What would you replace your TDI with????

[PoliPino]

It's just so gutless unless you get the 6 cyl. Do they make turbo kits for it that aren't too expensive? I doubt it. I, too, went to look at an accord and it just made me sad that I might be giving up my TDi.

That's what I'd be afraid of, if the car felt too wimpy. I'd have to drive it to see for myself, if I can even find a manual to test drive.

If I had to compromise on the stick shift, I'd only look at the Touring model.

If I can't get the driving enjoyment from driving a stick, at least I can maybe make some of it up by getting more power and lots of toys.

 

[DUBPL8]

If I'm not mistaken, the Fiat 124 is a reworked Mazda Miata. Exactly how much Chrysler...oops Fiat "quality" has been injected into it remains to be seen.

They are built at Mazda's Hiroshima plant so highly unlikely.

 

[ATR]

Haven't driven one yet, but on paper I'm thinking the Honda Accord EX is the winner - Bigger back seats for the growing kids, Manual transmission with options, Honda reliability.

Honda lost me after I finally came to the reality that they weren't a good fit for tall folks after a few long trips ending with my knees aching. I've owned 3 Hondas before I got my vw. The main reason I went had Hondas for so long was they have always been a good car to me. No major issues. I finally got my current vw because I was on the road so much and my knees couldn't take it. The vdub is one of a few cars that I can jump in for a long trip without my knees killing me. This might not affect everyone but for those north of 6 feet make sure it's comfortable for you.

The other thing that I don't like with Hondas is a bit more concerning. The paint on them isn't that great. The clear coat on darker colors tends to get cloudy after 3-4 years. They may have fixed it now, however it was still a issue as recent as 2013. My mom has a 2009 dark blue civic that honda has been to the Honda collision center twice to get the clear coat redone. Once for the roof and the other time for the trunk. Recently she noticed the passenger side fender needs work.

It's just so gutless unless you get the 6 cyl. Do they make turbo kits for it that aren't too expensive? I doubt it. I, too, went to look at an accord and it just made me sad that I might be giving up my TDi.

The newer honda models are coming out with turbos. But a solid turbo kit for naturally aspireed engines with tuning is well over $5k. Even then the engines were designed to be NA so reliability takes a hit. Supercharger kits may be a better idea if they can even be found.

That TDI torque really has spoiled us

 

[PlaneCrazy]

That's what I'd be afraid of, if the car felt too wimpy. I'd have to drive it to see for myself, if I can even find a manual to test drive.
If I had to compromise on the stick shift, I'd only look at the Touring model.
If I can't get the driving enjoyment from driving a stick, at least I can maybe make some of it up by getting more power and lots of toys.

Manuals do exist. I saw one on the dealer's lot (a base model which is still quite well equipped) and one in the wild, in Montreal. So they are out there, but not likely to be easy to get and resale value will probably take a hit as manuals are not that popular with an Accord's demographic.

 

[turbobrick240]

Interesting. I thought it was an Alfa that was going to be the Miata cousin. Just looked up more on the Fiat 124. I'd buy one of those over a Miata. The new Miata is great, but I don't care for the emoji/anime front end, and I think the taillights are god-awful. Make the rear end look too chunky. The Fiat 124 much better styled from the rear. Front is O.K. but a little MINI-looking.

http://blog.caranddriver.com/how-wed-spec-it-the-least-miata-like-most-italian-fiat-124-spider/

My thoughts exactly on the new miata. I like the profile view, but the headlights and tail end just aren't quite right. The Fiat spider looks much better, although I'd debadge the gaudy Fiat hood emblem. The Fiat has a 1.4 T that produces more power than the miata 4 cyl. Being a turbo, I'm sure the spider can be boosted with tuning. I'd take one over a miata I think. That might change when they come out with a turbo mazdaspeed mx-5.

 

[IndigoBlueWagon]

I saw a 124 at the Detroit auto show. It looks nice, but the mix of Fiat and Mazda is a bit off-putting in places. The dash for example, is pure Miata.

And I'd worry about whether or not Fiat has made a good car bad with assembly quality. Think Sterling: an Acura made into trash.

