Diesel Or Petrol Golf?

Atomic Pineapple

Have been thinking about a new car for awhile currently have a 1.4 Focus and due to insurance restrictions I have decided I'll go for a golf.

So i can get a 1.9SDI (90bhp) Or
1.6 Petrol

So which one is more powerful?
Is the petrol really bad on economy?
Which one would you go for? would love to get a higher Bhp but insurance seems to be a bitch on anything 100+, so just any advice or even alternatives (especially Turbo Diesels) would be greatly appreciated.

thesteve

I have a 1.9TDI (the lower horse power model) and the girlfirends sister has a 1.6 petrol. I get nearly 1000 km's out fo the tank which is way more than she gets. I'm not sure about the power as I've never driven hers but I'm sure the Petrol would be a bit nippier...

PlayaFlow

How about a tractor??..only jokin .

as far as i know the 90bhp golf is still a turbo unit , not an sdi? - just less power so id say go for the 110 version.
id also think about the Seat leon Tdi or if ur lookin for a smaller engine , maybe the new honda civic 1.7 tdi engine - which is meant to be a cracker ( well , for a diesel) .

if i was to get a diesel , id go for the seat leon cupra Tdi.

murphaph

draffodx wrote:

So i can get a 1.9SDI (90bhp) Or
1.6 Petrol

An SDI won't pull you out of bed. If you get a diesel make sure it's a TDI or else get a petrol.

bazz26

The 1.9 SDi only has around 75bhp which is the same as the 1.4 petrol version of the Golf. The 1.9 SDi is the old VW non turbo diesel unit and originates back to the MKIII Golf and Vento. Would avoid the SDi unless you are more interested in economy rather than performance.

I would stretch for the TDi if possible which came originally in 90bhp TDi and 110bhp TDi, then later in 105bhp TDi, 130bhp TDi and 150bhp TDi. The different brake horse power being distinguished by the red letters of the badge on the boot. These units are very refined and economy is excellent, very easy to sell on afterwards irrespective of the mileage.

Most of these units were available in the Seat Leon and Skoda Octavia which are based on the MkIV VW Golf but are alot cheaper. Might be worth considering one of these too.

alias no.9

The SDI has only 69bhp and wouldn't pull the skin off a bowl of cold soup. It doesn't offer any better economy than a TDI either. An all round pointless machine unless you really hate yourself.

Squirrel

The TDI's aren't the most refined cars in the world, not being common rail's. Asking a VW mechanic he said alot of the petrols have some small design fault which is usually changed in about half an hour in the dealers and done once and it's fine, but is a bit of a hassle, whereas he said "you can't go wrong with a VAG TDI". Unless you were going for the 2 litre I'd go for the diesel, the Golf is a heavy car.

alias no.9

Do not under any circumstances buy a 2.0L golf unless it's the MKV with the 2.0 FSI. The MK IV 2.0 GTI puts out a miserable 115 BHP which is just not worth the associated tax and insurance costs.

murphaph

Squirrel wrote:

The TDI's aren't the most refined cars in the world, not being common rail's.

There are two types of Direct Injection used by VWAG over the last decade or so. While a high pressure pump feeding diesel along individual injector lines to purely mechanically operated (by the camshaft lobes) injector nozzles is the older technology, seen on TDI's up to c.1999 (90 & 110 BHP TDI's) is outdated now (although very reliable!) the newer generation of "Pumpe Duese" injectors which feed low pressure diesel along individual pipes to a PD unit which contains a 'mini-pump' and injector valve and nozzle operating at the same or higher pressures than common rail systems (which is good for getting the required 'atomisation' of the fuel). It is not true to just state that "common rail good-PD bad". PD units are wickedly expensive so only see use on engines with a reasonable number of cylinders (cars basically) while common rail solenoids are relatively cheap so common rail is the choice for truck engines etc. Many people believe that the PD system is superior to common rail because each injector can operate at a different pressure at the instant (or instances) of injection. Complex stuff this fuel injection.

