New toy

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BigD
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Re: New toy

Post by BigD » Fri Sep 28, 2018 8:17 am

Stevoraith wrote:I'm definitely in the average mileage category (~12k per year) but I still think diesel holds an appeal.

The complaint of a narrow power-band I don't really understand, and especially with an 8 speed auto the power is seamless and relentless with a powerful diesel.

I'd consider a Golf R or 340i but 40mpg in a diesel if you hammer it compared with 30mpg in a petrol if you drive sensibly saves about £40 a month on my average mileage which means I can add another £2k onto the budget to buy the car (bank loan).

There are certainly scenarios where I think petrol is better but diesel is still a sensible choice without mega-miles I reckon.

With you on that. Even at average miles of 10k to 15k diesel still makes sense to me. And in a bigger car petrol would be fairly costly.

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rossybee
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Re: New toy

Post by rossybee » Fri Sep 28, 2018 8:41 am

Stevoraith wrote:
Fri Sep 28, 2018 7:13 am
The complaint of a narrow power-band I don't really understand, and especially with an 8 speed auto the power is seamless and relentless with a powerful diesel.
Subconsciously hit the nail on the head. Auto. So it's an implement for the daily grind, far less fun than a petrol manual which will run to 7k+ rpm where the sound will give you pleasure.

Don't get me wrong, modern autos are excellent pieces of kit, but are they as much fun as the mechanical interaction a self-shifter offers?
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woody
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Re: New toy

Post by woody » Fri Sep 28, 2018 10:57 am

So this afternoon, all going to plan, my 130i goes to its next keeper. It's a 3.0 straight 6 manual and rwd of course. It's great on the motorway and since I done a bit of work to the suspension fun in a b road. I'll miss it and it's broon leather seats.

But the commute has gone from 10 miles a day half b road to 54 miles all motorway. I was getting no chance to enjoy the petrol , not enough to justify 30mpg being careful banyway. So it's a 330d touring for me next as well.

The 8 speed auto is a cracker and was the deciding factor in buying one over taking the other half's petrol mini cooper, which does the same mpg. The mini clutch is much heavier than the 130's and since I burst my left ankle it just won't work day to day just now.

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Stevoraith
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Re: New toy

Post by Stevoraith » Fri Sep 28, 2018 11:26 am

rossybee wrote:
Fri Sep 28, 2018 8:41 am
Stevoraith wrote:
Fri Sep 28, 2018 7:13 am
The complaint of a narrow power-band I don't really understand, and especially with an 8 speed auto the power is seamless and relentless with a powerful diesel.
Subconsciously hit the nail on the head. Auto. So it's an implement for the daily grind, far less fun than a petrol manual which will run to 7k+ rpm where the sound will give you pleasure.

Don't get me wrong, modern autos are excellent pieces of kit, but are they as much fun as the mechanical interaction a self-shifter offers?
That's what Mike's 'toy' is for though isn't it?

We're all on a Lotus forum so we'll all agree that a manual petrol is the best choice for a weekend/fun/occasional use/track car.
But for an all-round car which will do the daily grind with a bit of fun on the back-roads when then wife and kids aren't there?

The petrol cars I mentioned I'd consider were the Golf R Estate (DSG only) and 340i (try and find a 2nd hand manual one) so they'd be auto too.

Having owned such a good auto, I wouldn't have a manual now for a daily.
And I still think that a powerful diesel auto can be plenty of fun on the occasional 'back-roads-home' jaunt that my daily will see.
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Mike Scib
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Re: New toy

Post by Mike Scib » Fri Sep 28, 2018 11:44 am

A few years ago I would never have thought I would own an Auto, now I have 2, mk7 Golf gti DSG and the 330d. For a daily, they work so well IMO.

As a toy/weekend car, for me it has to be a manual. That's what the Lotus is for.

As for the petrol or diesel, I personally wouldn't buy a Golf GTD having owned the GTI as I think the petrol suits the car better being a warm hatch, likewise I wouldn't buy a 340i over a 330d as the diesel works well for the family car.
alicrozier wrote:As Robin said, need to be comfortable and confident to push right up to the limit - sometimes you only find the limit by going beyond it...
(that's why I think Mike will do fine, that and his lack of imagination). :roll: :lol:

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Ferg
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Re: New toy

Post by Ferg » Sat Sep 29, 2018 10:07 am

The narrow power band might not be an issue on fresh out the wrapper cars with clever auto boxes and sequential or equally clever turbo arrangements. However, you don't have to go to old before cars have manual boxes and single old fashioned turbos where the power band restriction is more evident.

