I had a thread a few weeks ago about the Mk4 Golf TDi Vs Mk1 Focus 1.8 TDCi.

I'm still undecided what to buy and stumbled across the 1.4 Fiesta TDCi although they seem a little unreliable from reading reviews.

That brings me to the c.MY2003 Corsa 1.3 CDTi. Anybody any experiences?

Thanks,

Nick.

 

MIL has the Fizzy 1.4 TDCi. MY08 with nothing to report. Never missed a beat apart from when she filled it with petrol.
I've driven it a couple of times and its sloooooooow. The Golf and the Focus both have a turn of speed which is handy for over taking where as smaller engine diesels don't. As long as you keep them off the motorway though i'm sure they'll see over 60mpg

 

Always go for a VAG 1.9 tdi, both rotary pumped and PD models are ultra reliable. Ford 1.8 rotary pump/common fail engines have been known for muttliple problems. The fiesta has a peugeout diesel engine (lots of injector and turbo problems with them) and the corsa has a FIAT (fix it again tommorow) diesel, which fall appart very often as they are garbage, they are chain drive and the chain falls off for fun, on both the cam and the balancer shaft, plus they have a multitude of common rail fuel system issues.
Filling a common rail car with petrol is not a good idea, they struggle to keep the fuel systam in one piece running on diesel!

 

i have a 1.4 PD tdi polo for getting to work, it is very slow (75bhp) (but then i have the scoob if a fancy going fast!) but it does return over 55mpg and costs £35 to tax for a year, this engine is a three cylinder version of the 1.9 PD ( basically the same engine minus one cylinder, same timing belt and tensioner, pistons, rods etc)

 

Ok,
So the 1.3CDTi Corsa, I have a lot of experience of these, we have maybe 10 of them at work, plus points, to my knowledge they are reliable our oldest is a 07plate with about 60k on the clock and they have never broken down, that is the only positive!!

To drive they are so completely numb that I sometimes think walking would be better. You will get no enjoyment from driving this car!
On a steep roadl the car will simply not go up the hill in anything other than 1st gear and then you have to rev the crap out of it as you will be right at the top of 1st gear but it will not take 2nd, and thats with only a driver in it!

I can't recommend these cars at all, they are probably cheap and probably good on fuel, i don't know as I don't pay for the fuel and they are pool cars, a Suzuki Swift petrol would be a far better option and probably also good on fuel

 

just wait another 30k miles mate, if they keep them that long

 

I think the policy is to keep them to circa 100k unlsess something happens first

 

Your joking right? Reliable? probably one of the least reliable diesel units around, I do a fair bit of motorway driving and you always see a vw group diesel broken down on the hard shoulder, plus I've friends who have had issues with these ultra reliable units, one even ejected a rod through the block (66k
miles and full vwsh) and that was just cruising at 80mph in 5th!

Back to the op, your better off with the 1.7 cdti unit in the corsa, the 1.3 can drink oil and not return good mpg, plus it's a little gutless

Tony

 

I do a lot of motorway miles, I can honestly say i've never noticed a VAG car broken down on the hard shoulder, I seem to reguarly see Rovers broken down though, that's another topic

 

yeah, im joking, you seem to be an expert

 

Do a search on here for those who have owned one (or know of people who do, even have a good story for the 2ltr tdi though Kevin's 130tdi octavia did 150k without any problems except the injectors of course) or just use google, its not a very reliable unit when it comes to modern diesels, plus the PD 1.9's (all of them) are coarse units, do the job but noisy (it even drowns out my 1.9 cdti unit and thats saying something ) and yes, I see atleast 1 on average per journey James, drive at the busy times, sunday evening and friday evening, it even scares me not to see fords broken down

Tony

 

ive got a 1.4 pd, 1.9 pd and have had a leon fr 2 litre tdi remapped to 201 bhp, so i have a fair idea what im speaking about! also had a 306 tdi, 205 1.9 tdi, vauxhaul 1.7 isuzu tdi in the past.

