[Closed] Die-hard petrolhead's first week driving a diesel...

I love my little petrol, 1.4 turbo Alfa Mito

theres something very pleasing about 6000 revs in 2nd, ram it up into 3rd all the way to 6000 again. puts such a massive smile on my face.

before you lot rant and rave generally getting onto a motorway from a standing start and sod fuel economy i want to have fun 🙂

I find it pleasing to do the same thing, titusrider. It's just that the numbers on my dial say 4,500 instead of 6,000. The experience is the same, the numbers are not important.

The experience is the same

'fraid the sound isn't the same - even in an alfa diesel.

Some people suit diesels. I always got/get above manufacturers mpg in a diesel and always woefully under in a petrol.

+1 molgrips

titusrider - Member
I love my little petrol, 1.4 turbo Alfa Mito

theres something very pleasing about 6000 revs in 2nd, ram it up into 3rd all the way to 6000 again. puts such a massive smile on my face.

before you lot rant and rave generally getting onto a motorway from a standing start and sod fuel economy i want to have fun

My first car was a Hillman Imp which could go to 8000rpm, now that was fun 😉

Funny, I love cars but I just can't get excited about cars used for driving around on public roads.

From reading this thread, you'd think you're all race car engineers, tinkering with your cars for the upcoming Japanese GP. 😆

fraid the sound isn't the same

Lol.. as if the sound of a 1.6 or 2.0 petrol is going to set your soul on fire! Hahaha.. remember we are comparing normal everyday cars here, not everyday cars against thrilling sports cars.

as if the sound of a 1.6 or 2.0 petrol is going to set your soul on fire

why not?

there have been loads of standard cars with engines of 2l or less that could easily be termed 'thrilling sports cars'.

Funny, I love cars but I just can't get excited about cars used for driving around on public roads.

why not ? there are still loads of windy country roads that you can enjoy driving round at legal speeds.

You just have to choose the right car/wheel/tyre size so you get the appropriate feedback from the road.

Probably because I've seen some pretty horrendous accidents caused by people enjoying driving round at legal speeds unfortunately. YMMV

I've just had a lad in a 3.5cwt box van slowly pulling off his give way-mark trying to take the front of my car. Beeping didnt work- only me hitting reverse and going the same way stopped the berk from taking my light and wing off.

Lol.. as if the sound of a 1.6 or 2.0 petrol is going to set your soul on fire! Hahaha..

Showing your ignorance there, sunshine. 🙂

For a start, you need to have a good, long drive in a car powered by any of the old Fiat/Lancia 2 litre twin-cam engines.... You know, the engine that ultimately ended up powering this -

[img] [/img]

Even in the base 115bhp form it's the most astonishing noise I've ever heard coming out of a straight 4 cylinder engine.

there have been loads of standard cars with engines of 2l or less that could easily be termed 'thrilling sports cars

I'm talking about normal family cars so not hot hatches or old classics.

But spuffing over engine sound is pretty stupid imo. Seriously.. wtf?

Impossible to argue with petrol heads, unfortunately. Seems to be a strong correlation between petrol-headedness and idiocy, I wonder why?

Oh yeah, I know, you're all a bunch of utter GEEKS!

I'm talking about normal family cars so not hot hatches.

See my post. Fiat 131/132.

EDIT
Ohh pretty much any Italian car really. Alfas, Fiats etc. The old Alfa 33 was rather fruity.

EDIT 2
Don't Honda and Toyota make some rather nice revvy little petrol engines too? It doesn't have to be a hot hatch to have VVTi/VTec these days

EDIT 3
Basic Impretza flat fours. They sound LUSH!

EDIT 4

I'm talking about normal family cars so not hot hatches or old classics.

But spuffing over engine sound is pretty stupid imo

As is saying diesel engines are 'good' or 'nice' or 'better' in mine 😛

You're NOT a petrol head Mol, that much is as plain as day, and you just don't understand that impossible to define thing called 'character' or 'soul'

My TT wasn't a hot hatch and I have had both my brothers and my wife in it at the same time (ok, it was a squeeze) so it is a family car.

It sounded lush.

😉

it is a family car

🙄

you just don't understand that impossible to define thing called 'character' or 'soul'

Cars don't have soul. That's absolutely ridiculous. They are just machines. They feel good to drive sometimes, that's fine, but that's not soul.

You are projecting your excitement onto an inanimate machine rather hyperbolically.. so perhaps I understand soul all too well 🙂

I grew up driving fast around country roads by the way, so I'm not a granny driver.

