Petrol vs Diesel

[R9UKE]

This comes up too often on here, so it's time for a poll.

Petrol for me, every time. I do about 13-14k miles per year, averaging 30 MPG in the Mégane, so really I guess I should have a diesel. There's the potential of halving my fuel costs, not to mention the annual road tax being cut from £235 to £35. But would I do it? Never.

Yes, diesels are getting more refined and sounding less like Transits from the 90s, but they will never have that hum of a V6, for example.

Plus, if my Mégane was a dCi, I'd have gone through a few turbos by now, and there's no way it would be as healthy as my 2.0 is now with 20k mile gaps between services (it's only 2,000 over what Renault recommend!)

AND, just look at the prices of old V6s now. Unwanted by many who will pay close to £1000 more for the diesel version. 2001 Citroen C5 V6 for £800? Volvo S80 2.9 for £600? It's time to get buying before they all sadly disappear to make way for badges like "EcoMotive" or "BlueMotion". Eugh

I have a feeling this could be a long one...

[Xaccers]

Petrols are too quiet (yes, on several occasions I've crunched the starter thinking the thing had stalled), give me the roar of an XUD over the asthmatic raspings of a petrol any day.
Unless you go big, petrols tend to be gutless too. Then there's the fuel costs, additional complexity of the fuel system, more sensors than are needed in a good diesel, the list of negatives goes on and on.

[citroenesque]

Purely on the costs of driving, diesel for me. I have a c.48 mpg BX that cost £550 and is pretty damned good. OK a tankful of Derv costs nearly £93 but that'll get me nearly 700 miles at a reasonable pace (nothing too thrilling). That's around 13p a mile.

The BX GTi which has now gone was costing a smidge over 26p a mile. But was more fun to drive, admittedly!

Over a year I will be saving many hundreds of pounds in fuel costs.

[Paul-R]

I converted to diesel in the early nineties purely on the grounds of cost. Basically I could make three journeys to France for the cost of two in petrol.

Now it's not just the cost but the nicer driving experience. Being able to pop the gearbox into fifth around town at 1,000rpm and still be able to accelerate away meaningfully means less gear changing. There's also the great mid-range acceleration (in fifth - of course) when joining a motoway from a slip-road. Finally there's the quieter cabin from an engine turning significantly less number of times per mile.

I'd only go back to petrol if someone else was paying the bills.

[CitroJim]

I love both equally... Sadly there's not an option for that...

[Chris570]

V6 for fun and sound
HDi for the best every day car

[Citroenmad]

This really isnt a one or the other answer! Though I have voted diesel as thats what I do prefer.

I say that because it depends on the car, a small family hatch (say a Citroen C4?) with a 1.6 16v petrol is going to have none of the above liked petrol qualities. It will not be fast, it will not make a nice noise and it certainly wont be good on fuel, so why bother? Ive also been in said car and the revs it does at 70-80 is a lot, making the car noisey and therefore tiring. HDI C4 though, very refined, faster more of the time as the revs dont need to be at 5000rpm to make it move and its a better drive too. Not to mention the much improved MPG (38 for the petrol and 55 on the diesel, average) and the lower tax bracket.

So no contest there, as for piddly engines in MPVs I cant see the point. No one could pay me enough to drive around in a 1.6 petrol Zafia My auntie has just bought a 1.6 petrol Picasso, why on earth I dont know. She is for ever taking their C5 HDi instead!

For a town car I like a small engined small petrol car, zippy, quiet and fun. Ive had a small diesel city car, that was not at home in the tonwn as much as the identical car but with a petrol engine wasy.

A large car, hmm, I do favour large cars and they are what I choose to drive.
For a daily id always choose a diesel and never a petrol, not just for running costs but also the drive they offer (if its a good diesel with plenty of power and torque). There is also saleability, diesels sell much better and faster than the same car in a petrol, generally.
Though I do like having a petrol car as a second car, best of both worlds then.

I do like my Activas TCT petrol engine, however if HDi Activas were sold in the UK then thats what I would have bought instead. As it was, I had no choice

I am yet to be convinced that a V6 or otherwise is better than a good diesel. Most modern diesels in large cars are quick enough for most situations anway and the refinement is excellent.

