Dingdongler

How do people feel about the diesel issue now that a few months have passed?

I still haven't replaced my daily drive and face the same issues. I'm after a 'compact executive' estate or mid sized saloon with 4wd and petrol engine.

Still nothing about. BMW don't make a 3 series petrol with x drive and MB only have the 43 AMG version or full AMG version in petrol and 4 matic.
Both of those models are far more expensive and thirsty than I need.

Audi do make a non high performance petrol quattro A4 estate...but the steering on this car is just absolutely unacceptable.

So I'm sort of being pushed into buying a diesel 3 series x drive, diesel c class estate or diesel E class saloon with 4 matic.

I will only do about 3k miles a year so diesel makes no sense for me whichever way you look at it and then there is that fear about (near) future legislation and taxation.

Very confused

pacenote

Have you thought about looking at a Subaru Levorg. 1.6 L petrol turbo, prob not "exec" enough but they are nice cars with a proper AWD system.

bustaMOVEs

iTrader: (31)

The Audi is speed sensitive steering and you do get used to it. A fully loaded Quattro sline etc in 2.0T form is a great motor I think. I love mine. Mapped to 275hp so makes for a rapid daily

Dingdongler

Thanks mate.

I don't mean to sound like a badge snob I don't think the Subaru will cut it in the fit/finish and tech dept. And even though I don't want a high performance car a 1.6L might be a bit underpowered.

Dingdongler

I test drove a brand new S4 avant earlier this year. The car was beautifully put together but damn I've never experienced steering so numb.

I don't remember it feeling any better at higher speeds and to be honest most town driving is done between 20 and 50 mph so you do want some feedback at those speeds, not just at motorway speeds.

It was the only thing that put me off the car.

Perhaps I should go back and try again? I don't need the s4, a well specced 2.0T should do the trick.

gazney101

iTrader: (5)

Im sure BMW do a 320i xdrive?
2.0 turbo 180 bhp or there abouts.

john banks

Do you need AWD with modest performance, availability of decent four season tyres and living in London? S3, Golf R estate etc are good value and not too fast, but the steering is not as good as a BMW.

Dingdongler

The boot in the S3 is only 340 litres which is probably too little. The golf is much better at 605 litres so that car is on my radar...however it lacks a few bits of luxury ie only drivers seat can be specced for electric adjustment and as far as I can see no option for heated seats at all...thats a deal breaker.

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Pretty certain heated seats come as part of the "winter pack"

I'd be dumbfounded if it didn't have them as an option.

Front fog lamps in the other hand...

Dingdongler

Ali-B, you are correct, it does have heated seats.

Do cars like a the BMW 335d xdrive need the super duper diesel to run properly or can they run on regular diesel?

I must say the 335d xdrive touring is very tempting. A very well specced car under 12 months old can be had for below £30k. Thats a lot of family car for the money.

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Never used any form of "super diesel" BMW says EN590 and no biodiesel. And that's exactly what it gets.

Principal being is fuel companies never state exactly what additives they use in their fuels, let alone what differs their super fuel to the normal one, instead using dumbed down advertising nonsense like BP's "little piranhas" or Shell's "Developed with Ferrari". EN590 is quite a strict standard, so what exactly their super fuels have above and beyond this will forever remain a mystery.

But I will try to avoid any fuel that has any "bio" in it, I've seen what grows in fuel filters that have been used with this as well as water contamination. EN590 does allow upto 7% bio (you can thank the EU green lobbyists for meddling with that), so it's worth looking at the pumps.

I do use Forte diesel treatment twice a year. Although factually why I do I can't say, I just have it on the shelf.

Our current 535d GT now has over 80k on it, only issues with the engine have been glow plugs and the diverter valve between the turbos failed. Doubt either is fuel related. Currently looking to swap it for a 435d X-drive Gran Coupe. However it's very difficult to get one with adaptive suspension.

As an aside and random musing, Spanish petrol smells very different to British petrol, their diesel smells the same, (I don't make a habit of sniffing fuel ).

Dingdongler

Thanks.

Would you know from which year BMW engines are euro 6 compliant?

Cheers

RS Grant

Steering on an S3 is a bit numb, but it's better on the Golf R... and the Golf R Estate seems to tick every box required here, including a lot of tech which you get stung for as an extra in BM/Audi/Merc cars.

