B9 2.0 TFSI or 2.0 TDI 190

pred02

pred02

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Hi,
I am looking into a second hand 2017 A4 TDI 190 with 40k miles or 2016 A4 2.0 TFSI with 25k miles both with a manual transmision. I don't use the car for work, just around town urban commute and long road trips.
What is the general consensus among these two engines? It seems that 2.0 TFSI is more refined but real world fuel economy seems significantly better with the TDI 190. The TFSI does have a bit more of a kit (tech pack but not virtual cockpit).
I have (and my parents still have) 2006 TFSI 2.0 in the US but it's not super economical for Euroepan gas prices.
I feel this is probably the first and last diesel car I will have ability to own.
Thanks
 
It doesn't sound like you use the car enough to warranty a diesel. When you actually compare MPG in cost terms Petrol mostly isnt far behind if your only doing less then 10k a year! Petrol all day everyday.

If you're not after a power house, I would recommend the B9 1.4 TSI 2017. We have this in my wifes Leon, plenty of day to day performance, averages 40mpg and silky smooth/quiet.
 
I drove diesel company cars for 17 years but that was mainly due to P11D tax being so much lower.
I've been driving petrols for over six years now and have recently ordered an A4 Avant 40TFSI (204PS).

Diesel only makes sense nowadays if you're doing lots of long-distance driving.
 
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If you round town mostly, and only 10K a year, buy the petrol. Your diesel MPG will be around low 30’s, and petrol will be high 20’s.

However, warm up time, smoothness and noise will be better on the petrol. I’d go for a 2.0 tfsi, the 1.4 is a bit weak fully laden on long trips.
 
I own a 190 TDI SLine and have had a courtesy car 2.0 TFSI 190 when the diesel was in for a service at Audi.

I commute around 27 miles to work on Norfolk roads, so 50 - 60 MPH and traffic is never horrendous, but the diesel returns crazy MPG. I've averaged 62.8 MPG since I've owned the car (on the computer). Average fill up is over 60 MPG, getting easily over 500 miles out of the 40l tank, could probably get 600 miles if I nursed it. There is a bit of turbo lag which is par for the course in a 2.0 diesel, but if I fancy a bit of a blast it handles really well and never notice the lag when up the rev range.

The petrol was very similar in every respect, although it didn't feel as fast as the diesel due to the torque maybe. It probably was quicker though due to the gearing etc, but no real discernible difference. The biggest difference was fuel economy, I got high 40's out of the petrol, again on Norfolk roads. But I do around 12K per year so diesel works for me, and mines March 2017 so it's £30 tax for the year.

Which did I prefer? I love a petrol and miss my Golf GTI Edition 30, but the A4 2.0 TFSI didn't have a petrol rasp to the exhaust, so I didn't notice it was a petrol from the cabin. They're both so similar to drive that there's no wrong choice, but for me the Diesel made more sense with the mileage.
 
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I had a 2017 A4 190 TDI Ultra manual and switched to a 2021 204PS TFSI S Tronic.

On a long run, Newcastle to Cambridge, the TDI computer showed over 68mpg. Working out at refill wasn't far away either.

Two weeks ago the TFSI got 52mpg and refueling worked out just over 51mpg.
It's a MHEV so maybe not equivalent to the 2016 TFSI. Around the doors is anywhere between 22 and 33mpg on the computer though. The TDI would be high 30s to high 40s around the doors.

I do miss the low down torque of the TDI, but with the automatic the TFSI is so quick to switch gears I don't really notice it now. It does if you hit the throttle right have the ability to throw you into the back of the seat more than the TDI did.

The petrol seems to handle much better than the TDI, might be lower front end weight or tyres or a combination of both, but I always found the TDI had a tendency to understeer and made me a little hesitant when pushing it. The TFSI turns in exactly where I expect it and feels much more composed.
 
All of these MPG numbers are pie-in-the-sky utopia compared to my S3 :D
 
pred02 said:
Hi,
I am looking into a second hand 2017 A4 TDI 190 with 40k miles or 2016 A4 2.0 TFSI with 25k miles both with a manual transmision. I don't use the car for work, just around town urban commute and long road trips.
What is the general consensus among these two engines? It seems that 2.0 TFSI is more refined but real world fuel economy seems significantly better with the TDI 190. The TFSI does have a bit more of a kit (tech pack but not virtual cockpit).
I have (and my parents still have) 2006 TFSI 2.0 in the US but it's not super economical for Euroepan gas prices.
I feel this is probably the first and last diesel car I will have ability to own.
Thanks
Click to expand...

Biggest issue for a diesel is the warm up time. Especially below about 7ºC. That is mainly because diesels are so damn efficient they don't throw out that much resiual heat, not even enough for the heater matrix sometimes. Short journeys mean lots of cold engine running and it will also affect the DPF performance. Real fuel economy is about 25% better with a diesel but factored into overall ownership costs it's peanuts and it comes down to your preference, don't get hung up on mpg! I tried the 35TFSI (150hp) and the 35TDI (163hp). Night and day in terms of drivability. Torquey or peaky. I much preferrred the lazy torque of the TDI, but they were both auto 'box. It seemed to suit the luxury nature of the car. You don't state the power of the TFSI. Is it the 190 too?
 