I do a lot of motoway miles, a 3.0 V6 is pointless then, once your up to speed all you want is a quiet place with plenty of torque to get you even faster. My C5 does 70MPH at 2000rpm and has a good bit of pull at that to allow me to stay in 6th, unless I really want to press on from 70 and then 5th is best.

I also like the remapping potential of modern diesels, if you get bored with its pace, just make it faster!

The modern diesels, expecially HDis, are very quiet, silent on the move and the drive is great. Luke, if I ever see you, you will have to drive my 138 C5, they are very good engines.

Ive summed up my thought with my anser ... Diesel all the way for me!

[DHallworth]

If I was buying a car like the C6 then I'd buy Diesel in a hearbeat as it's actually a better engine then the Petrol.

I drive a 406 HDi 90 to work and back every day which I hate. I can't work out why though!

My fiance drives a Xantia HDi Exclusive which is the 110 and I much prefer driving this to the 406.

I get 700 miles from a tank on the Diesel which is ideal for commuting however I would never only have a Diesel. I like having the V6's for weekend fun.

Until last night I hadn't driven any of my V6's since November as they were all in hiding from the salt and weather over the winter. God it puts a gin on your face as they come onto cam!

David.

[P616VKX]

I'm not sure if there's much difference to be honest, yes the diesels rev a lot lower but they run out of steam alot quicker than petrol engines...

I also disagree whole-heartedly about the petrol engines being gutless... My 1.8-16v Xantia pulls from 30mph in 5th right up to the great beyond, effortlessly... My old 2.0HDi 90 Picasso used to struggle terribly to do the same.

Yes, the 1.8 is probably less economical (33mpg combined) but cruising, it'll do 40-45mpg... Plus, unlike the XUD comparison at the time, it didn't need servicing every 4,000 miles. So, I save nigh on a tank of fuel every once a year, if not twice.

[Xaccers]

Why did it need servicing at 4000 miles rather than 6000?

[KP]

For me i loved the V6 Diesel best of both worlds.

I drive a petrol all the time with Rachels SSS but the economy is very poor, 35 about town dropping to <30 on a run...

my old TD would do 700 plus on a tank of veg and when i first started using it that was £30 for a tankful but no i guess it would be more like 50-60 per tank but still economic compared to the SSS.

Also diesels dont tend to have VVT or such like as by the time it would kick in the engine is running out of puff anyway, but their sheer low down grunt matched ith a half decent auto is a lovely effortless feeling.

[Homer]

Yes, diesels are getting more refined and sounding less like Transits from the 90s, but they will never have that hum of a V6, for example.

But you don't have a V6.

If I could afford the running costs of a V6 petrol I would have one, but a decent modern diesel is the next best thing. The only person who would choose a 4 pot petrol over a similar power diesel has never driven a modern diesel engined car.

And I certainly don't miss changing spark plugs and misty morning starting problems.

[RichardW]

I'd love a V6 / V8 or turbo petrol motor, but 30+k a year, 30mpg and £1.40 / litre just doesn't compute The £5k it's costing in diesel is bad enough!!

[andmcit]

I certainly don't miss changing spark plugs and misty morning starting problems.

That's just a diesel man talking who once drove a carb petrol moons ago!
I drive both TD's and petrols, mainly Xantiae.

Glow plugs are WORSE than spark plugs to renew and NONE of my
fuel injected petrols EVER give a moment's murmour unlike a TD on a
damned bitter icy morning and the consequent fall out of smog around
the neighbourhood accompanied by the sound of a lumpy throaty diesel
baratone.

Then there's the crappy low pressure pump on the HDi and don't even go
near the FAP and FAFF and the Leroy's fluid on the modern stuff...

Move nearer your workplace and have more fun going to/from it especially
if you live out in the sticks - even an Activa starts to make sense then!!

[Citroenmad]

To be fair the XUD can not be classed as a modern diesel!

As for lift pumps on HDis, its not a hugely common failing, its unfortunate if it does go, though usually proves reliable.

I always get a whole load of comments about this, but its very valid: running modern, high pressure, diesels on quality fuels (Shell & BP for example) is believed to prolong their life. I dont want a debate as to whether this is true or not, but its the fuel I always use anyway.

And as far as the FAP system go, if you really dont like it, then I believe it can be removed. Its not a hugely problematic thing anyway and just helps with emissions.

I agree with Homer