Diesel to petrol, regret?

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Bingo27

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Hi all,

I'm currently driving an A3(8P) 2.0TDI 170 and planning to upgrade to an A4 fairly soon. Admittedly I've not test driven a petrol one yet but I'm seriously considering the 2.0TFSI as the performance and MPG on paper look attractive. Has anyone here gone from a diesel audi to a petrol one and regretted it?
In the past I went from a GT-TDI Golf to a 1.8T A4 Cab and after a while got sick of the lack of "umph".
I drive on the motorway a lot, at least 80 miles a day in the week, and the trip to my beloved football club most weekends is also an 80 mile round trip. Point being most of my driving is motorway not around town...

The computer in my A3 tells me I'm currently averaging 42MPG, I've had it for just over 2 years.

I like the idea of a 2.0T petrol engine and the nicer engine note than 2.0TDI with comparable/better performance, but I don't want to seriously suffer via the wallet MPG-wise.

Cheers for any opinions/advice
 
With the way fuel prices are going through the roof i would be looking at getting another TDi. I would also guess that even though the 2.0T engine is awesome, i would bet the 170 TDi is a better point to point car.

IMO the fart the 2.0T makes compaired to a TDi wouldnt be enough to justify the loss of economy.

My 2 pence, stick with the diesel.
 
Bingo27,
I was a bit like you as well, currently i have a A3 tdi 140 (chipped to ~175) and for 4 yrs pretty impressed with its performance mpg etc. On the other hand the deisel clatter is doing my head in!

So due to Baby on the way and Dog having to travel ive orderd a A4 Avant sline 2.0 tfsi.
A few reasons why really....
I test drove a 140 tdi A4 avant and S**t it was really sluggish, even although my A3 for various reasons has the remap off
If i was to go for a tdi in the A4, i was thinking for the umph i would need the 3.0tdi which is £3,000ish pounds more, now that spead over the time i'll have the car will a petrol use that much??
The 2.0 tfsi does look a good engine, time will tell mind you.
My car aint getting built till week of May 17th so sorry cant help you anymore?

Let us know what your going to go for?

Cheers Ross
 
I much prefer the long pull of the 2.0T over the short sharp dump of power given by the 140TDI. (quickest diesel I have driven) With the 2.0T you get a surge of power just before 2000rpm, then it seems to get a second wind at 3500rpm before taking you to 6000rpm. I have no idea what the 170TDI is like, but almost considered it myself. However I do think the 2.0T and 170TDI have the same amount of torque, but they deliver it in different ways.

I am a bit of a lazy driver in relation to gear changes and although I shouldn't, I hold the car at low revs between gears, especially in third gear where I will drop to about 15mph whilst taking a corner, rather than changing into second. I also found that around the town I had to use the gears more in the diesel since it couldn't cope with my driving style, which did my head in.

However, if you are looking at consumption, it has to be a diesel. The figures on the 2.0T look great, but I am yet to achieve them with mixed driving. It much prefers to long runs where at 50mph on a long stretch of county road I achieved almost 40mpg, compared to 30-31mpg around the town. Nevertheless it is a great engine and has definately continued to sway me away from a diesel.

Have a look at http://www.audi-sport.net/vb/showthread.php?84242-2-0-tfsi-quattro-1-week-on.
 
The other thing is the 2.0T is quiet; you can hardly tell the engine is on most of the time. But it is really quiet if you have stop/start and are sitting in a queue!:lmfao:

Jokes aside though, the only way you can tell the engine has turned on again is from the slight judder of the car.
 
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I went from a 2.0tdi (140) B7 A4 to a 2.0 TFSI (220) B7. And it would take quite a bit of persuasion for me to go back to diesel. Petrol engined cars are a lot cheaper to buy in my experience than diesel.... which with my annual milage would take almost 4 years to recoup the price difference from mpg savings.
 
Thanks very much for you input/advice/opinions. I'm defintely still leaning towards going back to petrol, specifically the 2.0TFSI when I change to an A4.

I'll keep you posted on my progress and then hopefully how I feel about the decision once I've done it. Next step is the test drive, but being a tad impulsive when it comes to buying cars, I need to leave the test drive until I'm ready to buy... I'm unlikely to leave the dealership without being a lot lighter in the wallet...
 
have had a similar dilemma! I've had the A3 2.0 TDi 140 DSG for nearly 3 years and been pretty impressed with it all round - but we've just had a kid and clambering over the seats (3 door) to put him in is not fun!

Since I do so few miles these days I toyed with the idea of a S4 Avant, ended up wimping out on the mpg / insurance etc and going for the 2.0 TFSI Quattro as a compromise - looks like it's going to be July before I get it though, worth it though (I think) for my exact factory spec!

If I do get a bit fidgety I might invest in the bluefin, which looks to take it to 265Bhp, which is probably as spritely as my driving ability can prob handle! ;-)
 
oscar said:
If I do get a bit fidgety I might invest in the bluefin, which looks to take it to 265Bhp, which is probably as spritely as my driving ability can prob handle! ;-)
Click to expand...

Mmm, that sounds interesting. Do you have any more details on this?

I've had my 2.0 TFSi Quattro for a whilst now and love it! Average around 28-32 mpg, but i do push it on a bit......
 
I'm average about 35 mpg in my 1.8 TFSI (160ps) which is a good 10 mpg less than my 1.9 TDI (105ps) but it is great to wind her up and go. Diesels tend to flatten out just when you need it! I did have a trip to manchester last weekend and got 50 mpg which I was well chuffed with. (I did take it easy though and stayed well within the speed limits). I travel approx 8000 miles a year and the extra price for a diesel verses cost in petrol means a diesel isn't really better for me.
 
i have just bought a 2.0t and its definitely smoother than my old 1.8t b5 (not as fast though)
 
To answer the origional question, - It depends on the milage you do. I have an s4 which has pretty poor mpg but my annual milage is approx 6-8k a year.

