Petrol or diesel

portchieboy

What is the argument between Petrol re dIesel. Logic tells me that at only 4p price difference, but around 20% better mpg, seems obvious?

Changing wifes car, and want a small (fiesta/Corsa/Yaris) type, ready to be the runaround for retirement. Other car is a 2.2 Mondeo for caravan.

So, given currently 100/150 miles a week, journeys around 10 miles at a time, and the fact that we will be buying 1 - 2 years old, any comments would be gratefully received!!!!

Also, personal experience of the size car.....any preferred makes?

Thanks

motorguy

portchieboy wrote: »

What is the argument between Petrol re dIesel. Logic tells me that at only 4p price difference, but around 20% better mpg, seems obvious?

Changing wifes car, and want a small (fiesta/Corsa/Yaris) type, ready to be the runaround for retirement. Other car is a 2.2 Mondeo for caravan.

So, given currently 100/150 miles a week, journeys around 10 miles at a time, and the fact that we will be buying 1 - 2 years old, any comments would be gratefully received!!!!

Also, personal experience of the size car.....any preferred makes?

Thanks

Petrol with those sorts of miles.

You'll get a much younger petrol car for your money, and it will cost you less in maintenance in the medium to long term.

forgotmyname

Diesels can take a bit longer to warm up. But 10 miles should be OK.

If its 10 miles of slow traffic and/or gentle driving you may have issues with the DPF if fitted. They usually need a good run at higher speed/revs.

Even though your doing a low mileage you want to change the oil at least once a year. The manufacturers limits are just that a maximum limit not a target.

If you want the engine to last longer change the oil more often.

Ive had mine changed will less than 4000 miles some years. Usually its between that and 6000.

jimmo

You don’t say how far off retirement is but when we retired we went down to 1 car.

SWMBO is perfectly content being chauffeured about in her car, currently a Meriva, previously Astras.

All her cars have been bigger than the ones you are contemplating but I still miss my Mondeo.

daveyjp

I've just driven our i20 1.2 petrol for 130 miles over a variety of roads and achieved 58.6mpg. Even pootling round town it does over 40. With these mpgs from a small petrol car small diesels for low mileage don't really stack up.

We also considered a Yaris, but they were expensive when compared to an i20 of similar age and mileage.

Ultrasonic

daveyjp wrote: »

I've just driven our i20 1.2 petrol for 130 miles over a variety of roads and achieved 58.6mpg. Even pootling round town it does over 40. With these mpgs from a small petrol car small diesels for low mileage don't really stack up.

We also considered a Yaris, but they were expensive when compared to an i20 of similar age and mileage.

Those numbers are presumably from your car's trip computer? Have you checked how accurate this is against brim to brim measurements? 58 mpg is a little hard to believe... (My own car significantly overestimates fuel economy, by up to about 15% depending on driving style.)

Ultrasonic

portchieboy wrote: »

What is the argument between Petrol re dIesel. Logic tells me that at only 4p price difference, but around 20% better mpg, seems obvious?

Other major factors to condsider are the higher purchase price of diesels (offset to some extent by resale value) and the increased liklihood of expensive failures (particularly DPF and DMF).

For your usage, a petrol is proably the better bet.

Strider590

I can only echo what's already been said.....

All in all, petrol is the cheapest option. Modern diesels can and do go spectacularly wrong. I'd even go so far to say that very soon only complete idiots will buy them.

anotherbaldrick

Hi Portchieboy.
I have just gone the other way, after a period driving sardine tin "economical" cars , in which I became seriously concerned over my prospects of futurity I have upsized a bit to a crossover SUV. I opted for a diesel and with 54 mpg have achieved the upgrade with no loss of economy and now feel safe in this world.
(PS I assume Royal Caroline is off the stocks now)

cyclonebri1

Ist thing 1st

Forget about the diesel surcharge if buying an older car, it went with the 1st 3 years use.

Yes they cost a little more, but by that time the differential in running cost has gone.

But, they still cost more, guess why?

Ok, they are much cheaper to run, mpg is better, maintenance is similar, longevity is much better.

People want to buy them,

That's the fact of the matter, decide if you want the torque of a diesel or the rev ability of a petrol.;)