 

[no-blue-screen]

I looked at hybrids. I like the accord but not the boring CVT. Camry has a CVT on their hybrid as well. The Sonata has a 6 speed and the only other that I know of is the Jetta which has the 7spd DSG. I am very impressed with the Hyundai.

 

[jw4free]

Get a low mile elderly couple owned Buick lesabre or Park Avenue with the 3.8L V6. Cheap, and drive the wheels off of it. Fuel economy isn't great, but a person can get one for cheap..

 

[frugality]

Get a low mile elderly couple owned Buick lesabre or Park Avenue with the 3.8L V6. Cheap, and drive the wheels off of it. Fuel economy isn't great, but a person can get one for cheap..

Good advice for those with absolutely no self-respect left....

 

[Face76]

Get a low mile elderly couple owned Buick lesabre or Park Avenue with the 3.8L V6. Cheap, and drive the wheels off of it. Fuel economy isn't great, but a person can get one for cheap..

2000s supercharged Regal and Grand Prixs can get 30mph(hwy), have lots of mods available, and also have plenty of torque. I had a 99 Regal GS that ran 13.5 @ 100 and still averaged 30mpg(hwy).

 

[jw4free]

I drive a damn dirty Passat. I have no self respect left. I am ashamed. Literally hoping that if I shave my TDI badges I can still get past St. Peter. Out of my domain I know.

Ok not really. I love my Passat. Drove a rental Hyundai Sonata. No thanks. Cannot beat diesel torque and DSG.

 

[Tfuce]

Thinking about base R or an S or SE GTI.

 

[gliitch]

I just went back to the truck world. Picked up a 2012 Tacoma (been driving Toyota trucks my whole life). I missed it. I no longer have a long commute so it will be ok. GOOD BYE GAS MILEAGE!

 

[ezshift5]

...........have noted some very positive Mazda 3 6M/clutch reviews............

I wish I could remember the site where side by side comparisons might be accomplished......

...........Mazda 3 versus GSW 1.8 TSI............ (I know VW has disappointed many but..........


ez (the agony of - well, you know..............)

 

[drshaws]

I just went back to the truck world. Picked up a 2012 Tacoma (been driving Toyota trucks my whole life). I missed it. I no longer have a long commute so it will be ok. GOOD BYE GAS MILEAGE!

Hah! I feel I'll be in same boat. I can't wait to welcome back a Wrangler once the dust settles.

 

[PlaneCrazy]

I know VW has disappointed many but..........

While Dieselgate has been a disappointing turn of events for sure, VW hasn't disappointed me with my TSI hatchback. So far it's been flawless, the only issue I had was an underbody fairing come loose, that was fixed at a routine service interval. I installed R-replica HIDs from Bec auto parts, so I also have 90% of a LP car. I'm missing the self-leveling and swivelling, but have the light output and couldn't be happier.

I haven't really been hyper-miling it like I did my TDI where my long commute made me want to maximize savings and range. I drive it at the "no points limit" (110 km/h in Quebec, 115 in Ontario), and the last two tanks came out at 36 mpg average (6.5 L/100 km), and that's hand-calculated, not MFD. The MFD actually shows around 6 when I get that kind of mileage, so it is off a fair bit. In a straight highway drive the MFD shows 5.2 @ 100 km/h, so probably 5.7 true which is 42 mpg.

It's definitely quicker than my TDI was, and puts out its peak torque starting at 1600 RPM (185 lb-ft for my manual, 200 for the automatics), that's more than an ALH or PD 1.9 TDI at lower RPM.

 

[frugality]

PlaneCrazy, what RPMs are you turning at 110/115km/h? (70mph for U.S.)

I have yet to pick up my GTI, but on the test drive it turned 2300rpm at 70mph. My JSW is turning 2000rpm at the same speed. The GTI feels like it has (2) 5th gears. I s'pose I'll get used to it.

Your 36mpg is encouraging. I do more highway driving, so I'm hoping for at least 30mpg. If I get 33/34 (the listed highway mileage) I'll be happy.