HashSlinging

Whats your price range, the Cupra Tdi is 30k new and non existent second hand, you can however get the PD150 in the golf. Great engine but a nightmare to insure.

Squirrel

draffodx wrote:

Have been thinking about a new car for awhile currently have a 1.4 Focus and due to insurance restrictions I have decided I'll go for a golf.

All the people reccomending Cupra's look at the original post, he's getting a Golf 1.6 or 90bhp T/SDI because of insurance restrictions

Atomic Pineapple

Yeh i'll get a cupra in about 10 years

anyway i'm a
22 y/o Male Living in Meath
4 years named driving exp, currently on my own name policy for 1st time.
If i waited till getting a years NCB under my own name would it make much of a difference because I'd love to get a Leon Tdi(130bhp).

And Quinn Direct seem to restrict me to 90bhp is there any better company to insure with alot of people seem to be insured with FBD these days is it worth giving them a ring or will they just turn me away if i look for insurance on anything over 100bhp too?

Thanks for all the help

ds20prefecture

The 1.6 non-FSI petrol engine is 102bhp, so that rules that out, leaving you the 1.4 petrol with a puny 75bhp. The Golf is a lard-ass, so you'll need all the torque you can get. The 90bhp diesel should be perfect for you.

The Leon is available in this engine, and probably for less than the equivalent Golf. It's a nicer shaped car in my eyes, but the interior in the Mk IV Golf is second to none.

The Škoda Octavia should be available with that engine even cheaper again (they're a lot more common than the Leon) and you'll more goodies with the Škoda.

The Škoda Fabia and Seat Ibiza are available with that engine, and both are little fliers. The Ibiza is quite a handsome car, but rare in this configuration.

Both Seat and Škoda variants are livelier than the Golf, as they weigh a little less.

alias no.9

ds20prefecture wrote:

The Škoda Octavia should be available with that engine even cheaper again (they're a lot more common than the Leon) and you'll more goodies with the Škoda.

Don't count on getting loads of toys with the octavia. I was looking at a 99 TDi one a few months back and it was as spartain as I've seen in quite a while. It had central locking and that's about it, it had windy windows, manual mirrors. The dealer was looking for silly money for it to considering it had over 90k on the clock.

bazz26

alias no.9 wrote:

Do not under any circumstances buy a 2.0L golf unless it's the MKV with the 2.0 FSI. The MK IV 2.0 GTI puts out a miserable 115 BHP which is just not worth the associated tax and insurance costs.

The MK IV Golf GTI had a 1.8 20 valve turbo petrol engine which was available with 150bhp and later 180bhp I think. The 2.0 petrol you are talking about I think was only available with an auto box and is as rare as hen's teeth.

alias no.9 wrote:

Don't count on getting loads of toys with the octavia. I was looking at a 99 TDi one a few months back and it was as spartain as I've seen in quite a while. It had central locking and that's about it, it had windy windows, manual mirrors. The dealer was looking for silly money for it to considering it had over 90k on the clock.

Yes, avoid the "LX" or "Classic" base trim of the Octavia as it was very basic indeed. But I have noticed that most Octavias bought were in "GLX" or "Ambiente" trim which is the middle of the range model and have things such as electric windows allround, electric mirrors and cd player as standard. The Golf is also very basic and the base model didn't get electric windows/mirrors or cd player as standard until about 2002.

Incidently if insurance is a problem maybe you could keep an eye out for a new shape Polo or Ibiza which were available in 1.4 TDI which is very economical and quite nippy but were relatively expensive new so there may not be many about the place second hand.

ds20prefecture

alias no.9 wrote:

Don't count on getting loads of toys with the octavia. I was looking at a 99 TDi one a few months back and it was as spartain as I've seen in quite a while. It had central locking and that's about it, it had windy windows, manual mirrors. The dealer was looking for silly money for it to considering it had over 90k on the clock.

Interesting. Our '00 GLXi has all electrics, EBD, ASR and a bunch of other TLAs. About equivalent to a comfortline golf - at the time €2600 more than the GLXi Škoda.

