Pimpster has it bang on (I know I'm bound to say that, I've got a PD150)
The 0-60 time is a useless indicator to everyday performance. Once I leave for work in the morning, I don't stop for an hour and fifteen minutes before I arrive at work. So what relevance does the 0-60 time bear on my journey? Answer, none at all.
What indicates real-world performance is your ability to overtake in-gear, in which the PD cannot be beaten by any standard golf unless its running a VR6 lump, because of its torque.
Bodhi, whether you like having to change gear at 4k rpm or not doesn't make it a slow car, its still fast. OK, so you don't find it as pleasurable as hanging onto the revs and bouncing off the limiter at 7000 rpm, but that's subjective, not objective. Objective is which is faster, which is the PD
Additionally, whilst the 8.6 second 0-60 time is what VW publish for the PD, pick up any mag that has done an independant test and you'll see 8 seconds dead for the PD and some have managed high 7's.
As for the 0-60 time you quoted for the 16 valve, where did that come from? As we learnt form an earlier post, the VW claimed 0-60 for a Mk3 16v is 8.7 not 8.0 seconds. Thats in the handbook. This makes it slower than the PD150 across that benchmark. I also doubt whether a Mk3 16v (of which the youngest is now getting on for 6 years old) is still capable of re-producing the times it was capable of when new. They may loosen up as they get older, but that doesn't automatically equate to quicker.
Frankly, I'd put money on which was faster over any performance benchmark, and if you turn up to a meet with a strip, then I'll show you by just how much.
Alternatively, if you want to come on a track day, I'll be happy to demonstrate just how 'poor' the brakes are and how the 'soggy' handling affect a lap. Just bring your Bi-noc-ulars mate, you'll need them to see which way I go.
Speaking just for myself, I think you are one of the many blinkered people that can't stand to be driving a car that can be beaten by a lowly diesel. But please, don't feel bad, there's lots of you out there. Join a self-help group and together you can discover that the Mk3 16v isn't at the top of the pile anymore. Not saying the PD is, but it is faster.
I don't feel in-gear acceleration times are a good reflection of a car's performance taken on their own tbh, they only indicate short bursts of acceleration, and give very little idea of how the performance is sustained, unless you look at every gear between every speed. 0-60 covers a much larger speed interval, hence gives you a better idea of the spread of the performance (as do 0-100, 0-125 and for proper quick cars, 0-180). Now I will admit the diesel will give much better in gear acceleration than the 16v, yet by the time the 16v gets to 60 it's ahead (Evo quoted 7.9 for the 16v and 8.7 for the PD150). I'm willing to bet that's because the 16v has a wider rev range to work with, hence requiring less gearchanges. Whilst a diesel does really rip between 1500 and 3000rpm, its doesn't rip for very long, at which point is becomes asthmatic and weezy. But then of course you can always slot another gear. But why should you have to? A powerful petrol engine will whip round nearly is quickly (I'm using a 325i/328i as a benchmark here - I'm sure something such as a Clio 172 or an R32 will be similar) and then keep on going, sustaining the performnace for longer without a break for a new gear.
Anyway vr6 has hit the nail on the head, diesel engines will never be more powerful than petrol - it's a simple fact. I also doubt we'll ever see a diesel Lambo or Ferrari (we may see a diesel Porsche - after all, they built a bloody SUV), or a diesel Formula 1 car (I doubt Williams Massey Ferguson would have much success).
S11EPS, I fail to se how you can try and take the high ground, as you essentially tried to turn the debate round into a "My car is better than your car" debate, which is not only extremely childish, but also not even close to my original intentions. They aren't even in remotely the same class tbh, being an ever so slight price difference between a PD150 and a Mk3 8v. Strange then, that I consciously chose to buy an 8v, yet I can never ever see me doing the same with a PD150. There are far too many better and indeed faster cars availible for a similar price point (sorry to dissapoint you tho, they don't have VW or indeed BMW badges on the front). Oh and you won't need to demonstrate the poor handling and soggy brakes, I've already experienced plenty of those in the Bora. Which tragically enough is supposed to be a better drive than the Golf. Dear oh dear Volkswagen, you really stuffed up the Mk4 Golf. Luckily it looks like the Mk5 is going to undo some of the damage, the GTi in particular, is looking awesome.