 

[PlaneCrazy]

It turns just under 2000 rpm at 100, so at 110 it would be just under 2200. It is a VERY quiet car. It is a 5-speed manual... so the gaps between gears is fairly wide. That took some getting used to, my shifts were a bit jerky at first but now it works out OK. Interestingly, hills around here that required a downshift to 5th and sometimes even 4th in my TDI, I can pound up in 5th on the TSI. So I am shifting less in the top gears. Around town is a bit awkward. At 50 km/h I'm sort of in a grey zone between 3d and 4th; if I go 55 or 60 it's 4th but between 50 and 55, 4th can be problematic if I need accelerate or go up a slight incline.

I drove my sister-in-law's 6-speed automatic TSI over the Christmas holidays (also a Golf, a 2015 Comfortline). I couldn't really compare frugality as it was mostly suburban driving with lots of stop signs and lights. It drove well, but with a bit of hesitancy off the line.

 

[frugality]

Thanks, that actually sounds comparable to the GTI, then.

It, too, has AMPLE passing power in top gear.

You speak of quiet, and that's very important to me. The GTI of course has the same body, but it has an enhanced audio engine soundtrack. There's a box called the 'Soundaktor' (no joke) mounted under the wiper cowl, which uses the windshield as a sounding board. It introduces more snarl to the interior. More prevalent in Sport mode, less in Comfort. In doing some research before purchasing, Mk6 GTI owners had to unplug theirs. In Mk7, it can be turned off via VCDS, or even set to anywhere from 100% to 0%. Shutting it off will be one of the first things I do when I pick up the car this weekend.

 

[PlaneCrazy]

Thanks, that actually sounds comparable to the GTI, then.

It, too, has AMPLE passing power in top gear.

You speak of quiet, and that's very important to me. The GTI of course has the same body, but it has an enhanced audio engine soundtrack. There's a box called the 'Soundaktor' (no joke) mounted under the wiper cowl, which uses the windshield as a sounding board. It introduces more snarl to the interior. More prevalent in Sport mode, less in Comfort. In doing some research before purchasing, Mk6 GTI owners had to unplug theirs. In Mk7, it can be turned off via VCDS, or even set to anywhere from 100% to 0%. Shutting it off will be one of the first things I do when I pick up the car this weekend.

Yep I heard about that "Soundaktor" weirdness. Many simply unplug it, or disable it with VCDS.

I had to drive this morning and I double-checked the RPM numbers:

1900 rpm @ 100 km/h
2100 rpm @ 110 km/h

Give or take a few, the scale is in 200 rpm increments and the needle was more or less exactly between two increments.

After my drive, mostly on very hilly 80-90 km/h roads at the speed limit (except for the two quick checks above), MFD was showing 5.2 L/100 km, probably around 5.5-5.7 true, or about 41-44 mpg.

 

[ezshift5]

.........it's very nice to hear the GSW TSI is - quiet at fwy speeds - has the potential for really good fwy fuel numbers (perhaps mid 40's taching 1900 can be later validated by someone on these boards....................)

This weekend I drove my almost flawless TDI 6M 225 miles strait north for a college roommate's

wedding. The trip home - downhill - saw better MFI numbers. Filled w/ Chevron ULSD

and o/a MPG for 452 miles calc'd (miles driven/gallons pumped) same station-same pump-

first click................was a hair under 52. I will miss this little wagon. (That's why I'm asking

questions about the logical (family) successor.................)


this is a great informational website (regret the somewhat longish and big time nostalgic post...................

ez

 

[kjclow]

If VW offered me sticker plus $5000 for both cars, I would consider a RAV-4 hybrid and trade my truck towards a GMC canyon D-max. I don't see that happening so I will motor on.

 

[Sctdi123]

Im an empty nester ... so am curious about the new Chrysler Pacifica for travel and camping duty . very versitle to tow 3500 and use as a utility van with all seats down.

know our dog will luv it.

B.

 

[turbobrick240]

.........it's very nice to hear the GSW TSI is - quiet at fwy speeds - has the potential for really good fwy fuel numbers (perhaps mid 40's taching 1900 can be later validated by someone on these boards....................)

