# Best diesel engine you know of...?



## avit88 (Mar 19, 2012)

Looking at moving to the world of diesel for 2 reasons: mpg and a bit more torque..
Would like to which are the best diesel engines you know of/had experience with.
I know the 1.9tdi VAG lump is good
Kia make a good 1.6cdti engine too from what ive heard.
Any others?


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## xJay1337 (Jul 20, 2012)

Mine.


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## stangalang (Nov 27, 2009)

The civic 2.2 diesel is one of the best engines i have driven, its honestly very special


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## Bero (Mar 9, 2008)

http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review...st-drives/volkswagen-touareg-v10-tdi-altitude

/thread

If that's a little exotic Mercedes by far build the best and most refined diesels IMHO.


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## dubber (Oct 2, 2011)

I think it's all a matter of choice, but personally I don't think you can beat the pd engine. Also depends how much you want too spend on the car. The newer vags are the cr engine


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## Deathstar (Jan 13, 2013)

I would say its the BMW 320d (based on the price point)
The wife had the 2.2 CDTI and now has the 2.2 IDTEC and neither of them are a patch on my 320d in my opinion. Easy to drive and bags of torque. 


NOT sent from my PC/Laptop.


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## DIESEL DAVE (Jul 26, 2007)

Which is the best diesel engine ? 
All depends on `the best` at/for what ?


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## RisingPower (Sep 21, 2007)

The one in the audi r10.


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## robertdon777 (Nov 3, 2005)

Just remember to calculate that they won't do the mpg you think they will.

ie. BMW e90 318D ED quoted 62mpg Combined - reality = 47mpg

So compared to my 2.0TFSi which does 33mpg combined over the same journey (calculated over 1 year of driving) the difference isn't as big as I thought it would be.

I thought the diesel with stop/start would of been at least twice as efficient (it's twice as slow!)


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## avit88 (Mar 19, 2012)

ideally id like the engine with the most mpg but it cant be too slow, must also be bullet proof, no bigger than a 2L really

what kind of mpg do you get from your diesel's?


Want something about the same power as my 1.6 but with better economy, just i cant afford a petrol 2L so looking for diesel as they have more torque but are affordable ie tax etc.


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## stangalang (Nov 27, 2009)

avit88 said:


> ideally id like the engine with the most mpg but it cant be too slow, must also be bullet proof, no bigger than a 2L really
> 
> what kind of mpg do you get from your diesel's?
> 
> Want something about the same power as my 1.6 but with better economy, just i cant afford a petrol 2L so looking for diesel as they have more torque but are affordable ie tax etc.


civic is 140bhp, the turbo works perfectly with the engine where as some feel like bits just bolted together, and i had it return in the 60's on decent runs with the dogs in and air con on. Even if thats not quite accurate, a run to whitby from oldham returning 50 would still be epic


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## Deathstar (Jan 13, 2013)

robertdon777 said:


> Just remember to calculate that they won't do the mpg you think they will.
> 
> ie. BMW e90 318D ED quoted 62mpg Combined - reality = 47mpg
> 
> ...


Your not far off there, I get around 46-52mpg out of my E91.
Real world is never near the published spec. 
The 184bhp on tap is nice though with all those torques 

NOT sent from my PC/Laptop.


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## Davemm (Mar 9, 2009)

BMW 2.0 Diesels are not bomb proof !


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## avit88 (Mar 19, 2012)

i heard the bmw 2.0 has injector problems and its too much for me to insure/ too big for my needs too.

i really want an engine that will go around the world 10 times and only ever need a service to keep it going


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## robertdon777 (Nov 3, 2005)

No modern engines are bomb proof.

They all fail on electronics 
(which are supplied by 3rd party manufacturers - usually Italian hehe)

The actual engines are pretty bomb proof.

Go back a few years and you will find bomb proof engines like the 6 cylinder petrol BMW units.


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## Davemm (Mar 9, 2009)

BMW isn't down to electronics and more mechanical from all the research and digging i did


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## Deathstar (Jan 13, 2013)

All I can say is no issues with mine yet...... 
The civics suffer from clutch issues.

What sort of distance to you cover pet trip.
One word of warning about the modern diesels is that the majority now have DPF's and these need a longish run to regenerate. If you are doing a lot of short journeys you would be better off with a petrol. 


NOT sent from my PC/Laptop.


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## Bero (Mar 9, 2008)

avit88 said:


> ideally id like the engine with the most mpg but it cant be too slow, must also be bullet proof, no bigger than a 2L really
> 
> what kind of mpg do you get from your diesel's?


