Which one? 1.8 tsi or diesel 184

benni8

Active Member
Jun 19, 2018
38
8
Manchester
Hi All,

I am coming from 8 years problem free motoring with my Fabia VRS.

I am looking to purchase a Leon FR, and to be honest until reading the internet forums recently, I wanted a 2014 diesel 184. However the DPF is something I have never had to bother about. I travel at 30mph to work 9 miles, and use the motorway coming home. But the idea of having issues with the DPF is making me think twice.

So the next natural step would be the 1.8 tsi.

I am a little lost as what to chose, so I would appreciate a little helping hand if that is possible please.

Thank you in advance.
 

Superman001

Active Member
Jan 14, 2017
110
15
Paisley
For only 9 miles each way it's best to get a petrol, it will take around 4-5 miles for the oil to get up to temperature and the dpf will be getting blocked as your exhaust won't get hot enough to do the regens.

James
 

BenH

Active Member
Sep 16, 2016
658
31
Nottingham
A DPF isn’t going to suffer as long as you give it a blast every now and then but if your journey is so short it doesn’t make much financial sense to go for the diesel.

My general view on them is if you’re doing less than 12k a year then go petrol but nowadays with all the changes and general hostility towards a Diesel engine I’d personally go petrol anyway, I do 54 miles a day to work and back and have a 184 but I’ll be swapping it for a GTI come the end of the year!


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benni8

Active Member
Jun 19, 2018
38
8
Manchester
I do have a 7 mile stretch of motorway each day.. and love going for drives out at weekend especially when football starts back up in august.

I like the torque of a diesel - but these dpf's are ruining my dreams lol
 

Superman001

Active Member
Jan 14, 2017
110
15
Paisley
I do have a 7 mile stretch of motorway each day.. and love going for drives out at weekend especially when football starts back up in august.

I like the torque of a diesel - but these dpf's are ruining my dreams lol

I've just come from a Mk3 Octavia vRS tdi with 380nm to a 2016 Ibiza Cupra 1.8 with 320nm and the petrol feels just as torquey and has much better throttle response.

James
 

BenH

Active Member
Sep 16, 2016
658
31
Nottingham
The 1.8tsi only has 250nm though which is part of the reason I originally opted for the diesel, it was only afterwards that I started to do the mileage to really justify it. If you’re going to be opening it up daily then diesel isn’t so bad but it’s like someone said, the oil takes longer to get to temperature and if you thrash it to that point your radiator will go nuts when you stop and won’t be doing the car any good


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Superman001

Active Member
Jan 14, 2017
110
15
Paisley
The 1.8tsi only has 250nm though which is part of the reason I originally opted for the diesel, it was only afterwards that I started to do the mileage to really justify it. If you’re going to be opening it up daily then diesel isn’t so bad but it’s like someone said, the oil takes longer to get to temperature and if you thrash it to that point your radiator will go nuts when you stop and won’t be doing the car any good


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

No it has 320nm/236lbft as it's a 6 speed manual, the older 1.4 Cupra had 250nm and the 1.8 Polo tsi dsg is limited to 250nm.

James
 

'& Son' managed

Third Party
Mar 2, 2018
269
89
South Coast
'Why go to the trouble and expense of buying a nice car, then decide to make it worse by choosing diesel'

That statement will come across as overly harsh to many, but in most cases there is a lot of truth in it.

Unless you do enough miles to properly justify the extra fuel economy, (not many do) then enjoy the extra
refinement, nicer noise, wider rev range and usually superior handling of the petrol version.

If you're not speed/power mad, a 1.4 TSI may well prove adequate - I'd be tempted to try one just to see.
 
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Superman001

Active Member
Jan 14, 2017
110
15
Paisley
'Why go to the trouble and expense of buying a nice car, then decide to make it worse by choosing diesel'

That statement will come across as overly harsh to many, but in most cases there is a lot of truth in it.

Unless you do enough miles to properly justify the extra fuel economy, (not many do) then enjoy the extra
refinement, nicer noise, wider rev range and usually superior handling of the petrol version.

