1.7 SDi reliability?

[Ry_b]

Hi all

I currently work 8 miles from the centre of Birmingham and am driving it at the moment in a car that is terrible over speed bumps and averages about 20mpg. I've decided that it would be better to buy a cheap run about. I looked at smart cars but their reliability issues troubled me as I wouldn't be saving any money if rebuilding the engine regularly!

Lupo SDi 1.7's interest me - £30 road tax, cheap insurance and tyres. No turbo to blow up (unlike my previous Audi a3! )

So I was hoping that a Lupo SDi would be reliable and cheap to run. I don't care about performance in the slightest, I'm stuck in traffic all day ( takes around an hour to do 8 miles) and I have a nice car for weekend and evening useage.

Would I be right in expecting 40mpg round town ? My main concern would be reliability. How are these cars on 80k, 100k, 140k etc? Anyone with any insight or any tips to look out for?

I really appreciate your time for reading and helping

Thanks

Ryan

Ps sorry I've posted on my iPhone for any mistakes!

[Karl_Mac_]

Most Lupos are fairly bomb proof to he honest. Not sure on the logic of going diesel if its traffic jams, my vote would be the 1.4S Auto (which I have now).

There's a few fairly common faults across the range, pedal box, door check straps and weak gearboxs, all of which should be fairly apparent on a basic test drive.

Make sure you test all electrics as there seem to be a few cars with gremlins. Normally due to previous owners cocking about with them.

I'm more intrigued as to what your toy is!

[Ry_b]

Hi, thanks for the reply

I like the torque that diesels produce and the cheaper tax banding (my other car costs £285 a year to tax, so £30 a year to spend on VED on a runaround would mean just over £150 each average which in man maths isn't as bad!)

The SDI doesn't seem to be discussed much on this forum, I'm hoping that's because it is a strong unit that doesn't want for much except for usual servicing etc? I understand it's an old engine design and will sound agricultural ! Again this doesn't bother me in the slightest

[Dblock]

Your thinking is sound. I honestly think lupo petrols suck. They break and aren't cheap to run. Pointless. But the diesels they are peaches.

I know you said you don't mind performance but they are slow slow. If your car ATM is medium to high powered you could hate if. The best thing about the sdi is the simplicity in it. No turbo no expensive injectors or fuel pump etc etc. you rip them you get 50mpg. Seriously redline it all day 50mpg.

Downsides are they are slow and parts are cheaper for the tdi since they share that with The 1.9. My tdi is quick enough and comfy. But if 8 miles is your commute I don't think you could go wrong with a car like that.

[arosaSDI]

they are a good car, I had one and it was only a gearbox that went in the time we owned it but I blame that on the way we used to drive it.

[Dblock]

These engines are usually bombproof. Do they use the 02j gearbox?

[rrdoctoruk]

go get one i have had 3 so far and we have 3 3 in my family one for my son,daughter and me,

excellent little cars 55 mpg all day long,

basic engines just need servicing regularly no problem

window electrics can play up but i have found just crud on switch if you take them apart,exhausts can break/crack just infront of cat convertor but easy enough to take off and reweld as this is what brakes,

only had one pedal box go but again easy enoughto take out and reweld,they use the 085 gearbox,

they are not that slow and if you are sitting in traffic as you say does not matter,once up and running on motorway suprisingly nippy,

[GeoffD]

I don't think my daughter's sdi is slow at all. obviously it's not as quick as my tdi golf, but around town it is a cracker. having said that I've de catted it, removed the egr valve and the restrictor trumpets and put on a decent air filter. I don't think I've turned it into a fire breathing monster, but it all helps. when her insurance goes down i'll be putting in a seat cupra pd engine though. now that might be something else. geoff

[Ry_b]

160bhp from the Ibiza cupra PD engine would be amazing... I'd think you'd need an LSD to keep the front wheels in check!

Thanks for all the posts. Shame they're so rare as there's hardly any for sale at any time. As long as most of the mechanicals are sound, little things like electric windows etc I can fix myself in my own time if they decide to play up!

What are the common things to look out for when viewing one then? I imagine they have a single mass flywheel rather than DMF? Are these prone to breaking? What about clutch slipping problems? Thanks again

[arosaSDI]

I used mine on track a few times, not the best on hilly tracks but it did well on more level ones

[Ry_b]

It definitely won't be tracked, it'll be purely for the commute and nipping to the shops etc. any buying advice ?

[Dblock]

Buy on condition not miles. IMO.

Also look to see of its been cared for. Check for signs of extreme lowering. The people who usually (not always) slam their cars never treat them with respect. Check it's not overly smokey and service history.

[Skezza]

I've found my SDI to be brilliantly reliable. Absolutely no complaints whatsoever. Regarding performance, I'd say they feel significantly faster than a 1.0 E and far more comfortable on motorways etc. They can certainly handle motorways no problem.

Working on them is a doddle as well.

[Dblock]

True skezza. Where as the petrols scream at 4krpm getting 35mpg lol! Even if the 1l is faster its still doing atleast half the mpg you are no matter what. IMO the sdi should have been the 1l.

[Skezza]

This is the thing though, I'd say the 1.0 is faster accelerating but mid-range between 50-80 or maybe 40-70, I reckon the SDI is faster, certainly more torquey. It has quite a lot of mid-range pull which you never got with a 1.0. I found overtaking uncomfortable in 1.0. I don't in this one...

[Karl_Mac_]

True skezza. Where as the petrols scream at 4krpm getting 35mpg lol! Even if the 1l is faster its still doing atleast half the mpg you are no matter what. IMO the sdi should have been the 1l.

