118TSI revelation

[MovieDude]

After some months considering whether to go for the Mk VI GTI (well not continuously) I recently discovered that the 118TSI is both turbo and super charged and produces nearly as much power and torque as the GTI. I was thinking of toning down for my next car and avoiding the GTI and going for the 118TSI would seem a good move. Another factor is that the wife would drive it too as she would be wary about driving the GTI. She would accept the TSI as a "normal" car and that would be a win.

So I'm tossing up between going for new or slightly used. My WRX is nudging two years old, still under warranty and probably worth $32k. Trading in seems the easiest option as I really can't be bothered with accomodating a bunch of tyre kickers test driving my car. Are there any deals going in the Perth area?

[SilvrFoxX]

well I would suggest you do a bit of reading on the 118, I have no personal experience but worth doing some more investigation. As for trade in you will get r@ped, better off putting up with the tyre kickers because the one that takes it will pay 2-5K more than the dealer, also you will get a better negotiated deal with cash and no trade it

[Bel]

Some 118TSI's have a heap of issues... but that said most, if not all, have been fixed under warranty (mine included). Read up on the squeak and the shudder and then make a decision.

I love my car and the super charger and turbo make it SO fun to drive but if I had my time again (and didn't buy a new car on spur of the moment) I would have gone with the GTI for a few extra $$.

[Mountainman]

I recently discovered that the 118TSI is both turbo and super charged and produces nearly as much power and torque as the GTI.

118kW v 155kW and 240Nm v 280Nm That's really stretching the meaning of "nearly".

[MovieDude]

118kW v 155kW and 240Nm v 280Nm That's really stretching the meaning of "nearly".

Not when you look at all the variants of Golf in current production.

---------- Post added at 04:40 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:34 PM ----------

Some 118TSI's have a heap of issues... but that said most, if not all, have been fixed under warranty (mine included). Read up on the squeak and the shudder and then make a decision.

I love my car and the super charger and turbo make it SO fun to drive but if I had my time again (and didn't buy a new car on spur of the moment) I would have gone with the GTI for a few extra $$.

Really? I've read a fair bit and though there are issues they don't seem excessive compared to GTI ones.
Which holds its value better?

---------- Post added at 04:45 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:40 PM ----------

well I would suggest you do a bit of reading on the 118, I have no personal experience but worth doing some more investigation. As for trade in you will get r@ped, better off putting up with the tyre kickers because the one that takes it will pay 2-5K more than the dealer, also you will get a better negotiated deal with cash and no trade it

You're absolutely right. I do want top dollar as I've looked after it. Will check carsales and get a dealer price too to compare.

[Bel]

Not sure about holding its value.. drive anything out of the showroom and lose $$.
The 7 speed DSG seems to have a bit of a bad reputation - I have had the DSG re-flashed 3 times, finally got new clutch pack and also had the water pump replaced to eliminate the squeak/chirp but it has come back. Waiting on a real fix for that. Only thing I have ever read much about with the GTI is the rattle and that has a fix I believe.
Don't get me wrong I adore my car! I wanted to get it chipped but now (mainly because of the DSG issues) I will probably spend the $$ on extending the warranty instead.

[Brendan_A]

My Brother has a 2010 GTI with 30k on the clock, it's had the waste gate rattle fixed, rear shock leaking oil(still waiting for new one) DSG is starting to play up and is booked in next month for a look and now he tells me his air conditioning stopped working for 20mins the other day.(wired) so they all have some problems.

I've got a 2010 118tsi manual Golf and the only issue I've had is one of my Dynaudio woofer blew up. I sometimes get the chirp but It does not bother me one bit! I'm very happy with my car and plan on keeping it another 3-4 years.

[nat225]

I had a Mk6 118TSI before. the dsg played up quite often. on a hill start, the clutch disengaged itself at times. the engine had a new replacement at 17,000kms.

I now have a Mk6 GTI. have had it for more than a year. the only issues: rattles induced by my coilover ;p

"produces nearly as much power and torque as the GTI"... honestly you have not driven them long enough and hence incorrectly thought that way.

if you have the $$$ capacity, just buy a GTI. you won't regret it. or even go Sirocco R or a Golf R!

[Davel]

After some months considering whether to go for the Mk VI GTI (well not continuously) I recently discovered that the 118TSI is both turbo and super charged and produces nearly as much power and torque as the GTI. I was thinking of toning down for my next car and avoiding the GTI and going for the 118TSI would seem a good move. Another factor is that the wife would drive it too as she would be wary about driving the GTI. She would accept the TSI as a "normal" car and that would be a win.

Quite poosibly we would have been happy wiith a TSI. It would have been perfectly suitable for our needs.

But in honesty I know perfectly well every time I saw a GTI on the road (often) it would have made me miserable / depressed.

They really are two different cars.

Only problem is we do have "issues" over who gets to drive the GTI.


Good luck with your choice.

[Ryan_R]

I love the supercharger (no turbo-lag) and the 118-TSI is even better after getting APR to load their Stage 1 ECU software. This unlocks the supercharger more giving you ~203bhp and 319nm of torque (compared to ~210bhp and 280nm torque in the GTI).

This way you achieve the sleeper look you're after while having GTI-ish power as well (you can also use the cruise control stick to turn the tune on/off before you start the car as well).

Some have had issues but I think most of these were with cars made in 2009. Whichever one you pick you'll no doubt enjoy it.

[mr gee]

I've had both TSI and GTI. Sold/traded both for a Scirocco

TSI had 2 water pump changed, DSG clutch pack and dsg remap under warranty. Otherwise, great car to drive and excellent fuel economy
GTI was a late 2011, had no rattles and great point to point squirter . Fuel economy was only 1l/km poorer

[eccentriq]

Sorry to whore this thread but, I too am in this position 118TSI w/APR Stage 1 or GTI? It must be DSG so theres no escaping that fact. The car won't be tracked or anything like that and will majority of the time be driven A-B with a bit of spirited driving on the odd occasion. Could some 118TSI owners please give me their opinions?

[jrgti]

About to clock 30K with my MY10 GTI. Have had absolutely no issues, not even any rattles...................although VW customer service and dealers are in general shocking. Not really a mechanical related issue but had to let it out.

Edit: Air-con smell problem is an issue for me personally.

[Ryan_R]

A couple of points in favour of the Stage 1 118 TSI:

* Price
* No turbo lag (supercharger is awesome with Stage 1 + a SprintBooster set to Race mode)
* Essentially just as quick as a stock GTI (only a few ponies less than the GTI, but 320nm of torque compared to the GTI's 280nm).
* Stealth/sleeper. Doesn't grab unwanted attention unless you decide to accelerate from 0-100kph in < 7 seconds.
* Better fuel economy (about 1l/100km less than the GTI).
* Can retrofit other GTI items such as flappy paddle steering wheel or metal pedals.
* Avoid an expensive (~$1200) DSG oil change at 60,000km service. That saving alone almost covers the APR Stage 1 upgrade.

Those are the headlines, hope that helps.

[DoggieHowser]

Why wouldn't the 118TSi need a 60k km DSG service?