Should I go with the TDI?

[Guitarist302008]

Hey all... I currently own a 2008 Evolution X. It's a great performing car and as far as that aspect of it, I couldn't ask for more... BUT I got married not long ago and so i'd like to get something that gets a bit better mileage and isn't as expensive to maintain. BMW has 4 years of free maintenance and gets 23-36 mpg... some claim mid 40's which I guess is possible depending on how you drive. I can average 23 if I drive the car like a grandma. It would be nice to have a car such as the 335d that has performance and gets excellent mileage. It's also an expensive car. I am currently at stage 2 on my car and though I NEVER track the car, it would likely run mid to high 12's. Is the new TDI capable of really competing with the Evo at all or am I just not going to get that much out of it unless I pour thousands into it?

 

[X CELL TDI]

no you can't compete with an evo on a tdi there no way around that my friend well yes on mpg not in performance the evo is a better platform in so many ways, you will have to pay a lott$$$$$$$$$$ to make a tdi able to keep up with an evo even in stock form

 

[Guitarist302008]

no you can't compete with an evo on a tdi there no way around that my friend well yes on mpg not in performance the evo is a better platform in so many ways, you will have to pay a lott$$$$$$$$$$ to make a tdi able to keep up with an evo even in stock form

Well, I guess I should have been more specific since I just realized that I didn't put this on my op. It doesn't have to be as fast as the Evo, but how hard is it to get a TDI to run say high 13's? I don't track my car anyway, I just want something peppy at least... if not, what are realistic numbers?

 

[vwmikel]

Well, I guess I should have been more specific since I just realized that I didn't put this on my op. It doesn't have to be as fast as the Evo, but how hard is it to get a TDI to run say high 13's? I don't track my car anyway, I just want something peppy at least... if not, what are realistic numbers?

Getting one into the 13's can be done, but be prepared to spend into the thousands to get there.

 

[X CELL TDI]

and if you want to get it there talk to vwmikel he knows how to take you there.

 

[VWBeamer]

I love my Tdi, it would be hard to get one in the 15's.

BTW, I also have a 12 second car, and truthfully, the TDi seems like it pulls harder on the interstate. The torque makes them pull like a toddler in a toy store.

 

[mysql]

Stock 2.0L TDI is making 140 hp. That should be all you need to know. Yes it has 230 tq, but the powerband is narrow.

Having heavily modded cars in the past, my current opinion is that if you want to go fast, buy a $10k bike and have at it. Modding up a car is a waste of money and you'll eventually regret it.

 

[Pcar993]

I love my Tdi, it would be hard to get one in the 15's.

BTW, I also have a 12 second car, and truthfully, the TDi seems like it pulls harder on the interstate. The torque makes them pull like a toddler in a toy store.

+1 the trq does make it seem way faster than it is.
13 sec is gonna cost some $$ For an everyday driver, 14 sec car is more than you would need IMO and that can be done fairly easy with a TDI

 

[ruking]

Hey all... I currently own a 2008 Evolution X. It's a great performing car and as far as that aspect of it, I couldn't ask for more... BUT I got married not long ago and so i'd like to get something that gets a bit better mileage and isn't as expensive to maintain. BMW has 4 years of free maintenance and gets 23-36 mpg... some claim mid 40's which I guess is possible depending on how you drive. I can average 23 if I drive the car like a grandma. It would be nice to have a car such as the 335d that has performance and gets excellent mileage. It's also an expensive car. I am currently at stage 2 on my car and though I NEVER track the car, it would likely run mid to high 12's. Is the new TDI capable of really competing with the Evo at all or am I just not going to get that much out of it unless I pour thousands into it?

Let's see, you like to have either or both cars run mid to high 12's. You will spend the money to make the cars capable of doing that. After spending big dollars to do that so either they run mid to high 12's, you now expect either of those cars will never break down when you do run mid to high 12's? Then you say that you are concerned about mpg/maintenance costs????? There are some serious disconnects here.

 

[im570rm]

3.0 tdi a4/a5 quattro chipped is in the middle 13s

 

[mysql]

If you like the pull on a diesel, imagine a turbocharged rotary ...

Here's my rx8 with a low 9 psi without the boost controller configured:

With the BC setup, the power comes on at 4k instead of 5k and stays there till 8.5k. It drops off after that but you can still do 9k rpms. I only went up to 12 psi boost, which came on at 2800 rpm. So huge power band, made things fun.


Downside? 18 mpg.

Upside? 16 psi = 400 hp. Also it made 18 mpg before being turbocharged. lol.

 

[X CELL TDI]

If you like the pull on a diesel, imagine a turbocharged rotary ...

Here's my rx8 with a low 9 psi without the boost controller configured:

With the BC setup, the power comes on at 4k instead of 5k and stays there till 8.5k. It drops off after that but you can still do 9k rpms. I only went up to 12 psi boost, which came on at 2800 rpm. So huge power band, made things fun.


