16V or 8VGTI

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Mr B
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16V or 8VGTI

Post by Mr B »

I'm toying with the idea of one or t'other but which?

16 is the loonytunes choice but seem to be starting to fetch silly money, 8V seems to fetch less money and nearly as quick with less hassle.

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cavmad
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Post by cavmad »

8V. Cheaper to buy, seem less temperamental and very pleasant to drive. That`s not to say anything bad about the 16V (before I get flamed) and of course the performance of the 16V is something else.
If/when my 8 valve is finally sorted at my local garage you can have a blast in it if you like, hopefully someone else will let you have a blast in their 16V and you can compare?
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Re: 16V or 8VGTI

Post by PrutsyLJ »

Mr B wrote:I'm toying with the idea of one or t'other but which?

16 is the loonytunes choice but seem to be starting to fetch silly money, 8V seems to fetch less money and nearly as quick with less hassle.

Discuss
I have driven in both cars 8v and 16v and i'm saying go for the 16v. It's quite a bit faster as the 8v and has a better fuel consumption as well :lol:
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Post by Ian_Fearn »

I've had plenty of experience of both and the one to buy depends on 3 things:


Do you want to drive it everyday?

Do you prefer the 8v or 16v styling?

What is your driving style like? Thrasher or Cruiser?


The 16v's are more tempremental than the 8v by a long way. I ran my 8v for 20k in 11 months with no engine problems at all.

You really do have to rev the nuts off the 16v but they're fantastic fun up the rev range :D

The 8v is far more relaxed but still has a good turn of speed.
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Post by Mr B »

Not an every day driver, I'm kind of in the middle of thrash/cruise :roll:

I like the 16 styling but don't want the aggro of a highly strung primadonna as it will have to come second to the TD in terms of cash flow.
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Post by Ian_Fearn »

16v parts are fairly easy to come by on bx16v.com so i wouldnt be too worried about that.

If you're not needing it for everyday traffic use then go for the 16v.
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Post by AlanS »

We've got a couple of both.
I agree, for a reliable every day driver with good handling and performance, go the 8V.
The 16 is a great toy and can give all sorts of cars and drivers some big thrills, but when it comes to servicing, it's a case that the 16V has to be done 100% right every time. Try to cut corners, it'll bite you and this is where most 16V owners come unstuck, trying to do just what's necessary at the time, as a result, a few weeks down the track they end up doing the job they by passed previously as well as redoing what they had already done. At this point, they then start telling everybody how much it has cost to keep it on the road, but as they say, a good tradesman never blames the tools.
Mine only does around 8000 - 10,000 klms a year, but I enjoy every last one of 'em. :wink: Mine if anything gets "overserviced" mainly due to the fact that when I do go out in it, the trip is usually at least 700klms in any one day so reliability has to be paramount.


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Post by Kitch »

Its fair to say that the 8v is probably a more reliable choice, but the 16v engine isn't tempremental by nature. As Alan said, its more user error that causes problems.

Mine would have been fine if I hadn't of bent the crankshaft. And all the idling problems etc are common with the 8v. And its fair to say I hear of lots more headgasket related issues with 8v's than 16v's.

Performance wise, I've never driven a GTi. I've driven a 205 GTi 1.9 and the BX 16v feels alot more frantic than that. Probably not much in it up to about 50mph but the performance for a sub 2000cc N/A motor is just fantastic. Gear ratios are bang on too, surprising choice but I'd say its a fantastic driver's car. I love driving mine, if I'm ever heading back from somewhere I always want to go the long way and I've kept going past my home and about 15mins out into the countryside the opposite way just to enjoy it.

I would imagine the GTi is alot better at everyday use. For a start its not as tempting to thrash it and:

A) Waste fuel
B) Lose your licence

Seems alot softer and more relaxed from what I've read. Cheaper to insure too, not that the 16v isn't a bargain to be fair. Even my broken said "you've got a good deal there, I know from experience thats a 140mph car!"

The 16v would be more for the weekends if you had a diesel smokeabout or something. I did use mine everyday, but it does bake your head in a bit after a while as its just so eager to go nuts everywhere it goes. It never settles down, unless you're on a motorway where I usually sit at about 55-60mph as it seems happier there than 80-90!

One thing I have noticed though, is that 8v's tend to change hands quite alot. And obviously with a few exceptions, if you go on the BX16v forum you'll find that most have kept their cars quite a long time and have no intention of selling. Probably cos they know it'll be the death of their car when a pugger gets it :lol:
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Post by Kitch »

Oh, with regards to pricing you're right. 8v's fetch less than diesels, with good 16v's commanding more money due to rarity/modern classic status/whatever.