This weekend I drove my almost flawless TDI 6M 225 miles strait north for a college roommate's

wedding. The trip home - downhill - saw better MFI numbers. Filled w/ Chevron ULSD

and o/a MPG for 452 miles calc'd (miles driven/gallons pumped) same station-same pump-

first click................was a hair under 52. I will miss this little wagon. (That's why I'm asking

questions about the logical (family) successor.................)




this is a great informational website (regret the somewhat longish and big time nostalgic post...................

ez

I didn't do the math, but I think it likely that planecrazy's figures are in canadian/imperial gallons. So 40 mpg imp.= 33.3 mpg us. A glance at fuelly shows most TSI owners are getting around 30 mpg us.

 

[PlaneCrazy]

I didn't do the math, but I think it likely that planecrazy's figures are in canadian/imperial gallons. So 40 mpg imp.= 33.3 mpg us. A glance at fuelly shows most TSI owners are getting around 30 mpg us.

I've been using US gallons for clarity for our US friends, and L/100 km for Canadian friends.

My TSI actually gets 50 mpg imperial on the highway (@ 100 km/h or 62 mph) and 42 US mpg.

For me to get 33 mpg US with it on the highway would have to be a Very Bad Day. Bad weather, high speeds, etc.

My *average* on the last few tanks has been 36 US mpg. But that has a very large rural driving component as I live in a rural area.

I should add that the average is hand-calculated. For the highway miles I applied the average MFD error from hand calculations (about 0.4-0.5 L/100 km) to the MFD display. The MFD shows 5.2 L/100 km on the highway at 100 km/h. I corrected that to 5.7 to account for MFD error.

 

[tsundoku]

I've been over in the JSW-specific thread, but perhaps this one is where I really belong because I don't actually need all of that cargo space. I'll briefly rehash here:

I really want to keep the hatch (cargo access is more important than cargo volume), but if I insist on it, my options are limited to the GTI and the Mazda3. If a buyback is in my future, I'd like to entertain more than just two cars.

If I don't insist on a hatch, Subaru has the WRX and the BRZ, but as previously mentioned, Subaru interiors are known for being low-rent and I might not like them. The BRZ dashboard in particular was a big turnoff last time I was in the market.

Given all of that, a comparison playing in my head lately is 2-door GTI vs. BMW 228i. The latter isn't a hatch, but it has struts instead of hinges on the trunk, which mitigates some potential awkwardness, the interior should be up to my standard, it would give me some variety (I've been driving Golf-family cars for years) and the price difference between the two cars isn't that large. Finding one on a lot with a manual appears to be difficult, which could complicate test drive arrangements, but any buyback process should allow me to plan ahead and give myself the time to order one. A 2-door GTI might also have to be ordered, anyway.

 

[turbobrick240]

I've been using US gallons for clarity for our US friends, and L/100 km for Canadian friends.

My TSI actually gets 50 mpg imperial on the highway (@ 100 km/h or 62 mph) and 42 US mpg.

For me to get 33 mpg US with it on the highway would have to be a Very Bad Day. Bad weather, high speeds, etc.

My *average* on the last few tanks has been 36 US mpg. But that has a very large rural driving component as I live in a rural area.

I should add that the average is hand-calculated. For the highway miles I applied the average MFD error from hand calculations (about 0.4-0.5 L/100 km) to the MFD display. The MFD shows 5.2 L/100 km on the highway at 100 km/h. I corrected that to 5.7 to account for MFD error.

Those are impressive figures. I know before I got spoiled by my tdi, I considered anything at or above 35 mpg to be fantastic mileage.

 

[PlaneCrazy]

Those are impressive figures. I know before I got spoiled by my tdi, I considered anything at or above 35 mpg to be fantastic mileage.

I was surprised myself at how good it is; it does better than the Natural Resources Canada rating, which is 37 mpg highway.

