Looking at new A3 TFSI or TDI and their MPG?

[ChrisJL]

Hi Everyone,

Long time reader, first time poster.

I really like the look of the new A3 and I've been researching into them but I'm wondering if anyone has any real world MPG figures for the 1.8TFSI and the 2.0TDI?

I'd be looking at the S-Line trim in glacier white as I think it looks stunning.

I've been looking at the 2.0TDI purely because of its projected mpg returns. However I don't do much motorway driving, so I don't think I would ever get the mpg stated. So I was looking towards having the 1.8 TFSI instead, but I'm wondering how different the mpg would be between the two when just doing town driving / A road driving?

I currently have an A1 1.6TDI, which is a brilliant car but the engine really lacks the power I want and the 2 motorway journeys I've done I only got up to 50mpg as I believe diesel engines take a long time to run in, so I I'm not sure I'd ever get the benefit of their MPG, but I was just wondering what real world returns people are getting from the 2.0TDI in urban driving and the same driving but in the 1.8 TFSI.

I'd really appreciate any info as I'm trying to find out realistically how much less the 1.8 TFSI would be for my urban journeys.

Many thanks for taking the time to read this and hopefully reply

 

[poweller]

I have done 2000 miles in my 2.0 tdi so far, mainly motorway, and have averaged 45mpg. This was taking it very stready for the first 1000 miles as well. Hopefully it will improve soon, although I struggle to believe how they ever acheived 67mpg on the combined!

 

[number3]

Hi Chris, i have the 2.0TDi and at the moment am showing 52.2mpg, thats with motorway and urban miles.! only had the car a week so note sure whether thats going to go up or down. Also thats with it in Eco mode.

Mark
( can confirm glacier white looks amazing )
Actually forget that , they look pants...lol.... i want the only glacier in the village!! lol

 

[BigWillyStyle]

I have a 2.0 TDi which is 7 years old and i average 50.1 miles (My work commute and Urban at weekends)

 

[ChrisJL]

Thanks for the replies so far guys really appreciate it Theres only so much you can get from the reviews online, hense me asking here as its best to hear it from others who have the car.

I don't see how I could ever hit the projected 67 like you say! Id be happy with around the 50 area though, which seems to be a rough average from what you've said so far., but I'm concerned that with not doing many miles I could get issues in the future with the diesel engine?

How's the car performance wise? My main gripe with my 1.6TDI is that it just hasn't got the power I'd like, more so really for getting away quickly from. The turbo lag I get feels like an eternity so I was hoping the 2.0 TDI wouldn't suffer from that as noticably if at all. I'm sure the 1.8 TFSI wouldn't have that problem but then I'd be concerned with excessively low MPG.

Also Mark - The pictures of your car were the ones I was just admiring actually, looks amazing so thanks for sharing those photo's. It was nice to see the wheels up close as I've not seen many photo's of them online.

 

[BigWillyStyle]

The TDi engines are pretty solid so you shouldnt get issues if you look after the car properly which im sure you would.

I have the 140 BHP engine and its pretty nippy, good at overtaking and good from a stand still. If the engine ran well you could always get a remap and up the BHP,Torque and MPG for around 250-300 spondoolies.

 

[dieseldoug]

I have run diesel cars for many years and never worry about MPG as I know the same car in the petrol format will cost a lot more to run. If you are worried about not making the MPG on the diesel version then it will be the same result on the petrol version. The power gain on the diesel is good, currently running A4 S-line 2.0 TDI 140 HP and Q5 S-Line 2.0 TDI 170 HP, A4 shows over 600 miles to the tank and the Q5 is now showing 530 to the tank but only has 5400 miles on it.
My sons run Golfs 2.0 TDI 170HP and can get 50 MPG very easy without trying, they also dont hang about....
For me petrol cars are no brainers.... but but I make my living from deisel engines from HP to MW (MPG to tonnes per day)

 

[suzannec]

I'm struggling with mine so far. The performance is significantly worse than the 61 plate 1.6 TDI I just exchanged this for (used to get 65mpg average) :-o I managed to get 60mpg whilst driving for 40 minutes along the motorway at about 60-65mph which was hard work whereas I'd achieve that easily in the last car. Until I tried harder tonight, I've been getting around 40mpg but then I've only done 250 miles so I'm going to give it a bit more time before I worry!!