Downside is the badge isn't as premium, the theft risk is a bit higher with a fast/practical VAG car depending on location and you might get more nobbers trying it on than you'd get in a slightly more anonymous and de-badged offering from BMW/Audi.

john banks

I drove a Mk 7 Golf R briefly in 2015 before and after its tune to 360HP. Used prices are not that good compared to the stunning lease deals there used to be, which surprises me. If I had something faster it would be good next to it, if my only performance car I'd want the 2.5T engine that actually lives up to the hype.

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Sometime around 2015. Depending on build dates, think they started complying in late 2014 on some models. Don't quote me on that though.

andy97

iTrader: (1)

No, diesel is dead or will be in th near future

alanbell

iTrader: (6)

Yep just got a SQ7 too, and i love it But i swop my cars very often , should i have kept my rs6 ??

RS Grant

by https://www.flickr.com/photos/64639403@N02/, on Flickr

Downpipe, intake and custom map on a DSG car.. IMO it'd have been better/safer to stick a cooler on there too, but you can't argue with these figures as amazing bang for buck.

However the actual cars aren't that 'special' when you aren't ripping around at >7/10ths which is ultimately why I got rid of mine after 2.5 years.. I loved mine as an all-rounder but it was not a daily driver for me so I'd like to feel like I'm in something a little more special when I manage to get out and about. I went for an E92 M3 Comp Pack, but agree that something like a 5-pot Audi RS or AMG Merc would also give you the nice build/premium feel but much more of a note and feel more of an occasion when you drive it.

Dingdongler

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.b...iness-41884203


Diesel car sales down by a third.

alanbell

iTrader: (6)

uk news in the 80.s re eggs did the same to egg sale,s how wrong were they ??

JackClark

I would definitely buy another diesel, but I did just sell my very handy diesel van as I live in town, rolling coal's going out of style.

Crossing Europe with a load of luggage, I want a turbo diesel taking my budget into account.

The money I've saved on tax pays for a lot of hire cars, 12 days hire coming up £50, £100 if I add some extra insurance, nuts. Vans are £30 for 200 mile trip and petrol vans are becoming more available.

drummog

September 2015 was the date all cars had to be Euro 6 but probably a good number of cars were Euro 6 before that.

All petrol Euro 5 cars were also Euro 6 as the emissions did not reduce from the Euro 5 Spec for petrol cars but it reduced for diesel cars from Euro 5 to Euro 6.

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

VW (among others) in 2016 started fitted DPFs to their petrol engines.

Presumably for EU6 compliance, and probably also because they knew their FSi engines put out more particulates than they should, and after diesel-gate it was only a matter of time that they'd be held to account on their petrol engines too. I suspect the NOx storage cats and NOx sensor will be utilised more too in terms of managing more use of EGR and less lean-burn fueling strategies.

About this time next year, I probably will be dealing with these DPF equipped petrol engines. As by then they will have left the mainstream dealerships. Should be interesting finding out how these cope when compared to EU5 diesels.

drummog

Both Euro 5 and Euro 6 have a limit of particulate matter of 0.005 for all diesel car engines but on petrol car engines, only on direct injection engines.

I assume the TSI is a direct injection engine, there is s further particulate limit but not measurable with equipment coming in 2018.

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Yes TSi (and TFSi) are direct injected petrol.

I've noted they are quite "sooty" compared to conventional petrol engines, they also struggle to pass BETs emissions tests at MOT, which is an ****.

drummog

Yes very nice engines but I have had the feeling that they are just far too clever to work day in, day out for 15 years in a consumer grade car that gets one service a year in a good year!

Dingdongler

Glad I replaced my family car with another petrol.


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018...s-harmful/amp/

jaygsi

iTrader: (46)

Never owned one, and have no interest in buying one, boring, and they stink. Although i'm looking for a van for work.

Dingdongler

[QUOTE=jaygsi;11992703]Never owned one, and have no interest in buying one, boring, and they stink. Although i'm looking for a van for work.[/QUOTE

Owned one once but never again. Hated it and that was one of the best diesels at that time, a BMW 3 litre 6 cyliner twin turbo.

Anyway, I started this thread because I wanted to change my family car and was considering a diesel again just because its a challenge to find a nice petrol car below a full blown M car, AMG, RS etc

Managed to find one and am glad I stuck with petrol.

drummog

Ali B talked about Direct Injection VW petrol cars being quite sooty. VW's latest petrol car the Direct Injection litre GTI UP! is the first VW with a petrol Particulate Filter, how long will they take to clog up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!