The stock TDi has average acceleration at around 8.5 seconds to 60 mph. You can tune it for some more power and it should do the trick but it wont pass like a GTI, and certainly not with a GTI similarly tuned.

It was a thirty mile trip home from the store today. I passed at least 8 cars on two lanes. 4th gear is perfect running 50 to 100 mph quickly. That would probably require a shift in a TDi car. Coupled to DSG is the way I would probably have my TDi. Instant shifts with no momentum loss would seem to optimize the diesels shorter power band.

 

The stock TDi has average acceleration at around 8.5 seconds to 60 mph.

The TDI has typically tested between 7.9 and 8.3 s 0-60. If anyone thinks that's slow, read this:

In deference to Chris Hoffman's CRX Si's age and 108,500 miles, we're using performance numbers generated by Motor Trend in its issue of March 1985, which featured coverage of the 1985 Honda CRX Si. The CRX galloped to 60 mph in 8.1 seconds (with 1 foot of rollout like on a drag strip) and ripped through the quarter-mile in 16.2 seconds at 84.5 mph. That's not terrible performance today, and it was terrific performance for back then. Faster than the Mitsubishi Mirage Turbo, Pontiac Fiero V6 and Toyota MR2, the editors noted.

It was a thirty mile trip home from the store today. I passed at least 8 cars on two lanes. 4th gear is perfect running 50 to 100 mph quickly. That would probably require a shift in a TDi car. Coupled to DSG is the way I would probably have my TDi. Instant shifts with no momentum loss would seem to optimize the diesels shorter power band.

The power bands, in terms of width, of the GTI and TDI are virtually identical. The TDI does not require anymore shifting when trying to stay, say, withing 20% of max power.

When I drive up the local hills, here, I have never had any car pass me. I usually pull over for motorbikes, but then find myself arriving at the top just behind them.

I prefer the MT TDI - also because it saves you $1,100 in cost and doesn't require $300 - $400 AT fluid changes every 40,000 miles, and because of better gearing and less drivetrain loss gets about 10% better mileage. But yeah, if you are driving 50-60 mph in 6th you probably want to downshift for a quick pass. On the flip side, 3rd is insane for accelerating from 40 mph to highly illegal speeds, all in one swift move.

 

The mk6 TDI is perfectly fine overtaking cars in the situation you describe and I imagine the mk7 will be even better.

 

The passing power of the TDI is one of my favorite attributes of this car. With the DSG you're right in the torque power band (2000-2200rpm) at highway speeds so passing is a breeze.

 

just got home from 1200 mi drive... I can pass going uphill with ease. At 75mph, I get to 90 in about 2-3 secs... On flat ground, I can go from 75 to over 90 in the distance of a semi with 52' trailer.

You will be fine.

 

Tdi has more pickup abilities than an r IMO

 

You could wait and purchase a GTD. :thumbup:

 

Watch my youtube review, it has a TDI passing on the highway.

I never had a problem passing in the older TDI with 90hp and 130 lb-ft torque. Unless your foot is flat to the floor and RPM is high, you're not even using all the available power or in the wrong gear which means you're driving it wrong.

To the OP, you're thinking of diesels from the 70s and early 80s with about 45 hp and 55 torque. Now THOSE were slow. 19.4 sec 0-60.

 

Thanks for the debate guys......I sort of expected the GTI versus TDI debate so it's all good. I know the DSG is better than the MT in every way but everytime I drive a manual, I am reminded I want 3 pedals purely for the driver involvement factor.

I also strongly prefer a diesel simply because of the amount of highway driving I do, and diesel in the Southeast is priced reasonably compared to premium or midgrade petrol. I just don't want a vehicle that requires me to doubt whether I will be able to do an overtaking manouever. 0-100km/h acceleration is irrelevant because ultimately the key to successful overtaking is being able to quickly accelerate from the mid to upper speed range (80-120 or 130 km/h or roughly 74-81mph) because remember, essentially the closing speed between you and oncoming traffic is 2x your speed.

My current BMW X3 2.5i is quite good at this because it's geared well (essentially a run to redline in 3rd) but you can't deny physics with 192PS hauling 1900kg (4200lbs). I usually check my calendar for 2 weeks in advance before overtaking, and more than half the time, overshoot the end of the passing zone. The Golf is much much lighter and will be faster, I just don't want a diesel that runs out of breath at speed.

Ultimately I'll have to borrow my friend's Mk6 Golf Wagon TDI if he won't mind.....

For some reason, I don't think I'd get a GTI....I'm drawn to the Ford Fiesta ST but the lack of xenons is a deal killer and Ford ergonomics are just plain screwed up. Pull the stalk towards you for high/full beams? Pull the wiper stalk towards me to activate the rear wiper? Who designed the Infotainment system?!