If you're not speed/power mad, a 1.4 TSI may well prove adequate - I'd be tempted to try one just to see.

I have to agree, wish I'd bought the petrol Octavia vRS over the diesel but glad I now have a Ibiza Cupra. I was only doing 11-14k so not enough to justify a diesel.
 

benni8

Active Member
Jun 19, 2018
38
8
Manchester
Hello All,

Drove the 184 diesel and the 150 1.4 TSI today..

I have to say I liked the 1.4 tsi more... I was very impressed.

I think we may have a winner.

A bit concerned how many miles a small engine like that could still be reliable at (i.e. not doubts diesels can go well past 100k) but Im a bit cautious about getting the 1.4 tsi to those distances and it still being ok - it that makes sense
 
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BenH

Active Member
Sep 16, 2016
658
31
Nottingham
Hello All,

Drove the 184 diesel and the 150 1.4 TSI today..

I have to say I liked the 1.4 tsi more... I was very impressed.

I think we may have a winner.

A bit concerned how many miles a small engine like that could still be reliable at (i.e. not doubts diesels can go well past 100k) but Im a bit cautious about getting the 1.4 tsi to those distances and it still being ok - it that makes sense

I wouldn’t worry, if they can get 140PS out of a 1.0tsi these days then 150 out of a 1.4 shouldn’t be too rough!


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  • Like
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Superman001

Active Member
Jan 14, 2017
110
15
Paisley
Hello All,

Drove the 184 diesel and the 150 1.4 TSI today..

I have to say I liked the 1.4 tsi more... I was very impressed.

I think we may have a winner.

A bit concerned how many miles a small engine like that could still be reliable at (i.e. not doubts diesels can go well past 100k) but Im a bit cautious about getting the 1.4 tsi to those distances and it still being ok - it that makes sense

Have you tried the 1.8 tsi 180?
 

benni8

Active Member
Jun 19, 2018
38
8
Manchester
What is the reliability on these 2015 seat fr tsi 1.4 engines?

My pd130 could have gone to the moon and back so would like something that is not going to be problem ridden at 100k.
 

'& Son' managed

Third Party
Mar 2, 2018
269
89
South Coast
The still-just-about-current 1.2/1.4 TSI petrol engines seem to be one of VAG's better efforts.

More than one dealer stated to me, (when looking to buy the Leon) they were better than VW's
newer rationalised range of 1.0 litre and 1.5 litre engines, but they didn't elaborate as to why -
apart from the obvious 1.0 three cylinder not being as smooth/refined in use as a four.

Apart from anything else, almost any car petrol engine from the last 30 years can be expected
to last well over 100K miles if serviced at least occasionally, no matter who made it.

Smaller in capacity does not equate to being weaker in construction or having less potential longevity.
How an engine is designed, assembled and serviced matters, regardless of it's size or configuration.
 

benni8

Active Member
Jun 19, 2018
38
8
Manchester
The still-just-about-current 1.2/1.4 TSI petrol engines seem to be one of VAG's better efforts.

More than one dealer stated to me, (when looking to buy the Leon) they were better than VW's
newer rationalised range of 1.0 litre and 1.5 litre engines, but they didn't elaborate as to why -
apart from the obvious 1.0 three cylinder not being as smooth/refined in use as a four.

Apart from anything else, almost any car petrol engine from the last 30 years can be expected
to last well over 100K miles if serviced at least occasionally, no matter who made it.

Smaller in capacity does not equate to being weaker in construction or having less potential longevity.
How an engine is designed, assembled and serviced matters, regardless of it's size or configuration.


My thinking being that a small engine being pushed over a sustained period will have a more detrimental effect than it would on a 2.0 diesel for example..
 

BenH

Active Member
Sep 16, 2016
658
31
Nottingham
The engines aren’t really being pushed though, the older 1.4s could easily be mapped to 180+


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benni8

Active Member
Jun 19, 2018
38
8
Manchester
Is there anything in particular I need to be concerned about this engine with at all?

I have read the threads and it seems most problems revolved around the chain on the older 1.4 tsi - 2015 apparently they moved to a belt. Is this correct?
 
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