Diesel or Petrol Car Next?

Adamc

Robisere wrote: »

Golf or Polo? Definitely petrol! Why not an equivalent Skoda or Seat?

Skoda Fabia:
https://www.whatcar.com/skoda/fabia/hatchback/review/


Seat Ibiza:
http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/seat/ibiza/99951/seat-ibiza-best-small-cars


Both VAG group, therefore VW-origin engines. But less expensive. (won't say cheaper, they are fine cars.)

Perhaps would consider the Leon and Octavia too.

Adamc

Colin_Maybe wrote: »

You'd take a long time making up 5K if going for a hybrid.

I'd definitely say petrol and (personally speaking) if faced with a 30 mile round trip commute I'd be looking for a modern automatic (6 speed, twin clutch version) as the MPG won't take a hit (some actually improve it marginally) and especially if some of it is in town will help to relieve some of the tension.

What are the benefits of a 6 speed twin clutch auto?

JP1978

I shall be honest that I am a fan of diesels, always have been, just like the way that the power is delivered etc.

However, I have drove a SEAT Leon Estate 1.4TFSI DSG a few times as a hire car and love it (well, more so the engine really).

It has the Active Cylinder Tech so two cylinders swtich off when not been pushed hard, even at 70+ when tootling along its running on just 2 cylinders.

The first one I had was brand new, delivery miles only, even though a hire car I drove it quite steady and the fuel computer recorded 60mpg.

Had another last week, had 2000 miles on it and drove it normally to quite hard - by the time I handed it back, fuel computer said 51mpg. Appreciate that the computer will be 3 to 5 mpg out but was impressed with the economy and the performance. It is a pokey engine when you want it to be, even in DSG form.

Would I buy one, defiantly yes, I aint driven that many petrol engined cars but that one certainly stands out.

JP1978

ChrisK..... wrote: »

I don't know how tractor engines ever made it onto the road. When diesels first came out there were smoky, gutless, stinking, oil burners, polluting the environment. After about a year in the Slow Lane they decided to put turbochargers on them. I asked myself at that very point, if they can afford turbocharged diesel engine why did they not turbo charge a tiny (1.2) petrol engines which would still run rings around any diesel, performance and power wise but would use less fuel. Here we are 30 years later and the same thought has dawned on the government and the car manufacturers.

you probably guessed by now but I favour the petrol and better still a petrol hybrid electric

Back then though petrol economy was really dire and it was a no brainer to go for diesel for economy. Banging a turbo on a petrol engine was just going to make the economy worse as the core technology in the engine wasnt good enough. I think we are getting there now though.

The technology in petrol engines has come on in the last few years and the economy of them is improving greatly year on year. Although diesel economy is also improving, they need DPF's and AdBlue to keep emissions under control, where petrol just needs the catalytic convertor.

I have owned diesel cars since 1993 - my first a non turbo Renault Clio 1.9D and I am leasing a Audi A6 TDI currently. I think my next car will be a petrol, my wifes next car, certainly a petrol, possibly an EV.

I think that the last remaining advantage for diesels is they are more suited to larger cars / SUV's. Compare economy for smaller cars, petrol MPG, although not as good as diesel is now pretty good, in the 50's or 60's where diesel maybe 60 or 70's. Not a huge gap. In heavier cars, that gap is still wider. As technology moves along though, sure that gap will improve - maybe hybrid technologies will help.

This is the reason I am leasing just now. Wanted rid of my Euro5 diesel, will lease for a few years and see what else technology brings.

giraffe69

I have a diesel, do enough miles to make it sensible. It is quite new (Euro 6) so not likely to be banned in cities quite yet but I will, at least, consider petrol next time because
a. It takes a long time to get back the extra cost of the car with reduced fuel costs.
b. Petrol engines have got better

Despite the above an awful lot of rubbish is spoken about Diesel Cars and the way the papers have made them the enemy is quite remarkable given the fact base.

Jonesya

Originally diesels made great sense - great fuel efficiency, long lived, simple engines, ideal for longer distance drivers where a lot of that driving is outside town and city centres. Plus nox and particulates weren't even on the radar as a problem, and they were still only a small part of the car market.

Trouble is they've been over-sold, it got to over 50% of cars sold being diesels, clearly far too high, particularly as nox and particulates are now an issue and given the addition of catalysts and filters sensitive to short trips, inadequate to heat them up and keep them conditioned.

There's still a place for diesel but not at 50% of the market, but back where it began targeted at long distance drivers, so probably below 30% or less of car sales.

[Deleted User]

Adamc wrote: »

What are the benefits of a 6 speed twin clutch auto?

When you're in an odd numbered gear the clutch for the even numbered one is already dis-engaged just waiting to see if it needs to change up or down the range (and vice versa). This makes them night and day compared to the the old style auto boxes. They're quicker changing, smoother and don't give you a hit on the MPG. Try one if you can, I know my next car will have one regardless of what it is.

sevenhills

Colin_Maybe wrote: »

When you're in an odd numbered gear the clutch for the even numbered one is already dis-engaged just waiting to see if it needs to change up or down the range (and vice versa). This makes them night and day compared to the the old style auto boxes. They're quicker changing, smoother and don't give you a hit on the MPG. Try one if you can, I know my next car will have one regardless of what it is.

In my last job we had auto vans, and they were a nightmare for very costly repairs.
We have now returned to manual, 100%

motorguy

ChrisK..... wrote: »

I don't know how tractor engines ever made it onto the road. When diesels first came out there were smoky, gutless, stinking, oil burners, polluting the environment. After about a year in the Slow Lane they decided to put turbochargers on them. I asked myself at that very point, if they can afford turbocharged diesel engine why did they not turbo charge a tiny (1.2) petrol engines which would still run rings around any diesel, performance and power wise but would use less fuel. Here we are 30 years later and the same thought has dawned on the government and the car manufacturers.

you probably guessed by now but I favour the petrol and better still a petrol hybrid electric

Quite simply because its always been more expensive - and still is - to build a 1.2 litre turbo petrol that build a 1.4 or 1.6 NA engine with the same power - cost of turbo, intercooler, etc, so it would have been no benefit to make a small turbo petrol to do the same job as a slightly bigger NA petrol yet cost ££££ more.

Also, its only recently that :-

• People have got their heads around the fact that a 1.2 litre turbo can now produce as much power as a 1.8 litre (or more) NA engine did - so its been an uphill struggle to convince people that less can be more.
• But far more significantly - there for decades was no incentive to produce small turbo petrols because emissions taxation on petrols wasnt an issue. Its only in the last 5-10 year this has become an issue, hence why there is a sudden incentive / reason to invest the time and money (and additional cost) in doing it

So no, you weren't decades ahead of the car manufacturers in your thinking and it hasnt just dawned on them - merely there was no incentive to do it before recently.

motorguy

Jonesya wrote: »

Originally diesels made great sense - great fuel efficiency, long lived, simple engines, ideal for longer distance drivers where a lot of that driving is outside town and city centres. Plus nox and particulates weren't even on the radar as a problem, and they were still only a small part of the car market.

Trouble is they've been over-sold, it got to over 50% of cars sold being diesels, clearly far too high, particularly as nox and particulates are now an issue and given the addition of catalysts and filters sensitive to short trips, inadequate to heat them up and keep them conditioned.

There's still a place for diesel but not at 50% of the market, but back where it began targeted at long distance drivers, so probably below 30% or less of car sales.

+1

Diesels became the default choice for the reasons of better economy, better residuals and lower tax. Not necessarily because it was the best choice for the individual (or the environment)