br1tt3n
Guest
Well, I took out a 54 Reg Cupra TDI today for an extended test drive and thought I'd post my results.
Now, since I've been 17 (now 22), I've always had revvy little Honda's and enjoyed every minute of spinning them up to 12,000 revs. So the whole diesel thing is completely new to me (although I drive 80bhp tdi vans at work now and again).
First impressions, bit rattley and tractor-like upon cold start, but to be fair I expecting that. As soon as we got going straight out into the 40 limt, it was surprisingly very refined even when stone cold. I whacked the climate straight onto freezing, and it was soon pouring out frosty air. So, around town, I didn't go over 2,500 revs and used minimal throttle to pootle about. Steering was nice and light and it was very very easy to drive. Gearbox feels a little looser than my Honda, but I've certainly felt worse.
We eventually get out onto the open road, half throttle this time, car nice and warmed up, 40 limit going into a 60, 4th gear; it picked up very very nicely, not explosive as I was only half throttle, but certainly brisk. Up at 60/70mph, it was very refined, not much tyre noise but I felt the steering was still very very light, felt a little "twitchy". Probably not used to it.
So we're out in a national limit in 6th gear and the salesman asks me to floor it in 6th to demonstrate the positves of a powerful diesel. Initially nothing happened and I thought he forgot to mention we left the turbo back at the showroom, but mid-thought, the Cupra surged up to 80/90 with what I'd describe as minimal effort. It was absolutely effortless.
Up to this point, I've yet to really give it "some beans". I warned the salesman that the next roundabout would see me testing its 2nd, 3rd and 4th gear power. Going round the roundabout in 2nd, and powering out onto the correct turnoff was an experience I've yet to come across. A, what can only be described as huge, surge of power came and rocketed me up the road. That initial "boost" of torque was very very addictive, a word of which I am used to when driving vtec engines.
Averaged 45mpg on the test drive, mixture of town and spirited A road driving, more refined than I was expecting, better quality interior than I was expecting and more fun than I was expecting.
I'm now going to sleep on it and maybe, just maybe, treat myself
Now, since I've been 17 (now 22), I've always had revvy little Honda's and enjoyed every minute of spinning them up to 12,000 revs. So the whole diesel thing is completely new to me (although I drive 80bhp tdi vans at work now and again).
First impressions, bit rattley and tractor-like upon cold start, but to be fair I expecting that. As soon as we got going straight out into the 40 limt, it was surprisingly very refined even when stone cold. I whacked the climate straight onto freezing, and it was soon pouring out frosty air. So, around town, I didn't go over 2,500 revs and used minimal throttle to pootle about. Steering was nice and light and it was very very easy to drive. Gearbox feels a little looser than my Honda, but I've certainly felt worse.
We eventually get out onto the open road, half throttle this time, car nice and warmed up, 40 limit going into a 60, 4th gear; it picked up very very nicely, not explosive as I was only half throttle, but certainly brisk. Up at 60/70mph, it was very refined, not much tyre noise but I felt the steering was still very very light, felt a little "twitchy". Probably not used to it.
So we're out in a national limit in 6th gear and the salesman asks me to floor it in 6th to demonstrate the positves of a powerful diesel. Initially nothing happened and I thought he forgot to mention we left the turbo back at the showroom, but mid-thought, the Cupra surged up to 80/90 with what I'd describe as minimal effort. It was absolutely effortless.
Up to this point, I've yet to really give it "some beans". I warned the salesman that the next roundabout would see me testing its 2nd, 3rd and 4th gear power. Going round the roundabout in 2nd, and powering out onto the correct turnoff was an experience I've yet to come across. A, what can only be described as huge, surge of power came and rocketed me up the road. That initial "boost" of torque was very very addictive, a word of which I am used to when driving vtec engines.
Averaged 45mpg on the test drive, mixture of town and spirited A road driving, more refined than I was expecting, better quality interior than I was expecting and more fun than I was expecting.
I'm now going to sleep on it and maybe, just maybe, treat myself