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DDtB
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Re: New toy

Post by DDtB » Sat Sep 29, 2018 6:27 pm

Ferg wrote:The narrow power band might not be an issue on fresh out the wrapper cars with clever auto boxes and sequential or equally clever turbo arrangements. However, you don't have to go to old before cars have manual boxes and single old fashioned turbos where the power band restriction is more evident.
I had a 2008 320d manual, 177bhp model. Power band was indeed narrow and it sounded like a tractor. Thought I’d never go diesel again after that car tbh only got around 45mpg too.






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campbell
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Re: New toy

Post by campbell » Sat Sep 29, 2018 9:11 pm

Power band (torque band strictly) in our Golf GTI TDI 150 was a bit narrow.

Things have come on a lot since then.
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robin
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Re: New toy

Post by robin » Sun Sep 30, 2018 10:57 am

The difference between the 2008 320d and the 2012 320d is night and day. 2012 320d hardly an expensive car these days (I think!). It's hard to fault and in sport mode it's a rocket - sure not as fast as a Lotus, but you can drive 500 miles non-stop (unless you have a squirrel bladder) and get out the other end like you just got in. It even sort of works in the snow. When we chop it in, it will be for something very similar I suspect and I cannot see us doing that anytime soon.

But if you only had one car, would you want a manual petrol over a modern diesel - that's surely a personal thing based on usage and how much you value the odd time when you can have it singing through the gears vs the rest of your life in dreary commuting mode.
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woody
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Re: New toy

Post by woody » Sun Sep 30, 2018 11:38 am

robin wrote:
Sun Sep 30, 2018 10:57 am
The difference between the 2008 320d and the 2012 320d is night and day. 2012 320d hardly an expensive car these days (I think!). It's hard to fault and in sport mode it's a rocket - sure not as fast as a Lotus, but you can drive 500 miles non-stop (unless you have a squirrel bladder) and get out the other end like you just got in. It even sort of works in the snow. When we chop it in, it will be for something very similar I suspect and I cannot see us doing that anytime soon.

But if you only had one car, would you want a manual petrol over a modern diesel - that's surely a personal thing based on usage and how much you value the odd time when you can have it singing through the gears vs the rest of your life in dreary commuting mode.

I've had the 330d one day and would like the 130i back please.
Last edited by woody on Sun Sep 30, 2018 12:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Mike Scib
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Re: New toy

Post by Mike Scib » Sun Sep 30, 2018 11:54 am

For a do it all car, the Golf GTi DSG is hard to beat.


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alicrozier wrote:As Robin said, need to be comfortable and confident to push right up to the limit - sometimes you only find the limit by going beyond it...
(that's why I think Mike will do fine, that and his lack of imagination). :roll: :lol:

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campbell
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Re: New toy

Post by campbell » Sun Sep 30, 2018 12:54 pm

"Keeper"

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rossybee
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Re: New toy

Post by rossybee » Sun Sep 30, 2018 6:18 pm

robin wrote:
Sun Sep 30, 2018 10:57 am
But if you only had one car, would you want a manual petrol over a modern diesel - that's surely a personal thing based on usage and how much you value the odd time when you can have it singing through the gears vs the rest of your life in dreary commuting mode.
Bang on.

Oh and welcome back :cheers
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rossybee
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Re: New toy

Post by rossybee » Sun Sep 30, 2018 6:19 pm

woody wrote:
Sun Sep 30, 2018 11:38 am

I've had the 330d one day and would like the 130i back please.
Interesting. Care to elaborate?
Ross
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2004 Bentley Conti GT

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rossybee
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Re: New toy

Post by rossybee » Sun Sep 30, 2018 6:20 pm

Mike Scib wrote:
Sun Sep 30, 2018 11:54 am
For a do it all car, the Golf GTi DSG is hard to beat.


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High on the list for our next everyday car, more likely to be the manual, but if the right car was DSG would happily go with it :thumbsup
Ross
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1972 Alfaholics Giulia Super
2000 Elise S1 Sport 160
2004 Bentley Conti GT

Now browsing the tech pages :mrgreen:

:cheers

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