1.7 SDI vs 1.4 TDI

[joemasini]

I know that the TDI is more sporty and desirable, but economy wise what is better, mpg, miles per tank, cost to fill up etc. Obviously ythe SDI is cheaper to buy than the TDI, but this means we can pick up a low miler and slightly better condition.

What are the pro's and con's? please advise.

we are going from a 1.4 16v sport to a diesel, due to the miles my gf drives, she obviously wants a TDI but can not find one in our price range with ok miles.

what are people thoughts on this?

cheers

[jeyesh]

TDi is better. More power as it has a turbo and is a PD engine so is more desirable and is hard to get hold of as everybody wants one and they hardly ever come up for sale. I htink there is one Seat Arosa Tdi for sale at the moment for about £3200 with 60k on the clock which is a bargain!! The arosa Tdi's come wih remote central locking and a few other extras that Lupo's didnt have!!

SDi (what I have) non turbo diesel engine. THis is generally more noisier and will not give the same power delivery as the Tdi. But it gives the same fuel economy!! Two weeks ago, I filled up with £30 and this gave me 450 miles to the tank which comes to 68MPG!!

Fuel tank is the same i think and you can fill up around 30-33 litres (thats what i put in anyway). All TDi's have the Kyalami alloys wheels and are generally much more quieter than the SDi. I think Paul on here has had nearly 700 miles to the tank on his SDi but that was exceptional with filling the car right up to the brim and some free coasting where safe.

Fuel economy was I think they are both the same, but I could be wrong....

Edited November 9, 2007 by jeyesh

[Mike_M]

TDI in my opinion and chip it

I want a TDI for week days and the GTI for weekends in an ideal world as get 230-240 miles to £25 of petrol

[Pateyvdub1]

Yeah i have a TDI and love it...really nippy little car! great fuel consumption and CHEAP INSURANCE!

[Paul]

I think Paul on here has had nearly 700 miles to the tank on his SDi but that was exceptional with filling the car right up to the brim and some free coasting where safe.

670.9 miles

joemasini - As you're going from a 1.4 16V petrol to diesel, you'd probably find the 60bhp SDi too slow and unresponsive. Therefore, the TDi might be more suitable.

But whichever one you choose, both qualify for £35 roadtax per year

[Tigz™]

the sdi is slower than a 1.0. Has an engine older than the microchip and turns you into someone who's proud to say you can get 700MPG by driving down the fast lane at 40MPH.

Eh Paul?

Ha!

Built like a tank though.

I dont know of any engine failures?

[Paul]

the sdi is slower than a 1.0. Has an engine older than the microchip and turns you into someone who's proud to say you can get 700MPG by driving down the fast lane at 40MPH.

Eh Paul?

Ha!

Built like a tank though.

I dont know of any engine failures?

The SDi has 10bhp more than the 1.0, and according to the VW brochure, the 0-60mph time of a 1.0 is 17.7 seconds, compared to 16.8 seconds for the SDi. And the top speed of the 1.0 is 94mph, but 97mph for the SDi.

That makes the old SDi more powerful, faster, and more economical than the 1.0 petrol engine

[Tigz™]

my 1.0 does 99mph showing on the road angel.

From point to point its a much quicker car.

Still slow. But not quite as slow.

[Paul]

my 1.0 does 99mph showing on the road angel.

From point to point its a much quicker car.

Still slow. But not quite as slow.

There's no way I was saying the SDi is quick. Far from it.

Anyway, I suggested the TDi to joemasini and still do. It'd make the transition from petrol to diesel that much easier:)

[Picola]

Plus you get the added extras on a TDI and if lucky, like ones self, a Gti cloth interior.

[jon_273]

From point to point its a much quicker car.

A 1.0 much quicker than a SDi? I wouldn't say so. It's been a while since I've been in the two but I remember the SDi being quicker than I was expecting (I was not expecting much!). Very torquey under 2000 rpm. The only thing is that once you get to 2000 rpm it doesn't rev any faster, so you may as well change gear and get good fuel economy. With the TDi the turbo kicks in and then it starts to shift, but if you boot it all the time then economy goes down (to a lowly 52mpg ).

The SDi is likely to give better economy but coming from a petrol sport I'd say go with the TDi, as Paul says, makes the transition easier.

Edited November 11, 2007 by jon_273

[Tigz™]

no i'm saying a 1.0 is quicker!

[joemasini]

thanks for all this advise, the car is going to be a change for my gf, i drive the car mostly at weekends, but she does about 250+ miles per week, not really that bothered regarding power, plus depending on what we get for the sport will determin what we get i suppose.

Agreed i would much perfer the TDI as would Amy, but its just if we find one with half decent miles/condition etc....

We are willing to swap the good condition, low miler sport for a not as good, higher miler TDI, Black or silver.....so if anyone hears please PM me etc....

Big thanks on this guys, mpg is prob most important, but at the same time i think she will be slightly desapointed with the power drop.

[Verbal]

thanks for all this advise, the car is going to be a change for my gf, i drive the car mostly at weekends, but she does about 250+ miles per week, not really that bothered regarding power, plus depending on what we get for the sport will determin what we get i suppose.

Agreed i would much perfer the TDI as would Amy, but its just if we find one with half decent miles/condition etc....

We are willing to swap the good condition, low miler sport for a not as good, higher miler TDI, Black or silver.....so if anyone hears please PM me etc....

Big thanks on this guys, mpg is prob most important, but at the same time i think she will be slightly desapointed with the power drop.