If the motor is common rail direct injection get it remapped or similar.
The diesel turbos remap really nicely and get rid of that dead spot.
My mondeo ST tdci has a ripping bottom end !
Much easier than days of yore when tuning meant 286 cams, polish, port, big valve head etc, lightend balanced crank etc etc

Even in the base 115bhp form it's the most astonishing noise I've ever heard coming out of a straight 4 cylinder engine.

Lamberdi (the engineer behind that engine) was a genius.

Designed the long block V12 for Ferrari, which was ahead of its game for a very long time and continued to be used in the road cars long after he left (race cars got smaller V8's).

The Twin cam's castings was actualy used in 2 different engines, the camshaft tube bit being used as a oil pump in the OHC engines. Properly genius stuff, saved Fiat a fortune and arguably they wouldnt exist today if it wasn't for him and that engine.

And the sound is just lush!

Molgrips - I am sure you know I wasn't being entirely serious.

😉

Cars don't have soul. That's absolutely ridiculous. They are just machines. They feel good to drive sometimes, that's fine, but that's not soul

speaketh the man driving a passat - case closed I think.

My mate had a Delta HF turbo - white in martini colours, before he got an integrale.

If I managed to get in front of him at a junction or traffic light I would rev the heck out of my diesel punto to cover it in black soot - which he didn't appreciate 🙂

speaketh the man driving a passat - case closed I think.

The reason I drive it is because I don't pretend that my cars are more than they are.

Fast cars I like, don't get me wrong, but they are machines. The rest is all in your head, not in the car.

Interested to know what you think I should have for banging out motorway miles in comfort? Budget ten grand.

Cars can 100% have a soul (generally they have to be made in italy for this phenomenon to occur)

[i]If I am at 2krpm there's no lag at all on my Passat. [/i]

Funny that, in my old crap petrol engined car I can drive all day (upto the legal limit) and not actually exceed 2000rpm...

Certainly my experience of a modern diesel auto (Passet CC DSG 170) was the same as the poster, it needed 2 seconds notice to set off...

Calm down boys!

It's horses for courses innit!!

Diesels are great for the every day economical family stuff and indeed a modern diesel drives very nicely, some are even pretty sporty the PD's and 330d's for example. Also a simple remap can unleash even more torque based fury from pretty much any oil burner.

However for fun and frolics a petrol engine is king. For me it's the ability to rev a la Type R or Alfa 33 as mentioned above and the noise that goes with it. Something a diesel inherently can not do.

Still horses for courses. If I was to only have one car to perform all duties then for me it would be a powerful/sporty diesel.

Certainly my experience of a modern diesel auto (Passet CC DSG 170) was the same as the poster, it needed 2 seconds notice to set off..

We discussed this didn't we? And decided it was the gearbox not the engine.

Funny that, in my old crap petrol engined car I can drive all day (upto the legal limit) and not actually exceed 2000rpm

Same here, but what MPG did you get?

Lol.. as if the sound of a 1.6 or 2.0 petrol is going to set your soul on fire! Hahaha.. remember we are comparing normal everyday cars here, not everyday cars against thrilling sports cars.

IIRC Ford have a dedicated acoustics division to get the sound right. One of my favourite sounds ever was from my Mk2 Fiesta XR2. It was beautiful.

I did like my 1.7 Puma too, but the XR2 was miles ahead for exhaust note.

I've never heard a four-cylinder that sounded good to me.

TurnerGuy - Member
'fraid the sound isn't the same - even in an alfa diesel.

123d / 335d... both sound pretty amazing for diesels, also widely acknowledged Range Rover diesels sound better than the petrol version.

PeterPoddy - Member
EDIT 2
Don't Honda and Toyota make some rather nice revvy little petrol engines too? It doesn't have to be a hot hatch to have VVTi/VTec these days

The VVTI in the civic is also widely regarded as being the weaker engine in the line up with the 2.2 diesels getting most plaudits.

Just adding some balance, i don't care 8)

I test drove a 2.2 Civic. It was fab! Fast and economical, what's not to like?

molgrips - Member
I've never heard a four-cylinder that sounded good to me

Not even a Shapphire Cosworth with a dump valve? 😆

molgrips - Member
I test drove a 2.2 Civic. It was fab! Fast and economical, what's not to like?

excess cabin noise?? I've driven one a lot, IMO best 'value' car in its class..

No remaps though - it's a lease vehicle.

I doubt the dealer would be able to tell. Your problem with a remap would be the main dealer routinely flashing the ECU when the car is in for a service and over writing the re-map.

Cabin noise - not sure, really - I was coming from other cars where road noise features somewhat, and I test drove it on a road I knew was really rough anyway. Only reason I didn't get one was because the VW dealer had a couple of cars for three grand less.

I drove it regularly back to back with a golf & 3 series, cabin noise noticeable, had a lot of positives over the other two though! i really liked it!