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Golf TDI vs Focus TDCI. Budget is €4000

  • 31-03-2010 1:37pm
    #1
    DiarmaidGNR
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 382 ✭✭


    Which car type should I buy? mk4 Golf TDI or mk1 Focus TDCI? or other?...

    Pros and cons -
    Cons - both cars are from 1998 and are very common
    low sump in the golf
    expensive golf parts
    cheap interior and finish on focus

    Pros - Nicer interior on golf
    Cheaper parts on focus
    Common rail diesel engine on focus
    Get a newer focus for the money

    My budget is €4000 and I want a nice diesel. Any ideas?
    Tagged:


Comments

  • #2
    GTE
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,915 ✭✭✭GTE


    DiarmaidGNR wrote: »
    Which car type should I buy? mk4 Golf TDI or mk1 Focus TDCI? or other?...

    Pros and cons -
    Cons - both cars are from 1998 and are very common
    low sump in the golf
    expensive golf parts
    cheap interior and finish on focus

    Pros - Nicer interior on golf
    Cheaper parts on focus
    Common rail diesel engine on focus
    Get a newer focus for the money

    My budget is €4000 and I want a nice diesel. Any ideas?

    Did Ford make a the TDCI back in 1998? If not its the TDDI or maybe the normal TD and they are meant to be pretty bad compared to the VAG TDI of the time.

    If you defo can get a TDCI in your budget then you have some good thinking to do. The TDCI is meant to have some more expensive problems attached but is a common rail engine so its got more poke. The TDI if well maintained works well but there are some niggly problems. Im not too sure if the TDCI problems happen if well maintained or not.
    There are a few threads here that couldnt be more then 10 pages away.


  • #3
    DiarmaidGNR
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 382 ✭✭DiarmaidGNR


    bbk wrote: »
    Did Ford make a the TDCI back in 1998? If not its the TDDI or maybe the normal TD and they are meant to be pretty bad compared to the VAG TDI of the time.

    If you defo can get a TDCI in your budget then you have some good thinking to do. The TDCI is meant to have some more expensive problems attached but is a common rail engine so its got more poke. The TDI if well maintained works well but there are some niggly problems. Im not too sure if the TDCI problems happen if well maintained or not.
    There are a few threads here that couldnt be more then 10 pages away.

    For my budget I could get a 2003/4 focus tdci 115bhp, or a 2001/2 golf tdi 130(?)bhp


  • #4
    GTE
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,915 ✭✭✭GTE


    DiarmaidGNR wrote: »
    For my budget I could get a 2003/4 focus tdci 115bhp, or a 2001/2 golf tdi 130(?)bhp

    You have an interesting choice on your hands. I think you have the best of what Ford and VW had to offer engine wise. It seems you have the VE TDI there based on the horsepower. The PD TDI's which would have replaced the VE's shortly after the years you mention would have had more problems and are damn picky on what oil you need to use and when people didnt realise that they end up doing damage in the long run. I was only talking to someone who got rid of the Passat because the turbo went and other things too. I cant help but think the PD's are that bit more sensitive to how they are run and maintained.


  • #5
    DiarmaidGNR
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 382 ✭✭DiarmaidGNR


    bbk wrote: »
    You have an interesting choice on your hands. I think you have the best of what Ford and VW had to offer engine wise. It seems you have the VE TDI there based on the horsepower. The PD TDI's which would have replaced the VE's shortly after the years you mention would have had more problems and are damn picky on what oil you need to use and when people didnt realise that they end up doing damage in the long run. I was only talking to someone who got rid of the Passat because the turbo went and other things too. I cant help but think the PD's are that bit more sensitive to how they are run and maintained.

    So which golf bhp would you suggest?
    Or do you think I should get the focus tdci? Or can you suggest something better for the same money?


  • #6
    voxpop
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,800 ✭✭✭voxpop


    The 130bhp is the best all round engine, not much turbo lag and pretty fast. I honestly think that anything below 115bhp is too slow. The sdi (non-turbo) are awful and the standard 90bhp golf is very slow. 03 onwards are supposedly more reliable (electrical wise) and better handling than previous years. Doubt you will get one for less than 4k though. Dont worry about the oil - its pretty clear what oil to use.

    The ford will give you a newer/better spec car for the same money as the golf - supposed to be a good drive and cheap to maintain. Not as nice inside but not Nissan bad either.


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  • #7
    GTE
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,915 ✭✭✭GTE


    DiarmaidGNR wrote: »
    So which golf bhp would you suggest?
    Or do you think I should get the focus tdci? Or can you suggest something better for the same money?

    The 130 hp at the time I think was the most powerful TDI engine you could get so I would be wary of it being raced around the place during its life.

    The 110 is the next step down and Im sure thats fine. I have the 90hp one and although you need that bit extra space to overtake on single carriageway roads its fine for the motorway and N roads. Im happy with the HP for the most part and it does what I want it to fine, though I may get a remap in the future to give me around 115 to 120 Hp just so I have that extra power if I need it. Having said that I do have the estate and load carrying is important.

    Thats the VE TDI line up. Around the time 2001-2002ish I think they were phasing in the new PD TDI and they had different power outputs. 105, 115, 150 and maybe one before that. They were VAG's answer to the common rail units others were producing but they are not common rail themselves. They are a more powerful engine then the VE's but they come with their problems either from the factory with gearboxes and slow down problems or ones caused by bad maintenance.

    When I was doing my research for my car which was about last Summer I concluded due to reliability.
    If it were TDCI vs VE TDI Id take the VE by a good margin.

    If it were TDCI vs PD TDI Id take the TDCI but it would be a close contest with good service histories.


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