrol variant is this good!

Wow that is good figures!
And honestly I don’t rate the gti much. But drove a viper green dsg TDi a couple of years ago (not sure if 140 or 170) and found it really fun, the pull of the torque.
But I’d imagine the newer TSI in the Rocco body might be more fun. Guess I’ll have to test them both

[jsims1]

Mx said:

jsims1 said:

I've literally just bought myself a DSG 2.0 TSi Scirocco GT last Saturday and couldn't be happier with it. Came from a 2007 A3 2.0TDi 170 which although a good car didn't really do anything for me so bade the change after wanting one for a few years now.
The Scirocco is averaging 38.4mpg (according to the computer) on my 20 mile commute to work each way and I just got 420 miles out of this tank of fuel.
If you like petrol cars then get the TSi and don't look back, no point having the diesel when the petrol variant is this good!

Wow that is good figures!
And honestly I don’t rate the gti much. But drove a viper green dsg TDi a couple of years ago (not sure if 140 or 170) and found it really fun, the pull of the torque.
But I’d imagine the newer TSI in the Rocco body might be more fun. Guess I’ll have to test them both

Mine is a 58 plate so has the same 200ps unit as the mk5 GTi but certainly doesn't feel lacking at all and that DSG box is great, don't know why I haven't had an auto before!
As a side note, I had a 2009 Golf GTD last year which again was a great car but I could not imagine the Scirocco being half the car it is now with that diesel engine in. Like you mentioned the torque was good and the fuel economy around 48 or so per gallon but I'd take the petrol all day after having this one.
Go drive both and see what you think but I'd be surprised if the derv was the one you went for.