danp Posted February 15, 2008 Report Share Posted February 15, 2008 Hi all,I wondered if anyone had owned/driven the two and could compare and contrast?- which is smoother? 3 pot TDI or 4 pot SDI?- mpg - both seem pretty similar from doing a search? (60mpg+ seems achievable with a decent run)- TDI is obviously a bit quicker, noticeably so?Thanks! Dan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cardaft Posted February 16, 2008 Report Share Posted February 16, 2008 Ive been in an SDI and own a TDi.The SDi is nosier than the TDi and it pulls but only for a very sort time in the rev band, the TDi pulls pretty much all the time so it makes motorway driving effortless.MPG wise i think you might get a bit better MPG with the SDi as most TDi drivers seem to average about 55MPG. But if you try you can get 60 average. Ive had 70 ish MPG on a few occassions on pure motorway drives.A mate had an SDi, after he went in my TDi he soon sold up and bought a TDi!I know which on i would go for so im not swapping If your wanting pure economy then i might say the SDI, but if you drive the TDI carefuly it will do about the same MPG but its quieter and effortless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pateyvdub1 Posted February 16, 2008 Report Share Posted February 16, 2008 GET A TDI Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
little red devil Posted February 16, 2008 Report Share Posted February 16, 2008 sdi are such a noisy slow engine compared with tdis i would go tdi every time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deathhead Posted February 16, 2008 Report Share Posted February 16, 2008 i own an sdi and have driven a tdi. no comparison. get a tdi. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougless Posted February 16, 2008 Report Share Posted February 16, 2008 which is smoother? 3 pot TDI or 4 pot SDI?This is an interesting question, although I have just ‘discovered’ the joys of Lupo’s I have driven a few Diesels and previously owned a TDI Multivan for five years. Anyone familiar with the Transporter range will know that they used a variety of engines but the most popular were the 5 cylinder Audi derived Diesel motors. The smoothest was meant to be the 2.4 5 cylinder SDI, several mechanics and one salesman made the same comment about that engine. I never drove a 2.4 but lived with a 88hp 2.5 TDI for a long time and it was a wonderful engine but not as smooth as I would have expected. The 103hp one was no smoother, just had more grunt. The smoothest and most astounding Diesel I drove was in a worn out Caddy van I borrowed whilst my Multivan was being serviced. That engine had been round the clock a few times and had never been cared for; this van was a commercial dealers hack. However the engine was phenomenal, smooth and free revving like a good petrol engine. It had the 1900sdi engine in it, a close relative of the Lupo sdi engine. The worst VW Diesel I ever drove had the same type of engine, a 1900, but it was the turbo version fitted in a Transporter. It was a weird experience, it revved but never seemed to get anywhere and was intrusive in a way the larger five pot motor wasn’t. However you will be pleased to know that the worst Diesel I ever drove was not a VW, it was in one of those awful Chrysler Voyager things. It had a dreadful gearbox as well. That thing made the Multivan seem like a limo.Back to Loopy’s, the sdi engine seems to be a 1900 with a shorter stroke. I might be wrong about this but it does have the same bore as the 1900 and I can’t imagine they would make a one off engine just for the Lupo/Arosa. Why did the go to the trouble of shortening the stroke? Probably by reducing the capacity slightly, they were able to get the emissions below the magic figure of 120. Very important in environmentally conscious Germany and has the benefit of giving SDI Lupo’s a low tax band for VED.The TDI on the other hand seems to be ¾ of a 1900 with twin balancer shafts to smooth things out. I would love to drive one and compare it to its non turbo cousin. My guess is it will need far less gear changing but as for smoothness, it might be partly the balancer shafts that make it seem smoother than the four pot sdi, not the fact it’s a turbo or a triple. One of the smoothest four stroke bike engines I ever experienced was also a 3 cylinder motor, a Triumph, and that also had balancer shafts.The limited miles I have covered in my SDI Lupo have really quite impressed me. The engine smoothes out once warm and the engine noise is only intrusive on tick over. Pulls 75 – 85 very happily on motorways but definitely lacks the low down grunt that you would get from a turbo and hills need to be thought about. You seem to need to keep the revs above 2000 or nothing much happens and that will mean changing down on long hills. Each car has its own driving style and I am still adapting to the Lupo’s.Another way of looking at this is that there are other advantages with a basic (E model) SDI over a TDI:• No turbo• No intercooler• No electric windows• No central lockingThese are all extra hassles on older vehicles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danp Posted February 17, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 17, 2008 Thanks for the replies, sounds like the TDI is the "better" engine as I guess you would expect, but I agree that there is something to be said for simplicity once cars get older...a friend was saying last night the it can be expensive to get stuff fixed on these high pressure, common rail type diesels (e.g. injectors etc etc)Perhaps I'll try one of each and see what turns up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cardaft Posted February 17, 2008 Report Share Posted February 17, 2008 which is smoother? 