time to go back to petrol?
Discussion
Having liked the idea of increased mpg I switched to diesel cars some years ago, but with an average 5-6k a year, and not overly long journeys, beside the twice a year trip at 300 miles a pop, should I just go back to petrol cars?
Ive been told I need to be doing 18k to make a diesel worthwhile!, I'll never reach that. so what I have is an old car with only the engine any good for another 100,000 miles.
by the time I add in extra service costs, diff in fuel prices, and the saving on buying a petrol car to start with, shall I just put the money toward paying for fuel rather than upfront on running/buying costs?
is diesel dead?
Ive been told I need to be doing 18k to make a diesel worthwhile!, I'll never reach that. so what I have is an old car with only the engine any good for another 100,000 miles.
by the time I add in extra service costs, diff in fuel prices, and the saving on buying a petrol car to start with, shall I just put the money toward paying for fuel rather than upfront on running/buying costs?
is diesel dead?
guy pritchard said:
petrol starts to make sense again - especially as some of these fine tolerance pd's can go wrong and cost thousands to fix
Sadly that may also case on small capacity petrols as they become more complex. Don't fancy owning the VAG 1.4 TSI out of warranty with both a supercharger and a turbo on board. 
For me there are pros and cons for both. I like the sound and characteristics of a petrol engine, but I can't stand the lag you get with drive by wire throttles on petrol engines. Diesels (or at least BMW ones) have no lag, which is great, but they generally have poorer on-throttle response, and of course that horrible noisy rattle. I've just bought my first diesel (from my Dad - the opportunity was there to buy a well looked after car that I've known since new very cheaply), because the throttle lag on petrol cars was really starting to get to me. Admittedly, the 320d I've just bought is designed to drive more like a petrol engine, with a much bigger spread of torque than your average petrol engine and a more revvy nature. Given that, it's mainly the sound and performance (in that order) of my old N52 straight six that I miss to be honest. I'm happier in the diesel though because of the lack of throttle lag. I am also saving £500 a year in fuel, which is a bit of a boost!
Leicesterdave said:
1.6 Turbo= average economy of 38 mpg. Nothing wrong with that for 172 bhp and 240Nm of torque!
Easily got 45 mpg on the M40 yesterday- dropped to 40 on the packed M1 though!
I'll raise you on that one: 177bhp and 265lbft of torque, with 70mpg at 70mph, 62mpg at 80-85mph and 50mpg on a mix of roads. Easily got 45 mpg on the M40 yesterday- dropped to 40 on the packed M1 though!
I'm not trying to be smug about that, just saying that the figures don't really tell the whole story really. The MINI Cooper S is a great car, no doubt about that.
Incidentally, my old Z4 Coupé, despite having a low ratio back axle, could get 40mpg+ on the motorway and average low to mid 30s on a mix of roads, despite having 265bhp. Quite impressive! As the OP says, petrol engines can be extremely efficient, and in my opinion BMW's 3 litre straight six (as per the figures above), damages the case for their own 330d. However, the figures above that I've quoted to compare with yours show that diesel does win out at the end of the day in efficiency, that's just the basic engineering of how a diesel engine works.
Edited by RobM77 on Wednesday 12th January 18:08
On the basis of your mileage if you're buying second hand then you're going to get more car for your money with petrol
It's swings and roundabouts
Yes Diesel costs more to buy but they have stronger residuals.
Range is also important to some. I remember the late Alan Clarke comparing a run from Scotland to London in his diesel discovery that sat at a constant 85 IIRC without refuelling and his Bentley which sprinted between stops at up to 140mph. Usually the tortoise was faster than the hare.
Also when comparing Petrol vs Diesel it's not about cubic capacity, but power, so a 2.0 Diesel is always going to be weaker than a similar 2.0 petrol
That said a big Diesel engine usually has better economy than a petrol engine of the same BHP
Such as the VAG diesel V8, V10's and in America the Duramax 6.6 V8
It's swings and roundabouts
Yes Diesel costs more to buy but they have stronger residuals.
Range is also important to some. I remember the late Alan Clarke comparing a run from Scotland to London in his diesel discovery that sat at a constant 85 IIRC without refuelling and his Bentley which sprinted between stops at up to 140mph. Usually the tortoise was faster than the hare.
Also when comparing Petrol vs Diesel it's not about cubic capacity, but power, so a 2.0 Diesel is always going to be weaker than a similar 2.0 petrol
That said a big Diesel engine usually has better economy than a petrol engine of the same BHP
Such as the VAG diesel V8, V10's and in America the Duramax 6.6 V8
If you already have the car and are happy with it, IMO there is no point it changing for the sake of it.
You may find yourself with a lemon.
I think the petrol v diesel argument in terms of how many miles you need to do to save is related more to the purchase of a new or new (used) car
I prefer petrol too though
You may find yourself with a lemon.
I think the petrol v diesel argument in terms of how many miles you need to do to save is related more to the purchase of a new or new (used) car
I prefer petrol too though
coley20 said:
If you already have the car and are happy with it, IMO there is no point it changing for the sake of it.
You may find yourself with a lemon.
I think the petrol v diesel argument in terms of how many miles you need to do to save is related more to the purchase of a new or new (used) car
I prefer petrol too though
For everyone the maths will work out differently. Depreciation varies massively according to age and vehicle type, mpg will vary according to make and model, and of course personal preferences.You may find yourself with a lemon.
I think the petrol v diesel argument in terms of how many miles you need to do to save is related more to the purchase of a new or new (used) car
I prefer petrol too though
RobM77 said:
I'll raise you on that one: 177bhp and 265lbft of torque, with 70mpg at 70mph, 62mpg at 80-85mph and 50mpg on a mix of roads.
[/footnote]
Do you find that it's a hoot to drive though? I say that because my only experience of a diesel motor is the VAG 2.0TDI. Which was about as much as a hoot as sitting on a detonator.[/footnote]
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