VW Bora - flat spot at low speed

You'll notice turbo lag at about 200rpm...

Did you mean 20mph, or 12mph, perhaps ?

It's normal. Try not to go at 2mph in second gear and you wont have a problem. God, it aint rocket science.

Normal. Turbo unlikely to do anything at all below 1500 rpm. Being a 130 as well it's relying on a lot of boost to get the power. Gotta love diesels and the wait...wait...wait...ohmygod...changeup power delivery.

That's why I got an auto.

Thanks for all the comments, the google definition particularly good.

Its normal then!

Peter

It's why I stick with petrol.

Hmm... I have met this in the past, though I'm blowed if I can remember which car. I don't notice it on my tatty old Rover 218 though; it doesn't feel like driving a diesel most of the time (and I push it hard), except that I need to floor it and dip the clutch to get any performance off the lights. It holds it own from a standing start against most cars.

Now that I do like! Never in the wrong gear. I bought my wife one when I realised she rode the clutch at every junction...

The message from Chris Bolus contains these words:

For all the dire warnings about "Oooh, you're never properly in control" etc, I'd not willingly go back to a manual or a petrol.

Suppose u wear a crash hemlet too? u limp 'ol sack of s*it.

The message from "PC Hood" contains these words:

Eh? That doesn't make any sense at all. And yes - I'm a very limp driver.

The 218 doesn't use as much boost as a modern diesel. Hence lag is less pronounced.

I'm neither pro or anti auto, happy with either (just ordered another manual car) but for me the move to diesel meant a move away from performance, so I looked specifically for autos. Also the narrow power band (but wide torque band) suits an auto so well.

Even better now the comfort mode switch is fixed and it doesn't kick down at half pedal any more.