New car - 110 TDI vs 103 TSI

[AJD]

Hi guys,

I'm thinking of getting a new car this year. I use it primarily just to commute to and from work. I do about 35,000kms per year and 95% of my travel is on the Bruce Highway.

My question is; Do I go with the 110 TDI or the 103 TSI? Fuel economy is a big factor for me considering the amount of K's I do.

Thoughts? Opinions?

Cheers.

My 2 cents worth - I'm on my 3rd diesel and it will take a lot to get me to go back to petrol. You can play the numbers game all day, add in variables such as service costs and average fuel costs but in the end it may well come down to what you prefer to drive. Admittedly, I do live in Sydney so a considerable part of my time in the car is spent at a standstill staring at the bumper of the car in front, however, I have put about 250,000k's behind my 3 diesels and have never found myself looking for refinement in the engine.

Try test driving them back to back over the same route and add that in your decision making process, some people just don't like diesels.

[Disciple]

I'm not against diesels at all. I had a Mitsubishi ASX diesel for a year and drive ability wise, it was great. My mother has an ix35 diesel and my father has a Nissan STX550 diesel. I love the torque delivery of a diesel, don't get me wrong. The resale point is fair enough - I never buy a car thinking too much about resale, but in 3-5 years I might want to trade, so the extra value of the diesel might be worth it.

I think driving both back to back is definitely the best way to go.

[pologti18t]

Would it be out of line to suggest a new Skoda Octavia Elegance 103TSI at 35.5K? Gets full leather trim and the 8" Columbus sat nav (the unit VW wont put in any Golf models here)

[tigger73]

Would it be out of line to suggest a new Skoda Octavia Elegance 103TSI at 35.5K? Gets full leather trim and the 8" Columbus sat nav (the unit VW wont put in any Golf models here)

Given that the OP has posted in Mk7 Golf thread then yes it's out of line


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[Disciple]

Would it be out of line to suggest a new Skoda Octavia Elegance 103TSI at 35.5K? Gets full leather trim and the 8" Columbus sat nav (the unit VW wont put in any Golf models here)

It's a Skoda. Maybe not an issue for some people, but it is for me. I was set on an Audi A3 sedan, but the Golf is basically the same car for $15k less...

[rosslm]

Hi guys,

I'm thinking of getting a new car this year. I use it primarily just to commute to and from work. I do about 35,000kms per year and 95% of my travel is on the Bruce Highway.

I would say with 35,000 km per year the diesel is the way to go, I have a MKVI 2.0 TDI DSG just done 61,000km in 4 years 90% city short trips overall 6.39 L per 100 km and easily get low 4s L per 100 km on the open road. Diesel most likely around the same price as 95 RON as mentioned the 6 speed DSG is bulletproof it's wet clutch used in the GTI also. Diesel torque is fantastic lugging around town and a breeze on the open road. I Suggest pay a bit more go diesel.

[Mountainman]

Not according to my 26,000km experience with my 90TSI Lucas. It is the least economical of the new Golf versions and yet my 3 long term averages have been 5.2L/100km, 5.4L/100km and 5.3L/100km. I have to be breaking the law to go over 5L/100km on the open road. For example, I have just driven from Toowoomba to Blackheath in the Blue Mts via the New England H'way and when filing it at Richmond it showed 4.6L/100km average after 940km and 190km still in reserve. It actually took 45L for a true 4.7L/100km. This is just so typical of the long distance driving I've been doing Earlier in the week I travelled from Toowoomba to Redcliffe north of Brisbane return including the peak hour traffic through Brisbane itself. The MFD said 4.4L/100km average for the 351km and it actually took 16L to fill for a true 4.5L/100km. VW claim a combined of 5.7L/100km and an extra urban of 4.9L/100km. To achieve these figures I simply travel on the very edge of the law - few people overtake me. So don't under estimate the new petrols. My friend's Mk5 1.9TDI manual struggles to match it.

