Changing cars: Petrol or Diesel, in a quandary

apkfjk

I am about to change cars. I currently have a Renault Scenic 1.5 Dci Diesel. But I am thinking about changing for a Petrol version. I get great mileage out of the Diesel, but with the cost of Unleaded so much less then Diesel would I really be saving in the long run. A mixture of long and short drives.

I initially got the Diesel thinking I was doing the right thing, more miles, cost less(at the time) and perhaps good for the Enviro - but I don't know now - can I be bothered if others are not?

If anyone has any info I could follow or any suggestions would appreciate it.

TiTheRev

For me, it's Diesel, no question.

More MPG, more enviro benefits, less engine parts need replacing/servicing and they dont get worse at high mileage. The engines are just harder wearing somehow! The saving on fuel is a false economy spread out over the years or services etc.

hewhoisnotintheknow

if your car is running fine i would stick with the one you have, changing cars can open up a whole load of unknowns

apkfjk

Company car change - I know, I know, but still have a conscience

vikingaero

hewhoisnotintheknow wrote: »

if your car is running fine i would stick with the one you have, changing cars can open up a whole load of unknowns

Eggsactly.

There's also the financial aspect. People are panicking and looking at the weekly fuel aspect. Is it worth spending £x,000 on a new car to save £30 a month on fuel?

AdrianHi

apkfjk wrote: »

Company car change - I know, I know, but still have a conscience

I would have though costing it up taking BIK tax into account would deliver a clear answer. Sometimes that answer is petrol, a case in point being BMW 318i vs. 318d. 318i is cheaper.

DealDrivers_company_representative

This decision very much depends on your annual mileage and the type of driving you mainly do. In broad terms the level at which a diesel becomes more economical than a petrol engine (dependiing on engine etc) is around 15k miles pa upwards.

If your driving is often motorway driving, for your job for instance, then go with a diesel as youre likely to be covering at least 15-20k miles pa.

If you are mainly a leisure driver, local mileage, then save your money and go with a good petrol engine.

There are some useful lists of cars with high mpg's on our webpage linked here:
http://www.dealdrivers.co.uk/html/green_hi_mpg.html

BillScarab

As AdrianHi says if it's a company car you need to work out what all the costs are and see what works out cheapest for the mileage you do. When it's time to change mine I laways end up with a spreadhseet of all the potential models and costs and then decide.

thescouselander

Personally I cant stand diesels - ok the MPG is good but that is the only advantage. I dont like the noise, vibration, smoke, mediocre power output, jerky power delivery (due to harsh turbos) etc.

Also, their reputation for reliability no longer applies now that they have things such as high pressure fuel systems and turbos to go wrong.

Its petrol all the way for me!

plane_boy2000

The case is not as black and white as before - many equivilent petrol models are a couple of grand cheaper - thats a lot of unleaded. Also the eco argument is a bit iffy - diesels produce PM10's which are atributed to asthma and other illnesses. Reliability is also questionable - lots of the new generation common rail engines are very sensitive - miss fuel once and you can been talking thousands to fix

You need to look at which models you like in both petrol and diesel and then weigh up which one will be the best over your use cycle i.e. mile / number of years etc.

Hintza

thescouselander wrote: »

Personally I cant stand diesels - ok the MPG is good but that is the only advantage. I dont like the noise, vibration, smoke, mediacre power output, jerky power delivery (due to harsh turbos) etc.

Also, their reputation for reliability no longer applies now that they have things such as high pressure fuel systems and turbos to go wrong.

Its petrol all the way for me!

I disagree with you up to a point.......the 3L diesel Merc engine in the Grand Cherokee is great, gear box isn't as hot as the one in the Chrysler 300C with same engine.

For smaller cars I would probably agree though.