My 16v was out of action for a week for some well needed R+R, so i was using my dads PD130 for a week. I did 200 odd miles and managed 38.2 mpg over that period, and i was hardly ragging it. considering my Mk3 16v manages 33+ mpg doing the same journeys i dont really see the point in getting a diesel car to save money, considering it costs about 12p more a litre okay, on a motorway you would probably see nearer 50 but i hardly go on them. Also, it had absolutely nothing below 1600 rpm, to the point that I always stalled it in second gear doing a rolling start, whereas my 16v which is slated for low down torque has no problems! Then you get about a 1000 rpm of torque and power before you get nothing again then have to change gear.. which does your nut in when over taking Then theres the steering... it actually handles ok but the feel is awful... it wafts all over the place and you have no idea where the wheels are. When i got in mine again i thought the steering was made of stone it was so heavy!
sure it wasnt a mk4 20vt? on the motorway your 16v can easily get over 40mpg i came back from cheshire lastnight at still got 39mpg and caned it a fair bit
ditto, I traded in my mk3 16v for a PD130 passat, does large amounts of wee all over it in terms of torque.. even on short runs I see 45-50 and thats with lots of gear changes and turbo spool ups, although it seems not to respond so well in colder weather
not really, one's a 2.0 16v hot hatch, the other is a diesel barge with a narrow power band and even worse handling.... you should be seeing much better MPG than that, and it should have felt as quick as a mk3 valver. I hate diesel power delivery and mk4 handling but a 150pd dissapears from a mk3 16v, 130 is about on par and the 110 aint too far behind from my personal experience
ill be honest, pd130s can be a right pain to get ride of if youre in a mk3.. but you can rely on the engine and the handling putting the driver into a deep coma so youll win eventually
the car has just had a fresh set of tyres... and this was in the cold snap we just had. but still. when i reset the trip computer when i got it it was at 43.4 mpg for the last 1000 or so miles my dad had done... he mainly drives to the station in it. im not saying it wasn't quick.. it just didnt feel quick. i would look down thinking i was doing 70 and it was closer to 100. And it was so frustrating having the limited power band... i honestly think i change gear less in my tractor . maybe its because im so used to my 16v... but to me acceleration is more satisfying when u can just keep you foot on the floor and you get faster and faster and faster... rather than nothing, nothing...surge of power. nothing nothing.. change gear.. 2 seconds of power.. nothing.change gear My slightly fettled 16v is quicker than the pd130...well hes probably quicker for 2 seconds then he has to change gear
I have a Fabia vRS and a Mk3 GTI 16v... Driving them both in the same manner (hard), and with both of them modified, I get 20ish MPG in the GTI, but could probably coax 30MPG out of it if I tried. I get 45ish MPG in the vRS, driving it hard, but can easily see 65 MPG out of it on a long run. The Fabia murders it everywhere except flat off off a standing start. Compare like for like car wise...and the diesels start to add up, even at higher fuel costs. 190-200 miles to empty in the GTI, 350-360 to empty in the vRS, driven in a similar style. The vRS is more relaxing, quieter, more refined etc. But I wouldn't want to do a track day in one... Or get rid on my GTI 16v.
Odd... My slightly fettled vRS is substantially quicker pretty much everywhere than my heavily modified 16v.
Having had a string of diesels, I can honestly say I am sick of them. When I get into my GF's mx5 it feels so nice, petrol cars are so much nicer to drive imo
it all depends on the car and how you drive it, I love the PDs and I can also get good miles from them with out crawling everywhere, plus it depends how the cars been looked after and if the egrs been gummed up etc etc etc. ill take you for a spin in my 2.0tdi some time, its nippy for a big comfy barge.
I'm heading the other way... I swore I'd never ever buy a diesel...but after a spin in my old man's Mk5 170 DSG, I was converted. After a year and a half with the Fabia, I just can't see me ever wanting to loose the low down torque you get with a decent diesel. Once off the line, you barely need to change gear. So much more relaxing on Motorways etc. I can't see me going back to a petrol as an everyday car (nothing to do with the cost of fuel...simply how they drive when you are just pottering about in everyday life) However, I'm not sure I'd want one as my only car...as I would miss something multi-valve and high revving for fun.
maybe where your fabia is lighter it pulls instantly, but I have had saloon type cars like Mondeo (2.2 TDCi 160bhp) Vectra (1.9 CDTi 145bhp) and they are awful off boost, big surge for 1500rpm and then flat again.... most annoying. The only time I love it, is at motorway speeds, where 5th pulls as well as 4th does in my mk3 and 6th the engine may as well have stalled it's that quiet and low revving.... I plan on paying my vectra off and keeping it purely for long journeys and then buy something fun for the short stuff
I have works 2.0 mondeo at the mo, thats nothing bellow 1700rpm then it lurches off the line, but my PD 2.0 and my old 1.9 were both smooth from idle and just get proressivly quicker, esp the 2.0 now its running 175bhp. the prob is the vectra and the mondeo both use common rail injection which is different to the PD,
^^ true, two of my mates have had the 110 gt-tdi which also isn't PD IIRC?? and they were similar. I thought the 130 was the best, with the 150 suffering from lag etc.... either way, 2k of usable power sucks, I needs revs back in my life again
the 110 is old skool rotory injection and low pressure, a different beast all togther due to how the fuel is introduced to the combusion chamber.
Ah but the 110 is only 5spd so has longer ratios. Ive had a Mk5 140Tdi and driven a Mk4 115Tdi plus a Polo 95TDi and have a 110non PD. There all slightly different but for an everday car you cannot beat a diesel. Ive had a 16v Mk3 and two VR's before and the Mk4 is better IMO. Non PD cars seem to be better on the fuel as well. Basic town driving with some back road commuting I get 50mpg. With my Corrado I get 22mpg. If I only needed one car Id have a 4motion Golf, best all round car by miles. No dount your 16v feels better but in all honesty dads car is better. You just have to learn to drive a diesel.
I'd agree...130 the best for everyday use. Less lag, and not much less top end (I can't tell much difference anyway)