 

[number3]

I'm struggling with mine so far. The performance is significantly worse than the 61 plate 1.6 TDI I just exchanged this for (used to get 65mpg average) :-o I managed to get 60mpg whilst driving for 40 minutes along the motorway at about 60-65mph which was hard work whereas I'd achieve that easily in the last car. Until I tried harder tonight, I've been getting around 40mpg but then I've only done 250 miles so I'm going to give it a bit more time before I worry!!

give it time Suzanne , I've been putting in some long drives!!

.

 

[ChrisJL]

All sounds very positive for the 2.0 TDI then really my main concern was that I read that sometimes not doing the miles can clog up the particulate filter (spelling?)? I had this warning once on my A1 but just give it a blast down the dual carriage way and it was fine again. I just wasn't sure if a 2.0 litre might be a little more "needy" in that respect. But I think I'd certainly feel more comfortable with a diesel as I wouldn't have to worry about running costs so much as a petrol. Providing it's got that kick off the line that I'm after (which sadly the 1.6 seems lacking in that dept and runs out of steam very quickly)

 

[sunscreemer]

Just scanned the above, how many miles a year do you do? I am doing about 12,000 miles now and I believe 14,000 miles (which I did when I bought my current 2.0TDI Quattro) is a tipping point between petrol and diesel. In my experience (roughly) I tend to get 10% less mpg than the quoted combined figure on a mixed journey and not driving too hard. This has been true for most of the cars i've owned - petrol or diesel. I test drove the new 1.8 TFSI at the weekend and was very impressed by how smooth the S-tronic box was with that engine. It seems like a very economical, smooth engine, but with the ability to tap into some real power if you so wish.

 

[dieseldoug]

sunscreemer,
Having looked through the A3 catalog matching the 2.0 diesel manual against the 1.8 manual S-Line OTR price the diesel car is cheaper, the fuel may be more expensive but the Audi combined figures off set the price of the fuel by a good deal. The greater the miles the greater the savings on Diesel so its a win win, even when only doing 5K per annum.
Again its down to what you want as for service cost everything is running on extended service oils, then you can go down to driving habits. DPF this usually happens when cars idle too much slow traffic for extended periods, again I have never seen this as usually gear change up to 3000-3500 RPM when in gears 3rd and above. Trust me as I know about diesel engines...

 

[sunscreemer]

Hi Doug. I've been comparing the 1.8 TFSI with the upcoming 2.0 TDI 184BHP as I want Quattro.

Performance wise the 150BHP diesel is sitting between the 1.4 and 1.8 petrol engines and is priced accordingly so i don't think the comparison is fair. For low mileage i'd probably go for the 1.8T over the 150BHP diesel purely for driver enjoyment.

What's got me though is that the 1.8T is similarly priced to the older 2.0T whereas the 150BHP diesel is over £3k more than the old 140BHP i think. If the 184BHP diesel enjoys a similar premium of just over £1k over the lower powered unit then the 1.8T is really looking like a good option as the two are comparable in terms of performance.

When i bought mine the performance was down on the 2.0T but priced a lot lower, so the value was in the diesel as I didn't mind the stright line performance difference. I guess for Chris it's whether he wants the nippier performance of the 1.8T or the economy and torque of the 150BHP.

I've never had any problem with the DPF or any other aspect of the car really. It's also my first diesel and I truly love it. Is making the possible delay in changing it not a problem at all!

 

[ChrisJL]

Hi Sunscreemer & Doug

Being realistic and probably over generious I'd say my mileage would only ever sit near to the 5000, mark 8000 being an absolute max, as I say thats probably being very generious bar any unforseen unplanned long journeys.
I'm not sure I'd ever do the huge amount of miles most diesel drivers probably do, but their potential mpg's do interest me and its something you never really need to think about when in a diesel.

