Which engine 1.4 or 1.5

nickbrown_500

Active Member
Dec 6, 2009
134
4
Nottingham
Hi all,
Looking at getting a Leon FR soon, changing from my Ibiza FR 2.0tdi

I’m just wondering whether there is much benefit in trying to find the newer 1.5 evo engine over the 1.4tsi.
I would be looking at the 150hp engine in both.

Then just got to decide on manual or dsg.

Cheers
 

BoomerBoom

Active Member
Jun 1, 2018
692
251
The 1.5 is only a tiny bit more efficient and, I believe, has very slightly more torque. There aren't any major differences between them, the design has been tweaked and improved, but not greatly.

You won't notice the difference in real life, I drove both engines and couldn't tell, but only the 1.4 was available in the Leon at the time.

If I were repeating my purchase I'd probably go for the 1.5, just because it's 'better', but the DSG instead of the manual I chose. I'm not impressed with the grabby clutch on the Leon, after my previous TDI, nor the very short first and second gear. The extra maintenance costs for the DSG have a bearing though.
 

SRGTD

Active Member
May 26, 2014
2,388
1,279
Some owners have reported issues on various VAG forums where the 1.5 EVO engine is mated with a manual transmission; hesitation, hiccuping and ‘kangaroo-ing’ when moving off from rest. I’ve read of owners with VW T-Roc, VW Tiguan, Seat Ateca and Skoda Karoq having this issue. VW have acknowledged there is an issue. Apparently no such issue when this engine is mated with a DSG transmission.

https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/news/o...-acknowledges-problem-with-15-tsi-evo-engine/

If you Google ‘1.5 EVO engine problems’ you’ll see there’s quite a lot of activity on various forums regarding this. So it maybe advisable to avoid the 1.5 with manual transmission until VW have identified the cause and developed / implemented a fix to solve the problem.
 
  • Like
Reactions: xyz

salsajoe

Active Member
Apr 12, 2017
130
13
Yorkshire
The 1.5 EVO has different gear ratios on the manual (probably to deal with emissions?) and does not have the get up and go of the 1.4. my choice would be the 1.4
 

Jaco2k

AWD FTW
Mar 11, 2018
1,037
633
Tampere, Finland
www.youtube.com
We have the 1.5 EVO mated to a manual gearbox on a Ibiza FR here at home and got 0 issues with it - lovely engine to drive and VERY economical.
Neither I nor my significant other experience any on this Kangarooing effect most mention.
...one thing might be that I instructed her to NOT use 95 gas and only 98.
 

BigJase88

Jase
Apr 20, 2008
3,767
1,069
I have the 1.5tsi 130 in my leon.

Clutch is horrible and i get the kangarooing when setting off. Drives me absolutely bonkers. I have owned lots of cars and i cannot get away without kangarooing. Makes me look like i cant drive worth a fluff.

Mpg is crap aswell, 36mpg over the last 4k miles, should of stuck with my civic type r
 

Jaco2k

AWD FTW
Mar 11, 2018
1,037
633
Tampere, Finland
www.youtube.com
That is not the same engine as the 1.5 EVO that has 150hp and can shut down 2 cylinders.
This 1.5 EVO literally is the most economical car I have ever driven, and I spent some time with a courtesy Octavia with the 1.2TSi engine and have driven several modern 1.0 turbo 3cyl engines.
 

xyz

Full Member
Feb 28, 2004
565
204
oxford
Visit site
My missus has the 1.4 ACT in her Ibiza and has no probs - get over 50mpg as well. If you have the 1.5, I’d go DSG otherwise, have the 1.4. It’s a good, nippy little engine.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 

BigJase88

Jase
Apr 20, 2008
3,767
1,069
That is not the same engine as the 1.5 EVO that has 150hp and can shut down 2 cylinders.
This 1.5 EVO literally is the most economical car I have ever driven, and I spent some time with a courtesy Octavia with the 1.2TSi engine and have driven several modern 1.0 turbo 3cyl engines.


