alcazar

iTrader: (2)

The first is 140bhp. The second is 170bhp.

I can have a 57 plate sport for around £7000 with 31,000 miles, or,
an FR on a 56 plate with 70,000 approx same price?

What would folk do?

Is the FR worth the extra, all things being equal?


On a site like this, the heart rules the head and we'd all say "FR" all day long, but try to look at it as a family car?

Any thoughts?

yellowvanman

I had the same choice a couple of years ago, but a Golf - same chassis.

I went for the GT170 because it was the more powerful, and slightly better spec'd.

It is a nice car to drive, not fast, but nice lump of low down torque.

However, even though my wife drives it most, the economy is poor for what it is. We average 36-38 mpg.
A 140 would be 45-55, and for about £300 a simple remap will give more bhp and torque than the 170. So if buying again I would get a 140 and have it mapped, then better performance and mpg. 170 have a dpf to stop it sooting, but this strangles the power. plus the 170 engine can suffer with canshaft problems - found out after I bought it!

nik52wrx

My wife had a golf gt tdi 170 which was pretty swift compared to my barge. Ran it for three years with no problems at all. 45mpg when thrashed so pretty economical too.

Nik

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Two diametric views.
Thanks lads.

Any more?

Moley

iTrader: (9)

I can't comment on the 140, but we have a FR and it's a great car.
Getting about 39mpg, which isn't fantastic for a diesel, but i'm happy with it.

Some of the early 2.0 TDI engines suffered from porous heads, so worth checking.

gregwill

iTrader: (1)

hello, my mate got the 54plate fr which is the older version i believe? but anyways his fr was 150bhp standard which for what it is isnt that bad speed wise. But hes had it recently mapped and honestly it is hell of a different car!! so now its probs running around the 175bhp mark. Also he gets better mpg out of it, so if you were to go for the 140bhp one a remap should be putting you atleast around the fr's range of power. But if it was me buying i would want the fr!!

Littleted

FR for me looks better, BUTTT its nearly double the Miles. I know 70k maybe doesn't sound a lot, but im always dubious on cars over 40k, so maybe the other it will last linger Just pimp it up

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

TBH, not bothered about pimping it up, it will be the Mrs' car and for going abroad.

I just want something that will go all day on french autoroutes at 85mph and still return 45-50mpg, like our Xantia does/did.

Moley

iTrader: (9)

Last motorway drive in the FR averaged about 50mpg, at around 80-85mph

chocolate_o_brian

iTrader: (22)

Well, I genuinely didn't expect this to be in your list for replacement cars... it is for your darling wife isn't it

So ageing workhorse Xantia to a sporty diesel, wonders never cease Didn't know she liked those kinda vehicles Jeff!

bustaMOVEs

iTrader: (31)

Whichever you decide get the later cr engine, more refined than the older pd engine and less problems although the vag engine can be 50/50

yellowvanman

In which case there is only one choice, the low miler 140 sport.

mattvortex

Ive read that the 170bhp model can have big problems with its DPF-particularly on lower mileage, gently driven examples.

In fact anything fitted with dpf seems to be bad news

robby

I had an A3 with the 140bhp engine - managed 49-51mpg around town
I looked at the 170cr models later on but was put off with the DPF problems as i do a 99% town driving so it would caused me problems. Read some time later a DPF removal (or internals removed so it'll pass new tests next year) and a remap to let the car know there's no DPF will give approx 20mpg more and a shed load more power/ torque
JBS are 1 of the tuners to speak to

Littleted

M8 had one at work and was always in for dpf clear, basics are you potter about don't get a DPF.

I sold the wifes Zafira 1.9TDI for this exact same issue, and got her a new 1.4 petrol model

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Hmmmm, this is what I'm finding...and the 140 is/has a DPF too.

What about the Vauxhall TDI 150 engine?
Long in the tooth, but seems to work well enough?

