It's official! Petrols are now cheaper to run than diesels!!!!!

rob7475

foofi22 wrote: »

I think your missing the point, this isn't a comparison of mpg figures torque or whatever.

It's a comparison of running costs which includes:
a) Fuel
b) Depreciation
c) Servicing
d) Initial cost

Now we know that diesels are generally better mpg wise, but we also know that servicing costs are generally higher and initial costs are also higher. So you may be 'saving' money doing 55-60mpg but it costs you more in the first place!

OK - do a comparison on a website like parkers for total running costs of a megane 1.5 diesel and a megane 1.6 petrol. If you cover 20,000 miles a year like me and keep the car for five years, you will save about £5,000 by buying the diesel. This includes the higher initial price of the diesel, tax, servicing, repairs, fuel etc.

The people who complain about diesels being expensive to run are the people who only use them for popping down to the supermarket for their weekly shop. Consistant short runs are no good for a diesel and they are not designed for this use. If you drive more than 15 - 20k a year with a good mix of long journeys, a diesel will always be cheaper to run and maintain than a petrol.

GolfBravo

There are just way too many variables to conclude that petrols are cheaper to run than diesels.

There are different driving styles/distances/average speeds. There are different vehicles with different engines. There are some great diesel engines and some crap diesel engines. Same with petrol.

You really need to do your homework before buying a car - it needs to suit your particular situation.

I drive a diesel powered car. I do about 15K miles a year, and I hate the noise and low MPG in winter. Sometimes I wish I could rev the engine all the way to the redline and have some fun. But on the other hand I love the low end torque and the fact that in July I can take my wife and kids on holidays from Henley-on-Thames all the way to Berlin on one tank of motion lotion. You just can't put a monetary value on that.

TrickyWicky

Considering the ops opening thread was purely based on a trip from A => B via google maps which calculates MPG for both petrol and derv, I'm surprised that people here have determined that the thread is also about ownership costs - I don't think the op said a word about those.

Anyway moving on, I've always driven petrols but I did think about a derv a few years back for the fuel economy however I could see the derv price shooting up higher and faster as more people switched to it to try and save money. I also hate the sound of a diesel - most of them sound like tractors and it just doesn't appeal to me. I much prefer the sound of a smooth petrol engine however a few years back I spoke to someone with a derv powered focus and it was as quiet as a mouse and sounded like a petrol engine - I had to ask him twice if he was sure it was derv so the tech is getting better slowly.

To be honest though, I'd prefer to switch to LPG if installation wasn't such a pain. LPG not only needs another tank in the boot (which screws you over if you fold down both rear seats on a regular basis or prefer the spare wheel) and the costs are over £1k to get it done. You'd need to be doing a hell of a lot of miles for that to make sense. The only other things you could do is buy a 2nd hand LPG kit from a identical carbeing scrapped and have it fitted OR fit an LPG kit yourself. The DIY thing IS legal (despite what you may have heard, I checked wtih the LPG association a year or so back) however many insurers won't accept a DIY install and will insist that its either fitted OR inspected and signed off by a LPG installer.

BlueFox

Regarding the noise diesels make compared to petrol equivalents - I have had 6 different cars over the past 7 years or so, 3 diesels & 3 petrols and all of the diesels were noticeable noisier than petrol. I had a Peugeot, VW & BMW diesel too so not exactly cheap & nasty ones

Yes the diesels were much better for MPG but I don't really see how anyone can dispute that and as has been pointed out if you do 20k+ miles a year then a diesel make much more economic sense.

As with a lot of things, you can't please all of the people all of the time Each to their own.

vax2002

pinkteapot wrote: »

But with some cars there's not much choice. E.g. Mondeo - the petrol engines get cr*p reviews and we couldn't find one with a petrol engine to test drive within a reasonable distance anyway! So, we got a diesel.

Having driven a mondeo Ghia x auto petrol the other day with its soft leather seats, floating suspension, and its absolute silent running I would say, sometimes, things in life are worth paying extra for.
I own a Mondeo titanium diesel and it is like an clunky old farm tractor compared to a drive in the Ghia x petrol auto.

LSfan

Sgt_Pepper wrote: »

Do tractors drive like the 330d?

You can't tell us cause you've driven neither.

This is interesting

i drive a lexus ls400 and was interested is the 330D

I found an Audi A3 drive like a tractor

so sgt pepper tell me what does the 330D drive like noise wise - do you have sport or standard?

Notmyrealname

worried_jim wrote: »

There was an article in the Times a few weeks ago that said if you buy a new diesel car it would take 9 years driving 12,000 miles a year just to break even over buying the same models petrol equivalent. The example they used was a VW Polo. Very interesting reading.

On my Mondeo I recouped the entire purchase price of the vehicle, not just the difference in price, in 4.5 years doing 17k a year.

Many of these articles are based in fantasy land.

Notmyrealname

Strider590 wrote: »

Only if you get shot of it before the DPF and DMF give up.

My last Mondeo didn't have a DPF and the DMF was on 165k when I sold it.

Notmyrealname

foofi22 wrote: »

I think your missing the point, this isn't a comparison of mpg figures torque or whatever.

It's a comparison of running costs which includes:
a) Fuel
b) Depreciation
c) Servicing
d) Initial cost

Now we know that diesels are generally better mpg wise, but we also know that servicing costs are generally higher and initial costs are also higher. So you may be 'saving' money doing 55-60mpg but it costs you more in the first place!

Except you forget to factor in the higher resale value of a diesel so the difference in purchase price is recouped mostly. My Mondeo diesel costs no more to service than the petrol. In fact it is probably less as there are no spark plugs to buy every 40k nor coil packs/leads to replace.

JethroUK

worried_jim wrote: »

There was an article in the Times a few weeks ago that said if you buy a new diesel car it would take 9 years driving 12,000 miles a year just to break even over buying the same models petrol equivalent. The example they used was a VW Polo. Very interesting reading.

Staggering - but I do believe it - Get me a petrol