That's not 'the best' that puts limitations on every aspect I could think of, if i was looking for 'the best'.

Can you rephrase it what engine is a good compromise of efficiency, power and capacity? :lol::thumb:


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## Dift (May 22, 2011)

Any diesel engine before the nonsense of emissions etc came in.

The VAG pd, or 2 litre PSA one.

My old Ibiza cupra diesel 80k, 13 trackdays, 230bhp, normal service schedule never missed a beat. Current 2.0 PSA on 130k and runs like a dream.


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## dubber (Oct 2, 2011)

Mine is a pd150 mapped with a few other mods to just shy of 200 bhp. Fuel economy wise being realistic. I get 40 mpg around town and 55+ on a run. Managed 65 once but that was in the slow lane with the trucks 56 mph


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## rob_vrs (Jan 4, 2012)

So far 9500miles on my 2.0 cr tdi 170, so far so good, average 46mpg and i don't hang about, although believe DPF can be a problem.


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## Miglior (Feb 12, 2006)

ive These:

Bmw 2.0d engine (320d format) crap. 48mpg max
Bmw 2.0d engine (118d format) dull, lifeless slow, for the BHP the MPG was crap 55max
VW 1.9tdi (PD150) awesome for the age of car 55mpg on motorway max
Vw 2.0 TDI (pd170) very very quick, lot of torque 50mpg motorway max
Bmw 3.0d Engine (535d really quick, but when your using its power, it still drinks a lot)
Vw 2.0 tdi (CR170) Fast enough, lovely smooth and quiet, awesome MPG 70mpg is possible. 

I was at the autosport show last week and the CR170 engine did 63MPG average all day with the cruise on at 80

the list is in the order of how I rate the engines


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## RisingPower (Sep 21, 2007)

Bero said:


> That's not 'the best' that puts limitations on every aspect I could think of, if i was looking for 'the best'.
> 
> Can you rephrase it what engine is a good compromise of efficiency, power and capacity? :lol::thumb:


Gawd if that's the best diesel engine, shoot me now


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## robertdon777 (Nov 3, 2005)

Just go big:

Q7 V12 TDI, 

6.0-litre V12 diesel: 493bhp + 737lb ft of torque, FAST


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## dubber (Oct 2, 2011)

rob_vrs said:


> So far 9500miles on my 2.0 cr tdi 170, so far so good, average 46mpg and i don't hang about, although believe DPF can be a problem.


PDF is only really a problem if used on short runs a lot rob. :thumb:


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## Shinyvec (Feb 12, 2010)

My 1.9cdti is good for performance but early examples are troublesome unless new parts fitted. The best deisel engines I have had in my car lineup are Merc 2.2cdi which was quiet, frugal and very lots of torque. The next is the 1.9tdi 130 as fitted in the old shape Ford Galaxy's and its the VAG PD 130 engine and was frugal and ultra reliable but power was adequite rather than being fun


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## PugIain (Jun 28, 2006)

I think PSA diesels are pretty good. Presumably why Jag, Ford and others use them.
Mine goes well enough its a 2.0 HDi. 136 bhp and 340nm torque. Mines non FAP so nothing to worry about in that regard. Its nice on a good run, reasonably quiet, the tyres make more noise at 70.
When it isnt minus 4 like it is now I normally get top 40s day to day, last few weeks its been a little lower.


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## karl_liverpool (Sep 25, 2008)

Not long sold my car one I had a volvo s60 2.4 d5. Pulled like a train 180 bhp. And sipped juice if u drove it normal. Motorway trip the instantaneous readout showed 80mpg and on average town driving it would easy do between 45 and 50mpg. 

I miss it now its gone.


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## dubber (Oct 2, 2011)

karl_liverpool said:


> Not long sold my car one I had a volvo s60 2.4 d5. Pulled like a train 180 bhp. And sipped juice if u drove it normal. Motorway trip the instantaneous readout showed 80mpg and on average town driving it would easy do between 45 and 50mpg.
> 
> I miss it now its gone.


This would probably be my second choice of engine tbh the d5 :thumb:


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## avit88 (Mar 19, 2012)

hmmm yes heard good things about these volvo d4 and d5's
seems the 1.9tdi vag lump is a winner as i thought!

i do 15k a year so i think diesel is the way to go.
what are the ford and vauxhall engines like? i cant get my head around the vauxhall range there are so many!


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## dubber (Oct 2, 2011)

avit88 said:


> hmmm yes heard good things about these volvo d4 and d5's
> seems the 1.9tdi vag lump is a winner as i thought!
> 
> i do 15k a year so i think diesel is the way to go.
> what are the ford and vauxhall engines like? i cant get my head around the vauxhall range there are so many!