When I bought my Trendline TSI, just before Dieselgate broke, the TDI cost $3k more at the same trim level. I couldn't justify that amount just based on the fuel economy, and around here the average price of D2 is higher than RUG (lower in summer, higher in winter, but it goes up more in winter than it goes down in summer). Interestingly VW was giving $1500 rebates on the '15 TDI at the time, but not on the '16; dealer told me that this was because the TSI was so efficient. I wanted a '16 for the MIB II infotainment system so a rebate was not on the table. Moreover the TSI is just simply more pleasant to drive (except for a missing cog in the manual transmission). It's smoother, quieter, quicker and in top gear pulls better up the multiple hills around here. Hills that required a downshift from 6th in the TDI don't require a downshift from 5th in the TSI. Everyone who's ridden in it has remarked how quiet it is.

I really want to keep the hatch (cargo access is more important than cargo volume), but if I insist on it, my options are limited to the GTI and the Mazda3.

Why specifically a GTI? The TSI fits that requirement, is way cheaper, and is no slouch. Plus it gets better fuel consumption than the GTI, and on regular instead of premium as well. I also prefer its more subdued look. I really was leaning GTI as well but there's no way I could justify an $8k premium for even a base GTI. It doesn't have that many more useful features other than the extra performance, suspension and wheels. For me a GTI meant going in hock again whereas the Trendline TSI hatch was cheap enough that I was able to pay cash for it.

 

[ksing44]

Why specifically a GTI? The TSI fits that requirement, is way cheaper, and is no slouch. Plus it gets better fuel consumption than the GTI, and on regular instead of premium as well. I also prefer its more subdued look. I really was leaning GTI as well but there's no way I could justify an $8k premium for even a base GTI. It doesn't have that many more useful features other than the extra performance, suspension and wheels. For me a GTI meant going in hock again whereas the Trendline TSI hatch was cheap enough that I was able to pay cash for it.

For me, it's the lack of a manual transmission in the Golf if you get more options in the car. I'd be totally fine with a Golf MKVII, if I could get it loaded with a manual transmission.

 

[tsundoku]

Why specifically a GTI? The TSI fits that requirement, is way cheaper, and is no slouch. Plus it gets better fuel consumption than the GTI, and on regular instead of premium as well. I also prefer its more subdued look. I really was leaning GTI as well but there's no way I could justify an $8k premium for even a base GTI. It doesn't have that many more useful features other than the extra performance, suspension and wheels. For me a GTI meant going in hock again whereas the Trendline TSI hatch was cheap enough that I was able to pay cash for it.

For me the question is really "why not the GTI?" I understand the new 1.8T is a good engine, but if I'm going to switch to a gasser, it's hard to turn down more power if it's within reach. The EPA estimate for the TSI is 25/37 vs. 25/33 for the GTI; trading away 50hp for that small of a gain in MPG is a lot to ask. Really, nothing in this class that I can afford offers fuel economy poor enough to concern me. If I'm getting over 30 highway in a gasser I think I'm doing extremely well. I'm used to buying diesel and premium gas, so switching to regular unleaded isn't much of a motivator either. The GTI also probably has a better suspension, etc. etc.

There are a few other quibbles, too. Why is the TSI's transmission only a 5-speed? Any less than 6 in this class seems behind the times, and I greatly value the 6th gear in my TDI for road trips. Going back to 5 is a hard sell. I'm also not a fan of the vast amounts of brushed aluminum in the non-GTI dashboards, although to be fair I don't like the GTI's golfball shift knob either. I'd still buy the GTI, though, between the two - switching a shift knob is much easier and cheaper than switching a dashboard.

EDIT: Something else I just noticed - I ran through VWUSA's "build your own" with the TSI since you asked the question, and I was wondering why there were so few options available (I could barely get the price over $22,000). It's because I picked the two-door. All of the premium options are locked up in four-door configurations with a mandatory automatic transmission, which must be what ksing44 was talking about, so I have not one but two things forcing me into relatively stripped models if I don't go with the GTI. Even if we ignore performance, fuel economy, and aesthetics, here is your answer. I won't buy an automatic and given the choice I won't buy four doors, either, but I don't want to get stuck with the base model.