Migwire said:
I had a 2017 A4 190 TDI Ultra manual and switched to a 2021 204PS TFSI S Tronic.

On a long run, Newcastle to Cambridge, the TDI computer showed over 68mpg. Working out at refill wasn't far away either.

Two weeks ago the TFSI got 52mpg and refueling worked out just over 51mpg.
It's a MHEV so maybe not equivalent to the 2016 TFSI. Around the doors is anywhere between 22 and 33mpg on the computer though. The TDI would be high 30s to high 40s around the doors.

I do miss the low down torque of the TDI, but with the automatic the TFSI is so quick to switch gears I don't really notice it now. It does if you hit the throttle right have the ability to throw you into the back of the seat more than the TDI did.

The petrol seems to handle much better than the TDI, might be lower front end weight or tyres or a combination of both, but I always found the TDI had a tendency to understeer and made me a little hesitant when pushing it. The TFSI turns in exactly where I expect it and feels much more composed.
Click to expand...
Hi
Ive gone from a 2017 B9 TDI to a 2021 B9.5 TDI and I feel the same as you. The newer car is a vast improvement over the old. I don't think it's much to do with the engine but I believe the suspension has been tweaked quite a bit. It is far more positive to drive, turn in is much more accurate, feels much more secure and ride comfort is way better despite going from Sport to S-Line.

Thread creep, sorry and not much help to the OP looking at '16 & '17 cars. Oops:sorry:
 
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I had a 2016 A4 Avant 2.0 TDI (190bhp) S Line Manual for 4 years, I’ve now got 2021 A4 Avant 2.0 TFSI (204bhp) Black Edition S-tronic.

The new petrol is so quiet it’s unreal compared to the diesel. It has the mild hybrid system which cuts out while coasting, but the engine is so quiet at low revs without looking at the gauge it’s hard to tell when this happens. Lot less vibration in the cabin compared to the TDI, so overall a much more refined engine it seems, obviously being a petrol.

The Petrol feels a lot quicker away from a standing start, no discernible turbo lag and with the s-tronic quick changes, it effortlessly glides away. In comparison, the old TDI used to feel like you were trying to get a bus to move from a standstill, had to wait an age for the power/torque to kick in, turbo lag was quite bad I’d say.

But……..That TDI torque is sadly missed. Once you are up and running the torque delivery was unreal. You could fly past anything on overtakes and it just kept pulling.
 
Like @Migwire & @nathanrich, I to have had a MY18 TDI and now have a MY21 40TFSI and was worried if I had made the wrong decision going petrol, but now I have it I’m so glad I made the switch. Much more refined than the diesel and a pleasure to drive. Still unsure on how MPG will work out as its only several weeks old.
 
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Still not much use to our OP Pred02 but I had the opportunity to take both MY21 TFSI and TDI cars out on extended loan/test drives of a week each, albeit only the 35 ones as that's all I was offered at a reasonable price form VWFS last year. I was staggered how much more refined both were compared to my 67 reg 6 cyl TDI. Yes the petrol is smoother but not massively so. I too couldn't tell when the mild hybrid system shut the engines down completely - in either. Only at idle while stationary does the diesel make itself known. And then nothing like diesels of old or from BMW/Merc or even the same engine in a Skoda (baffling).
As I said each to their own and if it was my own money buying rather than leasing a brand new car it would be TFSI all the way. I think I'd be even more pro TFSI in 2016/7 models. Residuals will no doubt more than make up for the extra fuel bought. Also I imagine the 40 and 45 TFSI would be far more responsive than the rather asthmatic 35TFSI, but at the time a 45 was virtually double the 35 monthlies so I had to discount it
 
SPIKE_ said:
Like @Migwire & @nathanrich, I to have had a MY18 TDI and now have a MY21 40TFSI and was worried if I had made the wrong decision going petrol, but now I have it I’m so glad I made the switch. Much more refined than the diesel and a pleasure to drive. Still unsure on how MPG will work out as its only several weeks old.
Click to expand...
I went from a 190 Diesel S-line to my current b9.5 Black edition Avanty 40TFSI Petrol. I cannot say that it was the right decision. I normally do a couple of long distance European trips, but obviously with the Zombie Apocalypse this has not happened, and with working from home I have done 5000 miles in one year, about a third of my normal usage. I greatly miss the torque of the Diesel and since I have a heavy foot I am finding the petrol consumption somewhat unacceptable for this car. I should have bought an RS4 at least I would have the performance to back it up. With the stupid electrification of the next A4, I think my next and final new car will be a Golf R Variant. I have now had four diesels and now this petrol and my last petrol was a Golf Mk2 16V, i was spoilt by the torque, so it might be me adjusting back to petrol.
 
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