Which engine for a new Beach?

[AlisonF]

We have the 199 with 7 speed DSG. Great engine / gearbox combination and accelerates like mad when needed which is not that often, but I like the extra power.
It's easy to wheel spin from start, so care needed there, also experienced torque steer a few times.

Enjoy.

Chris.

Your about info says T6 Ocean 150?

 

[Outanbout]

Needs Changing.

Thank you for the update.

 

[66tim99]

This is exactly why I recommended the 200hp to the OP if he has the choice.

My 6.1 150hp Beach has done approx 1700 miles now and I’m not seeing much improvement. I drove my T6’s in manual mode now and then but I’m having to drive in manual a lot more now. A few times it’s been really hesitant and not wanted to go, leaving me waiting…

I’ll give it another month or two and if it doesn’t improve I’ll take it back.

Consider the TVS remap from Oli at Bognor Motors. I’ve heard nothing but good things. As others have said, it’s mapped for emissions more than anything else, and is I understand much more intuitive with the remap

 

[Sp0_0k]

As 204 owner can definitely tell, it is an overkill. And we are usually loaded to max 3 tons.

 

[Amarillo]

Is the T6.1 150 engine really that different from the T6 150 engine?

I’m still loving my T6 150. I took it over Wrynose Pass this morning, and back again. Then down the M6/M1 mostly with ACC set in “eco” mode. A pure joy, with the MFD (perhaps optimistically) displaying 50.4 mpg for the 300 miles or so travelled after Wrynose and a refuel.

 

[Borris]

Is the T6.1 150 engine really that different from the T6 150 engine?

I’m still loving my T6 150. I took it over Wrynose Pass this morning, and back again. Then down the M6/M1 mostly with ACC set in “eco” mode. A pure joy, with the MFD (perhaps optimistically) displaying 50.4 mpg for the 300 miles or so travelled after Wrynose and a refuel.

"eco" mode?

I just press the SET button when I've reached the desired speed. I suppose I'll have to read the hand book and find out more.

I agree about the ACC driving experience, it is pure joy especially in heavy slow moving traffic traffic.

 

[AlisonF]

Is the T6.1 150 engine really that different from the T6 150 engine?

I’m still loving my T6 150. I took it over Wrynose Pass this morning, and back again. Then down the M6/M1 mostly with ACC set in “eco” mode. A pure joy, with the MFD (perhaps optimistically) displaying 50.4 mpg for the 300 miles or so travelled after Wrynose and a refuel.

All I can say is the T6.1 150 Beach has been disapointing so far compared to my T6 204 4Motion Ocean. (both 7sp DSG).

 

[Amarillo]

"eco" mode?

I just press the SET button when I've reached the desired speed. I suppose I'll have to read the hand book and find out more.

I agree about the ACC driving experience, it is pure joy especially in heavy slow moving traffic traffic.

Somewhere in settings you have “sport”, “normal” and “eco” options for ACC which, I guess, adapts how quickly the van accelerates when there’s a sufficient gap ahead and you are travelling below the maximum speed set for ACC. I’m unsure if it affects how quickly it decelerates.

 

[Borris]

Somewhere in settings you have “sport”, “normal” and “eco” options for ACC which, I guess, adapts how quickly the van accelerates when there’s a sufficient gap ahead and you are travelling below the maximum speed set for ACC. I’m unsure if it affects how quickly it decelerates.

Thanks Tom,
I'll take a look. Due to covid we haven't been on many long trips so I'm still finding new stuff the vehicle does that I had either forgotten or never knew.

 

[Nell]

Hi everyone,

I am Ben and looking to buy a new Beach and confused about which engine I should be choosing.

I am based in Portugal so will buy from a local dealer but so far they are not very knowledgeable about the Cali's.

I will use it as my daily driver and for weekends and holidays with the lady and the 2 little ones.

What's your experience and do I need the 204hp over the 150hp...is it worth the extra money or over kill.

Also I don't understand the different engine variants, in the 150hp there is the option of the M6 or A7, not sure what they each stand for.

Thanks for your help.

