Golf 118TSI vs. 103TDI

[Frankenstrat]

Here are my impressions from driving a 103TDI manual vs 118TSI manual, I drove the 103TDI first.

My wife sat in the back seat behind me to check out the leg room, and she was impressed with how much there was. I'm not short, 1.8m, but I prefer to drive closer to the steering wheel than I suppose most people my height would. The adjustable steering wheel was a bonus, not just for tilt but forward and backward adjustment too. Any misgivings I may have had with driving a diesel were instantly dispelled as soon I started the engine and drove out of the dealer's yard, I was mightily impressed with the acceleration and the low down torque. I took it for a drive down the freeway and it surprised me how quickly it got up to 100km/h and how quietly it did it. I was even more surprised when I left the freeway and found myself speeding in a 70 zone. Oops. Driving back into the dealership it negotiated a steep but short slope with absolute ease. Amazing ease, and it didn't bat an eyelid when I gave it a bit more throttle. It just pulled up that short but steep slope giving me the impression that I was holding it back.

I then took the 118TSI for a drive along the same route, this time my wife sat beside me. I instantly noticed that the car didn't have the same torque at low revs, the 118TSI likes to have the motor revving. It's quieter in the cabin, but not to a degree that would sway me from the diesel. Driving the 118TSI, it was apparent to me that it's a driver's car. It wants to be revved, it wants you go through the gears, it wants to go round corners quickly (all within the speed limits, of course). In short, the 118TSI is a car for people who enjoy the driving experience.

The manual gearbox is a dream. I've only ever driven one automatic, a 1975 Mazda 929. I've been a manual gearbox man ever since. I particularly liked the display that told me I should be in 6th gear.

It was a really tough decision to choose between the diesel and the petrol engine. I decided that the diesel was the one for me. It suits my style of driving, I'm not a petrol head (I wonder if there's a diesel-head equivalent). I'm quite a sedate driver, but knowing I can blip the throttle if I need to in order to get into the other lane is a great comfort. I found this out when I turned the 103TDI into Wanneroo Road and was advised I needed to get into the left lane. There was a gap, I blipped the throttle, we slipped into the gap. No effort at all.

I didn't really spend the time I should have in looking at the features, but I've been in enough cars to know that the Golf is very nicely appointed. Those engineers in Wolfsburg thought of everything.

It was a pleasure meeting with Dermot Munro and Kimberley at Wangara VW. Dermot has built up an enviable reputation, and it's very easy to see why. There's no BS, just sheer professionalism. We sat down to talk figures and I was presented with an offer for the 103TDI that I simply could not refuse. And they do a great cup of coffee, too at Wangara VW. All in all, it was well worth the drive out there.

[cktsi]

From the sounds of it, TDI does suit your driving style Frankenstat.

I'm finding it difficult to find numbers on the internet to justify this claim, but I suspect for freeway overtaking your 80-120 km/h times will be better in a TDI than the TSI.

My seat of the pants feeling was that the grunt of the TDI will keep you on the wrong side of the road in highway overtaking for less time than the TSI.

If I regularly drove single lane freeways I would definitely think about the TDI ahead of the TSI.... but I don't ! :-P I spend the far bulk of my time on dual carriageways.

[Frankenstrat]

My impression is that the TDI will willingly pull away in whichever gear you're in. With the TSI I think it prefers you to drop down a gear to get the engine revving and then it will zip away, quite possibly in a more sprightly manner that the TDI.

But yes, your overall observation is correct, theTDI suits my style of driving better than the TSI did. Obviously other people will prefer the TSI, and that's fine. They're both superb cars.

[NovaArtist]

When test driving the 118TSI on Saturday, it didn't feel faster than the 103 TDI, yet the instantaneous fuel consumption figues were quite high during acceleration, yet I can't help thinking that if you drive it even moderately quickly you would use a lot more fuel than its official ADR rating of 6.3 (or so) L/100km. Yet I could quite believe that the Diesel could do the fuel economy as stated in the real world. However, I am comparing the 118 TSI manual with the 103 TDI DSG which I drove earlier in the week - as the one and only 103 TDI that was available for a test drive on Saturday apparently sold 10 min before I got there to drive it.