Just get a Vw mate, good build quality and if looked after the pd engine is bullit proof :thumb:


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## avit88 (Mar 19, 2012)

quite like the skoda octavia with the 1.9tdi, anyone got one of these?


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## R7KY D (Feb 16, 2010)

My old Mercedes CLK with it's 220cdi


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## woodys (Dec 20, 2010)

robertdon777 said:


> Just go big:
> 
> Q7 V12 TDI,
> 
> 6.0-litre V12 diesel: 493bhp + 737lb ft of torque, FAST


Will this do then.

http://www.thesatya.com/12cyl/


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## Dannbodge (Sep 26, 2010)

The Isuzu 1.7 in my corsa


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## Dift (May 22, 2011)

PugIain said:


> I think PSA diesels are pretty good. Presumably why Jag, Ford and others use them.
> Mine goes well enough its a 2.0 HDi. 136 bhp and 340nm torque. Mines non FAP so nothing to worry about in that regard. Its nice on a good run, reasonably quiet, the tyres make more noise at 70.
> When it isnt minus 4 like it is now I normally get top 40s day to day, last few weeks its been a little lower.


A VAG man at heart, but my Bangernomics 307 hdi is surprisingly good.

This is what 230bhp of pd diesel looks like










Awesome car!


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## dubber (Oct 2, 2011)

Dift said:


> A VAG man at heart, but my Bangernomics 307 hdi is surprisingly good.
> 
> This is what 230bhp of pd diesel looks like
> 
> ...


Yeeeessss :thumb:


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## possul (Nov 14, 2008)

The 2.0 hdi units from Peugeot are very good IMO.
In all the time I'd worked at ford i had seen one engine failure (main crankshaft bearings) but due to the owner never putting oil in it.
They have a lot of torque, pull very very well and aren't really the noisiest diesel out there
In the time I've worked at VW (6months) I've seen three engine failures.

(That is by no means a way to slag of VW, there are thousands out there with no problems I know this, simply status points from previous experience)


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## possul (Nov 14, 2008)

woodys said:


> Will this do then.
> 
> http://www.thesatya.com/12cyl/


Insane


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## MattJ10 (Oct 18, 2012)

Have you looked at the Kia Cee'd 1.6 ctdi my girlfriend loves it. We go everywhere in it and costs pennies to run. 

7 years warranty if brought from new. 

£30 a year road tax. 

She has been getting an average of 45-50 mpg


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD


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## boyasaka (Jun 13, 2009)

Do not touch a BMW fitted with the N47 engine. Major design fault which despite 1000s of failed engines BMW still refusing to re call them. Just Google bmw n47 and the numbers and info are shocking , timing pulling not machined properly and has sharpe edges resulting in timing chain snapping. If it snaps 5 grand repair from Bmw and if you want to replace the know faulted parts before it snaps 2.5 grand repair from Bmw . I only know this as 2 lads at work were unlucky and theres snapped. Lucky one was still under warranty but one was not


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## VAG-hag (May 14, 2012)

avit88 said:


> hmmm yes heard good things about these volvo d4 and d5's
> seems the 1.9tdi vag lump is a winner as i thought!
> 
> i do 15k a year so i think diesel is the way to go.
> what are the ford and vauxhall engines like? i cant get my head around the vauxhall range there are so many!


I have the 2.0 Vauxhall engined astra. Its the 160 but doesn't feel as quick as my old standard bora 150pd. Nor is it as good on fuel......


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## john90 (Nov 22, 2012)

MattJ10 said:


> Have you looked at the Kia Cee'd 1.6 ctdi my girlfriend loves it. We go everywhere in it and costs pennies to run.
> 
> 7 years warranty if brought from new.
> 
> ...


Had one as a hire car and was impressed too


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## BMW Shortie (May 27, 2008)

Heard good things about subaru's 2.0 boxer diesel engine in the legacy


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## absolute (Jan 19, 2010)

My girlfriend had an e60 3 litre diesel. 

Absolutely astonishing! 230bhp standard and the crazy part was it returned 46.7 mpg based on 3000 miles. unbelievably efficient engine! 

The 520 and 525d do not return figures like that. 

Being a manual makes a big difference also. Expect 36/38 mpg with the auto. 

Just do your research on swirl flaps if you go for anything pre 06.


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## avit88 (Mar 19, 2012)

MattJ10 said:


> Have you looked at the Kia Cee'd 1.6 ctdi my girlfriend loves it. We go everywhere in it and costs pennies to run.
> 
> 7 years warranty if brought from new.
> 
> ...


yes very tempted by these, and reliability is meant to be good.