 

overall, the tdi isn't bad at passing, its not really that instantaneous to get moving but it does pick up fairly quickly when you get in the torque band. a little run up helps. i find that there's that initial lag but otherwise it's fine.
going up steep grades isn't bad. just don't get caught in the wrong gear.

 

Stock a TDI is better at passing on the highway than my 2.5L. I have to pass in 3rd because my gears suck.

If that's not enough for you, ask Mark Malone to make it go faster.

 

Is that dyno graph stage 1 or 2 Malone? I haven't gotten mine on a dyno yet and am very curious...

 

Please stop nagging each other. You guys know who you are.

Love... Not hate.

 

Not big into tuning, and honestly trying hard to reduce my spending on the car stuff by moving into VW. I will always been an automotive enthusiast first but I can't really afford both spending on cars and my other hobby. Hence my choice of the TDI: Reasonably quick but I don't have to feel guilty driving it hard. One complaint I had when I borrowed my dad's Tiguan with the 2.0 TFSI engine was that it was too thirsty above 130km/h (which is frequent for me on rural freeways), achieving no better than 9,7 l/100km even with the Air Con off....I chalked it up to the turbo working constantly at those rpms to maintain autobahn speeds. It was great at overtaking though, even if geared a bit tall.

So as long as I keep the revs on boil between 2000-3250rpm, I should be good. That's reassuring.

I drove the Polo with the 3-cyl diesel once, last year in Turkey. Enough power for most, but I'm glad I didn't have to do any backroad overtaking in it.

 

You get better mileage with a tuned TDI.

 

Have you considered waiting on a MK7 GTD? Rumor on the street is that we're getting it stateside after all these years.

I just might buy myself one...

 

I would get the GTD but would have to wait too long for one. I plan to retire the X3 (02/04 build) next year. It has been very reliable but at 262.500km (163k mls) things are starting to wear out and I simply do not have the tools, time, or technical expertise to service many of the suspension items myself.

@bluerabbit: I hope the powerband is not as narrow as you say. My experiences driving the TDI motors from VW make it good for at least thru 3k rpms. Even the Kia Cee'd ("the only car with an apostrophe in its name" ) diesel was good thru about 3200rpm when I was overtaking at the same speeds mentioned (90-120km/h). And of course the sequential M57 diesel in the older BMWs were fine to the redline.

 

OP:

Feels Road pretty well summed it up already; but the key for your question is you have to drive the TDI with the torque rather than with HP. IE shifting to 3rd gear at 60 is going to put you at high RPMs with basically no power; you want to just drop to 4th or 5th where you are right in the torque and can pull much harder.

I was coming from a 2008 R32 when I bought my 2012 TDI; and I bought it for mostly the same reasons: Great economy with still decent power/handling/fun factor. Is my TDI as fun as my R32 was, or even as fun as my 09 GTI is? Of course not, no one is trying to compare TDIs to the more sport oriented VWs. But it is still very fun for what it is; and I can also get 45-50 mpg when I want to. :beer:

This article should give you a feel for what the TDI motor can do: http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/hatchbacks/112_0910_2010_volkswagen_golf_test/viewall.html

Specifically look at the chart toward the bottom.

 

Oh no, the power band isn't that narrow. That's just the range for instant spool. Stock the TDI will pull through 4k rpm but dies past 4.5k to redline. Exhaust changes allow the car to pull to redline.

 

Here's what every TDI owner should do IMHO.

GTI stock catbck and valance. Malone stage 2 w/ DFP delete. Volant intake. Eos caliper carriers, Tyrolsport bushings w/ GTI rotors and splash guards. DG springs on stock shocks. Diesel geek Sigma 6 and IE shift tower bushings.

One day and $2000 tops. I've driven a TDI with that setup and have wanted to go back o diesel ever since....

 

Already done, with some variance in part names/sources :thumbup:

 

Agreed; and with a DPF delete it is a completely different ball game certainly. Just didn't want any new TDI owners tossing a GTI exhaust on and complaining about how they can't feel a difference.

 

If I'm driving under 65mph consistently, I leave it in 5th and have absolutely zero issues with passing. If you drive at >= 1700rpm, you will never complain about power/speed/accel. Check out a dyno chart and you'll find out why. It also keeps the motor in a higher efficiency mode of operation so I'm averaging ~44mpg while driving rather aggressively in urban environments.

I love my TDI and have put almost 41,000 miles on it since I bought it in May of 2012. A tune interests me but as often as I drive it, keeping it stock saves me money and worry.