Ben

Hi there,
We bought in Spain and very happy with the 204 version engine on the Beach. It drives really well and (personally) am really happy with the way it drives. We are often off-road in Portugal and northern Spain and our choice seems ok for our needs. I opted for the extra power over 4 motion

 

[Amarillo]

Thanks Tom,
I'll take a look. Due to covid we haven't been on many long trips so I'm still finding new stuff the vehicle does that I had either forgotten or never knew.

I have just double checked, and as usual VW make navigating to the ACC options as complicated as possible, so much so that for a while I thought that I had been talking complete nonsense (again) about the "Eco, Normal, Sport" ACC options.

You can find it here (on the T6 Beach).
>Settings
>Assistants
>ACC
>Basic settings

-Eco​

-Normal​

-Sport​

 

[Amarillo]

All I can say is the T6.1 150 Beach has been disapointing so far compared to my T6 204 4Motion Ocean. (both 7sp DSG).

So sorry to hear that Alison.

 

[Borris]

I have just double checked, and as usual VW make navigating to the ACC options as complicated as possible, so much so that for a while I thought that I had been talking complete nonsense (again) about the "Eco, Normal, Sport" ACC options.

You can find it here (on the T6 Beach).
>Settings
>Assistants
>ACC
>Basic settings

-Eco​

-Normal​

-Sport​

Thanks Tom, I'll have a look at that today. We were away camping last week so have to give the van a complete clear out and clean today.

As far as I'm concerned our dsg 150ps T6 Beach drives very well indeed. However when I press RES on the MFSW it does accelerate way quicker than I normally would.

However, there is one general driving characteristic that I don't like. When you press the accelerator fairly hard when stationary in order to leave a junction smartly, it seems to hesitate for a nano second before before unloading a large bunch of torque. The effect is that it tends to lurch forward in a manner that suggests it's just been given a good kick up the @r$€.

 

[WelshGas]

Thanks Tom, I'll have a look at that today. We were away camping last week so have to give the van a complete clear out and clean today.

As far as I'm concerned our dsg 150ps T6 Beach drives very well indeed. However when I press RES on the MFSW it does accelerate way quicker than I normally would.

However, there is one general driving characteristic that I don't like. When you press the accelerator fairly hard when stationary in order to leave a junction smartly, it seems to hesitate for a nano second before before unloading a large bunch of torque. The effect is that it tends to lurch forward in a manner that suggests it's just been given a good kick up the @r$€.

That's the DSG box unsure of what gear to go to next. Try coming to a stop a little sooner and then creep forward a few feet to stop. Then the DSG is setup on 1st ready to change to 2nd, rather than being in 2nd ready to go to 3rd and having to change down to 1st to move off.

 

[Cali Phillip]

"However, there is one general driving characteristic that I don't like. When you press the accelerator fairly hard when stationary in order to leave a junction smartly, it seems to hesitate for a nano second before before unloading a large bunch of torque. The effect is that it tends to lurch forward in a manner that suggests it's just been given a good kick up the @r$€."

Yes that caught me out in the first few miles of ownership, a wet road, busy road led to lots of wheel spin on exit !

 

[Swiss Cheese]

204 DSG 4motion Beach.
We have a lot of hills here, so I opted for this and it performs well. I don't know if a 150 would struggle.
I too suffer from the wheel-spin/jump-start although it has got better or I have learn to compensate.

 

[Borris]

That's the DSG box unsure of what gear to go to next. Try coming to a stop a little sooner and then creep forward a few feet to stop. Then the DSG is setup on 1st ready to change to 2nd, rather than being in 2nd ready to go to 3rd and having to change down to 1st to move off.

So if driving gently which is my usual style, the dsg would usually take off in 2nd? That would make sense. I must confess I've never really paid that much notice of the selected gear indicator under such circs.

 

[andyinluton]

So if driving gently which is my usual style, the dsg would usually take off in 2nd? That would make sense. I must confess I've never really paid that much notice of the selected gear indicator under such circs.

No it won't take off in second, it would be in second due to your driving style & then pause, count to 3, drop to first and take off wheel spinning as by this time you've pressed the accelerator harder in an attempt to get the van to move.

I don't know if the programming has changed, but on ours, for the most efficient take off at a roundabout for example, best result is come to a full stop, hold on footbrake, easing off the footbrake slightly restarts the engine ( if stop start has cut in) and puts it in first ready to go.