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## karl_liverpool (Sep 25, 2008)

Dannbodge said:


> The Isuzu 1.7 in my corsa


Got the same one in my van. Amazingly frugal on the juice even when loaded. Stoke to liverpool and 4 days of work driving all over liverpool and personal use too on 15 quid of diesel lol


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## avit88 (Mar 19, 2012)

karl_liverpool said:


> Got the same one in my van. Amazingly frugal on the juice even when loaded. Stoke to liverpool and 4 days of work driving all over liverpool and personal use too on 15 quid of diesel lol


nice! which bhp model is that because i believe they do three dont they?


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## dubber (Oct 2, 2011)

karl_liverpool said:


> Got the same one in my van. Amazingly frugal on the juice even when loaded. Stoke to liverpool and 4 days of work driving all over liverpool and personal use too on 15 quid of diesel lol


Bloody hell that's good going :thumb:


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## woodys (Dec 20, 2010)

avit88 said:


> quite like the skoda octavia with the 1.9tdi, anyone got one of these?


Just sold a octavia with the 105 BHP lump it was really good on fuel, average on rural road driving was 48 mpg motorway 56 was easily achieved but it did have cruise control which helped a lot. Was good car all round but wife wanted the smaller fabia.


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## SteveTDCi (Feb 8, 2006)

RisingPower said:


> The one in the audi r10.


Possibly the best answer, lthough I'm pleased toyota are going after them in the lemans series


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## WashMitt (May 27, 2010)

BMW 535d twin turbo, best deisel engine iv ever driven


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## dubber (Oct 2, 2011)

WashMitt said:


> BMW 535d twin turbo, best deisel engine iv ever driven


But don't they go throu the smaller turbos for breakfast  correct me if I am wrong


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## Dannbodge (Sep 26, 2010)

avit88 said:


> nice! which bhp model is that because i believe they do three dont they?


If it's a Corsa C they did 3 versions of it. 
If it's a D it is one engine but different power.

As his is a combo I would assume its the 100hp CDTi or the 70bhp Dti or Di


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## CGRD (Jan 9, 2013)

BMW 335D amazing car! With remap near supercar performance, excellent mpg!


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## SteveTDCi (Feb 8, 2006)

I think you also need to look at the type of trips you do, a vw up75ps petrol is better on fuel than a 1.6 tdi ecomotive Leon on a 14 mile trip to work on a mixed route, it was more fun too.


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## Kerr (Mar 27, 2012)

The engine in this.


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## Maggi200 (Aug 21, 2009)

I'll agree with the Honda 2.2 i-ctdi. Least diesel sounding diesel by a long way.


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## Fiestamk5 (Feb 15, 2007)

I haven't had too many diesels, but the 1.9 tdi in my sister's Golf is brilliant. I always average over 50mpg on a combined run and over 60mpg on a sensible motorway run

I don't know what Ford have done to the 2.0 TDCi because the one in my new shape Mondeo it just feels wheezy and sounds almost as "rustic" as the TDDi in my Connect!


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## karl_liverpool (Sep 25, 2008)

avit88 said:


> nice! which bhp model is that because i believe they do three dont they?


I'm not sure on bhp. Its no traffic light demon. Its the old shape combo 775 epic. standard isuzu common rail.


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## Summit Detailing (Oct 9, 2006)

It largely depends on the type of car your after and the budget your working within.

I've had various Skoda's, Audi's, VW's and a Seat with the 1.9 TDI PD engine and it is very very good indeed. Compared to the more modern engines it's torque/power delivery is somewhat abrupt & it's a little more noisy at idle but performance/economy/reliability are not in question.

320d/330d in e46 BMW's are very good but then so is the D5 in the equivalent Volvo.

2.0HDI are smooth with a linear torque delivery but are furthest away from the claimed MPG figures.

2.0TDCI in my current Mondeo, again smooth delivery but relatively poor economy especially compared to the VAG 1.9!