I was in a MkV Golf with wind-up windows in the rear the other day. I was a bit shocked to see body-colour paint on the inside of the car - I thought that went out with flares. It was a 1.4, absolutely gutless. The interior was noticably poorer than the Mk IV. No air con either - a bit of a smack in the teeth for a 21k car. The equivalent Octavia is 3 grand cheaper, while for the same money you can get a 1.6 Octavia with all the trimmings.

bbability

If your restricted to 100 bhp, there is a car you could look at. A VW Bora Tdi (100 bhp). Because of your age your going to pay out anyway. And the VW bora would not be considered a Boy racer car as its a saloon. There not a bad car. I had one and put 130K on the clock and had no bother with the beast. Acutually the door locks are a curse if you don't keep them lubricated. Have you got a Full Clean License? If you do try Mike Murphy Insurance, There in the yellow pages. I found them great when I started on my own policy.

unkel

ds20prefecture wrote:

Our '00 GLXi has all electrics

Iirc, the GLX was one of the higher trim specs at the time. Did you buy new or second hand? If the latter than all your goodies might have been optional extras originally

The spec of the previous basic Octavia, the Classic is poor. Apparently absolutely nobody buys this basic trim level. The Ambiente was only a grand more and you get a lot of goodies for that (larger wheels, cd, 8 speakers, all electrics, etc)

BrianD3

Re: alternatives would you consider some of the smaller capacity turbo diesels? Eg Ford Focus 1.6 TD, Peugeot 307 1.6 or 1.4 TD, Renault Megane 1.5 TD. I believe the Corolla and Astra may also come in a 1.6 litre TD. With these smaller engines you'll save on tax and possibly insurance, they are very economical and most of them have a good power output (the Ford and Peugeot 1.6 is the saem engine and puts out 110 bhp, the Megane puts out 100 bhp)

Are you buying new or secondhand.

As mentioned avoid the SDi VW like the plague. I sincerely hope that VW are not still fitting this engine to new Golfs.

ando

draffodx wrote:

I'd love to get a Leon Tdi(130bhp).

Gud luck finding one m8, their very rare. I havent seen one in 3 months on Irelands roads. Even the less powerfull 110's are very rare. I've only seen 2 since getting my Tdi 110. Also bare in mind aswell that the 1.9Tdi's are a lot more on tax than a 1.6 petrol

Atomic Pineapple

ando wrote:

Gud luck finding one m8, their very rare. I havent seen one in 3 months on Irelands roads. Even the less powerfull 110's are very rare. I've only seen 2 since getting my Tdi 110. Also bare in mind aswell that the 1.9Tdi's are a lot more on tax than a 1.6 petrol

I know of 1 130bhp and 2 110bhp for sale in my area and about 5 90bhp.
Tax isn't a problem either would insurance but i just dont like giving insurance companys large lumps of money when they dont deserve it

bazz26

BrianD3 wrote:

Re: alternatives would you consider some of the smaller capacity turbo diesels? Eg Ford Focus 1.6 TD, Peugeot 307 1.6 or 1.4 TD, Renault Megane 1.5 TD. I believe the Corolla and Astra may also come in a 1.6 litre TD. With these smaller engines you'll save on tax and possibly insurance, they are very economical and most of them have a good power output (the Ford and Peugeot 1.6 is the saem engine and puts out 110 bhp, the Megane puts out 100 bhp)

Are you buying new or secondhand.

As mentioned avoid the SDi VW like the plague. I sincerely hope that VW are not still fitting this engine to new Golfs.

The Megane is available in 1.5 dCTi with 80bhp or 100bhp. The Corolla is available in 1.4 D4-D with 90bhp. The Astra is available in 1.7 CDTi with 80bhp or 100bhp and 1.9 CDTi with 120bhp and 150bhp.

All the above are relatively new so may be out of your budget.

Atomic Pineapple

yeh there all pretty new havent checked prices put there probably out of my range, tis not easy this buying cars stuff

think i'll just keep an eye out till a new car comes along and see what i can do about insurance then,

thanks for all the help.