To give you a little history on my cars, I've historically always been a Petrol engine driver. My favourite past cars being my Suzuki Swift Sport 1.6 with 123bhp and 0-60 of 8.6 and also my Honda Civic Type R, which was 198bhp and a 0-60 of 6.4. The Swift was good all round performance wise and I was getting about 30-32 mpg on the driving I do. My Civic however was much nicer build quality, and the extra power was nice, although honestly I never really used it and the ride was too hard, so the power of the swift was plenty and the MPG I was getting out of the Type R was a painful 18mpg. Hense the drastic change to my current Audi A1 1.6TDI, which gets much better MPG. Around town it might only get around 30, as its literally bumper to bumper crawling traffic for the most part. But on runs I'm getting from 50mpg upward.

Being historically a petrol driver, in my swift and Civic I could take off from any junction quickly and reliably. In my A1 the lack of power is very noticable to me, top end I'm not too bothered, its more that initial getting away from a difficult junction that I'm not much for. That being said, its nice not having to look at my fuel gauge begging it not to go down.

So Ideally I want a reasonable MPG with that initial 0-30 take off that I'm after. Hense my reason for looking towards maybe the 2.0 TDI as thats performance figures seem similar to my swift. But if I had to go petrol, I might as well go for the 1.8 TFSI as that would never be as bad economy wise as my Civic, but thats pinned on the hopes that the 1.8 tfsi projected mpg is actually realistic.

Again thank you for your replys and info on the DPF, its all very useful information so far, although I'd be interested to hear you opionion based on this reply.

 

[dieseldoug]

Chris,
Yes you have some good points there, and certainly looking at the A1 1.6 engine I see where you are coming from. I am sure someone will give you the realistic figure soon on both models, I am also on the Q5 forum again MPG comes up often there also, Audi actual test their cars on the rolling roads, and not in the open with the wind drag hence the figures can be hard to obtain.
I am sure its going to be hard for you to decide which way to go, I am constant diesel car man until pertrol gains are impressive and diesel becomes way too expensive.

 

[ChrisJL]

Hey Doug,
Yeah I guess with fuel prices how they are MPG is more important than perhaps it used to be to everyone. I know its definately a big consideration for me now that it never really was before. The 2.0 TDI engine seems to be a popular one though.

Years ago I wouldn't have considered a diesel but now with recent improvements I think Diesel engines are probably better as you get the MPG and also the performance in most instances. So that offsets the price against petrol. Also the co2 is something to bear in mind now, diesel engines are on the whole greener too, so cheaper tax. Certainly rolling start with 2 equally powered diesel and petrol engines I think it might be hard to tell the difference. So even if I don't hit the 68 projected MPG as you say from a rolling road under perfect conditions, i certainly wouldn't complain at 50 (having been used to 18!) I'm not sure about the 2.0 but the 1.6 seems massively reliant on the turbo, especially just to start rolling, unless thats just diesel in general (being a bit of a diesel novice ) But I've had it where I put my foot down and theres nothing there for maybe 2-3 seconds, which I don't want to happen trying to pull out of a junction and end up just being momentarily sat in the middle of the road . Any decent sized petrol engine you know that initial zip is always there.

But I'm kinda hoping the 2 litre has got that umph off the mark that I'm looking for and I think that would really make my decision for me, but it's finding out whether the 2.0 TDI is snappy enough off the line, because I think just in terms of figures.

Diesel MPG > Petrol MPG
Petrol Tax £120 > Diesel £20 Tax

Thanks again for your replies, great to get some info from a long time user of diesel engines.

 

[ChrisJL]

Oh and also my friend has a 1.9 TDI A3 Sportback Special edition. His was very sluggish and slow from standing too. He had a bluefin ecu mod and now his behaves like a fast petrol engine, with the efficiency of a Diesel. That would be the ideal set up for me, but I'm kinda hoping to achieve that without modifications. Plus I know its too early to tell but I don't know if the new engine ecu's can be cracked as I believe they have encryption on them, plus I'd be worried of damaging the car by it not being set up how it was originally intended...