I also notice someone doing the calculations using a price differential between diesel & 98RON of 20c/L. Not where I drive - it is usually less than 10c/L and even less again at the low part of the petrol cycle. Diesel doesn't get that advantage.

In the real world, the 103TSI will use more than 4.6L/100km. I'd re-do your maths using 6.0L as a more realistic figure for highway driving.

The diesel, on the other hand, will be sub 5.0L

[AJD]

Not according to my 26,000km experience with my 90TSI Lucas. It is the least economical of the new Golf versions and yet my 3 long term averages have been 5.2L/100km, 5.4L/100km and 5.3L/100km. I have to be breaking the law to go over 5L/100km on the open road. For example, I have just driven from Toowoomba to Blackheath in the Blue Mts via the New England H'way and when filing it at Richmond it showed 4.6L/100km average after 940km and 190km still in reserve. It actually took 45L for a true 4.7L/100km. This is just so typical of the long distance driving I've been doing Earlier in the week I travelled from Toowoomba to Redcliffe north of Brisbane return including the peak hour traffic through Brisbane itself. The MFD said 4.4L/100km average for the 351km and it actually took 16L to fill for a true 4.5L/100km. VW claim a combined of 5.7L/100km and an extra urban of 4.9L/100km. To achieve these figures I simply travel on the very edge of the law - few people overtake me. So don't under estimate the new petrols. My friend's Mk5 1.9TDI manual struggles to match it.

I also notice someone doing the calculations using a price differential between diesel & 98RON of 20c/L. Not where I drive - it is usually less than 10c/L and even less again at the low part of the petrol cycle. Diesel doesn't get that advantage.

Just on the 1.9TDI - they were a bit of a failure in the consumption stakes - they were less efficient than the 2.0TDI. Unfortunately a number of people that picked the 1.9 thinking they were going to get better economy were sadly mistaken.

[Disciple]

Not according to my 26,000km experience with my 90TSI Lucas. It is the least economical of the new Golf versions and yet my 3 long term averages have been 5.2L/100km, 5.4L/100km and 5.3L/100km. I have to be breaking the law to go over 5L/100km on the open road. For example, I have just driven from Toowoomba to Blackheath in the Blue Mts via the New England H'way and when filing it at Richmond it showed 4.6L/100km average after 940km and 190km still in reserve. It actually took 45L for a true 4.7L/100km. This is just so typical of the long distance driving I've been doing Earlier in the week I travelled from Toowoomba to Redcliffe north of Brisbane return including the peak hour traffic through Brisbane itself. The MFD said 4.4L/100km average for the 351km and it actually took 16L to fill for a true 4.5L/100km. VW claim a combined of 5.7L/100km and an extra urban of 4.9L/100km. To achieve these figures I simply travel on the very edge of the law - few people overtake me. So don't under estimate the new petrols. My friend's Mk5 1.9TDI manual struggles to match it.

I also notice someone doing the calculations using a price differential between diesel & 98RON of 20c/L. Not where I drive - it is usually less than 10c/L and even less again at the low part of the petrol cycle. Diesel doesn't get that advantage.

Thanks for the post mate. Last tank of 98 RON I put in my car was $1.82, diesel was $1.60. I think petrol will stay around the $1.60 mark, meaning 98 RON will be around that $1.70-$1.80 mark. It's all a guess, but the figures of your TSI is about what I would expect in the real world on the highway. I'd expect around 5L/100km pure highway driving in the real world.

[jdbrown1953]

Thanks for the post mate. Last tank of 98 RON I put in my car was $1.82, diesel was $1.60. I think petrol will stay around the $1.60 mark, meaning 98 RON will be around that $1.70-$1.80 mark. It's all a guess, but the figures of your TSI is about what I would expect in the real world on the highway. I'd expect around 5L/100km pure highway driving in the real world.

After 6k in my 110 TDI Highline I'm getting very low 5's per 100 k mainly short runs with the occasional longer run. I chose the diesel because of the extra torque and haven't regretted the choice