150 ps or 240ps

[Digger]

Am I on the wrong forum? This is a campervan at the end of the day!

Annik -The voice of reason

 

[RodCouncil]

Annik -The voice of reason

I think we can file engine power with DSG and the 4MO debates, people (including myself) lose track of what these vehicles are about

 

[BigMan]

Sometimes its nice to be over the top. But more power is always better. Know ones says you need to use it. But if its not there you can't. Anyway bored now of this conversation. F

As annik says why do we need power in a campervan? The 140 or 150 is ample, I can't see people on the canal boat forum having a discussion like this? It's all about a laid back leisurely life,

 

[RodCouncil]

Canal boats... nearly as depressing as camp sites

 

[sidepod]

You can drive a quick van slowly but you’ll struggle to drive a slow van quickly.

 

[blakeley]

You can drive a quick van slowly but you’ll struggle to drive a slow van quickly.

Why would you want too? A 102, 140 or 150 will easily achieve the legal speed limit?

 

[GrannyJen]

As annik says why do we need power in a campervan? The 140 or 150 is ample, I can't see people on the canal boat forum having a discussion like this? It's all about a laid back leisurely life,

Even canal boats have their problems

Speeding boaters!

 

[Jay586]

I think it's all where you come from prior, if you're used to performance cars, you'll appreciate the 204 but after a 89ps 1.5 van, the 150 is fine for me! Mind you, my van is lighter due to the lack of most stuff in the back.

 

[GrannyJen]

As long as it's quicker than my mobility scooter I'm happy

 

[WelshGas]

Why would you want too? A 102, 140 or 150 will easily achieve the legal speed limit?

Not in the mountains, if you want to!, and on the derestricted Autobahn you either stay with the HGVs or be quick overtaking.

 

[EddieEagle]

Take it on a track and see what you could have won! Anybody remember Jamie Oliver and his souped up van being chucked around the Top Gear track by the Stig whilst making a dish of some sort or another in the back? 300 plus hp no doubt but there is always going to be something bigger and better.
Back to the O.P. personally and having bought a 140 I am happy with the get up and go-ability. There are times, i.e. fully loaded and going for it when you realise that is it, nothing left, and then maybe wish for the 204.........would that 204 still leave me wanting and wishing i had gone Jamie Oliver stylee and stuck a 300hp lump in it?
Never felt it underpowered when joining traffic, if anything, quite impressed that it does accelerate so well considering its weight.
Try getting a 40 tonne articulated truck out of a side road or onto a roundabout without pissing somebody off! 500hp, and still not enough! But once out, you are in front and entitled to drive to the conditions. Public roads are not race tracks. Our campers are not dragsters so whatever power you choose I'm sure you will find it more than capable with the added bonus of being able to stop and have a brew in style!
Now, where do I sign up for the smallest penis competition??

 

[Broch Hunter]

I tried an Ocean150DSG back to back against a Bugatti Veyron. Disappointingly, I found the Veyron rather sluggish in comparison and the bed length nowhere near as good as the Cali

 

[California4x4]

I have a 150 manual 4Motion. I’m very happy with how it drives in town, on the Autoban, in the mountains (and off-road). Given the particular circumstances you mention for getting going in the morning. I think the 150 has the potential to leave you wishing every morning you had opted for the 204. Either way, so you’re not cringing every morning as you step on the right pedal and watch the cloud exiting the exhaust from your cold engine, as you accelerate onto the busy main road, I would suggest the engine pre-heater. The value of optional extras is measured in how much use I get out of them. LED Lights, was one of those for me as every day I am happy to have them. I’m in Norway and will be using my camper every day through the winter and doing trips into the mountains, so 4Motion is one of the things I will appreciate regularly. These two things became a higher priority than the extra BHP. Everybody’s needs are different and most do not have the experience of both engines. There is one opinion above that has an opinion on both, which is helpful. The number of times I have wished for extra ooomph is very low but in your situation, I would go with the 204.

 

[T6Beach]

I have used both and I can say the 150ps is fine and think of what you can spend on all that saved fuel, it soon mounts up ! I am currently getting an average of 47.8 MPG, I doubt if I would get anywhere near that in a 204

 

[WelshGas]

The lady doth protest too much, methinks!

 

[sidepod]

Anyone here with a 204 wishing they’d gone 150? Thought not.

 

[Bellcrew]

Anyone here with a 204 wishing they’d gone 150? Thought not.

Quite a few on here regret owning a 180 after all the problems/costs associated with the EGR etc, early days for the 204.

 

[WelshGas]

Quite a few on here regret owning a 180 after all the problems/costs associated with the EGR etc, early days for the 204.

Not me..

 

[sidepod]

Quite a few on here regret owning a 180 after all the problems/costs associated with the EGR etc, early days for the 204.

I thought this was a power argument not a reliability one?

I’ve owned two versions of the same van. One with barely enough grunt to pull the skin off a rice pudding, the other with as much power as VW opted to give it.

Absolutely night and day. Ok it’s one extreme to another but the extra power totally transforms the vehicle. It’s not about headline numbers more about all round improved dynamics.

Tick the Pmax box.

 

[andyinluton]

The 150 performance figures are very,very close to the old 180 and no one was complaining about the performance of that.

I suppose it depends where you live but for me, overtaking opportunities are minimal when driving a very fast car let alone when driving a van.

As for pulling out at junctions etc a 150 will be quicker than a HGV, almost all vans & quite a few cars and miles quicker than anyone towing a caravan so I don't see what the problem is.

We've just come back from a quick tour of the northeast of England in our 140se & have been driving on mostly twisty empty A roads, less roll on the suspension would have had more effect on the journey times than a bigger engine.

 

[WelshGas]

No one is doubting the capability of the 140/150 engine. That wasn't really the question, but is the 204 more capable and under certain circumstances I believe it is.
Aside from cost, increased servicing costs, according to some less reliable, increased fuel consumption, are there any circumstances where the 150 is more capable than the 204?

I've yet to read any posts that state the 150 is more capable or have I missed something.

 

[steve and lisa]

150 for us and if I was buying again I would buy a 150. I have driven both also.

 

[Crell]

Buy the one you want / won’t regret. I really would test them though to make sure you’re happy with your choice if you think you’re going to have buyers regret

We just did 10 hours back from Lochinver as well as lots of hills while we were up there for a week and the 150 with DSG was great.

I didn’t by get the option of selecting the 204 in a beach but I’d normally go for the bigger engine. However the pain we had with our old 180 would make me think really hard about it If I had.

As someone said earlier the biggest improvement you could make is on the body roll. It’s a van. The 150 is quick, the 204 is quicker and pulls harder. I ( surprisingly for me) am not missing the 204. This thread is no different to the partisan arguments you see on any car forum where people usually defend their buying choice.

Anyway the OP will have ordered by now. What did you go for?

 

[Kmann]

… Aside from cost, increased servicing costs, according to some less reliable, increased fuel consumption, are there any circumstances where the 150 is more capable than the 204?

If you remove the circumstances where the 150 is more capable, it will no longer be more capable than the 204 – is it?

I think those points you address is exactly where the 150 is more interesting than the 204. But at the end, it is all up to personal feel good, needs, environmental concerns, economy, etc.

I also agree that a more dynamic drive with less roll would be of high value on all the models.

 

[Kmann]

Interesting to hear what you (@audio2) went for today - my guess is the 204 ;-)