 

[sunscreemer]

Looking as I am at plenty of options (although the quattro was the big draw of Audi initially) I think the best car to suit you Chris would be the new Golf GT 1.4 ACT 5dr with the DSG gearbox. Quoted average of 60.1mpg, quick off the mark, excellent build quality, great residuals and a sipper of fuel on a long cruise. Also bear in mind that this engine is supposed to be coming to the A3 next year too. For the mileage you do and the low end acceleration you want I think the petrol option is your best bet. If it were mainly motorways and mid range grunt you wanted then i'd say the diesel.

I understand Doug's love of diesel though, I was strictly petrol only until i bought my current car and love it to bits i've had my views changed completely, but it's getting more expensive and complicated to produce diesel's to meet emissions standards and petrol technology is improving.

If you've not already checked out the stats on the new Golf GT above then please do so, it looks great and i'm very tempted (also FULLY kitted out it's £30k).

I'm almost as intrigued as to what choice you make as I am what choice i make!

 

[dieseldoug]

Chris, sunscreemer,
You both have valid points regarding the diesel petrol options, its very disapointing to her the lack of power with your 1.6 TDI. I did look at the Golf and when spec'd it was more pounds than the Audi again diesel, but my wife wanted the A3 to replace her A4.
My A4 is 2.0 TDI 140HP s-line and that is a power machine with no issues regarding power lag, in fact my sons think it is better than their 170 HP golfs.
My Q5 is also 2.0 TDI 170HP S-line, I have come out of a juction with traffic not slowing down at rocket speed, which i found was great for the bigger machine and the grip was fantastic, again no power lag.
I hope I will not be disapointed with the A3 2.0 TDI 150HP S-Line power when it arrives in January, as I would hate to have something under powered.
I look forward to hearing the choices you have made, maybe the dealer car accommodate you with the right car to test drive, happy hunting.

 

[dieseldoug]

This review inserted is from AudiJM dated on 30th September A3 Vs Golf, his 2.0TDI S-Line.

Engine / Performance
I was expecting it to be much the same as the golf to be honest, how wrong I was !. It feels much quicker, and in dynamic mode, has a pleasant sporty sound. You need to keep a close eye on the speedo, it is very easy to drive this car faster than allowed, as it feels like you going much slower than you really are. There is more than enough performance to make overtaking easy when needed.

Compared to the Golf the power is delivered more smoothly when setting off there's not so much of a sudden rush as the Turbo kicks in. On start up from cold however I would say it is a bit more clattery than the Golf was but that soon dissappears once warmed up.

There is an efficiency mode available in the driver select programmes, that is a useful aid to reduce fuel consumption and reduce the temptation to use all the performance all of the time.

Fuel Consumption
Average MPG is indicating a little less than I got in the Golf at the moment, but that is probably because I've been going faster (its just too easy). I'm hoping I might see better results next week after I've done a few trips to work. I managed to get 55 - 60 mpg in the Golf on a standard run.

 

[ChrisJL]

Hi Sunscreemer,

Thank you for the tip off about the VW Golf 1.4. I wasn't aware a more powerful 1.4 engine was available, on first glance some time ago I noticed the 1.4 engine that also appears as an option in the A3 so I kinda glanced away at that point as I thought well thats in the A3. Ideally I'd like Manual and 3 door. I know the DSG has better MPG figures quoted so I guess its efficiency brings the gains in MPG, but for the difference, I wouldn't mind too much the drop in MPG for a manual gear box. I just feel more at home with a manual gear box and feel more in control. However, I may well give one a drive just to at least give DSG a chance, because I had the same view about Diesel. I didn't want Diesel because I was used to petrol and after having a go I was turned to the dark side But the lack of power didn't become obvious until after. The 1.6 I felt was a little miss leading as I just literally looked at the engine size but even though its a 1.6 its very much efficency and economy focused (Hense i've read it's not recommended to remap it in anyway as the engine just would not cope with it). Lesson learned there though, to fully investigate the performance figures, because had I seen a 0-60 of 10+ I would've immediately thought twice. I will possibly keep an eye out for this 1.4 engine in the A3 too, depends if I've made up my mind by then or not

Doug,
Thank you for the info regarding you A4 and its 140 2.0 TDI. I would say it should be safe to assume that the A3's 150 Bhp 2.0 TDI should also have no turbo lag issues then as its a more powerful engine on paper and I guess a lighter car also? The A3 2.0 TDI is I think the same one in the A1. I've glanced through there forum but not seen any comments regarding this so I'd expect its a non issue and i've not seen any complaints about the 2.0 TDI in the A3 either, but perhaps there is just a big difference between it and the 1.6 TDI. Or maybe me comming from Petrol 1.6 and 2.0 I'm expecting too much from a little 1.6 TDI built for economy.

