Consindering getting a Polo TDI

[MattyT]

Hi Guys,

I'm a longtime mk3 vr6 owner who is looking to upgrade. I'm a student though, so budget is very limited. I was thinking of getting a 9n3 Polo TDI. Any caveat emptors I should know about? Hows maintenence on them? My golf was a picture of reliability but servicing was extruciatingly expensive at times.

I ask, as I am kinda keen on this lass, although I am yet to meet her: https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/fern...ack/1133558510

Cheers for any input

[Guest001]

Only buy a diesel if you are going to do runs that get it up to temperature. Best way to run one is get it hot and keep it that way. Worst way is to do short commutes that never get it properly hot.

[MattyT]

Isnt that the same for any car, though?

[Guest001]

Isnt that the same for any car, though?

Not really Petrols are much more tolerant of short runs. Thats why we have the petrol Polo for shopping and the TDI for trips. Only take it out for trips of an hour or more.

Thats the reason trucks do such big mileages Run hot and keep going. I used to drive a 10 year old Merc bus. It worked 16 hours every day and had done 800,000 and the motor and injectors had never had a spanner on them.
Was still warm when we came in in the morning and went like a train.

[seangti]

On the most part, the diesel seems to be very strong engines and mostly reliable. Some of the usual VW electrics. The main consideration for/against is parts availability if something goes wrong and the lack of knowledge base on them in the local community. Not to say there's not knowledgable people, just not the same knowledge as the VR6 or GTI.

In saying that, I'd quite comfortably buy a polo TDI, just ensuring the maintenance history is perhaps better than what I may accept of a petrol engine cos I know less of the diesel.

[rgvlee]

Just do what Gav does, put tdi badges on a gti
He gets 5L/100 out of his special 'Yorkshire' tune, may as well be a diesel

[MattyT]

As much as I'd love a GTI, it's way out of my budget atm.

(Or if pigs could fly, a Polo VR6 )

[kaanage]

TDI is fine for commutes if the trips tend to take longer than 15 minutes.
Add 2 stroke oil at 200:1 as cheap insurance for the injectors - tcw-3 or Jaso FC spec.
I can get over 1100 km in suburban driving if I vent the tank while filling up.
Get a tune - it transforms the car with no loss in fuel economy (& premium petrol is exxy)

People say WTF when I either pass them or they find they have trouble passing me on track days

[Guest001]

A read of this thread may help you decide http://www.vwwatercooled.com/forums/...-117993-2.html

I certainly wouldnt take mine for a 15 minute drive regularly and thats all.

I like to do an hour on the freeway and blow it out and let it regen if it wants to. It wont do it on only short commutes and DPF's are expensive

We get 5.1L per 100km in our TSI and dont have to worry about regens or other expensive problems.

A far better idea as far as I can see.

[rory]

Own a 2008 Polo 1.9 TDI Pacific for last 18 months (about 105,000 ks on clock at moment)
Change the oil myself (easy after first time ) leave the rest to workshops-they've changed brake calipers and fluid and timing belt since I owned it.
Love driving it. Also there's no DPF on these earlier models. The guy I bought it from had to have some front end suspension bushes
replaced in order to pass the roadworthy. Don't know if this is common to these. Looked at the ad you referred to. Car looks great.
Only thing is maybe (?) the high K's but then the price looks right?

[kaanage]

As Rory has said, ignore the dpf comments. Totally irrelevant.

I wouldn't touch one of the newer 1.6 tdis for this reason, though.

The torque makes the TDI surprisingly quick in real world driving, especially hills.

[MattyT]

I'm not really worried about high k's, I bought the VR6 with 239,xxx on it and the thing has pulled like a train the entire time I've owned it. Alas, that car was left behind in Perth a few years ago. My dad loves it!

I'd be using the polo for short runs to get to the shops, and then the odd long journey. It would basically be a glorified shopping trolley. I dont really want to a buy a car atm, but circumstances may well force me too.

My budget could stretch to a 6C polo, since I think they look much nicer. But if DPF's are a problem then I might not.

The torque makes the TDI surprisingly quick in real world driving, especially hills.

The 1.9 TDI makes as much torque as the VR6 does, so that doesnt suprise me at all.

[ozrcboy]

I'd be using the polo for short runs to get to the shops, and then the odd long journey. It would basically be a glorified shopping trolley. I dont really want to a buy a car atm, but circumstances may well force me too.

As others have said the TDI's really aren't great short haul cars. They take 10-15 minutes of driving (idling at the lights doesn't count) to come up to temperature. It doesn't sound like your use pattern will be ideal.

[Transporter]

They take 10-15 minutes of driving (idling at the lights doesn't count) to come up to temperature.

Maybe 20 years ago. The modern diesel is at operating temperature quite quickly. My daughter's TDI Tiguan is 5 years old now with 30,000km on the clock, many short trips to the train station and it's fine, it will last much longer than the petrol engine would under the same conditions.

[MattyT]

Maybe 20 years ago. The modern diesel is at operating temperature quite quickly. My daughter's TDI Tiguan is 5 years old now with 30,000km on the clock, many short trips to the train station and it's fine, it will last much longer than the petrol engine would under the same conditions.

Thats what I figured.

Older diesels and truck/bus engines are a very different bit of a kit with an entirely different useage case than some guy and his motorized carriage.

90% sure I'll be buying one this week. Still dont really want to, but alas, circumstances.