Are diesels worth the extra money? Now what car

stutakesphotos

I used to think that diesels were worth a bit more due to them being more economical to run and extra longevity. However a car salesman was saying that there's not much between them now, especially if factoring the cheaper price of petrol.

So do more recent petrol cars have as long a life as diesels?

Oh and he was trying to sell me a diesel at the time

gardner1

stutakesphotos wrote: »

I used to think that diesels were worth a bit more due to them being more economical to run and extra longevity. However a car salesman was saying that there's not much between them now, especially if factoring the cheaper price of petrol.

So do more recent petrol cars have as long a life as diesels?

Oh and he was trying to sell me a diesel at the time

depends on mileage

short runs runs to work and dropping kids at school go for petrol
long runs etc motorway driving go for diesel

gilbert_and_sullivan

The considerable extra complications of Diesels have shifted the goalposts somewhat.

At one time if you wanted total reliability and simplicity then Diesel was the default choice, not the case any more.

I was one of the first into Diesels when they were slow noisy NA things, i no longer run a Diesel and unless one comes up so cheaply that its a disposable car i have no plans to get another.

geek1981

Depends on what car you are getting. I bought a brand new Qashqai recently and i went for Diesel cos real MPGs on petrol model was maximum 35mpg but i get around 53mpg on my 1.6 diesel. So even factoring 4p more per litre on diesel i think it works out cheaper for me as i do 12-13k per year. Also Qashqai petrol was 5 speed and under powered when comparing to diesel and so residual values were much lesser than diesel as i bought the car on PCP.

addyboy1982

Depends how many miles you do, 15k per annum used to be break even point though this might have changed now.

I do 24k a year 70% of which is motorway so it's a no-brainer for me. My car rarely gets out of 6th gear

londonTiger

some people say that turbos in diesels are prone to failure and will cost you to put right. So the 20%-30% more economy you get in fuel is offset by the repair costs.

Rolandtheroadie

Depends on the diesel and the fuel used.

bigjl

geek1981 wrote: »

Depends on what car you are getting. I bought a brand new Qashqai recently and i went for Diesel cos real MPGs on petrol model was maximum 35mpg but i get around 53mpg on my 1.6 diesel. So even factoring 4p more per litre on diesel i think it works out cheaper for me as i do 12-13k per year. Also Qashqai petrol was 5 speed and under powered when comparing to diesel and so residual values were much lesser than diesel as i bought the car on PCP.

What is the new 1.6 diesel lump like?

It is going to be in the new Clio and the 1.5 dci is getting on a bit now, wife's still gives 60mpg, but an opinion on how flexible it is to drive and is it harsh or nice and smooth.

Sorry for the thread hijack, just that the 1.6 is a new lump and I want an owners perspective not a salesmans!

As far as the OP goes.

I actually prefer the flexibility and mid range pull of a turbo diesel.

The 1.8 petrol V50 is a bit of a damp lettuce and the 2.4 petrol is not much faster than the 2.0d but does 30mpg if you are lucky.

If I cruise at a steady 60mph my OBD App states 65mpg easily enough, dropping to 53mpg with normal running around not looking for economy. Though I would think you would need take 4/5mpg off that as they do tend to overread a little.

If you go for a diesel you can find ex lease high milers that have spent 80/100k on the motorway with a huge computerised service print out.

Most petrols are driven less miles and privately owned.

This pushes the prices up of used ones.

A three years old a high mileage V50 will be anywhere from £4500-6000 at the auction, you would have to drop down to a 5 yr old average miler in a petrol I would think.

Diesels do have expensive to fix issues, but they are not as common if you buy well and do all you can to avoid a Dpf.

My mk3 Mondeo had brakes, handbrake cables, tyres and an alternator after I had sold it to a mate, ahem, but that was from 80k odd to round about 250k.

My V50 has gone past 150k, bought with 101k, it has cost me tyres and the heater fan has needed fixing and there is a leak in the aircon condenser that was fixed under a Volvo 5 yr extended warranty.

I think they are worth the risk but you have to make your own decision on if you want to take the plunge.