Looking at 08 plate Astras with X-pack.

dpb

C5 estate

Jamescsti

I had the 140 version for about 18 months, I struggled to get much over 40mpg in it but then I didn't drive it slowly either, that was a combination of traffic and motorway driving.
It was a very nice car inside and out felt very solid and the power on it was decent. I would choose the 140 over the 170 on the two you are looking at due to the big difference in miles.

Only thing I would say is the turbo on mine was knackered at 40000 miles and needed replacing at a cost of £1300 inc parts and labour. Apart from that it was fine, but that's a big bill to swallow.

I presume you have looked round them in general? The boot space is fairly limited compared to the Focus I replaced it with.

I've got a Focus ST now running 330bhp. As you can see I lost interest in economy fairly quickly.

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Nope. I live in dumpsville: NO-ONE here wants anything to do with Citroen hydro suspension when it goes wrong.

borderlinechris

iTrader: (5)

i know your looking at the astra 1.9cdti.cheaper option might be the vectra c.thou you need to check the dmf/clutch. our vectra c needed it changed, it had done 60k thou, nice big bus, loads of boot space, ive cleaned egr on it and put modified gaskets to stop sooting the inlet up as much(to help swirl flap a bit!), no dpf to worry about unless its an estate/auto/signum. (although it can get mapped out).stick a tuning box on it and get 180/190 bhp or get it remapped (takes out the egr altogther) sit at 80/90 all day long loaded up.

the FR does look nice thou!!!

Brun

How will the car be used? If it's going to spend a decent wedge of time at Mway speeds then the egr and dmf issues become less of an issue!

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

See my post about the BMR and BMN engines or google it. Cracking drive but can be troublesome. I've driven both as demo cars and the FR TDi has more planted susopension, pretty close to my R32 in fact. I liked it.

The Sport 140 is softer and it does roll a tad more, however it has the more reliable unit..

Anyhoo it was too small and we ended up with a Altea Sport 140 TDI. I've driven the FR170 TDI version of this too and its just as good as the leon FR. Problem is; same engine

One thing to note the BKD 140bhp engine won't do 50mpg unless its used on flat roads and kept below 75mph (thats on the sat nav..130km/h on the clock..its LHD ). On a 2400mile round trip this one does 43mpg tops; thats confrmed by mileage and pump reciepts too. I don't think the leon with the same engine would be any different, as IMO the problem is not the bigger shell or weight; Its the gearing...when I had a text saying the ferry was delayed by 3 hours I kicked the cruise control to 56mph/80km/h and slipstreamed HGVs...only then did I see 55mpg from the OBC. It was same situation when i've cruised the m6 when it was mostly covered in SPECs cameras when going to manchester and back, when the roadworks were finally finished so I could finally travel at 70+mph, MPG dropped back to the mid 40s.

Oh, and if you get a tyre roar/wheel bearing noise from the rear, the rear tyres have feathered the inner tread blocks. Very common on most VAGs on this platform, they are picky on tyre brands, rear camber can be reduced to help with this too.

dpb

Thought newer C5 had dropped pump up suspension

robby

Approx £300 gets rid of the DPF and has it remapped out - no more problems

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Just had one of the lad's mate's round with his 56 plate FR. Took me out in it, nice ride, unsure of the tight seats, my Mrs is horizontally challenged, LOL.

He's had the DPF delete done and a remap to cover it.

He also said not to worry about it as our car will do 2 x 25 miles a day on the local usually empty motorway, or 2 x 16 miles a day on the back-roads in better weather/longer days.

DT-SPD

iTrader: (7)

Boost space on Leon is very poor and suspension on the PD engned FR is really firm. CR is def the better engine, much smoother than the PD version and the DPF issues are only a problem if it is never given chance to regen. Modern DPF technology is pretty good these days, but they will never be any good for continual short journeys.

If its a family car you are after I can recommend a Seat Exeo with the 140 CR engine, longer gear ratios than the Leon which makes is great for motorways, 53mpg at constant 75mph from mine on m1 today. Worst mpg I get is 42mpg and that's driving hard cross county.