To give you a 'real world' MPG figure using the manufacturers figures take the Combined MPG say 40 and the Urban say 20 and find the number in the middle i.e 30:thumb:

Enjoy the test drives whatever you decide


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## avit88 (Mar 19, 2012)

SteveTDCi said:


> I think you also need to look at the type of trips you do, a vw up75ps petrol is better on fuel than a 1.6 tdi ecomotive Leon on a 14 mile trip to work on a mixed route, it was more fun too.


well i need it to be able to handle both i do a 18 mile a/b road commute to work each day but then need it to be good on motorway as I frequently drive 100miles to the inlaws each month.

got it down to:
octavia or golf mk5 or leon 1.9tdi
corsa 1.7cdti
astra 1.7cdti
kia ceed 1.6cdti

all the above have similar power to my current 1.6 petrol golf but prob more torque, and around 50mpg average from what ive heard so far.

any others you might suggest? Or has anyone had any more of the above cars?

budget would be 4-6k


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## Dannbodge (Sep 26, 2010)

Corsa should do around 45mpg round town and up to 50mpg on the motorway for a longer trip.

I do 5 miles to work and get 40mpg but if I do a ling motorway trip I get tthat average up to 50mpg.

If I only do lkng motorway trips it goes up to 58-60mpg


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## SteveTDCi (Feb 8, 2006)

For that kind of budget you are going to be towards the bottom end of the market and end up with high miles, diesels can cost you a fortune and any savings you hope to acheive will be wiped out with a set of injectors or a fuel pump. 18 miles isn't much either on my 14 miles I average 26/7 in the cupra, my a3 tdi would do 37 and the golf tdi 42, the Leon I had on demo did 59 and the vw up .... 68mpg .... The Kia ceed at that age will probably be the 2.0 tdi which I think is the vag unit, it was a horrible car too.

If you can go a touch higher than 6k I would be going for a pug 308 hdi 1.6, Leon's make great buys and are cheaper than the golf, octavias fetch strong money too. Volvos are good but I would also consider a 1.9 passat, mk1 superbas might be worth a look too.


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## Gizmo68 (Mar 27, 2008)

The best VAG diesel I have owned was in a 2001 Octavia (Elegance) that used the 1.9 110BHP non PD engine, that would never return less than 60MPG no matter how hard I drove it, it was easy to get 70MPG on the trip computer.

Next I moved up to the 1.9 PD130 in a MKI Superb, this just about hit 50MPG.
My Current 2.0 170CR Superb averages 47MPG (actual) as for getting 70MPG out of a 170CR not a chance!


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## carrera2s (Jun 28, 2009)

WashMitt said:


> BMW 535d twin turbo, best deisel engine iv ever driven


Agree pal! Awesome had an E60 M Sport Touring!:thumb:


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## WHIZZER (Oct 25, 2005)

the new audi bi turbo !


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## avit88 (Mar 19, 2012)

SteveTDCi said:


> For that kind of budget you are going to be towards the bottom end of the market and end up with high miles, diesels can cost you a fortune and any savings you hope to acheive will be wiped out with a set of injectors or a fuel pump. 18 miles isn't much either on my 14 miles I average 26/7 in the cupra, my a3 tdi would do 37 and the golf tdi 42, the Leon I had on demo did 59 and the vw up .... 68mpg .... The Kia ceed at that age will probably be the 2.0 tdi which I think is the vag unit, it was a horrible car too.
> 
> If you can go a touch higher than 6k I would be going for a pug 308 hdi 1.6, Leon's make great buys and are cheaper than the golf, octavias fetch strong money too. Volvos are good but I would also consider a 1.9 passat, mk1 superbas might be worth a look too.


an up is far too small and no good for long motorway journeys.... id like a much bigger car than that. I dont mind buying a diesel with 100k on the clock as long as its been cared for with FSH.. i know these VAG lumps can do 300k if treat well.


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## carrera2s (Jun 28, 2009)

WHIZZER said:


> the new audi bi turbo
> 
> Agree great write up in press!:thumb:


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## SteveTDCi (Feb 8, 2006)

WHIZZER said:


> the new audi bi turbo !


I had a go in one of those up alconbury airfield, very quick for a diesel, even a diesel hater like me. It made a nice noise too and was capable of 130+

As for a 2.0 tdi covering 300k, nope, a 1.9 yes but not the 2.0.


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## Dift (May 22, 2011)

Doesn't really sound like you need a diesel... A Toyota Avensis 1.8 VVti T2 will get you nearly 50mpg on a run, and 40 mpg round town... No injectors or DMF to worry about.

Plus petrol is cheaper than diesel (I think... Not filled a car with petrol for a while now  )


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## Blackroc (Dec 10, 2012)

'The best diesel engine' is not exactly giving you the answers you wanted OP ;-)

It totally depends on what you are looking though for from the diesel...

Best MPG?
Best 0-60mph?
Best cruising?
The quietest?
The most refined?