Whilst what you're saying is probably correct, I would never buy a diesel. I don't like the noise, the low RPM or the smoke. I just find them unpleasant in general.

However I'm aware I'm probably in the minority in this view, but the smallest engine will nearly always be petrol as its for people doing small mileage that wont see the benefits of massive mpg (but still have to pay higher pump prices).

There was some research done a few years back that showed that you had to doing considerable miles per/year to justify the higher pump price (and higher purchase price) of a diesel. I'm sure from memory it was around 7000 miles a year, maybe higher.

**edited as I forgot the difference between minority and majority.

Edited May 6, 2014 by Karl_Mac_

[Skezza]

Whilst what you're saying is probably correct, I would never buy a diesel. I don't like the noise, the low RPM or the smoke. I just find them unpleasant in general.

However I'm aware I'm probably in the majority in this view, but the smallest engine will nearly always be petrol as its for people doing small mileage that wont see the benefits of massive mpg (but still have to pay higher pump prices).

There was some research done a few years back that showed that you had to doing considerable miles per/year to justify the higher pump price (and higher purchase price) of a diesel. I'm sure from memory it was around 7000 miles a year, maybe higher.

I think it's 7000 yes, maybe 8000. I do 25000 I certainly do enjoy the benefits

[Dblock]

Whilst what you're saying is probably correct, I would never buy a diesel. I don't like the noise, the low RPM or the smoke. I just find them unpleasant in general.

However I'm aware I'm probably in the minority in this view, but the smallest engine will nearly always be petrol as its for people doing small mileage that wont see the benefits of massive mpg (but still have to pay higher pump prices).

There was some research done a few years back that showed that you had to doing considerable miles per/year to justify the higher pump price (and higher purchase price) of a diesel. I'm sure from memory it was around 7000 miles a year, maybe higher.

**edited as I forgot the difference between minority and majority.

You could be right but I think you mean purchase price over pump price? A full tank is under £40 for me and will get 350-400 miles easily. That's at say 1,40 a litre petrol is probably 134-136 plus I'm doubling the mpg. Maybe round town it's different but the sdi still wins there.

[Skezza]

Having owned a diesel Lupo, I would never have a 1.0 petrol again. I'm not even sure I'd have a 1.4. Maybe a GTI or 1.4 16v. The problem with the 1.0 is that it screams too easily. I remember driving on the motorway was quite unpleasant. I appreciate that 1.0 petrol cars aren't designed for intensive motorway driving, but having taken a Peugeot 106 1.2 up to Durham (from Stoke) I say the Pug absolutely handled the intensive driving better. It just wasn't as comfortable (OEM seats were awful). The Lupo did it, but I felt like it was fighting me all the way and the noise was horrific. The car wasn't unreliable as such, but I did have a few sensors go and eventually developed a misfire which turned out to be leads.

This SDI might not be quick but it'll tootle along at 70 on a motorway without so much as a whimper and I've never had a problem keeping up with traffic in the fast lane either. I imagine a 1.4 TDi is much the same if not with a bit more guts. That's not to knock the petrol models, I just do far too many miles. I would happily recommend a 1.0 or 1.4 to anyone doing less miles.

Edited May 7, 2014 by Skezza

[Ry_b]

Great thanks for all the info. Seems a fairly reliable old school basic diesel! Trouble is finding one, they're so hard to come by!

[Dblock]

Once you buy one you won't really want to give it up. Even if you buy another car its still silly cheap to run and a lot of fun. I'm hoping for 200kmiles from my tdi lol

[jonny s]

i love diesels.... especially for long runs.... once ive sold me 1.0 i think al have to have one.... be it an sdi or tdi. just getting hold of a £30 road tax is not easy haha

[Ry_b]

Looked at one earlier, advertised as full history but the car hasn't been serviced since 2009 and 55k miles. The owner said it is fully stamped so it's full history. It was also wearing "ling long" tyres I think all round. Was only a few miles Away so no great loss

Problem is they're so hard to find !

[NornIron]

Looked at one earlier, advertised as full history but the car hasn't been serviced since 2009 and 55k miles. The owner said it is fully stamped so it's full history. It was also wearing "ling long" tyres I think all round. Was only a few miles Away so no great loss

Problem is they're so hard to find !

What mileage is on it now? If it's only a few thousand more, I wouldn't let the lack of servicing put you off, just plan to give it a full service (oil, filter, coolant, air filter, fuel filter, gearbox oil) straight away and consider changing the timing belt, tensioner and water pump.

I bought an unloved SDi about a year ago (http://forums.clublupo.co.uk/index.php?/topic/95454-project-doris-lupo-sdi/) an it's covered 6,500 stop-start commuting miles, delivering 52mpg

Edited May 10, 2014 by NornIron

[Skezza]

What mileage is on it now? If it's only a few thousand more, I wouldn't let the lack of servicing put you off, just plan to give it a full service (oil, filter, coolant, air filter, fuel filter, gearbox oil) straight away and consider changing the timing belt, tensioner and water pump.

I bought an unloved SDi about a year ago (http://forums.clublupo.co.uk/index.php?/topic/95454-project-doris-lupo-sdi/) an it's covered 6,500 stop-start commuting miles, delivering 52mpg

I bought my SDI last January on 92k miles. I wouldn't say it was unloved but it had been neglected to a certain degree. It's now got 122000 miles on the clock and only the pedal box has failed touch wood.

They're great cars if you fancy self-servicing too. Changing the oil filter is a breeze and so is the fuel filter. Air filter is tricky but you'll get it.