[waterboy]

I just got 850kms in my 118TSI and the majority of it was suburban driving. I do have to admit that I was driving it pretty well and didn't thrash the car around simply cause it's been raining for the past 2 weeks in Sydney.

The downside to the 118Tsi's fuel economy is that if you do start to accelerate then the turbo does get thirsty. But nevertheless an awesome car.

Very difficult choice between the two, I prefer the 118tsi though :p

but everyone has their opinon

[bmck]

I just got 850kms in my 118TSI

850 is impressive!

Did you happen to note what the reported range was just before you filled?

[prise]

From the sounds of it, TDI does suit your driving style Frankenstat.

I'm finding it difficult to find numbers on the internet to justify this claim, but I suspect for freeway overtaking your 80-120 km/h times will be better in a TDI than the TSI.

My seat of the pants feeling was that the grunt of the TDI will keep you on the wrong side of the road in highway overtaking for less time than the TSI.

If I regularly drove single lane freeways I would definitely think about the TDI ahead of the TSI.... but I don't ! :-P I spend the far bulk of my time on dual carriageways.

With the 7 speed DSG, the TSI should be faster 80-120 than the TDI as the gearbox is able to keep the engine close to its best power RPM. With a manual box and a driver thats not prepared to shift down 3 gears, the TDI may well be quicker due to its higher torque. I suspect that the majority of drivers with manual gearboxes are not comfortable with the revs required extract the best performance from their petrol engine engine and tend to either start an overtaking manoeuvre in too high a gear (how many drivers are prepared to shift from 6th to 3rd to overtake?) or don't notice the approaching red-line and only shift when the feel the rev limiter - either option is going to lose time.

[coastie]

When test driving the 118TSI on Saturday, it didn't feel faster than the 103 TDI, yet the instantaneous fuel consumption figues were quite high during acceleration, yet I can't help thinking that if you drive it even moderately quickly you would use a lot more fuel than its official ADR rating of 6.3 (or so) L/100km. Yet I could quite believe that the Diesel could do the fuel economy as stated in the real world. However, I am comparing the 118 TSI manual with the 103 TDI DSG which I drove earlier in the week - as the one and only 103 TDI that was available for a test drive on Saturday apparently sold 10 min before I got there to drive it.

I've done over 20000 k's now in my 118TSI and the fuel economy is very much towards the ADR nominated amounts even on Watercooled runs like the Dave Mack cruise earlier this year and our more recent one through South East Queensland it has achieved around 6.0 - 6.3 l/100km. These cruises aren't economy drives they have lots of goods driving bits. Average for the first 15000km using the odometer and litres put in not the MFD is 7.02 l/100km. I think the MFD can be very optimistic at times but that has included alot of the driving in suburbia.

[hoi polloi]

Well, I took both a 118TSI and a 103TDI for a test drive today (both were DSG gearboxes rather than manuals though)... Both were different but found the diesel more elastic in when moving from rest (as if the TSI had a slight hesitation).. Probably more my driving style with the DSG than any problem with the car

Then I did something really foolish - I took a GTI for a drive...

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Although I loved the GTI (and initially signed for one) I couldn't really justify it in my case at least.

I confirmed an order for a 103TDI but not the manual - I bought the DSG.




VW Golf 103TDI DSG - United Grey + Sports Pack + Leather + Sat Nav/Audio
Expected delivery July...


Regards,
- Anthony.

p.s. Thanks to Dave Crofton at Central Coast Volkswagen for putting up with me pretty much all yesterday afternoon - a true gentleman..

[Frankenstrat]

Say thankyou to Frankenstrat, as im sure he bought it.

Yes, that would most likely have been me. Don't dispair NovaArtist, I've no doubt you'll get to drive a 103TDI manual. You'll be mightily impressed with the performance, I certainly was.