Worst way to approach is rollup slowly without stopping & then stamp on the accelerator in an attempt to speed up quickly, its invariably in second with 3rd already lined up to change up to.

Manual override to get it into first helps, or flick into sports mode so its in 1st rather than 2nd at the crucial moment.

If you have ever driven a discovery 2 automatic with a 3.5tnne trailer behind you would think that the VW DSG is near perfect. On that you needed to give it 5 minutes warning that you were going to pull away to let the turbo spool up.

 

[Cali Phillip]

No it won't take off in second, it would be in second due to your driving style & then pause, count to 3, drop to first and take off wheel spinning as by this time you've pressed the accelerator harder in an attempt to get the van to move.

I don't know if the programming has changed, but on ours, for the most efficient take off at a roundabout for example, best result is come to a full stop, hold on footbrake, easing off the footbrake slightly restarts the engine ( if stop start has cut in) and puts it in first ready to go.

Worst way to approach is rollup slowly without stopping & then stamp on the accelerator in an attempt to speed up quickly, its invariably in second with 3rd already lined up to change up to.

Manual override to get it into first helps, or flick into sports mode so its in 1st rather than 2nd at the crucial moment.

If you have ever driven a discovery 2 automatic with a 3.5tnne trailer behind you would think that the VW DSG is near perfect. On that you needed to give it 5 minutes warning that you were going to pull away to let the turbo spool up.

I used sport mode for a quick take off, seems to help

 

[Borris]

No it won't take off in second, it would be in second due to your driving style & then pause, count to 3, drop to first and take off wheel spinning as by this time you've pressed the accelerator harder in an attempt to get the van to move.

I don't know if the programming has changed, but on ours, for the most efficient take off at a roundabout for example, best result is come to a full stop, hold on footbrake, easing off the footbrake slightly restarts the engine ( if stop start has cut in) and puts it in first ready to go.

Worst way to approach is rollup slowly without stopping & then stamp on the accelerator in an attempt to speed up quickly, its invariably in second with 3rd already lined up to change up to.

Manual override to get it into first helps, or flick into sports mode so its in 1st rather than 2nd at the crucial moment.

If you have ever driven a discovery 2 automatic with a 3.5tnne trailer behind you would think that the VW DSG is near perfect. On that you needed to give it 5 minutes warning that you were going to pull away to let the turbo spool up.

Interesting. It does't happen that often as I'm rarely in a hurry.

The other thing is Mrs B has 170ps dsg Skoda superb estate. Very similar 2.0 litre VW engine/gearbox set up although the mapping of both engine and dsg would clearly be different. I drive that in the same old gitish manner and I have never experienced anything similar. Put your foot down in that and it takes off like a stabbed rat.

 

[WelshGas]

Interesting. It does't happen that often as I'm rarely in a hurry.

The other thing is Mrs B has 170ps dsg Skoda superb estate. Very similar 2.0 litre VW engine/gearbox set up although the mapping of both engine and dsg would clearly be different. I drive that in the same old gitish manner and I have never experienced anything similar. Put your foot down in that and it takes off like a stabbed rat.

Doesn't weigh 3 tons though.

 

[clarinetbcn]

However, there is one general driving characteristic that I don't like. When you press the accelerator fairly hard when stationary in order to leave a junction smartly, it seems to hesitate for a nano second before before unloading a large bunch of torque. The effect is that it tends to lurch forward in a manner that suggests it's just been given a good kick up the @r$€.

Here's some very interesting reading, I think re-posted by @WelshGas on another thread.

"The rules that govern the shifting behavior of the DSG are NOT adaptive. Let's be clear about this. The DSG does NOT change the rules governing shifting behavior based on your driving style - It doesn't "Learn" those - These were hard coded sets of rules established by the engineers of the DSG software. It does dynamically change its operating parameters internally to account for clutch wear, etc - But none of that effects the rules for deciding gear changes - these are STATICALLY PROGRAMMED. This means you can reliably use what you know to influence the decision it makes by influencing some of the factors it takes into account."