I do between 250 and 350 miles a week with my Arsoa 1.4tdi and spend about £23. I should also note the car gets driven as if it were stolen, most of the time

The Tdi is great on motorways as its sits at 80 perfectly and has a good change of pace to keep up with any moving traffic. There is a silver arosa tdi up for sale around edinburgh with 88000 on the clock for £2300 (i think) its on autotrader, but other than that one, I`ve only ever seen one other for sale in Scotland in 2 years and i bought that one

[jeyesh]

no i'm saying a 1.0 is quicker!

No mate, SDi is quicker and is more torquey.

[Tigz™]

Have you driven both?

I have and the 1.0 is much quicker.

0-60 may be slightly slower, but who drives 0-60?

[Max69vk]

The SDi is slower, it may have 10bhp more but its where it is in the rev range and how 'useable' it is, on top of that the SDi lump weighs more than the 1.0

[rrdoctoruk]

i have a sdi and to be honest when you are sitting on the m25 car park it makes no difference how fast 0-60,

mine spends most of it life on the motorway sat at 70-80 most of the time doing approx 400 miles a week,

it could be for sale if i am persuaded,

get roughly 60 mpg,its not noisy at all very reliable

[cardaft]

Ive got a TDI, ive not driven an SDi but i have been in one.

I was quite impressed with the SDI, its not fast by any means, but thats not what the SDi is about really is it?!

Id say the SDi will get better MPG, simply because its slower so you wont reel the need to drive it hard since it wont privide much go. Where as the TDI is effortless and you press the pedel slightly and your off, so you dont realise it.

But on paper they are both supposed to offer pretty much the same MPG.

Id go for the TDi though, its better to live with since it has pleanty of pull, its quieter (it actually sounds quite sweet when you rev it) and its going to be better spec'd too. Although saying that its obviously going to be more expensive.

SO it really depends on how fast you want to drive and how much your wanting to spend.

As far as the 1.0 and SDi discussion goes, i think tigz is on to something. The SDi is quicker to 60 on paper, although it doesnt seem to rev easy, the 1.0 is very light and chuckable. For town work id take the 1.0 but for motorway crusing id go with the SDI.

I was only in the SDi for a few minuts, but from what i gathered it accelerated then seemed to run out of usable revs quickly so had to change gear. Where as my 1.0 likes to rev and feels quicker because of it, and it feels fun to drive. Just for the sake of saying it, 1.0 engines arnt as bad as people make out, if you get a good on of course.

I even choose the 1.0 over my TDi for town driving, it warms the engine through far far quicker, and its nice to slot through the gears and using the revs round town, where the TDi seems a little heavy and you need to get the turbo working to get any speed by then your going too fast for in town anyway. Not that i drive fast round town its just the TDi seems to take a little more effort to get going at town speeds than the 1.0, but its far quicker if you push the pedal. I know what i mean, just carnt expalin it

So what im saying is - which model you get largely depends on what you want it for

Edited November 10, 2007 by cardaft

[cardaft]

I do between 250 and 350 miles a week with my Arsoa 1.4tdi and spend about £23. I should also note the car gets driven as if it were stolen, most of the time

The Tdi is great on motorways as its sits at 80 perfectly and has a good change of pace to keep up with any moving traffic. There is a silver arosa tdi up for sale around edinburgh with 88000 on the clock for £2300 (i think) its on autotrader, but other than that one, I`ve only ever seen one other for sale in Scotland in 2 years and i bought that one

I bought mine from Scotland

[joemasini]

looks like Amy might be swaying to the seat TDI, which is good i suppose, what extras do you get in the set over the Lupo? looking to get a black or silver one, so if anyone knows who is getting rid, please let me know ASAP.

Again, thanks for all your help.

[cardaft]

looks like Amy might be swaying to the seat TDI, which is good i suppose, what extras do you get in the set over the Lupo? looking to get a black or silver one, so if anyone knows who is getting rid, please let me know ASAP.

Again, thanks for all your help.

Right ....

Lupo SDi comes in E, SE or S spec, the S is the one to go for, it has electric windows and central locking, pop out rear windows and a nicer interior. E spec is very basic though.

Lupo TDi is the sport, so 14" alloys, central locking, electric windows, electric mirrors, front fogs. Later ones have GTi seats, but then later ones will probably be more than your wanting to spend.

Arosa TDi is the S spec, which is a lot higher than the S spec lupo. Its got 14" alloys, electric windows, REMOTE central locking - All lupos (other than optional and GTIs) dont have remote locking. Arosas also get a pollen filter too. Later models 03> have ABS, a CD player, passenger air bag and dark interior.

Oh and personally i think the Arosa TDI is the best buy for lots of reasons, so nice choice.

Edited November 11, 2007 by cardaft

[canonman]

I had both tdi, sdi, and sport. Sdi isn't that slow it nippy when you need it to be. Easy motorway driver. Tdi is quick, only reason I am selling me is because I want something bigger.

[Pateyvdub1]

Big thanks on this guys, mpg is prob most important, but at the same time i think she will be slightly desapointed with the power drop.

[Petes 16V Sport]

Big thanks on this guys, mpg is prob most important, but at the same time i think she will be slightly desapointed with the power drop.

if you have the 1.4sport (100bhp) and ure goin 2 a tdi and worrying it wil b slower...then dont. the TDI is only 75bhp but there aint much diff between the both...one on one wae ma mates 1.4 16V sport (100bhp) the petrol only slightly pulls away..u gain a lot from the turbo on the TDI..and i find the TDI more fun 2 drive! plus get a remap and ure gaining around 25-30bhp for about £300-£400!

Driving normally, the TDI is probably a lot quicker than the petrol. The sport only really becomes quick if you drive it like you stole it as all the power is in the last few thousand revs.