 

The 205 was a 1.8td btw
My friend has a 2ltr Leon TDI, 140bhp model, had an injector go just out of warranty (only done about 26k), cost for one injector (which Seat paid for as a good will gesture) £900 quid they said just pay the labour (£400 quid).
Also had a few diesels, vauxhall 1.7td (works van), astra 2ltr Di (also a works van, not bad on fuel and fairly pokey), 306 TD 1.9, mondeo TD 1.8 (horrid engine but not bad mpg), on my astra H now with a 1.9cdti, no mechanical issues except the boost solenoid and the ABS pump and a vauxhall omega 2.5td, such a lovely unit (BMW) it was even chipped you couldnt tell it was a diesel it was that quiet (even with the bonnet up!).
Have avoided the VW groups cars, mainly because they are over hyped and over priced, and friends have had more than enough problems with them (always the diesels!)

Tony

 

until i put a 1905cc engine from a xantia in it with 6 speed gti6 gearbox, screwed up the fuel pump too

 

bet it was quite pokey then?

Tony

 

not bad for a derv smoke machine, got bored of the ride quality and size of it quite quickly! 6ft 2in in a 205 aint great!

 

Tony, I work shifts, I drive in rush hour, out of rush hour and at the dead of night when at times I almost have the M62 to myself.
I'm also a member on Cupranet so I know a good number of VAG owners.

It's all academic though as the OP was asking about the Corsa 1.3 CDTi

 

which has a fiat engine

 

Only the M62? thats nothing try the M60, M6, M42, M40, trust me you get ALOT of traffic on there, and alot of broken down cars (mainly german, mainly VW, though there was a mini on the hard shoulder last sunday night, oh thats german ) and I also do shifts, plus my driving can be in some of the heaviest traffic (fri night and sun night).


Yup and I replied to that and said go for the 1.7cdti instead

Tony

 

So does a Ferrari though the 1.3cdti doesnt inspire too much confidence, made for those shopping trollies that tootle round town

Tony

 

There is a 2005 1.3 CDTI for sale in the other marques for sale section.

 

Thanks guys.

COB - I'll check it out!

So is the 1.7 CDTi unit not made by Fiat?

 

COB - Advert isn't much good!

I take it that the 1.7 CDTi is different to the 1.7DTi? There's only 1 1.7 CDTi in a 100 mile radius of my house!

 

Sorry, I only scanned it quick and thought you may be able to contact him for more details.

 

I'm not too sure about the Corsa now after peoples comments!

I never thought it would be this hard trying to find a small reliable diesel!

 

Just to echo Tony - the following is a list of the cars i saw broken down at the side of the M1 over the space of a few weeks:

Audi A4 (59)
Audi A4 (05)
Seat Leon (58)
VW Golf (59)
Toyata Yaris (07)
Audi A4 (56)
Ford Mondeo (04)
Audi A3 (58)
Audi A3 (07)
Ford Focus (04)
Vauxhall Corsa (98)
Audi A6 (07)
Audi A3 (58)
Audi A6 (06)
VW Scirocco (10)
Audi A3 (09)
VW Passat (10)
Citroen Picasso (09)
Audi A3 (10)
Corsa Van(06)
VW Passat (09)

Do ya wanna buy from the VW group now? 15 out of 21 cars

 

You have a good memory!

I think it may be between the Fiesta 1.4 TDCi or the Mk1 Focus 1.8TDCi

Decisions as hopefully my will be gone soon!

 

Nah. I mentioned on another thread that Audi's were the most common car i saw parked at the side of the road and it was queestioned so i took note for a few weeks to prove my point

 

When you pass a broken down car do you always make a mental note of a cars make and age

 

that just shows how reliable the 1.9 PD is as all the VAG cars mentioned here use the 2.0 16v commonrail engine that has a multitude of problems!