3 pot TDI or 4 pot SDI?This is an interesting question, although I have just ‘discovered’ the joys of Lupo’s I have driven a few Diesels and previously owned a TDI Multivan for five years. Anyone familiar with the Transporter range will know that they used a variety of engines but the most popular were the 5 cylinder Audi derived Diesel motors. The smoothest was meant to be the 2.4 5 cylinder SDI, several mechanics and one salesman made the same comment about that engine. I never drove a 2.4 but lived with a 88hp 2.5 TDI for a long time and it was a wonderful engine but not as smooth as I would have expected. The 103hp one was no smoother, just had more grunt. The TDI on the other hand seems to be ¾ of a 1900 with twin balancer shafts to smooth things out. I would love to drive one and compare it to its non turbo cousin. My guess is it will need far less gear changing but as for smoothness, it might be partly the balancer shafts that make it seem smoother than the four pot sdi, not the fact it’s a turbo or a triple. One of the smoothest four stroke bike engines I ever experienced was also a 3 cylinder motor, a Triumph, and that also had balancer shafts.We have a 2003 103 2.5TDi Caravelle. I know what you mean about its engine isnt very smooth, its quite noisey when started up but it does get less noiesy once its warm and above town speeds its quite hard to tell its a diesel. Although ours is remapped and it got a lot smoother after the 'map. It pulls like a train now though!Thanks for the replies, sounds like the TDI is the "better" engine as I guess you would expect, but I agree that there is something to be said for simplicity once cars get older...a friend was saying last night the it can be expensive to get stuff fixed on these high pressure, common rail type diesels (e.g. injectors etc etc)Perhaps I'll try one of each and see what turns up.Well hopefully it being a VW it should last and so should the electrics, in theory anyway. Its a shame its not really the case and i dont believe VWs are what they are cracked up to be! We have had prroblems with all three of our Vag cars, the one that has only caused one problem (an iffy relay) is my Arosa TDi. Id get the TDi, they are quite solid things and the engines and gearboxes are built to last. THey have a hydraulic clutch so (unless your really unlucky, but ive not heard of it) it avoids the lupos pedal box issues! Unlike the SDI. Id buy the TDi, it seems a much nicer car to live with, having more kit and more go about its engine.It is a very smooth engine though, and very very refined. I didnt even consider an SDi when i was looking for my diesel. I didnt really want the TDi for its speed as my other car is a 1.0 im quite used to that, but the speed is nice to have in the TDi and i find i drive it quite quickly as a restult. TBH a Lupo TDi is quite basic car in the grand terms of things, just think when new cars of today become 10 years old, nothing will work, not many garages will have the computers to be able to plug the car into, self servicing will be a thing of the past and there are more electic gadgets than people know what to do with. Keyless entry, cruise, climate, cars which slow down to the speed of the car in front when they approach, cars which detect an accident. Imagine owning them in a good few years time!It just brings back the fact that it having electric windows and central locking are fairly basic things and quite easily fixed!The 1,4 TDi engine is quite solid and ive not heard of any big problems with them. On arosa TDi on here has about 200K miles on it and its remapped and its got a chip on it! So i think they are made for the long run!I think its really, SDi is pure for economy and needs to be worked harder to gain progress, its also a bit noisier but its a simple engine (one which would probably quite happily run on veg oil, i wouldnt like to put that in the TDi however!) Although i did readc recently from VW driver that the TDi lupo is actually a little bit more economical than the TDI. You just need to stop yourself driving it quickly!.The TDi is maybe a little bit more to buy, but its more desirable, will sell better, its quicker and more refined, It has better goodies and is, for me anyway, the best all rounder engine in the lupo! And ive been in all engine models of lupos and driven most of them. So im happy i went TDI Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plug Posted February 18, 2008 Report Share Posted February 18, 2008 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocky Posted February 21, 2008 Report Share Posted February 21, 2008 Are we talking about 3L and SDI lupo? It's a big diferent. In 3L you don't have power steering, no electric windows and thats very important for driving quality. But SDI is heavy engine only made for fuel and maintance economy, but still have a enough power to pull as a mule. But if you talking about 1.4 TDI then you don't have to think much more, buy TDI but only 1.4 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tigz™ Posted February 21, 2008 Report Share Posted February 21, 2008 I think its really, SDi is pure for economy and needs to be worked harder to gain progress, its also a bit noisier but its a simple engineWasn't it an old Jetta engine? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cardaft Posted February 21, 2008 Report Share Posted February 21, 2008 Are we talking about 3L and SDI lupo? It's a big diferent. In 3L you don't have power steering, no electric windows and thats very important for driving quality. But SDI is heavy engine only made for fuel and maintance economy, but still have a enough power to pull as a mule. But if you talking about 1.4 TDI then you don't have to think much more, buy TDI but only 1.4 . Since we dont get the 3L its the 1.4TDi were talking about. Wasn't it an old Jetta engine?Yeah i think your right, its been around for ages now. Very like the 1.9TDi infact ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danp Posted February 26, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 26, 2008 You know I do actually really like the idea of a 3L, have enquired about a couple but no luck as of yet...but suspect will start off with a UK SDI/TDI to start with (and go pick up the 3L with it ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAB Posted February 26, 2008 Report Share Posted February 26, 2008 (edited) Just to correct one point. Later 3L's did have a power steering option, all-electric as well, no hydraulics!http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0UD..._14/ai_69240052RAB Edited February 26, 2008 by RAB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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