1.4TFSI v 2.0TDI

[UV-RS3]

Hi all

Looking to pick some brains around the A1, looking to replace the wifes Up! with an A1.
Got it down to 1.4TFSI or a 2.0TDI. Seem to have similar power (140) and low road tax.
Got to be a 3 door, manual and s line, best spec possible, as new as possible, the wife is also very picky about colour.
Budget is upto £15k.
Anyway which is better, any know issues with either engine? What to look out for?

 

[MiniCheddar]

If your wife is only going to be driving short distances like door to door then I would suggest the petrol version. This is because a build up of carbon will occur with the diesel.
My A1 is diesel and the first day I picked it up, it went into limp mode! Turns out the EGR valve needed replacing. The person who owned it before me did door to door driving and the build up of carbon ruined the Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF).

If your wife does a lot of door to door but still want the diesel. Just drive on a motorway with the car doing at least 2k revs for 15 minutes at least once a week. This gets the engine running hot enough to burn all the particles and reduces the amount of build up

Apart from that initial problem. I absolutely love the diesel engine. It's like a machine, it's always giving 110%

Hope this helped!

P.S I'm not a mechanic or anything was just trying to remember what the mechanic told me when the car went into limp mode.

 

[UV-RS3]

Thanks for the reply, it is mostly short journeys so the DPF point is quite valid. Typical the best one I have found so far is diesel

 

[MiniCheddar]

I sometimes drive short distances, it can't be helped.

To help with the DPF I used "Wynn's Diesel Particulate Filter Cleaner" can be found here: Halfords
Once or twice a year I will add this to the fuel tank. There will be people on the forum that swear by additives and others that just think they're pointless and do nothing. I only did a little research around the topic when I bought it. It is supposed to burn off soot particles from the filter, it does this by reducing the soots temperature to burn. E.g. lets say it normally takes 70 degrees to burn off soot, by using the cleaner it will reduce that number to 50 degrees therefore your engine can get rid of more soot particles in the DPF. -- That's my understanding anyway.

Go for the diesel you can use that cleaner OR if you drive on the motorway at least once a week then there shouldn't be a problem in my eyes. I've not had any problems apart from the initial one but that was from the previous owner.

---------EDIT---------
Also, personal preference - I find diesels a lot easier to drive. Hill starts are easier (redundant point if you have hill hold assist)

 

[RGBARGEE]

IMHO the petrol motor is far nicer, smoother, 6 speed box and in the A1 even the 122/125 is quick. Not like your RS though!

 

[ScottishA4B9]

The 1.4tfsi is a great wee engine! Very nippy and makes a great noise!

 

[Vyra]

I have a 2.0TDI A1 that I use to commute 30 miles to work each, wife has an A3 with the 1.4TFSI engine for pottering round town and in hindsight, I really wish I had the petrol engine. The 1.4T engine has plenty of grunt for town work and I agree with others who advise you to stay away from the diesel engine. I bought the diesel engine thinking with my head and can get some 65+mpg if I drive like a vicar, but do that too often and DPF fan kicks in, so I drive a bit more vigorously, reduce the mpgs and get it to a point almost level with the 1.4T petrol!

Plus the diesel engine sounds like a tractor on cold mornings

 

[Jake 61]

My wife has just picked up a 1.6 TDi A1. We didn't really look at petrol, well, I did and when I saw what the TFSi was good for, I steered her away from it. She's a bit of a nutcase and the 1.4 would have been lethal...!
1.6 TDi is pretty good and I quite like it myself.