The review you've shared sounds very promising too. I wasn't sure how much of an effect the Audi Drive Select would have on a manual gear box model though? Does it just sharpen up throttle response for DSG models or does it make a noticable difference in a manual if you set it to dynamic and drop the boot I wonder... Be interesting to see if anyone knew that. I thought that was mainly just for DSG but I guess it must offer something for manual gearboxes too. If it does that would be great to set it to economy for heavy traffic area's then swap it to dynamic when I get some open road in front of me

I'm so torn right now but will look at the Golf also but all the reviews and comments regarding the 2.0 TDI A3 are nothing but positive. I know theres only 0.4 of a litre difference between the engines, but as I said. The 1.6 was really built with only economy in mind, hense it can't cope with remaps etc. So maybe I just need to treat the 2.0 TDI as a totally separate beast rather than just a slightly bigger brother to the 1.6.

Again many thanks for your information and time to read and reply. This is all very useful information and I want to be as informed as possible when I do finally make my decision , still continuing to research and discuss in the mean time though

 

[dieseldoug]

Chris,
Not to sure on the difference between the two modes on the Audi, but will find out in January when the car arrives.
My son has a button on his golf I think its W/S basically he calls it "rapid and tame" but actually winter/sport, it reduces the throttle responce and makes the car less agressive. MPG difference I am not sure as it's not in the "tame" mode long.... I also thought the A1 was 140HP on the 2.0 diesel.
In actual fact I have never been inside an A3 to date, this car was test driven by my wife and son, then ordered, so it better hold up to my expectations and the out going A4.

 

[ChrisJL]

Hey Doug,
I'm very interested to see how you find your A3 when it arrives. Particuarly with you being a long time fan of Diesels, I'm sure the 2.0 will meet and most likely exceed your expectations as the new large engines do seem more advanced than the previous engines.

As for me I think I've decided on what engine I like the look of, but now its a case of what car do I want it in. I feel the engine that probably would best suit the driving I do, as well as my want for decent MPG and no concern over any kind of turbo lag - is the Petrol 1.4 ACT that was mentioned above. I've read about it in the new golf thats comming out (or is out?) I've also read that its comming to the A3 soon. I'd be very interested to know when if anyone knows! But I've also this morning discovered that the brand new Polo Blue GT has that engine in it too.

I think that engine for me is a better option than the 1.8 TFSI too because in comparison... 0-60 time (certainly compared to polo gt) is 0.6 slower, £100 less road tax, around 15mpg better, not to mention the difference in cost.

I am however seriously looking into the DSG option on the engine too as I've never really considered it before but I'm hearing nothing but good reviews about it.

Having looked at all 3 cars specs in detail I think for me its down to the A3 still or the Polo Blue GT. So I'm just trying to find out when we can expect that engine to arrive to the A3 as the Polo has had a major face lift and is more like the Golfs of old.

 

[daveb99]

Does this thread win the award for longest replies in the new A3 forum?!!!

 

[Gordo77]

I drove my new A3 2.0 TDI from Carlisle to Glasgow this morning (approx 110 miles) and had the cruise control set at 70mph in 6th gear for most of the journey. The journey averaged 50mpg. I'm confident it will get better as it puts on more miles.

 

[stetheo]

Hi,

I have a 2.0TDI 170 and even though it is the uprated BHP i still manage to get an average of 53.6 in the 6000 miles i have driven in the car. I do alot of motorway driving in the week then urban driving at the weekend where i tend to be a bit more agressive in the driving style. I can't say the car suffers a lack of power when it is needed to pull off quickly either.

Personally i would go with the diesel.