 

[Calimili]

here's my two cents. I live in Germany where there are often no speed limits on the Autobahn. I travel very frequently from Frankfurt to (south of) Munich, a tad short of 300miles .
With 150 hp I easily travel at 100 mph without being flat out. If I had 50 hp more, I'd still travel at the same speed. It's a van not a Maserati. And if I have bikes on the rear rack I drop to 85mph in order not to stress the bike rack, but not for luck of power.
With the 4M I have the upgraded 17" brakes. I have the same brakes as the 199/204 hp. The Cali needs not only to be launched, it has to be stopped too. If I could launch it harder I might end up having to stop it harder, say in city traffic. And outside the city, it would hardly make a difference what my 0-60mph is vs the 199/204. In reality, how often do you floor it at traffic lights ? Never!
The 199/204 would definitely give an advantage only for overtaking and if you live in a really steep hilly area or you have to tow heavy trailers.
For me personally, since there are also many discussions on the longevity and maintenance costs of dsg clutch etc, I'd rather put less stress on the transmission with a 150 engine vs 199/204. Same on brakes disks and pads. It won't go through corner any faster with 150 or 199/204.

And for you guys in the UK , the 7th speed of the dsg is just like an overdrive to save fuel. At 70 mph the revs are low and the torque also low. It is inevitable that it will drop a gear as soon as there is a hill. But you get the benefit of low fuel consumption at such low revs. If you were in Europe instead, with a bit more generous speed limits, at 120/130 km/h you'll be chugging along at higher revs right in the torque area, and you wouldn't need a gear drop on a hill. With 199/204 no gear drop regardless, but you end up with an extra 50ps that you'll hardly ever need unless you are towing or live in a steep hilly area.

Did I write long enough? I think so ... I'll press "Post reply" finally!

 

[AlisonF]

here's my two cents. I live in Germany where there are often no speed limits on the Autobahn. I travel very frequently from Frankfurt to (south of) Munich, a tad short of 300miles .
With 150 hp I easily travel at 100 mph without being flat out. If I had 50 hp more, I'd still travel at the same speed. It's a van not a Maserati. And if I have bikes on the rear rack I drop to 85mph in order not to stress the bike rack, but not for luck of power.
With the 4M I have the upgraded 17" brakes. I have the same brakes as the 199/204 hp. The Cali needs not only to be launched, it has to be stopped too. If I could launch it harder I might end up having to stop it harder, say in city traffic. And outside the city, it would hardly make a difference what my 0-60mph is vs the 199/204. In reality, how often do you floor it at traffic lights ? Never!
The 199/204 would definitely give an advantage only for overtaking and if you live in a really steep hilly area or you have to tow heavy trailers.
For me personally, since there are also many discussions on the longevity and maintenance costs of dsg clutch etc, I'd rather put less stress on the transmission with a 150 engine vs 199/204. Same on brakes disks and pads. It won't go through corner any faster with 150 or 199/204.

And for you guys in the UK , the 7th speed of the dsg is just like an overdrive to save fuel. At 70 mph the revs are low and the torque also low. It is inevitable that it will drop a gear as soon as there is a hill. But you get the benefit of low fuel consumption at such low revs. If you were in Europe instead, with a bit more generous speed limits, at 120/130 km/h you'll be chugging along at higher revs right in the torque area, and you wouldn't need a gear drop on a hill. With 199/204 no gear drop regardless, but you end up with an extra 50ps that you'll hardly ever need unless you are towing or live in a steep hilly area.

Did I write long enough? I think so ... I'll press "Post reply" finally!

I think you missed my point. Mine does not drop the gear on an uphill at 50mph or above… so I have the lorries I just over took on the flat then over taking me on the uphill section.

 

[Calimili]

I think you missed my point. Mine does not drop the gear on an uphill at 50mph or above… so I have the lorries I just over took on the flat then over taking me on the uphill section.

Sorry Alison, I wasn't responding to you directly, just giving my personal experience on my T6. The DSG responds to the pressure you apply on the gas pedal. On a manual, on a hill, you'd drop speed if you don't give more gas. The dsg mimics that. I think you may have to try to be a bit more deliberate in giving additional gas when on a hill in order to tell the dsg :" hey, I need power, drop a gear!".
With your previous 204 Ocean you wouldn't have need it as it had torque also at low revs at 50mph