A few confirmations before I join the Rocco family

[sinnerghost]

Hey there, been lurking and reading about the beloved Rocco here for the past month or so, and needed some clarifications from you guys before I decide which Rocco is the right one.

Initially I was eyeing a 1.4 160 hp, but read that there are many problems with that model, atleast until the 2011 revision. Question is, does that apply since the beginning of the year, or something like June 2011?
Now, I would probably do ok with a 122 hp too(it certainly beats the 60 I have on my Polo right now lol), but I've seen posters here say that at a certain point you want more than 122

A 2.0 is out of the discussion due to more factors(register and consumption among them - it would be more of a city car, 25-30 km a day maybe). Also, diesel is a nono. I'm not dissing it, it's just that all I've driven were on petrol, and I'm used to it.

DSG seemed interesting, but read that there are more than one problem with it(never caught if they were remedied like the 160 hp rocco), so I guess a manual is the choice(plus I'm used to it).
Also, I plan on getting a rocco in like a year and a half or so, but I wanna see what I'm saving up for(a 122 2009 is considerably cheaper than a 160 2011)

PS: I'm not from the UK(although this is the best rocco forum I've found), and I've seen stuff like 58 plate which is still confusing to me, so if you could say the month/year it would be perfect.
Sorry for the wall of text, and thanks in advance!

[Lewis Miller]

How UK number plates work

51 September 2001 to February 2002 02 March 2002 to August 2002
52 September 2002 to February 2003 03 March 2003 to August 2003
53 September 2003 to February 2004 04 March 2004 to August 2004
54 September 2004 to February 2005 05 March 2005 to August 2005
55 September 2005 to February 2006 06 March 2006 to August 2006
56 September 2006 to February 2007 07 March 2007 to August 2007
57 September 2007 to February 2008 08 March 2008 to August 2008
58 September 2008 to February 2009 09 March 2009 to August 2009
59 September 2009 to February 2010 10 March 2010 to August 2010
60 September 2010 to February 2011 11 March 2011 to August 2011
61 September 2011 to February 2012 12 March 2012 to August 2012
62 September 2012 to February 2013 13 March 2013 to August 2013

[sinnerghost]

Oh cool. Thanks for that clarification. Can you tell me about the rest too?

[moulin12]

RW 1 has posted extensively about the engine misfire problem with the 1.4 twinchargers, and appears to conclude that software updates and re-gapping plugs can prevent issues, though of course this can’t do anything for any damage done (and which you might not know about when buying the used car).

His post is here: http://www.sciroccocentral.co.uk/forum/ ... f=2&t=9491

He writes that MY (Model Year) 2011 cars appear to be unaffected. Because we have a licence plate systems that renews in March (and then September), a car sold from January 2011 would be a MY2011 car on a 2010 (i.e. a 60) plate. On that basis, it would seem that you should be okay on a 60 plate and above. Indeed, the consensus from the posts I have seen is that the issue affects MY2009 and MY2010; so, confirm with the dealer that any 10 plate you might be looking for is a MY2011.

I would add, however, that (as others have posted, here and on other forums), VW must have shipped the 160 unit in thousands, and so it shouldn’t be construed that you’d always be buying a lemon. Whilst there have been unfortunate owners of these, no doubt, it’s also the case that using both a supercharger and a turbo to squeeze 160 out of a 1.4 is always going to expose an engine to possible issues, but particularly when left in the hands of people who like ‘re-mapping’ and modifying cars. It’s more a case of whether you want to take a risk or not. Personally, when buying my 160 I made a firm decision that I wouldn’t be buying anything other than an 11 plate.

Regards the 7-speed dsg fitted to the 1.4s, steer clear unless it has been fitted with the upgraded clutch pack introduced in 2013. Some cars will have been fitted with the upgrade pack under warranty following the classic judder issue.

Regards factoring petrol consumption into your decision, if this is going to be largely a run around town car then the differences in mpg between a 2.0 and a 1.4 will be minimal; my 1.4 doesn't return much above 26 mpg when used around town.

[sinnerghost]

Thanks for the reply moulin. So, regarding the 1.4, does it affect only the 160, or the 122 too? Because I have seen a few 2009-2010 122's at some good prices. Also, the 2.0 isn't really an option, not because of consumption mainly, but taxes. And dsg is out of the question officially.

[moulin12]

You're welcome, sinnerghost.

As I'm aware, the issue is with the 160 - certainly, I don't recall a post on the issue with the 122, here or elsewhere. Shame if you couldn't reach to a MY2011/12 (60 or 11 plate) 160; on paper there's more of a difference, performance-wise, between the 122 and 160 than there is between the 160 and the 200/210.

[salsajoe]

I have a 160 from new. It is a 2011 build year and I have not had any misfire or any other engine problems. Only 'repair' was to adjust the tailgate lock. I think most of the problems were early 2009 and 2010 related to pistons (2009) and engine mapping and plug gap (2009 and 2010) as previously posted. All appear to have been sorted by 2011. Worth going for the 160, goes really well. I have a manual but heard that 7 speed DSG boxes have been a problem but not the 6 speed.

[sinnerghost]

Thanks for all the answers guys, really helped me make up my mind regarding which Rocco to get. Oh and moulin, a 122 is somewhat of a backup plan, the one I'll try to get is a 160, and it's so good to know that any 2011 one is ok. I was worried that I might get a 2011 with the known problems, but it's great to see that it's not the case. As such, when the time will be right(hint hint money), a >2011 160 is the way to go.

[rollingpin]

Thought I'd let you know that I wasn't sure about which engine to get either, and ended up going for 2.0 petrol with 200 bhp. Best decision I ever made. The extra oomph you get while driving in the countryside is beautiful. And it still does around 28 mpg in the city, and I've managed 36 mpg on the motorways. Tax is about £220 a year in case you need a benchmark.

100% don't get a new one though! You can get an absolute bargain from dealerships if you find an ex-lease / ex-corporate hire car. I bought mine in summer 2013, and it was an '09 plate with 37,000 miles. Drives like new and in amazing condition, with a pano roof and sat nav, £13,500.

[sinnerghost]

Thought I'd let you know that I wasn't sure about which engine to get either, and ended up going for 2.0 petrol with 200 bhp. Best decision I ever made. The extra oomph you get while driving in the countryside is beautiful. And it still does around 28 mpg in the city, and I've managed 36 mpg on the motorways. Tax is about £220 a year in case you need a benchmark.

100% don't get a new one though! You can get an absolute bargain from dealerships if you find an ex-lease / ex-corporate hire car. I bought mine in summer 2013, and it was an '09 plate with 37,000 miles. Drives like new and in amazing condition, with a pano roof and sat nav, £13,500.

Thanks for the reply and suggestion.

[sinnerghost]

Hey guys, quick question. Saw for sale a few nice 2009-2010 160's but because of the misfire issue, I wanna ask: if the service history shows that the 24s4 update has been made, is it enough that the problem is fixed, or a misfire can still happen? I know that >2011 160's had some parts replaced too that ensure the misfire is no longer an issue. Thanks!