Diesel vs petrol

[Pebs]

Is the difference still as vast as it used to be? Fuel costs are on their head compared to how it used to be, when diesel was far cheaper than petrol. Now its the other way around.

Are petrol engines more fuel efficient now or is diesel still the best value despite being more expensive?

[Flibster]

Who cares. ;)

Petrol engines have a nice power band, no black smoke, don't sound like tractors and don't smell like a chemical factory.

Is there any reason to get a Diesel?

Simon/~Flibster

[Pebs]

Is there any reason to get a Diesel?

Simon/~Flibster

Well thats the question innit! ;D

Diesels dont sounds as bad as they used to I dont think, although mine DOES sound like a tractor (but it nearly is to be fair)

Performance is a given on the side of petrol, but has the gap in cost/mpg closed enough to make the difference in the two in all other respects negligable?

[Zirax]

performance?

Its a good question actually, although the newer diesels don't hang around.

Depends on how many miles you are doing within a year? I seem to be doing 20k/ year at the moment in my Focus. If I poodle and not boot it too much I can get 36ish, I have also managed under 28mpg. I stopped working out the mpg at that point.... I don't want to know after a good burning session (I know it got a lot lower than 28) ;)

My next motor will be a diesel as my commuter slag, gotta move out before I can get a sports job :( booo

It really depends on how many miles you are doing really. For the odd mile to the school a petrol would probably do :p I don't know what kind of driver you are.... would you be happy bouncing the limiter in a petrol wringing the performance out or more leave it in gear and use the torque (derv)

[Feek]

My diesel Focus does an average of 54 mpg, that's an accurate average over 185,000 miles!

If I knew then what I know now, I'd have bought the 2ltr petrol version and had a gas conversion :) purely for the ecconomics. I'm happy with the oil burner when it's working OK but the idea of buying fuel at roughly half the cost is quite appealing.

[Pebs]

I currently drive the road equivalent of a barge :( Before that I had sporty cars, my last was a mondeo V6 2.5 which I LOVED! In an ideal world I'd like performance, but something cheaper than my Terrano 2.7td to run, it's essentially the only reason Im getting rid of it.

Sensible head says get a little diesel runaround, but if there isnt much difference in running costs these days, it opens things up a bit :) I can't have a small car, the amount of crap 3 girls can need to transport at any given moment needs to be seen to be believed, so anything smaller than a Focus is out really. Mondeos seem to be cheaper than Focus' like for like, which would suit me. I ragged the last one hard and it was the most reliable car I've ever had.

[Zirax]

Mondeo ST24 :D thats gotta be in there? Most things are gonna be cheap to run compared to the Terrano

You are welcome to come and give mine a good thrashing, you can drive the Focus as well ;)

[Burble]

I've got a diesel at the moment which is very good on fuel. Even when I'm not sparing the horses it'll easily do 48mpg (that's based on calculations, not on the trip computer) and when I'm driving a bit steadier it'll do 58ish mpg.

It isn't a slow car, 205bhp and 400foot/lb of torque (I think that's the right unit) means that it pulls well in any gear and when I accelerated away from the Severn bridge toll Will was pushed back into the seat and couldn't lean forward to grab my sat nav unit as it fell off the dash.

It does however sound like a bag of bolts when idling and being an oil burner it chucks a bit of black stuff out the back. Once you're moving it doesn't sound different to a petrol.

Although I like diesels, my next car is going to be a 3.2l v6 petrol. Sod the full economy :D

[Flibster]

If I drive my Renault gently *yeah....right...* I get 45mpg.
Normally though.... 26mpg
If I thrash it... Sub 20. ;)

Next car will be sub 20mpg day to day and when thrashing it - sub 10. :D

Simon/~Flibster

[Grandad]

sorry but I hate diesels, if I switched to a diesel I might save 50 quid a month at a guess so compared to the total cost of motoring it isn't a compromise I would be prepared to make

[leowyatt]

I drive my boss' 320cd now and then and personally really enjoy it. I think it has a fair bit of poke and he seems to get good economy. If I had the choice of owning one I'd certainly take it.