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How many miles should a 1.8t run to?

3.2K views 28 replies 12 participants last post by  Trev.C  
#1 ·
Ok i have a 1.8 nasp ZS 120+ at the moment but got my eye on a 75 1.8t conny se.

I do a LOT of miles (35kish a year) and i was looking at getting a 75 1.8t with 60-80k on it depending on price

i always service on time or before due and never skimp on parts i.e. use decent oil and filters and chuck a new set of plugs in every 25-30k

mostly motorway miles and work pay for the fuel as long as i don't get something daft on fuel (so back off V6 crowd !!! lol) so fuel isn't too much of an issue - from what i have read on various threads on here mpg is not too bad cruising on the motorway - i tend to sit at 70-80 steady and will probably be getting a remap too so should help fuel on the long hauls.

question is this....

how many miles should you see from a 1.8t under these conditions aside from obvious stuff that could happen on any car like the turbo blowing etc etc and HGF won't be an issue - if it goes i'll sort it as i'll have clocked it well before engine goes bang in theory as all my K's that i have had get daily water checks.

I am talking nuts and bolts of the thing.

anyone on a high miler 1.8t that can chuck in their 2p?

cheers

Russ
 
#4 · (Edited)
But the guy has already said the fuel gets paid for by work, so if he wants a 1.8 turbo then let him and stop trying to persaude him to get a diesel!
I cant comment on the turbos, by my 2000 Rover 45 with the 1.8 k series is currently on over 141k miles (original engine of course).

Just today I changed the air con compressor for one I got off ebay as mine was scraping/whirring and about to seize up (bearings I thnk). It is only the second thing that has failed in over 2 years of ownership and the air con compressor is something that can wear out on any car at any age/mileage - no big deal, just need to get the air con regassed now thats all.
 
#5 ·
Thanks for that

I can get a petrol for much less money than the diesel - if something breaks on a K series its cheap to sort - if a diesel pump dies then its mega ÂŁÂŁÂŁ

dont care about fuel as i have said, not my problem :) (JOY !)

It would just be the longetivity of the turbo really as the vvc 1.8k runs at 160 bhp ok so shouldn't wear things out - Its rarely gonna be under any load to be honest.

as long as it will do circa 32-35mpg then i am fine on fuel - diesel is 4p a litre more to buy too so in real cost terms its decent enough

after someone with a high miler 1.8t car that can tell me what they are like.

thing is if i get the conny se i can buy another engine and drop it in as stuff like brakes etc aint gonna be taking much wear and tear chilling on the motorway for the actual milage the car is doing
 
#7 ·
I bought mine 4 years ago with 60k on the clock. Now on 130k and it has been as reliable as any other car I've had. Hang on, it's actually been the most reliable car I've ever had. One caveat to that is that it had a new head and full uprated gasket, oil rail etc just prior to me having it.

The only major expenses I've had are a new exhaust and clutch, slave & master. Other than that it's just been the normal tyres, brake pads and regular servicing.

So if it's been looked after and you continue to look after it, there's no reason why a high miler 1.8t won't give you a load more miles of trouble free motoring but I'd be very picky and hold out for one with plenty of history.
 
#13 · (Edited)
OK a while since i posted on this thread but have a couple of more questions

I know it has been asked to death about what MPG these engines run at and you see anything between 25 - 40 mpg.

In my specific situation which will be 95% dual carriageways and motorways sat at 70-75 and no more (not risking my licence for work !) what do people realistically attain on a day to day basis - bearing in mind that i keep on top of tyre pressures and oil changes/general maintenaince blah blah blah

Also my insurance company have lost the plot all together.

4 months ago they couldn't insure my missis (29 driving 5 years or more, no accidents no convictions etc etc) on my ZS120 so i stuck my mum on the policy as a named driver and it brought the cost down (I am not fronting my insurance, i am main driver and owner etc)

with my mum on the ZT 160 was 771 quid a year more on insurance - just went online and added my missus to my ZS policy and took my mum off and i am getting a ÂŁ100 refund yet 4 months ago they couldn't insure her on my car !

