Diesel vs Petrol - useful article

IamNotAllowedToUseMyName

http://www.parkers.co.uk/cars/advice/finding/2015/march/petrol-vs-diesel---the-great-debate/?utm_campaign=editorial&utm_medium=email&utm_source=parkers-newsletter&utm_content=petrolvsdiesel

Reckons the point where diesel is the best financial option is somewhere around 25k miles a year based on a premium of around £1000 or more for the initial purchase price.

Marktheshark

In the real world.
Two cars for sale to a second hand buyer with £2000 to spend.
One will cost £60 a week in petrol to get to work every week, the other will cost the buyer £30 in Diesel.
This is a more realistic choice factor.

photome

Marktheshark wrote: »

In the real world.
Two cars for sale to a second hand buyer with £2000 to spend.
One will cost £60 a week in petrol to get to work every week, the other will cost the buyer £30 in Diesel.
This is a more realistic choice factor.

They would be very different cars to have that much of a differential

Johnmcl7

I'd say it's a poorly written article as there isn't a single reference to DPF's, EGR's or DMF's which make the fuel choice argument more complex. I've always had diesels for their reliability and fuel economy but my last diesel put me off them completely, I was very careful not to use it for short trips but it broke down entirely after a DPF sensor, had trouble with the EGR and despite the DPF never showing any issues the engine performance was inconsistent at times. The fuel economy wasn't that great at times either, it would be worth it for high mileage but not for mine.

I now have a much simpler petrol with no DMF, no DPF, no turbo and no EGR valves, on paper it's not that fuel efficient but in practice I'm finding it's not that much worse than the diesel. The VED is a little hard to swallow but it looks like in time diesels may be losing their tax relief.

John

Marktheshark

Well to give an example, average family, 3 kids, dog, caravan someone looks at two family cars that can also pull a caravan and needs a bit of torque.
The Mondeo v6 2.3 vs Mondeo TDCI
One will average 22MPG the other 48 MPG.

Thats the real world, real people, real families, real situations.

These articles are bigger pictures, but people on budgets care more about how much has to go in the tank every week, out of a weekly wage than a test track brand new car comparison.
The temptation of saving £30+ on fuel every week by selecting a second hand diesel car is also a valid argument.

C_Mababejive

I have a 1.8 petrol civic. I am a bit of a pootler and a relaxed driver. I appreciate the computers are not 100% accurate but it regularly shows 45 to 48 mpg.

Aylesbury_Duck

I am really light-footed. I have a 53 plate 1.8 petrol Toyota Avensis that consistently does 55-60mpg in mainly urban driving. At a steady and consistent 70mph on a decent, clear motorway journey it can nudge towards 65mpg.

My other car is a newer 2.0 diesel Avensis and I struggle to get more than 51mpg out of it.

motorguy

IanMSpencer wrote: »

http://www.parkers.co.uk/cars/advice/finding/2015/march/petrol-vs-diesel---the-great-debate/?utm_campaign=editorial&utm_medium=email&utm_source=parkers-newsletter&utm_content=petrolvsdiesel

Reckons the point where diesel is the best financial option is somewhere around 25k miles a year based on a premium of around £1000 or more for the initial purchase price.

I dont understand why these articles never factor in resale value, or ease of resale.

A typical hatch is going to be worth that extra £1000 easily come resale time, AND be much easier to sell.

And the article only looks at new cars. I bought a 9 month old golf 1.6TDI 105BHP S diesel with 13K miles for £12,400 back in Aug 2012. At the time i'd doubt you could bought a petrol one cheaper, if you could have found one. AND the Golf is now worth an easy £1,000 more that what would be its hard to sell petrol counterpart.

motorguy

C_Mababejive wrote: »

I have a 1.8 petrol civic. I am a bit of a pootler and a relaxed driver. I appreciate the computers are not 100% accurate but it regularly shows 45 to 48 mpg.

Unfortunately you cant take an instantaneous reading or one taken over one specific journey and extrapolate that out as an average MPG figure.

My son had a 1.8i civic and my sister has one currently. The got 38mpg and 40mpg on average respectively (son being heavier right footed).

The diesel variant probably would hit 50+ mpg.

motorguy

Having said all that in favour of diesels, older ones scare the bejesus out of me. Too many big bill risks on many of them.

At say the £2,000 price point, unless i was doing star ship miles i'd prefer a younger lower miles petrol variant than a high miles tired diesel variant.

forgotmyname

I can relate to post number 2. When buying a car im looking at £2000 - £2500. It has to be a Mondeo of course

If i buy a petrol one i will be getting around 23 - 25mpg on my usual short daily trips. A diesel in the same situation gives me 37mpg.

A 2 week holiday touring Cornwall will use at least one full tank of fuel extra, Most likely a tank and a half extra.

Resale value difference will be neglible when i come to resell.

maybe £200 difference. But that will depend on any parts that had been changed recently and if that is enough to make a buyer part with more cash.

Although the guides will say a diesel would never be my right choice. It works for me.

With my old petrol car i would barely get 300 miles to a tank, In my diesel i have just passed 400 miles and still some left. All short journey city work.

On a run i can get much more to the tankful.