Diesel vs Petrol

Garetha

DKLS wrote: »

I would rather gnaw my own legs off then drive a diesel.
Horrid things the only diesel that I thought was actually worth having cost 32K and over 40K by the time i had gone through the options, saving a few quid isnt enough motivation to get an oil burner.

Nicely argued
I've driven diesels for the last 10 years or more.
Brilliant to drive, and was well worth while when diesel wasn't so much more than petrol.
The engines outlast petrol engines and exhausts rarely rust through.
In some countries diesel fuel is still cheaper than petrol.

Frugal_Moose

Wife and I both have diesel cars, we used to do a fair few miles (certainly over average miles) wife changed jobs and now walks to work. We have kept both vehicles but with a 15p per litre price difference and substantially less mileage it's not worth paying the extra purchase price or running costs in my opinion.
My running costs include oil and filter change every 6 months in both cars on the advice of honest john.

vix11_2

Just as I thought, doing less than 6k miles a years won't save me much if anything so why bother with the hassle.

I just picked up another thing on this thread which I had probably overlooked before, that diesel engines potentially last longer than petrols if given proper TLC.

:mad:"some swear word"!!!!:mad: (to myself that is)

I said no to this job offer four months ago because I couldn't relocate and I assumed all engines, diesel or petrol, are less efficient and reliable and come near to their end when reaching around the 80K+ range so on my workings doing an average of just under 30k miles meant that I would need to start considering changing the car every 2-3 years and if I had taken the job I would have stayed with them for a long time as the offer and prospects were that good.

Knowing how long diesels can potentially last and that I could have looked to change around 4-5 years, I feel like even more of a wally for not having looked into this before. oh well thats life!

:TBut :beer: to you guys who have given so much valid info. I think I've learned more here than anywhere else I have looked on the net!:T

bclark

DKLS wrote: »

I would rather gnaw my own legs off then drive a diesel.
Horrid things the only diesel that I thought was actually worth having cost 32K and over 40K by the time i had gone through the options, saving a few quid isnt enough motivation to get an oil burner.

I have just moved into a Diesel after driving nothing but Petrol my whole driving life. I am loving the Diesel. The torque and power delivery is so much better than petrol and the actual usable power makes it much more fun to drive. Rather than all of the power being there at the top end it is in places it can be used.

big_gay_kirk

glad my van is a diesel.. remember having a 2l petrol transit years ago... hellishly expensive to run.... my current 2.5 diesel is as cheap to fuel as my 2l cortina.. can get about 40 mpg if i take my time....whereas with the petrol van i could just about squeeze 25 mpg on a trip if i was very careful....

David_Aston

The government certainly seems to be gradually pricing diesel out of the market, so to speak. Shame, for diesel enthusiasts, I suppose.

peter_the_piper

Its now 16p litre dearer near us. (89.9p----105.9p)

balf

Bought an Audi A4 TDI diesel 11 years ago when I was still working and flush. Now retired and much less well off I am still running the old girl which is still in quite good nick. Costs a fortune to fill up though so necessity made me look at my driving techniques. Now I am getting 62 mpg by following the economic driving rules. So, if you really want to save on car costs the answer is buy the right car in the first place, like a diesel one with known good fuel economy. Aim to keep it for a long time, so choose one from a company that makes long lasting models, and a used one that has been well looked after is probably the best bet. Then learn how to drive it economically.

I can't afford to change my car or spend a fortune on fuel so I really had no option, but these are hard times for everyone and if we can cut down on the second? biggest expence it's a no brainer really.

David.

bobbarley

I think the thing is really boils down to is how many miles you do per year. Whether I owned a diesel or petrol engine I would still only do an oil change once a year, so it's a minor cost difference. I carry our all servicing on my car myself, so service my cars when I feel they need doing, and save money at the same time.

I drive a VW Golf mk4 1.8T. Had the car re-mapped so it's producing 200bhp instead of 150, and I even get better fuel economy as a result!

When I was looking for a car in February I was thinking about the big petrol/diesel debate in my head, and what it boiled down to, is which would save me more, given I don't do any more than 6,000 miles a year. I looked into it, and the figures come out as follows.

Petrol = 89.9p a litre (Manchester prices)
Diesel = 106.9 a litre(Manchester prices)

Golf mk4 1.8T MPG = 40 (Motorway)
Golf mk4 TDI MPG = 60 (Motorway)

Petrol cost per year = £613.04
Diesel cost per year = £485.98

So, each year a diesel would save me only £127.06. Given the fact the diesel would have cost me £1,000 more to buy, I wouldn't actually see any savings for SEVEN years!!

So as shown above, run your figures before you decide what to buy. For me petrol was better, but for others it could easily be the other way around. Personally I much prefer driving a petrol car, as they drive better on the road, and the 1.8T has more than enough torque (250 Nm) for everyday use.

DKLS

Nicely argued Am not trying to convince anyone :rolleyes:
I've driven diesels for the last 10 years or more. Poor you
Brilliant to drive, and was well worth while when diesel wasn't so much more than petrol. Could you point out which models have been "Brilliant to drive" as I have only encountered one oil burner that I considered worth owning, I have had a number of hire diesels, and without a shred of doubt they have been dire, yeah they might have good torquey take off, but wheres the mid range grunt?
The engines outlast petrol engines and exhausts rarely rust through. Like I care
In some countries diesel fuel is still cheaper than petrol. again like I care