The 1.5tsi 130 is ALSO the EVO engine and can shut down 2 cylinders
 

BigJase88

Jase
Apr 20, 2008
3,767
1,069
I stand corrected, but obviously the mapping is different, which might have an influence.
I think the 130 should have better fuel economy in theory

After 4,337 miles im sitting at 35.8mpg with mixed driving. Which is pretty woefull and i give it an easy time too as i bought the car for economy.

Would of at least hoped 45mpg realworld combined
 
  • Like
Reactions: xyz

Jaco2k

AWD FTW
Mar 11, 2018
1,037
633
Tampere, Finland
www.youtube.com
I think the 130 should have better fuel economy in theory

After 4,337 miles im sitting at 35.8mpg with mixed driving. Which is pretty woefull and i give it an easy time too as i bought the car for economy.

Would of at least hoped 45mpg realworld combined

I would say there is something wrong with your engine, because we are seeing very different figures on the Ibiza - it is amazingly economical, even around town.
 

BigJase88

Jase
Apr 20, 2008
3,767
1,069
The leon is a heavier car

I think small engine big car is a false economy. The wee things puffing its heart out just to lug the weight of the car around

But that is the way of the world we live in, small engine turbo’s :cry:
 
  • Like
Reactions: xyz

BoomerBoom

Active Member
Jun 1, 2018
692
251
I would say there is something wrong with your engine, because we are seeing very different figures on the Ibiza - it is amazingly economical, even around town.

That does happen, I had a brand new TDI once that only did 30mpg - they loaned me an exact match while they investigated it, the loan car did 55mpg. They never did fix it, but offered to let me keep the loan car.
 

davidif

Active Member
Dec 17, 2006
72
3
Worcestershire
I have the 1.5tsi 130 in my leon.

Clutch is horrible and i get the kangarooing when setting off. Drives me absolutely bonkers. I have owned lots of cars and i cannot get away without kangarooing. Makes me look like i cant drive worth a fluff.

Mpg is crap aswell, 36mpg over the last 4k miles, should of stuck with my civic type r

I’ve got same car engine and transmission combination and my experience couldn’t be more different.

No snatching or kangarooing and I’m averaging well over 50mpg overall. You may need to get yours looked at.
 

Rallynav

Active Member
Feb 13, 2019
7
3
Perth
I’ve got the 1.5 130 in my Leon and find it returns a decent mpg. Only done 1200 miles so far but can get over 55mpg on a run. Currently my average is around 40 and I only do 6 miles a day to and from work. I get a wee bit of kangarooing when it was colder in the mornings but just drive through it. After coming from a 2.0 tdi yeti it’s a bit of a change!
 

Robert de’ath

Active Member
Jan 20, 2019
29
18
Chelmsford essex
Hi
I have a 2016 Leon ST FR 1.4TSI which has ACT i love the engine and on my 23 mile commute i average 53mpg and over my tank i average 48mpg inc town driving. I highly recommend the 1.4 !!!!
 

BigJase88

Jase
Apr 20, 2008
3,767
1,069
Did 25 miles tonight driving like an absolute grandad, lift and coast, gentle throttle

1.5 tsi 130 evo

41.2 mpg
This tank also going easy 37.6mpg combined

If you look on honest john its within the ballpark for the new 1.5 tsi evo think its up at 38mpg on there so im not the only one
 

BoomerBoom

Active Member
Jun 1, 2018
692
251
There is definitely something wrong, worth checking under warranty that a sensor fault etc isn't causing the engine to run on the wrong mapping. Do you notice a lot of water coming out the exhaust?

IMG_20190403_122059~01.jpg
 

KXL

KXL
Dec 15, 2016
1,581
197
London, UK
GPF filter being the culprit? Most 1.4 EcoTSI here can easily do excess of 50 mpg on a run, and maybe mpg in the 40s town driving. @BigJase88 what instanateous mpg are you seeing if you are 'cruising' at 50mph ish flat road? 60+mpg? and what petrol you fill with? If you want to talk about poor mpg, try my Volvo V40 1.5. Max 47mpg on a gentle 40-50mph roads with no traffic and happy to get over 30mpg in city (medium traffic). My old EcoTSi Ibiza did 40+ and close to 60mpg same conditions...
 
Nimbus hosting - Based solely in the UK.