On top of that the ZT 160 now comes out at an extra ÂŁ9 a month extra than the ZS so looks like its a goer !

also anyone had a remap from z and f tuning and if so does the MPG increase provided you don't mash the throttle like a mentalist all the time (yes i do live in the real world lol)

thanks

Russ
 
#17 ·
Ok cheers. Its narrowed down to 2 rides now. zt 160 or leon cupra.

Used to have a cupra and it was awesome

Like the look of the zt better though. Cupra comes with mpg readout as standard which will help not getting *******ed at work.

Plus the vag 1.8t is fairly bullet proof and the K...... Well not so much

Really torn between the two.

Both similar money too.
 
#18 ·
hi chaps havent been on for a wile mine's on 79732 and she's already had the dreaded hgf just after i had bought it, its done just under 6000 miles since it has been fixed ,working good so far it holds the water and the oil is nice and clean it never gets screwed i reckon she's doing about 30mpg at the most around town so to speak , on the motor way a bit more. Forgot to say its the 150ps contemporary se, looks kinky too
 
#21 ·
Hi,

I've got a late 2003 1.8T which I've had since 2005. It had 8K on the clock when I got it and apart from the usual HGF at 60K it's run sweet and still is after just clocking over 100K this week.

I too do a lot of motorway miles (part of my job) with plenty of trips down south and over to France every year. The only turbo related repairs I've needed to do is replace the thin pressure hoses (2 years ago) as the ends get brittle and slip off (resulting in sudden power loss when turbo is spinning) cheap and simple to replace though.

One other thing I make sure is changing the oil every 6 months as the Turbo uses the engine oil feed and I like to keep it 'clean' as possible.

I'm hoping for many more miles in the car ...!
 
#23 ·
Ive' done 22k in my 1.8t in the past 12 months and I have recorded the milage and fuel, it's returning 32.7mpg over a mix of roads and driving (it's a ZT, of course I'm going to push it once in a while!)

However, I took it down to Manchester last week and 'experimented' by driving at 65 rather than my 'norm' and the fuel consumption dropped like a stone, the read out showed 43 mpg and 520 from a single tank, so it shows if you drive it like a vicar you can be really economical!
 
#24 ·
Oh great lol now i really cant choose lol. I'd have to drive both at 70ish all the time to avoid getting killed for fuel usage i reckon.

Should have a pay rise coming but might ask for more fuel instead lol

If i got the zed i would spend less money moddin it but would be more likely to break than a 1.8t vag unit but they offset each other. Would have to remap the zed at z and f and get the full caffeine 180 bhp.

Both would need forge dv's and enclosed induction units.

I reckon the zed would be comfier and nicer inside but the cupra comes with all the kit and more as standard than the zed come with in top spec except reversing sensors and hl tv/nav

So torn its nuts!
 
#28 ·
I do a lot of motorway driving in my 2005 ZT 1.8T+ and using brim to brim method I calculated it around the 34/35 mpg mark... but of course, I have to get to the motorway from my house which doesn't help. In pure motorway terms, I'd say it's around 40 - 45 mpg at 70mph, but the urban yoiu have to allow for drops it a lot.

A couple of experiments - 60 - 65mph "drive like a vicar" runs turned around MUCH MUCH higher mpg and saw nearly 580miles out of a ÂŁ71 tank.

The ZT is without doubt THE car of choice for motorway driving. Long distances just get eaten up and you get out of the car at the other end as happy as you get in the car at the start with no leg ache, or wishing you'd broken the journey up.

Engine repairs on the K are cheap. Mine's done nearly 70k and total repair and general maintenance costs on top of purchase price in 6 years is somewhere enar the ÂŁ1000 mark, including HGF, new disks and pads, new exhaust back box.

ZTs are cheap as chips these days - that's a HELLUVA lot of car for the money.

Best decision I ever made and it's a keeper.