Downside? 18 mpg.

Upside? 16 psi = 400 hp. Also it made 18 mpg before being turbocharged. lol.

man i love them wankels in Puerto Rico theyre crazy fast.... they also have top drag 6-7 sec 4 bangers down there. drag is the national sport u know

 

[Farfromovin]

A new TDI is so far from running 13's it's very very sad. I'm confident you could build it up to run that, with lots of custom fabrication. It will cost in the $5k+ at the very minimum, and will render the car the largest emissions failure you could imagine. Even if you don't have emissions testing where you live, resale value would absolutely plummit unless you returned it to stock before selling. That, and maintenance is not cheap on diesels. I'd consider keeping your EVO, or if you really want a quick diesel, buy a 335D and be done with it.

 

[cog]

+1 for a bmw 335d or chipped audi bmw 3.0L . these cars are very quick and powerfull as standard but still give good economy thats the way im gonna go next as a family car with bite without having to spend thousands on modding the internals . although most of us on here im sure find it more a hobby to mod cars than trying to make the ultimate race car .

 

[Souzafone]

You can't even mod a new TDI for more power, at least I haven't seen any, or any proof. TDI's make crappy 1/4 mile cars, not enough revs and too slow to shift due to the low rpms and heavy bottom end and flywheel. On an older TDI you can fix all this and keep your economy, but is costs lots, you may effect dependability and drivability, and you're still left with an older car.

 

[cog]

you can tune them for another 25% power no problem but after that there a limited amount of upgrade parts available . still believe a bmw 335d with a beefy program to around 320-330bhp is the way to go the feel mosterously quick on the motorway

 

[Guitarist302008]

Let's see, you like to have either or both cars run mid to high 12's. You will spend the money to make the cars capable of doing that. After spending big dollars to do that so either they run mid to high 12's, you now expect either of those cars will never break down when you do run mid to high 12's? Then you say that you are concerned about mpg/maintenance costs????? There are some serious disconnects here.

I realize it may seem a little contradicting, but after I got married and had been layed off my wife managed to find a good enough job that we could keep the car, I also wound up refinancing it for 84 months at low 5% interest... BUT, it's a 2 year old car with only 10,700 miles on it so the value will hold vs. what I owe on it.

The mods part of it may seem like a lot, but it takes very little money to get an Evo X into the 12's due to how rich they run from the factory. I have 600.00 in a full TBE, 160.00 in an UICP, 60.00 in a drop in filter... I also bought an AP which was 615.00, but all of that can be removed and sold for perhaps half or maybe a bit more than what I sold it for, so ultimately it's not as bad as it seems. However, with those mod costs comes a better flowing car which has gotten me to average 23 mpg which is good considering the EPA gives it 16/22 and I live in a small town. It's not all bad, but the little things like always using the top of the line oil in it because of the turbo, the OE tires will be gone in another 4-6000 miles even driving easy the way I do, eventually the clutch which on that car will likely cost 1500 to buy and replace, brakes get eaten up quick (which i'll just get some duralasts for since I don't track the car) spark plugs are rather expensive, etc etc. I love the car and the performance don't get me wrong, it would just be cool to have close to that performance while still getting much better mileage.

 

[unclesfunnyonions]

Im with cog on this one, Audi A5 3.0 tdi

Engine:2967cc, 24V, V6, 237bhp, 368lb ftTransmission:Six-speed manual gearbox, four-wheel drivePerformance:0-62mph 5.9secs, 155mph limited, 39.2mpg, 191g/km CO2

With a re-map it'll be a pretty swift, yet reasonably economical, daily drive. Personally id rather drive a car that was a couple of seconds slower in a sprint but did circa 40mpg than one that did 23mpg.

Most of the time you wont be driving flat out, in a modern tuned tdi you get performance when you want it and frugality when you dont. In a tuned petrol engined car, yes, you get better performance but even driving like a "grandma" your getting 23mpg so by my guesstimate normal driving would return around 18mpg?

If you really need your car to be as fast as it is now, stick with the car you've got now, if your willing to give up a little performance (don't imagine this as settling for second best) one of the larger engined tdi's could be for you.

End of the day you could go and test drive one for free and see what you think (and try and imagine it tuned)

Just my 2 pence anyway

Alex.

 

[Ryan VW 91]

Buy a MK4 TDI and go bigger turbo, nozzles, full exhaust, etc... You can pick one up up for 5-7k, and if you spend another 5k on it you'll be as fast as 13 second cars.. It won't be a 13 second car because of the gearing on these cars, and the torque makes it hard to hook up, but from a roll you'll be as fast as most 13 second cars I raced a stock EVO like yours and I hung in pretty well, he got a big jump but I still only lost by a car length.