Motorway driving - 1.2 TSI

paultf

Don't have much car experience so excuse the silly question:-

Recently got a VW 1.2 TSI for driving locally (I do low mileage) but will now be driving from Mullingar to Dublin a couple times a week for a couple of months.

So on the motorway I have been driving at 120 km/hr. The thing is, would it be better for the car/engine to be driving at a lower speed - say 100 km/hr because it's a smaller engine? Or does it make a difference?

What do you think?

david

It all depends on the gearing of your car. In my last small engined car I found 58mph/100kmph to be the most efficient speed (1.4 Astra) according to the OBC.

barura

Check the fuel usage on the on board computer. Drive at 120km, check how much fuel it uses. Drive at 100km, check figure again. Compare.

I do 100-120km/h in a 999cc VW polo, I can't see it doing it any harm, I pop over to Drogheda and Navan from howth no problems and the engine feels and acts fine. Friend has done about 8k miles over the summer in the same engine too, no bothers at all.

Both cars 97 as well, I can only imagine the VAG group have kept things good in the small engine department.

Del2005

paultf wrote: »

Don't have much car experience so excuse the silly question:-

Recently got a VW 1.2 TSI for driving locally (I do low mileage) but will now be driving from Mullingar to Dublin a couple times a week for a couple of months.

So on the motorway I have been driving at 120 km/hr. The thing is, would it be better for the car/engine to be driving at a lower speed - say 100 km/hr because it's a smaller engine? Or does it make a difference?

What do you think?

If you only do low mileage in an urban area then the motorway run will do the car no harm and actually some good.

If you're worried about fuel economy slow down otherwise keep it lit!

CiniO

I'm sure it will be more economical to keep car at 80km/h or 90km/h than 120km/h.
But that applies almost to every car.

Otherwise there is nothing wrong at keeping your 1.2 TSI even at 140km/h for longer periods.

Just make sure your rev meter doesn't go into red field.

Mr.David

It's completely fine.

What's tough on engines is high load especially on short drives, so basically aggressive driving in an urban area.

A constant load like on the motorway is no issue whatsoever, it could happily sit at 4,000rpm all day, possibly even more depending on the engine and where it is red lined.

dr.fuzzenstein

A VW what?
If it's a Polo the 1.2 shouldn't be overstressed, if it's a Passat, how the hell does it even get rolling with that kind of lawnmower engine?

paultf

dr.fuzzenstein wrote: »

A VW what?
If it's a Polo the 1.2 shouldn't be overstressed, if it's a Passat, how the hell does it even get rolling with that kind of lawnmower engine?

It's a VW Golf 1.2 TSI 85BHP, if that makes a difference.

fletch

The 1.2tsi comes in 105bhp format also. That would be enough to get it rolling Im sure

dr.fuzzenstein wrote: »

A VW what?
If it's a Polo the 1.2 shouldn't be overstressed, if it's a Passat, how the hell does it even get rolling with that kind of lawnmower engine?

woody33

My ol' 1 liter Polo had a good run on a motorway recently and now it feels much more responsive. But it sounds pretty noisy at 120kph and 4000 rpm so I kept it a bit under that speed, which has to be better for economy due to wind drag at least. But after, I asked my mechanic would full motorway speed do any harm and he said not.

Gareth2011

I used to drive from Laois (10 min from roscrea in tipperary) to bray in wicklow took me 1.5 hour 1 way doing 100kph whole way. That got me between 52 and 57mpg depending on traffic at newlands cross or m50 leading to bray. I still drive on motorways at 100kph I find its a good alrounder, altho in the punto i could stay at 2500 rpm and be fine but there is a prob with the 1.4 astra and thats at 3000 doin same speed :eek: uses lots of fuel cause revs so high (well high in my book)

Buffman

paultf wrote: »

So on the motorway I have been driving at 120 km/hr. The thing is, would it be better for the car/engine to be driving at a lower speed - say 100 km/hr because it's a smaller engine? Or does it make a difference?

What do you think?

Based on this video, the car is well able for motorway speeds. At max speed its around 3500RPM in the video, so 120 km/hr should be no bother for it.

kerten

Buffman wrote: »

Based on this video, the car is well able for motorway speeds. At max speed its around 3500RPM in the video, so 120 km/hr should be no bother for it.

