Mitsubishi ASX Diesel or Petrol?

cliffxdavis

I am looking at buying a new Mitsubishi ASX. I would like the level 4 model with leather seats etc but I can not decide on petrol or diesel. All my instincts say diesel especially as it has twice the torque and gives more mpg but my question is which is really the cheaper to run? Is the 1.6 petrol enough? I only need 2wd.
Realistically except on annual holidays the car will mostly contains 1 person or sometimes 2 and we don't tow anything so perhaps I am being greedy. I like the thrust my 2.0HDI Peugeot has now.
Could someone out there with a 1.6 petrol reassure me it is adequate and not a bit sluggish.
I built a spreadsheet and allowing for the £2250 difference in price, 40 mpg versus 49 mpg and diesel being 10p a litre more expensive the petrol is cheaper to run until 125000 miles. This is making no allowance for servicing being more frequent and expensive on the diesel and the extra weight causing more wear to tyres, brakes etc.
I think I am convincing myself but just want to be reassured by someone who bought one and is happy with it. \i am going to test drive one buttest drives don't recreate real world experiences.
Also I want to avoid dpf problems in the long term.

gord115

How many miles per year do you do?
And how many miles per journey? this can make a difference to DPF

cliffxdavis

10000 per year. Lots of short (3-5 miles) and some long ones (120+).

gord115

I'd go for the petrol.
A diesel will only just have reached optimum operating temperature in the winter by the time you finish your journey.
Because your journeys are so short you will get worse economy than the manufactures suggest.
If you average 40mpg in a diesel it will cost you around £1607 per year.
In a Petrol at say 30mpg it will cost you £1983 per year.(£1983 - £1607 = £376 saving in fuel)
Taking into account the fact a diesel will be worth more when you sell it I reckon it will still be over 3 years before you break even.
That is not taking into account the DPF that will hate such short journeys.

johnfarquhar74

I test drove an ASX3 in October 2010, not sure if the engines have changed much since then but the 1.6 petrol felt a little gutless compared to the 1.8 derv, obviously the diesel has more torque so pick up speed was better but even when cruising the diesel battled against the brick like aerodynamics better than the petrol.
In the end we went for a completely different vehicle as our driving profile pushed towards the petrol option but they don't do a petrol 4x4(which was one of our requirements).

motorguy

My SIL recently went from a diesel Qashqai to a 1.6 petrol one - HATES it. describes it as gutless.

I would suggest you will find similar with the 1.6 in the ASX. I'd go for the diesel on that basis alone.

gord115

Why not test drive them both from cold and see how quick they warm up in 3-5 miles.
Thinking about it,you would probably find the diesel better to drive due to the weight.
I'd test them both back to back.

Hintza

On straight forward money saving then it has to be the petrol. Just less to go wrong with your high percentage of short journeys.

Have a look for owner reviews (and industry) in places such as What Car and see what others think.

Looking at the 0-60 figures there is very little between the two.

But I think I would be having te same dilemma as yourself. If you were attaching a towbar that might be the thing that wold swing it in favour of a diesel.

glowgirl_2

Similar question from me which might be of use:) https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3771335