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Hi

Im thinking of switching from MINI to polo, I mainly want to do short runs with some longer motorway trips including a long haul 250 mile trip every few months or so. Just wondering is a 2009 1.2 TSI capable on the motorway or is the 1.4 SE a better option?

Its kind of a choice between a higher 70k mileage 1.2 TSI vs 1.4 30k mileage type (in white, preferred colour)

Just wondering if the 1.4 is a bit slow?

Hi solidsponge

I have owned a 1.2TSI for five years and find it very capable on all types of roads.

The motorway performance is, I would say, every bit as good as the five Golf GTI's (all 1.8 8-valves) which I owned back in the 80's. I have never yet found the need to change down from 6th gear to tackle inclines or to overtake.

On "A" and "B" roads, the car pulls strongly from 1600rpm (when the turbo kicks in).

I have averaged 45mpg on Shell V-Power since new.

Whilst I have no experience of the non-FSI 1.4 litre engine, I understand that it shows its age.

So, my money would be on the 1.2TSI every time.

Other contributors may be better placed to comment on the long-term reliability of the TSI unit.

I've run a Polo 1.2Tsi since early 2011. I was asking the same questions as yourself prior to purchase. The 1.2Tsi does very well at motorway speeds and will happily sit at 70-80+ all day long. If I'm honest it's the area that the car has impressed me most in.

Like yourself with it only being a 1.2 I was concerned that it would "run out of puff" at motorway speeds. If anything that's where it feels at home. With it being a 6 speed box it has quite tall gearing so at 60mph it's only pulling 2000 rpm, which makes it a relaxed cruiser. It will pull cleanly from around 50mph without issue in 6th but if you feel the need stick it in 5th and it's away. Box is very slick and nice to use anyway and doesn't have any issues at all with keeping up with the flow. I'd say it actually punches well above it's 1.2 ( it drives very much like a 1.6-1.8, non turbo on the move, but with more pull at lower revs)

Malcolm Scott wrote:as good as the five Golf GTI's (all 1.8 8-valves) which I owned back in the 80's.

That is a respectable number of Mk2 GTIs!

The tsi is much better than the 1.4 at everything. Enough said.

Mayhem wrote:The tsi is much better than the 1.4 at everything. Enough said.

I have the 1.4 petrol and i like it alot. Its very quick for a small car and hardly burns gas, I can drive it a week without having to fill up.

I'm sure I had a 1.2 tsi from vw as a courtesy car

I'm guessing there are different versions of this engine as I would not describe it as most people in this thread.

I found it a struggle to do 80, it drank nearly as much fuel as my gti.

This was 2015 5spd car.

I think a remap would sort it out so if I had to pick one it would have to be 1.2tsi with a remap.

Dink wrote:I'm sure I had a 1.2 tsi from vw as a courtesy car

I'm guessing there are different versions of this engine as I would not describe it as most people in this thread.

I found it a struggle to do 80, it drank nearly as much fuel as my gti.

This was 2015 5spd car.

I think a remap would sort it out so if I had to pick one it would have to be 1.2tsi with a remap.

I'm not totally up to date with Vduds, current model range, but it appears they have more engine variants than they know what to do with. The 1.2TSi has now been downgraded to 90bhp and comes with a 5sp box, so looks a bit of a dud compared to the previous 1.2, 105-110, 6speed. The New 1.0, 6 speed (now only a 3 cylinder) has now become the front runner. If had the money I'd bypass the small TSi engines and go for a 1.8 GTi, but that's just day dreaming or a lottery win. Not driven a 6C 1.2Tsi-5speed. But the fact they chopped a gear off probably means it's gutless at motorway speeds.

The 6R 1.2Tsi 105-110, 6 speed does very well at motorway speeds and is reasonably refined with it for a small car.

The 90PS unit is basically a replacement for the old 1.4, which had 85PS. It too had a 5-speed.

vc-10 wrote:The 90PS unit is basically a replacement for the old 1.4, which had 85PS. It too had a 5-speed.