Modern petrol engines are very long lived with proper maintenance.

As are diesels.

Make sure you use decent oil and filters, don't hammer it cold or switch it off without a short cool down period, definitely after high speed or heavy load, but a good habit to get into.

And never start or stop a Diesel engine that has a dmf without the clutch fully depressed as that is a sure fire way to ruin it quickly.

The price difference is only relevant I think if you are buying new.

If you have a £5k budget you have a £5k budget.

I would avoid low mileage diesels though, probably all choked up, get a three year old ex leaser.

My V50 was over £22k new and shiny.

Just over 3 years and 101k later and I paid £4700.

That is MSE if you ask me.

Better value than a lowish mileage petrol V50 anyday!

Well maintained diesels are also always in demand so will hold value better than most petrol equivalents.

There is no real right or wrong.

But I spend £40/50 a week in diesel, that would be more like £65/75 in a petrol equivalent.

stutakesphotos

Thanks all. A few questions from your comments

addyboy1982 wrote: »

Depends how many miles you do, 15k per annum used to be break even point though this might have changed now.

Any idea what it might be now?

londonTiger wrote: »

some people say that turbos in diesels are prone to failure and will cost you to put right. So the 20%-30% more economy you get in fuel is offset by the repair costs.

That's my concern here.

bigjl wrote: »

It is going to be in the new Clio and the 1.5 dci is getting on a bit now, wife's still gives 60mpg, but an opinion on how flexible it is to drive and is it harsh or nice and smooth.

Well I did look at Clio Dynamique diesel, 36k miles for 4,895

bigjl wrote: »

A three years old a high mileage V50 will be anywhere from £4500-6000 at the auction, you would have to drop down to a 5 yr old average miler in a petrol I would think.

But is that a false economy if there's little to choose between the two?

bigjl wrote: »

If you have a £5k budget you have a £5k budget.

But am I paying more for a diesel when a petrol would be just as good for a bit less? (presuming both are in a good condition)

bigjl wrote: »

Well maintained diesels are also always in demand so will hold value better than most petrol equivalents.

What about 5 years time?

Ultimately, if a car is maintained to a good standard, should they now last over 100,000 miles?

Thanks all

getmore4less

Just about anything should do 100k these days except maybe some the tiny engined city cars or under powered cars.

The clio 1.5 is good for 60+

The VAG 1.9 in manual form is good for 55+ across the range

As for the breakeven mileage you need to do your own calcs on a car using real world MPG, from honestjohn or other places.

if a keep till it dies then the buying price of petrol if lower buys more fuel if not keeping then you need to look at the depreciation.

The main Diesel poor points are the DMF and DPF and at your price there are models around that are pre DPF so the must do long runs all the time less of an issue.

what sort of car are you looking for size wise that may narrow the options.

eg the Octavia in 1.8 is a rocket and can do 40+ in the 2.0 diesel form quick and 50+, 1.9 a bit slower but adiquate and 55+.

geek1981

bigjl wrote: »

What is the new 1.6 diesel lump like?

It is going to be in the new Clio and the 1.5 dci is getting on a bit now, wife's still gives 60mpg, but an opinion on how flexible it is to drive and is it harsh or nice and smooth.

Sorry for the thread hijack, just that the 1.6 is a new lump and I want an owners perspective not a salesmans!

I've done almost 800 miles now and very happy with it. The engine has good pull from third upwards and can still pull in sixth even when slower than that gear should be.First gear is a bit tight for me but that's normal for a brand new. In terms of mileage I'm averaging at 54mpg (combined) at the moment, but can see it's going up slowly. So hopefully when i do around 3k it gets up to promised 62mpg. Also auto Start/Stop working really well and there's no delay during signal changes. Unlike 1.5, VED is only £30 for 1.6dci. AFAIK, 1.6dci is complete redesign, and it seems to be designed for higher performance so it will presumably develop higher exhaust temps and burn off more particulates. So haven't heard any DPF problems on 1.6.

Over all I'm very pleased with the performance and mpg.