Petrol vs Diesel

moneymuffin

I am currently looking to get a Nissan Note, probably a 2010 model.

My question is should I go for petrol or diesel? Hubby prefers diesel as in his experience they tend to have better acceleration but there are a lot more petrol models around.

We probably do less than 10,000 miles per annum so not particularly high mileage. Looking at MPG figures the diesel obviously comes out looking a lot better but I am worried the extra running/service costs will negate this.

Our previous car was a diesel which I was happy with but have read a couple of things about new diesels being more expensive to maintain and having parts that need to be replaced. I think the part involved is a DPF? Not sure though.

Just wondering what peoples thoughts are.

smashingyour...

Have you done the sums?

MPG against cost fuel. Service intervals and cost. Resale values if you're not running it it into the ground.

However if the drive is better and cost don't matter go for the diesel.

daveyjp

If it has a DPF avoid it.

Ultrasonic

What sort of driving do you do? It's short trips that cause DPF problems.

The other biggest financial consideration is the higher purchase price of a diesel, although to some extent this can be offset by the higher resale value when you sell it.

The general consensus though is probably that for your mileage a diesel doesn't make financial sense. But if you want one because you (or your husband) prefer how it drives that's an entirely different thing.

jb66

Buy whatever is cheapest

artichi

To say that diesels tend to have better acceleration is a bit like saying cars go faster if they are blue! There are too many variables such as horsepower, torque curves, etc. It varies hugely by manufacturer, model and engine. The only way to tell which you prefer is a back to back test drive, petrol after diesel.

Based on your mileage a petrol should work out cheaper. It's not an exact science but DPFs and other diesel specific parts tend to need replacing from 5 years onwards, so with a 2010 model you'd be 2 years away from that.

Despite how far diesel engines have progressed, petrols are still smoother and quieter.

Ultrasonic

artichi wrote: »

Based on your mileage a petrol should work out cheaper. It's not an exact science but DPFs and other diesel specific parts tend to need replacing from 5 years onwards, so with a 2010 model you'd be 2 years away from that.

I don't believe it is reasonable to consider DPF costs in these terms, as it is driving pattern and not vehicle age that is by far the dominent factor.

artichi

Ultrasonic wrote: »

I don't believe it is reasonable to consider DPF costs in these terms, as it is driving pattern and not vehicle age that is by far the dominent factor.

You are of course right, but I think a DPF that's run for 5 years and 20k miles will be just as likely to need looking at as one that's run for 5 years and done 120k miles (hence the not an exact science bit). And particularly without knowing the usage for the first three years of a 2010 Note, I personally wouldn't touch a diesel one. Replacement cost of £1-3k.

vaio

artichi wrote: »

To say that diesels tend to have better acceleration is a bit like saying cars go faster if they are blue! There are too many variables such as horsepower, torque curves, etc. It varies hugely by manufacturer, model and engine. The only way to tell which you prefer is a back to back test drive, petrol after diesel........

Yep & the fact that we are even discussing which might be faster is a tribute to just how far diesels have progressed in a relatively short time.

It's just a shame that the increased power & ecconomy seems to have have come with much increased complexity and fragility.

motorguy

vaio wrote: »

It's just a shame that the increased power & ecconomy seems to have have come with much increased complexity and fragility.

The economy and power were already there. I had a fantastic 1999 Passat 1.9 TDI that could average in the high 50s, with great power too. In fact even the humble 2002 Fiat Marea i drive at the moment has a decent 110BHP (which translates to a good power to weight ratio as its relatively light) but averages 54MPG.

What really cocked it up was emissions and refinement - ie, DPFs and DMFs.

vaio

motorguy wrote: »

The economy and power were already there. I had a fantastic 1999 Passat 1.9 TDI that could average in the high 50s, with great power too.......

A guy I work with has the Audi A4 version and it's slug

*and that's slug compared to a snail let alone the petrol version*

0-60mph times 14s for the TDI, 10s for the petrol version