But bargains are still to be had. I've got one jointly owned with Carl I'll be selling in the next few weeks, and that ph1 just went on ebay......205er paid £500 for it. Criminal, cos that was a special car.
They do pop up cheaply, you just have to be quick. And you're nigh on set to make a profit if you sold as the values are slowly increasing. Jason Dawe said mine was very tidy and worth a grand.....he didn't drive it by the way :lol:
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Post by Philip Chidlow »

Can I suggest a Hurricane GTi is a good compromise, giving as it does a touch of 16v styling... I have heard they are more prone to rust (why? :? ) and only come in green... I would like a 16v one day as I am a quick driver, but I've owned seven 8v GTis and have to say they are a lovely car and great (except for fuel consumption) for everyday use.
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Post by MULLEY »

I've got the 8v & have to say it does go well, never driven the 16v, but seeing as its got an extra 35bhp in a lightweight car, thats a lot, so it should be faster. So in essence both will allow u to lose your license, just one will lose it faster than the other.

If cash is the issue, stick with the 8v as they are very cheap for what is actually a quick car even by modern standards. Regarding fuel consumption, i tended to average about 30mpg driving to work & back, but on a longer cruise i managed 36mpg which i thought was pretty good. So expect around 30 & u wont be dissapointed.

Cant comment on reliability between them, but all BX's have their problems, so if the 16v boys disagree with each other, no one is wrong, each car is individual, one may be ultra reliable & never misses a beat, the other will be temperamental, so its pot luck (but isnt this the same for all the BX models anyway??).

My 8v has never broken down, but as i have now purchased a tzd, she will be up for sale when i can get around to advertising her. Only reason for getting rid of Gti is that i own a faster car than the Gti which has very poor economy, so needed a diesel to do daily commute, otherwise would keep the Gti as i think she's great (named her Haggerty).

So have fun in choosing, you cant lose either way, one is cheaper & slower, but both will be fun to drive.
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Post by Kitch »

Just to add about the pricing.....theres a silver T&T'd ph2 going for £500....somewhere (just in case any pugs are watching) :lol:
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Post by tim leech »

Indeed, its near me and if anyone puggers come within a mile of it they will get hit with a rather large tyre iron!
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Post by AlanS »

I can't follow the comments on fuel consumption.
It must be something to do with the driving conditions over there, but we got few if any GTis over here, instead we got the Tri-122 and the TZi both of wjhich had 122 bhp engines which they reckoned were equal to the GTi.
I get the same out of the TZi as I do out of the 16V and the Tri-122 auto Estate is a bit erratic, sometimes getting better than the other two whilst at times it's often worse.
I work on 7.3L/100 klms highway cycle and 9.5L/100 klms City cycle which converts to 39mpg and 30 mpg respectively.
Perhaps our 100/110 kph speed limits in most places has a bearing?

Performancewise, I don't find all that big a difference from a standing start up to around 5000rpm, but from there to the 7200 limiter in the 16V, that's where the grin factor comes in.
I still reckon if I was into modding cars, I'd hot an 8V before i'd go through all the aggro of converting to 16V. I know a couple out here who have done the exercise and are of the opinion, that a properly modded 205 Gti is every bit as good as if not better than one that's been butchered to fit a 16V into it. Buying an 8 or 16V though is a totally different set of circumstances and a totally different type of person is usually involved, so don't take that as a recommendation one way or t'other.


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Post by Mike E (uk) »

I have owned an 8V and a 16V GTI concurrently for many years.

The 8V engine is an excellent motor, and up to about 4000rpm is the equal to the 16V.

This does not mean that the 16V is slow or thirsty below 4000rpm, they are pretty much the same.

You don't need to rev the 16V high to make it go, only to make it go very quickly indeed.
If you drive any car hard fuel economy will suffer, that power has to come from somewhere, but why worry about fuel costs when you have bought a 130mph car for only £500?
If you are on a tight budget, you ought to get a diesal BX anyway.

The 8V is slightly softer sprung,also higher geared so is quieter and a better bet for long journeys. The 16V revs too high to sit at 80mph all day.

Thats why I increased my 5th gear ratio to give the 16V longer legs when I scrapped the 8V.

It is also easier to buy 8Vs because lots more were sold. There are some real bargains around now.

As stated before, the 16V does require more looking after than the 8V, but most parts are the same on both cars.

The 16V sounds great when revved too.
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