The earlier ones were called
Cupra TDI. These were replaced by the FR TDI and FR+ TDI, the latter having bigger wheels and a bodykit which looks more like a
Cupra R.
Bad Points:
Cam / follower wear. Requires new cam / followers. May be linked to incorrect engine oil - need a PD-specific oil to VW 505.01 or 507.00 specification.
Remap can cause clutch slip. Uprated clutch really needed for torque levels over around 300 lb ft (though mine slipped at 300). Good uprated clutches (like Sachs Organic) can cost 2-3 times the cost of the remap.
Door seals tend to leak & let water into the interior.
AC fan controller can fail - slow-speed fan should run with the car idling, engine cold & climate control on. If the high-speed fan pulses on and off instead the fan control unit has failed. Replacing the fans and controller isn't that cheap so check they're OK.
Door locking modules can fail and require replacement. The parts are cheap on eBay and there's a how-to
guide for replacement somewhere on VW Vortex.
Don't buy a yellow one! - lacquer peel and paint fading are issues (and have rendered my car effectively worthless in the space of 2 years).
Not the quietest or smoothest diesel around.
Bayonet-fitting pressure pipes between the turbo and the engine tend to wear and leak, as do the O-ring seals in the joints.
17" wheels & 225/45 tyres feel too big for the car - crap ride and lots of steering column shake over bumpy roads. I downsized to 16s on 205/55s like the early petrol Cupras and it improved the ride and reduced road noise.
The PD150 is a big laggy in stop-start driving. Comes into its own on faster roads when the turbo can be kept on boost and power does not fall off at higher revs.
Original water pumps could fail - plastic impeller becomes detached from shaft. Replace water pump with all-metal version when cambelt is replaced, or check if it's been done already.
Hard ride, esp. on original 17" or 18" wheels.
Good points:
Good economy. My car easily does 52mpg on longer trips and up to 58 if babying it.
Can be remapped easily to around 190hp / 300+ lb ft pf torque (subject to clutch issues above) which makes a big difference to performance. If you get a remap get the EGR mapped out at the same time, and physically blocked. Else, EGR flow can be turned down to a minimum using VCDS.
No DPF issues as no DPF fitted, which is good. Injectors also tend to be reliable compared with common rail diesels. Drivetrain seems to cope OK with large increases in torque from remapping.
6-speed box gives 2000rpm at 75mph, relaxing for long trips.
Handles quite well for a nose-heavy diesel, though there's room for improvement with better springs and shocks. The FR is already quite low though so I would not suggest
lowering more than 20-25mm if you want to be able to drove over speed cushions, etc.