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned to the guy I sit next to in the office that I had just got 10.2 mpg coming to the office. He said that would have made him sick (he drives a clio and lives about 35 miles from the office). I drove 2 miles miles and pointed out to him that even at 10.2mpg he would have still have spent more in fuel getting in to work than me................
 
At least 80 miles a day - so you're doing 20k plus per annum just to get to work without any weekend driving. That would be diesel all the way for me :)

When I went from a 2.0 TDI to a new S3 a few years back I thought the same but the novelty quickly wore off. Fuel prices started creeping up again early 2007 to 130p a litre and I was putting £70 a week in some weeks. Ended up buying another diesel within 12 months.

The new CR diesel engines are a world apart from the PD engines. Much smoother power delivery and very quiet. Ideally you need to try both out on an extended test drive if you can wing it with the dealer.
 
Try the parkers Fuel cost calculator, just select from cars from the list, and it will calculate how long it will take you to recoup the difference.
According to it, based on my 2.0 TDI S Line (Start Stop) 4d vs a 1.8T FSi (160ps) S Line 4d, I would only drive 13k miles to recoup the extra. (£40 saving per 1000miles), have a play round.

Petrol vs Diesel | Running costs - Parker's
 
Crazyfool said:
The other thing is the 2.0T is quiet; you can hardly tell the engine is on most of the time. But it is really quiet if you have stop/start and are sitting in a queue!:lmfao:

Jokes aside though, the only way you can tell the engine has turned on again is from the slight judder of the car.
Click to expand...

Ticking over, yes it's very quiet, smooth and refined; same when cruising on light throttle. However, when accelerating, even with moderate throttle pressure, the engine sounds harsh and unrefined - in fact, Scooby-like is an apt description of this particular engine.
QUIET? It most certainly isn't.
I've only driven one A4 2.0T, this one, so have nothing to compare it with. I'm going to rectify this at the first possible opportunity, though, then I'll know if I have a problem, or not. Hope not, as everything else about the car is outstanding.
Anyway, it's under warranty for the best part of a year, so, no worries then - I hope.
 
The only thing i could think of to better mine would be an S4 and to be honest they simply cost to damn much!!
 
bcampbell said:
To answer the origional question, - It depends on the milage you do. I have an s4 which has pretty poor mpg but my annual milage is approx 6-8k a year.

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned to the guy I sit next to in the office that I had just got 10.2 mpg coming to the office. He said that would have made him sick (he drives a clio and lives about 35 miles from the office). I drove 2 miles miles and pointed out to him that even at 10.2mpg he would have still have spent more in fuel getting in to work than me................
Click to expand...

exactally the same situation as me, i have a diesel, have been very impressed with it(my first diesel) but i dont do any motor way driving and average 6k a year. plus i love the sound of a powerful petrol. if i did do more miles then i would have to sensible and get a diesel or low power petrol, lucky i dont though!
 
if you can't afford the petrol, or are worried about the cost of running a petrol, then perhaps stick with a oil burner.

But petrols will always win hands down in comparison to diesels. I HATE DIESELS.

though funnily enough i drive one. But only because at 19, i wont be touched on a 2.0t, yet on a 2.0 tdi they will. So i have to live with it till atleast im 21. :(

the diesel clatter, and the rubbish power band just makes me sick. Yes the torque is nice, but i'd much rather have a nice 2.0 turbo lump screaming to 6-7k rpm. its turning me on just writing this.

Ah somebody kill me....
 
A couple of months ago I switched from a Renaultsport Clio 2.0 petrol to an A3 TDI 170, and I think theres plus sides to both but if your worried about cost you've got to go for the diesel.

What I miss about the petrol is for example, pulling out of junctions/turnings, you can just floor the petrol and you'll be doing 30-40mph before you have to change gear but the diesel you've got to be on the ball to pick up speed from standing. But the diesel is much better in the low rev range and gives a burst of power instead of a gradual climb then a bit of a boost at top revs.

The way I look at it is if your just wanting to get from A to B e.g. work, diesel is better but if you want to have some fun go for the petrol!

I want my Clio back! Or an S3 i suppose!
 
ming said:
However, when accelerating, even with moderate throttle pressure, the engine sounds harsh and unrefined - in fact, Scooby-like is an apt description of this particular engine.
QUIET? It most certainly isn't.
Click to expand...

I feel this is a slight exageration. My father has just bought a 2.0T 2006 EOS and you can definately tell the difference. It is less economical, feels less punchy and it sounds really harsh during acceleration in comparison to mine.

A few weeks ago I had an A5 TDI and performance wise I actually thought it was the 140 bhp. I hadn't realised the A5 only comes as a 170bhp. On the motorway it felt like my car to drive, except it had the banging B&O system...I want it!

However, on other roads and in the country side, it was a noisey tractor and just didn't feel as refined as mine. I could feel the vibration of the engine through the pedals on take off and deceleration and the turbo lag was horrendous; to the point that I kept on yelling at it to go. Last year I was looking at the 170bhp over the petrol, but feel I definately made the right decision. A V6 or V8 sound would be better though!

My father who was adamant he was going to get another diesel, instead threw a curve ball and went for the EOS where he has the same opinion as me, although he just doesn't look at the mpg anymore!
 
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