FWIW - if you are looking at 4 Pot diesels - look no further than the BMW 123d / Alpina D3. The 1 series has Twin Turbos (no reports of serious issues) The best 4 pot diesel bar none on the market today. 205 bhp as standard (although RR up to 220bhp, loads of power spread, almost zero turbo lag, loads of throttle response, tons of mid range power, and best of all, can be remapped to 270bhp and 350+ torques as mine was. No clutch slip, no issues, just major power and refinement and a mid-range surge that left Golf Rs and S3s trailing behind. It's still gets 40+ mpg when driven, £120 a year to tax, and cheap to insure. Sure if you drive it at full throttle all day you get mid-30s mpg, but it's effortless over taking and pick up are immense. 

Suffers occasionally from the N54 diesel issues as mentioned above (can be fixed by independents for well under £1000 by the way...) - but what cars don't have engine or build issues? 2.0Tdi VAG engines are famous for blowing turbos, fuel pumps and clutches far more than the BMW engines..

The 123d engine has won more design and car awards than any other manufacturer, EVO also rate it as the best diesel out their too....says a lot


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## SteveTDCi (Feb 8, 2006)

http://www.vivapotenza.com/showthread.php?2476-Ever-Wondered-how-much-you-spend-on-Fuel

petrol v diesel


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## Trip tdi (Sep 3, 2008)

Best diesel engine I have driven is the 2.2 cdti Honda Civic model, nice smooth band of torque curve, great precision gearbox and you gain great mpg while driving hard comparing to other diesels on the market, I have driven the 1.8 vtec and this engine needs to be revved hard to get the maximum from engine, to much hard work for the keen driver.

If you want to go down the VAG Range the pd 130 engine is the one to go for, you can chip these and are great on torque and performance.


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## avit88 (Mar 19, 2012)

SteveTDCi said:


> http://www.vivapotenza.com/showthread.php?2476-Ever-Wondered-how-much-you-spend-on-Fuel
> 
> petrol v diesel


looking at that id save approx £300 per year.... so not that much really


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## Ross (Apr 25, 2007)

BMW Shortie said:


> Heard good things about subaru's 2.0 boxer diesel engine in the legacy


It's meant to be a really good diesel but the flat 6 in my one is much more fun


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## Gruffs (Dec 10, 2007)

Fpt 2.0 jdtm-2 170.


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## Mick (Jan 23, 2010)

Ross said:


> It's meant to be a really good diesel but the flat 6 in my one is much more fun


is yours a diesel Ross?!?


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## Ross (Apr 25, 2007)

Mick said:


> is yours a diesel Ross?!?


Er no.


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## Mick (Jan 23, 2010)

Ross said:


> Er no.


err, why comment on a thread about diesel cars then about how much fun yours is, sounded as though you were talking about a diesel car there?


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## Bero (Mar 9, 2008)

Mick said:


> err, why comment on a thread about diesel cars then about how much fun yours is, sounded as though you were talking about a diesel car there?


All Ross' posts include such comments, relevant or not :devil: :wave:


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## JA0395 (Dec 26, 2011)

avit88 said:


> well i need it to be able to handle both i do a 18 mile a/b road commute to work each day but then need it to be good on motorway as I frequently drive 100miles to the inlaws each month.
> 
> got it down to:
> octavia or golf mk5 or leon 1.9tdi
> ...


I know I'm a bit of a VAG wh*re but have you thought about the 1.9 TDI unit in anything over the Golf? With the Polo for instance you'd get one with 70k easily within your budget. They're running 5BHP less but it's quicker to 60 and the MPG is up too. I suppose spec is something else to cover too though because you could get a Match in your price range which is full of kit that you'd ever really need (rain sensor, auto light etc) so would be a more comfortable place to be where as the Polo is kind of sparse in comparison. Hope this helped. :thumb:


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## xJay1337 (Jul 20, 2012)

The 1.7 diesel and 1.9 vauxhall diesel engines have poor reliability records.. the 1.9 is shared with Alfa, says it all really.

Golf Mk5 Match is a very nice car, comes brilliantly equipped, comfy and well built. 
Stock they come with 105bhp although mine dynoed at R-tech with 109, at 103k with a remap taking it to a shade under 150.
At 140k it got further upgraded to 171bhp with larger injectors and in 2 weeks I am off to Darkside Developments to get it taken to around 225bhp.

My engine is currently on 146k and running the 171bhp tune, so around 70% extra power over stock and I've had absolutely no mechanical issues. With the large injectors and mis-matched small stock turbo the economy is suffered a bit, but I also had a MAF problem which probably didn't help.

With just my R-tech remap (on stock hardware) on a 70mph cruise control motorway journey I could realistically get 700 miles from a tank and the performance was... enough, shall we say.


