I am impressed how low the rpm is for this engine. I wonder how usable is fifth gear at low speeds like 80 km/h with that ratio.

CiniO

kerten wrote: »

I am impressed how low the rpm is for this engine. I wonder how usable is fifth gear at low speeds like 80 km/h with that ratio.

According to video it has 3600rpm at 180km/h, so at 80km/h it will be 1600rpm.

Bobo78

As far as I can see this isn't diesel it's petrol.

dr.fuzzenstein

I'm still amazed that it is a 1.2, there must be a whole bunch of turbo chargers, high compression ratio and a powerband somewhere north of 6000 rpm with very little below it.
I don't know that, of course, but that's what small-sized, high powered petrol engines have been so far.
I'd be worried that they had to bolt on so much trickery to the engine that no one knows what is going to blow up in the future, but modern diesels are no different in that respect.
But that's just me, and I can remember a time when the average 1.4 had about 50 bhp, a 1.6 had something like 75 bhp and that was considered a good bit and anything over a hundred was being talked about in hushed tones.;)

CiniO

dr.fuzzenstein wrote: »

I'm still amazed that it is a 1.2, there must be a whole bunch of turbo chargers, high compression ratio and a powerband somewhere north of 6000 rpm with very little below it.
I don't know that, of course, but that's what small-sized, high powered petrol engines have been so far.
I'd be worried that they had to bolt on so much trickery to the engine that no one knows what is going to blow up in the future, but modern diesels are no different in that respect.
But that's just me, and I can remember a time when the average 1.4 had about 50 bhp, a 1.6 had something like 75 bhp and that was considered a good bit and anything over a hundred was being talked about in hushed tones.;)

It must have been really old days, as my Fiat bravo is 1.2 petrol (non-turbo) with 80BHP. Top speed at 176km/h.
This car was available since 1998.

kerten

CiniO wrote: »

It must have been really old days, as my Fiat bravo is 1.2 petrol (non-turbo) with 80BHP. Top speed at 176km/h.
This car was available since 1998.

I enjoyed that fiat engine a lot, it was changing character after 4000 rpm in lightweight cars:D


But don't forget 1.6 8v 75 bhp vw polo engine till 2000 or 1.6 lt 90 bhp peugeot 206's, etc.

galwaytt

CiniO wrote: »

dr.fuzzenstein wrote: »

I'm still amazed that it is a 1.2, there must be a whole bunch of turbo chargers, high compression ratio and a powerband somewhere north of 6000 rpm with very little below it.
I don't know that, of course, but that's what small-sized, high powered petrol engines have been so far.
I'd be worried that they had to bolt on so much trickery to the engine that no one knows what is going to blow up in the future, but modern diesels are no different in that respect.
But that's just me, and I can remember a time when the average 1.4 had about 50 bhp, a 1.6 had something like 75 bhp and that was considered a good bit and anything over a hundred was being talked about in hushed tones.;)

It must have been really old days, as my Fiat bravo is 1.2 petrol (non-turbo) with 80BHP. Top speed at 176km/h.
This car was available since 1998.

My old Scenic 1.4's had 95bhp and were fliers.....and they were more economical at about 115 than 100 iirc.

dr.fuzzenstein

CiniO wrote: »

It must have been really old days, as my Fiat bravo is 1.2 petrol (non-turbo) with 80BHP. Top speed at 176km/h.
This car was available since 1998.

Go back another 10 years.;)
When 155 tires where standard and 165 where considered wide and 195's over the top!

Miscreant

The VAG 1.2TSI engine is well capable of extended 120kmh with no issues. A friend of mine has this engine in a Skoda Estate and we have been on a few runs to Newry and the likes in it. The car will sit at 120Kmh in 6th gear at just under 3k revs with no issues whatsoever.
I would imagine the same engine in a Polo (which is a lighter car) will have no problems either.
Apparently Skoda have plans to put this engine in the Superb!!

Anan1

woody33 wrote: »

But after, I asked my mechanic would full motorway speed do any harm and he said not.

Assuming there's nothing wrong with it, any modern car will be capable of driving at top speed all day long without any harm being done.