Ahh right, that sort of makes sense. I've driven the 1.4/85 although only on A & B roads and thought it was absolutely fine for what it was. I was just reading about the TSi version of the UP with a 105, 3cylinder, Tsi unit. That sounds a great combination, unfortunately it's doesn't seem it's destined for a European launch. I would it would have the feel and go of the original MK1 Golf Gti.

I've had a couple of 1.4 16V engined VAG cars, one a late 2002 1.4 16V 75PS Polo that was my wife's car and the other a late 2009 1.4 16V 85PS Ibiza that I am looking after for my daughter, these engines can and will do very high mileages without many problems/repairs to replace parts.
The 1.2TSI engine, well at least in its later completely revised version from 2014 onwards, is an excellent little power plant, I just think that the turbo will need replacing during what I consider to be its life time in my ownership, that will hurt a bit. The earlier version of that engine will probably need more repairs in its life time - if you think not, consider this, why was it seriously revised so early in its production life?

So, I'd think that the 1.4 85PS would be marginal in motorway conditions, maybe okay if the motorways you travel on are flat, the 1.2TSI in its 105PS guise will be a lot better to drive, can you not stretch yourself to a later car with the 1.2TSI 110PS engine - that would make life a lot easier I'd guess?

My wife has a 2015 90 PS 1.2TSi which I've borrowed to take to work for cleaning numerous times. Nothing wrong with the engine, handles everything I've thrown at it fine. It accelerates at a similar pace to a 1.6 diesel golf/focus/etc. I've also managed to get 60mpg out of it my long flat runs to work and back too. If you can stretch to the faster 1.2 you'll be even better off.

RUM4MO wrote:The 1.2TSI engine, well at least in its later completely revised version from 2014 onwards, is an excellent little power plant, I just think that the turbo will need replacing during what I consider to be its life time in my ownership, that will hurt a bit. The earlier version of that engine will probably need more repairs in its life time - if you think not, consider this, why was it seriously revised so early in its production life?

Unfortunately I do wonder if the initial incarnation of the 1.2 TSi (CBZ) has a shadow hanging over it in terms of long term reliability. I bought mine new in April 2011 and mechanically up to yet it's been fault free and never missed a beat, it's a nice car to drive and be in. However I only do tiny miles each year and so it's only covered a tad over 20K to date. I've read about engines having cam chain stretch and some turbo's failing at low miles which are worrying as they are both expensive to fix and potentially catastrophic failures.

That said you always find the failures and faults loom big on any model specific forum, generally folk come looking for help and advice, not to tell you how trouble free their cars are running. Undeniably folk are have issues with some engines but how widespread those problems are can be difficult judge. Time will tell as that engine is in many cars across the VAG group. Of course if Vdud were the upright company they'd have you believe they should be addressing any inherent engine faults regardless of warranty and recalling cars. But I wouldn't hold your breath at them even acknowledging a problem. Of late VW appear to have forgotten how to build a good reliable engine of any size, yet the motoring press never seem to pick up on it.

The updated 1.2 TSI in the Golf 7 and Polo 6C has a cambelt, not a chain.

vc-10 wrote:The updated 1.2 TSI in the Golf 7 and Polo 6C has a cambelt, not a chain.

Yeah RUM4MO has already mentioned it's pretty unusual for an engine to have such significant modifications so early in it's life. It does make you wonder if the chain driven early engines are destined to fail for one reason or another or their lifespan is not what you'd expect from a modern engine design. No doubt with the majority only failing out of warranty and the customer picking up the price for shoddy build/design. Even though the engine has now been updated there must be 10's of thousands chain driven cam engines in various forms out on the road.

I bought my 1.2 Tsi with intension of it being a "keeper" and had hoped the car would be as reliable as my previous 1.9Tdi Sport 9N Polo, which was almost unbreakable which I kept 10 years from new. Touchwood up to yet mechanically it's been fault free, though I am not sure quite how long that will last or how much it might cost me in the future.