Range of 645 miles and I had already done 165.7 miles on the tank. The readout was pretty accurate on the range, the MPG was within about 5% of pump calculated figures.

Some of the new BMW diesel engines are very impressive, with their sequential turbochargers but it's still very early days in terms of reliability, and I think in the future it will be a competition between BMW and VW in terms of the ultimate diesel engine, but when you hear stories of VW PD engines doing over 280k with no major mechanical work, and still going strong, you simply can't question VW's engineering design. Nothing is perfect, they have their share of problems but most are easily rectified and can be avoided with good servicing habits and a suitable driving style (I.E, not driven at 1400rpm all day!)


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## SteveTDCi (Feb 8, 2006)

I can get 99.9 to show on my mdf on my cupra, it does drop as you touch the accelerater tho.


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## JARS (May 21, 2010)

avit88 said:


> well i need it to be able to handle both i do a 18 mile a/b road commute to work each day but then need it to be good on motorway as I frequently drive 100miles to the inlaws each month.
> 
> got it down to:
> octavia or golf mk5 or leon 1.9tdi
> ...


Out of the above cars, I would not choose either the corsa or astra, found both gutless for a diesel.

I used to have a 2.0 TDI PD engine in an A3. Not bad but prefer the grunt I get from my current Skoda Fabia vRS which has the 1.9 PD 130BHP engine.

As a few have said, these are pretty good engines. If this is too small, there is a Seat Leon 1.9 130BHP or even a step further with the 1.9 TDI Cupra 150BHP, although personally I test drove all of these and settled on my little Fabia as the smaller size with the same engine just felt more fun!

As for economy, i can easily achieve 40+mpg town driving and 50-60 on a run, and if the 130 i not enough, these can all be easily & safely tuned to 165/170 (please remember I said safely... I know you can squeeze more!) and up to 300lbs of torque... even more fun :lol:

£5k should get you a decent, low-ish mileage (for age) pocket rocket 

Just my 2p worth


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## Globy (May 9, 2011)

You could never go wrong with mercedes v6 diesel (320cdi\350cdi) the most relaible engines, but if you want some older you might like the om606 a beast.


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## JenJen (Jun 30, 2010)

Audi 3.0Tdi V6


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## boyasaka (Jun 13, 2009)

My last car volvo s40 20D. Was one of the best cars i ever had still wish i never sold it 2 years later, believe it was 136 bhp ,always got between. 50 and 55 mph it was very quick ,with huge torque.


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## Dift (May 22, 2011)

avit88 said:


> looking at that id save approx £300 per year.... so not that much really


And have the risk of a massive bill coming along...

I'd look at a nice Petrol toyota avensis 1.8 vvti, 48 mpg on a run... It's an excellent barge.


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## renton (Nov 27, 2005)

I currently drive a Mazda 6 2.2 sport.

2.2 diesel with 180bhp and it revs more like a petrol as it has a really nice torque curve with no lumps !!

Really progressive power delivery with no lump of power when the turbo comes in!

Returns about 45mpg or 55mpg on a run !


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## suspal (Dec 29, 2011)

VAG 1.9 tdi :thumb: or the one thats getting me about :lol:


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## Porkypig (Jun 20, 2012)

avit88 said:


> ideally id like the engine with the most mpg but it cant be too slow, must also be bullet proof, no bigger than a 2L really
> 
> what kind of mpg do you get from your diesel's?
> 
> Want something about the same power as my 1.6 but with better economy, just i cant afford a petrol 2L so looking for diesel as they have more torque but are affordable ie tax etc.


I had a 1.9 tdi 130 VW Bora a few years back. I was doing 60k per year and returning 65mpg all day. It was very robust. Could'nt fault it. It was one of the PD serries engines.


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## shaqs77 (Jun 10, 2008)

I've got the vag 1.9 pd engine (arl engine code) 150 bhp.

Plenty of power and torque and can be very economical if driven properly.

Only downside is if incorrect oil is used it can lead to the dreaded chocolate cams.


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## xJay1337 (Jul 20, 2012)

SteveTDCi said:


> I can get 99.9 to show on my mdf on my cupra, it does drop as you touch the accelerater tho.


Well yeah, that was average over 165 miles :car::car::car::car::car::car::car::car::car:


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## avit88 (Mar 19, 2012)

some excellent information here guys, just what I wanted. Sounds like the vag 1.9tdi unit is the way to go, just need to choose which vag car to have it in! 

now thinking
golf mk5 or jetta
octavia or fabia vrs (old style)
leon
passat


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## dubber (Oct 2, 2011)

I think the mk5 golf has the cr engine mate, could be wrong thou. :thumb:Fabia vrs is a good one too go for IMO


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## Alex_225 (Feb 7, 2008)

I'm far from an expert but I've only ever heard great things of the 1.9TDI VAG engine.

