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VW Golf 1.4 122bhp TSI MK6 - Opinions?

vdubzdriver

New member
Hi all, new member here...go easy :D

I'm moving on from my trusty, yet underpowered 75bhp VW Polo 1.4 TDI 2003 and thinking of getting something a bit bigger, faster and better looking.

Seems like the 1.4 tsi golf is the perfect fit.

Why?

It's bigger and more roomy than than the Polo. It's newer, so you have more of the new technology/features within the car. It is faster. It looks better and i'm hoping it's more fun to drive.

Only questions I have are:
How is it in terms of fuel? My VW Polo is pretty damn great as it's a diesel.
How reliable is it? My Polo is damn good but showing it's age right now.
Are there any common problems?

I'm thinking of getting the Match Edition too.
 
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Boscogn

Go Kart Champion
I'm not sure about reliability as I have gti with turbo which usually brings it's own set of problems to the car. Water pumps like to fail on this car and I'm not sure if the tsi is plauged by the timing chain tensioner issue.

Me personally I'd go with the mk7 platform as the jump in technology is also great. You get backup camera and Android auto which are huge. If you can hold out a little longer till the 18 drop u might be able to find urself a good deal on a '16. I don't think '15s came with Android auto yet. I may be wrong.

It sounds like you picked the mk6 because you're looking for deal and other than the couple issues I stated and having to carbon clean these engines they are reliable at least in my experience as long as you keep up on the maintenance.

Even the 1.4 tsi can do 0-60 in 8 seconds which isn't amazing but isn't no slouch either.

Tl;dr
The MK7 looks to be more reliable than the mk6 and comes with more tech and generally better features.

The MK6 can be had for much less and is still a great car if you don't care about the new tech.

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk
 

blower

Ready to race!
The 1.4 TSI 122ps is a good engine, fairly torquey and very low turbo lag as it uses a smallish turbo and a special water cooled intercooler built into the intake manifold (low air volume so gets boost pressure up quickly)

Pretty reliable, no real problems....other than if you get a manual, never leave it parked in gear as it could result in chain slip - this applies to any chain driven engine, but in particular the 1.2/1.4/1.6 FSI/TSI engines.

Definitely get the match version - you get a lot of extra options already built in.

Fuel economy is good, easy to pull 40-50 mpg (UK) on motorway runs, and you still get good economy around town.

This all applies to the 122ps - avoid the 160ps twincharger as it has too many engine issues unless you get a post 2012 version.
 
Last edited:

Boscogn

Go Kart Champion
The 1.4 TSI 122ps is a good engine, fairly torquey and very low turbo lag as it uses a smallish turbo and a special water cooled intercooler built into the intake manifold (low air volume so gets boost pressure up quickly)

Pretty reliable, no real problems....other than if you get a manual, never leave it parked in gear as it could result in chain slip - this applies to any chain driven engine, but in particular the 1.2/1.4/1.6 FSI/TSI engines.

Definitely get the match version - you get a lot of extra options already built in.

Fuel economy is good, easy to pull 40-50 mpg (UK) on motorway runs, and you still get good economy around town.

This all applies to the 122ps - avoid the 160ps twincharger as it has too many engine issues unless you get a post 2012 version.
Didn't even know this was turbo charged. Good to know.

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk
 

vdubzdriver

New member
The 1.4 TSI 122ps is a good engine, fairly torquey and very low turbo lag as it uses a smallish turbo and a special water cooled intercooler built into the intake manifold (low air volume so gets boost pressure up quickly)

Pretty reliable, no real problems....other than if you get a manual, never leave it parked in gear as it could result in chain slip - this applies to any chain driven engine, but in particular the 1.2/1.4/1.6 FSI/TSI engines.

Definitely get the match version - you get a lot of extra options already built in.

Fuel economy is good, easy to pull 40-50 mpg (UK) on motorway runs, and you still get good economy around town.

This all applies to the 122ps - avoid the 160ps twincharger as it has too many engine issues unless you get a post 2012 version.

I appreciate the detailed response.

How much would it cost to replace the timing chain? Roughly...i'm useless with replacing parts myself.

How's the DSG version? I was fixed on getting the manual but i'm hearing a lot of good things about the DSG, mainly on fuel. Any insight on that?

I'm not sure about reliability as I have gti with turbo which usually brings it's own set of problems to the car. Water pumps like to fail on this car and I'm not sure if the tsi is plauged by the timing chain tensioner issue.

Me personally I'd go with the mk7 platform as the jump in technology is also great. You get backup camera and Android auto which are huge. If you can hold out a little longer till the 18 drop u might be able to find urself a good deal on a '16. I don't think '15s came with Android auto yet. I may be wrong.

It sounds like you picked the mk6 because you're looking for deal and other than the couple issues I stated and having to carbon clean these engines they are reliable at least in my experience as long as you keep up on the maintenance.

Even the 1.4 tsi can do 0-60 in 8 seconds which isn't amazing but isn't no slouch either.

Tl;dr
The MK7 looks to be more reliable than the mk6 and comes with more tech and generally better features.

The MK6 can be had for much less and is still a great car if you don't care about the new tech.

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk


I'd love to get the MK7 but unfortunately it's out of my price range at this moment in time. I don't like the grey middle section of the mk7 though inside...I think it would've looked better in a dark gray/almost black.
 

blower

Ready to race!
Chain is designed to last the life of the car - it has no set interval for changing....however if you do get it changed expect to pay in the region of £600 (its a labour intensive job and the chain kit is about £150). Chain issues are rare on this particular engine.

The DSG version is hit and miss - as its the 7 speed dry clutch DSG used in this model which can be problematic. Primary problem is premature clutch wear causing an intermittent judder in 2nd gear on take off from a crawl - like when slowing to a junction then moving off.

Not all are affected but it is pretty common, replacing the clutch can be expensive as its a dual clutch, labour intensive and you can expect to pay £700+

There was also a recall to have the gearbox oil (mechatronics) changed due to corrosion issues, but this was done for free by VW and all boxes should have had this done by now.
 

vdubzdriver

New member
Chain is designed to last the life of the car - it has no set interval for changing....however if you do get it changed expect to pay in the region of £600 (its a labour intensive job and the chain kit is about £150). Chain issues are rare on this particular engine.

The DSG version is hit and miss - as its the 7 speed dry clutch DSG used in this model which can be problematic. Primary problem is premature clutch wear causing an intermittent judder in 2nd gear on take off from a crawl - like when slowing to a junction then moving off.

Not all are affected but it is pretty common, replacing the clutch can be expensive as its a dual clutch, labour intensive and you can expect to pay £700+

There was also a recall to have the gearbox oil (mechatronics) changed due to corrosion issues, but this was done for free by VW and all boxes should have had this done by now.

I've spoken to a few others too and they've spoken about there being some problems with the DSG gearbox like you just said. When it actually works, it's nice but seems to be plagued with issues.

Is it loud on a cold start? One thing I hate about diesels is how loud they are. Mine sounds like a tractor.
 
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