TBH, 8v isn’t that much slower than the 16v. Slower yes, but not that much slower. Think about it, if you buy an 8v, would you then worry if you came across a 16v?

im not!
If you want to buy a fast car, you wouldn't be looking here.

So if you want economy between 8v and 16v go for the 8v, if you want speed go for the 16v. To go to one end of the spectrum to another, economy go for a tdi and for speed, go for a VR6.