 

[James P]

Chris

Took delivery of my A3 1.6TDI around 4 weeks ago. Car is beautifully finished, but as you correctly say- power is a disappointment. I had hoped the fuel economy gains would be enough to justify the power / torque reduction (had a 2.0TDI 140bhp 8P). Having drove around 3,000 miles (mainly A-Roads) I'd say 54mpg is more realistic than the 74mpg Audi claims

 

[Gordo77]

My new A3 2.0 TDI with 700 miles on the clock is now returning around 52mpg on average journeys. The 1.6 TDI was great in the A1 I had previously, but the 2 engines really are like night and day.

At 70mph in 6th gear, the 2.0 has sooo much in reserve.

 

[ChrisJL]

Hey James thanks for the feedback too . It is a shame about the 1.6 engine. I am very much a fan of petrol engines as its all I've ever known but I did expect more from a 1.6 engine. Your estimation of 54 mpg on a good run does sound more realistic. That is probably the highest I've ever had mine up to on a good motorway journey with no traffic. The A3 having that 6th gear might help raise that a little more though, my A1 only has the 5. - I have seen the picture of yours in the other thread though and I must say it looks amazing all my previous cars have been Red and I was so set on Glacier white for an A3 but you've given me a serious problem now

Gordo thanks for the info on the 2.0 My current A1 1.6 tdi just feels too slow for me personally. I've come from 1.6 and 2.0 petrols so it is bound to seem slow in comparison of course. I will find out the difference between it and the 2.0 when I have a go in one but it sounds likes there is a drastic difference between the 1.6 and the 2.0.

For the driving I do, Im not doing the miles really for a diesel so im still looking at 1.8 tfsi as I might never get to use it on distance, but then again if I did knowing a 2.0 would be alot better mpg (and cheaper Tax year on year) is still swaying me. I hear the 2.0 isn't quite as rattly as the 1.6 too so that may sway me too as I do much prefer the sound of a petrol engine against my current engine.

The Price of Tax for a petrol is a consideration. More so what its potential is to go up in the commin years and by how much...

 

[ChrisJL]

Thanks Mark thats great. Yours is the 2 litre diesel too isn't it? Really looks like a terrific engine but I don't do the miles so I wouldn't wand to ****** it up by not giving it the blast it needs (but then it is german so might be ok). But then on the otherhand the tax for the petrol engines could rise to unknown potentials and that concerns me, but the diesel no matter what would never catch up with the petrol in terms of tax price. With that sort of mpg I bet you get a fair few miles to the tank

 

[Vertigo1]

MPG on mine is awful at the moment. Doing mainly short urban trips and not getting out of the 30s

 

[number3]

Yes its the 2Lt Diesel. But i do get a nice run most days so would expect it to be high, most on a tank has been close to 580 i think and i chickened out taking it to close to empty lol.

.

 

[ChrisJL]

MPG on mine is awful at the moment. Doing mainly short urban trips and not getting out of the 30s

I get around the same in my A1 1.6 TDI. I don't mind the mpg around town like that its to be expected and if I got that from a 2.0 TDI around time I again wouldn't mind that either as its still better than the 18 I used to get in my Civic Type R.

For me its just if I'm only getting that sort of MPG I still want the power As surely a petrol could get that around town? The 1.6 really lacking the power but if the 2.0 is as impressive as you say then that should be fine. I hear that the torque power is even so much so that unlike most diesels you're not forever changing gear at turns / roundabouts etc. Like my current TDI if I roll onto around about I need to be in 2nd but in petrol cars I've been able to take them in 3rd without problem.

2.0 TDI must be nice though that when you take it for a run the mpg goes up and your tank doesn't shoot down

 

[number3]

Chris ....less talk more ordering!!!! lol......

 

[ChrisJL]

Chris ....less talk more ordering!!!! lol......

Ha I know mate, Once I've got myself a go in the 2.0 TDI as long as it throws me back in my seat if I floor it I'll be putting my name down

Logically for a car i want to last a long time surely it makes sense to go TDI over TFSI but I just don't want a repeat of my mistake with the 1.6TDI hense my almost unending researching / questioning / requests for personal opinions .

Need to see the colours in person too. Always been a Red car man but was 100% settled on the Glacier white you got as its stunning, but then I saw a red one and was like.... hmmmm lol.