Have various friends with cars using that engine and all I hear about is amazing MPG, great torque and the ability to re-map to crazy amounts of torque as well.


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## SteveTDCi (Feb 8, 2006)

Mk 5 only had the pd, keep away from the sd version with its wheezy engine.


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## Kerrcentral (Dec 4, 2012)

My Audi A3 (8P1) is a 2.0 TDI (138BHP remapped to 174BHP) and I see a real world average of 50 MPG on the run to/from work (25 miles each way) :thumb:. I can get 55-60 MPG on a long run.


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## shaqs77 (Jun 10, 2008)

If you decide to go for the arl engine, a tip I got from a vw tech is to keep the oil the same as it left the factory with. For example my car had the vw long life oil so that's all I use. It would also helps that I get a trade discount. So if you or any other members need a vag (vw, Audi, seat) genuine oe parts or consumables just drop me a pm.


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## dubber (Oct 2, 2011)

shaqs77 said:


> If you decide to go for the arl engine, a tip I got from a vw tech is to keep the oil the same as it left the factory with. For example my car had the vw long life oil so that's all I use. It would also helps that I get a trade discount. So if you or any other members need a vag (vw, Audi, seat) genuine oe parts or consumables just drop me a pm.


Good to no, I go too Tps for my longlife oil :thumb:


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## xJay1337 (Jul 20, 2012)

Use 5w40 oil with the relevant VW oil rating.


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## rnwd202295x (Mar 19, 2011)

Deathstar said:


> I would say its the BMW 320d (based on the price point)
> The wife had the 2.2 CDTI and now has the 2.2 IDTEC and neither of them are a patch on my 320d in my opinion. Easy to drive and bags of torque.
> 
> NOT sent from my PC/Laptop.


+1 :thumb:


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## Teddy (Dec 15, 2007)

Didn't Jeremy Clarkson say the old Astramax Diesel was the fastest vehicle on earth? Therefore it musy have the best engine!


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## xJay1337 (Jul 20, 2012)

Teddy said:


> Didn't Jeremy Clarkson say the old Astramax Diesel was the fastest vehicle on earth? Therefore it musy have the best engine!


No, not on earth.

In the _world_


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## Car Key (Mar 20, 2007)

Deathstar said:


> I would say its the BMW 320d (based on the price point)
> The wife had the 2.2 CDTI and now has the 2.2 IDTEC and neither of them are a patch on my 320d in my opinion. Easy to drive and bags of torque.


 Which year 320d are you refering to?


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## gav1513 (Apr 16, 2009)

mine is pretty good, i have the VAG 1.9tdi, is that the PD engine?


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## Dift (May 22, 2011)

gav1513 said:


> mine is pretty good, i have the VAG 1.9tdi, is that the PD engine?


More than likely. Old school 8v, cracking engines, although the 150bhp ones are known for their chocolate camshafts.


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## gav1513 (Apr 16, 2009)

mine only the 105 bhp one  had it remapped though


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## Ross (Apr 25, 2007)

Mick said:


> err, why comment on a thread about diesel cars then about how much fun yours is, sounded as though you were talking about a diesel car there?


I was saying that the Subaru boxer diesel is meant to be very good but I am yet to drive one yet.


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## Ming (Oct 16, 2007)

I have not had many diesel engines but my current one, BMW 123D is a little corker. Smooth, reasonably quiet and at a tad under 90 on th motorway gives over 50 mpg with the wife, dog and suitcases in the car.
I am constantly amazed at the performance of a 2 litre diesel engine. It is all the engine you could nedd (notice I said NEED not WANT as we would all have a monster engined beast if fuel was not an issue.)
My previous car was the VW Touareg 5 litlre twin turbo V10 and that engine was a beast. It could drag a 2.5 ton car to 60mph in well under 8 seconds and could do this towning a house. (It wa the one top gear towed a jumbo jet with)
Draw back? Average 15 mpg round town and 25 on a run
BMW gets chipped this year to about 255.
Ming the - reasonably - content.


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## bidderman1969 (Oct 20, 2006)

i had a 2002 rover 75 diesel (BMW 2.0 unit), never ever had engine work on it, just the bottom pulley, cant blame the engine for that, when i sold it, had 292K miles on it, rather have that than what i have now


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