Petrol vs Diesel

[alexfff]

Generally which has more pace?

[Paul-R]

In what respect?

From the traffic lights - petrol
Top speed - Petrol
In-gear acceleration - diesel
Stamina for continued press-on speed - diesel

[Citroenmad]

Rarely do you need to floor it away from a stand still, acceleration is usually a change in speed.
If the officials had their way you would never see your cars top speed, unless its a 2cv, so thats a bit irrelevant in this country.
In gear acceleration is what a diesel is all about, refined, relaxed motoring with urge when you need it without having to work the engine and box.

[Xaccers]

Rarely do you need to floor it away from a stand still

Yeah, but it is still great fun to leave other cars standing, especially in a 14 year old estate running on Veg

[Citroenmad]

Rarely do you need to floor it away from a stand still

Yeah, but it is still great fun to leave other cars standing, especially in a 14 year old estate running on Veg

I bet! Diesels are just as good for standing starts really.

[Paul-R]

Diesels are just as good for standing starts really.

I'm a diesel enthusiast but even I would never claim that!

[R9UKE]

Rarely do you need to floor it away from a stand still,

Actually... I have fun doing this almost every journey. Makes me glad I didn't buy the dCi

[Xaccers]

Diesels are just as good for standing starts really.

I'm a diesel enthusiast but even I would never claim that!

With a 90Hdi nor would I

[Paul-R]

with a 90Hdi nor would I

Oooooh, Miaooooow.

[Citroenmad]

Diesels are just as good for standing starts really.

I'm a diesel enthusiast but even I would never claim that!

Granted they do it in a different way, you cant use all of the rev range as most diesels run out of steam and require a gear change way before 4000rpm, but driven correctly they should perform like the equivalent petrol engine.

They are faster more of the time though, not requiring the revs most NA petrols do to make them really shift.


I did have the chance to do a 0-something in my Activa yesterday, while on a dual carriageway at the front of traffic at traffic lights. I was very impressed at how quickly it got to the speed. Rarely do I ever do this though, accelerating to increase speed to pass something is much more common.

Only like for like performance diesels and petrols can be compared and turbo petrols have some diesel traits, as do bigger engined petrols to some extent.

[R9UKE]

They are faster more of the time though, not requiring the revs most NA petrols do to make them really shift.

I'm going to argue that. I usually sit at around 35 MPH in 6th gear in the Meg. RPM sits at 1250. If I put my foot down, it will accelerate very nicely indeed without having to change down. Whereas in the diesel equivalent, I'd be there forever waiting for it to reach the required rpm for the turbo to kick in and provide the boost, or I'd have to change down. This is the main reason I prefer petrol engines.

Granted it wouldn't be the same story in the likes of a 1.8 Xantia.

[Citroenmad]

Thats intriguing Luke but surely your Meg 2.0 can't have that much pull at such low revs, surely it starts to go its best at about 4000rpm?

Petrols and diesels differ vastly from engine to engine, so this is a bit generalised. I have driven petrols which pull exceptionally well low down. Then there are engines like the Honda V-tec which go at 6000rpm till 9000. All well and good but it feels like its going to explode at first, just because im used to low reving units, I prefer it that way if im honest.

My 138HDi obviously wont do 35mph in 6th as the gearing is too tall to make that comfortable, 70 is just over 2000rpm and that is something I really love about diesels, their low reving and relaxed nature on a motorway. IT has its pull in 6th at motorway speeds so a change down is not needed.

A few of our petrol cars which we have had in the past have been near to 4000rpm when sitting at 70-80 in top gear. That makes for an awfully noisy experience, poor economy and a tiring drive. A diesel at 2000 rpm is inaudible, thats how I like it, refinement is a huge part of a cars appeal for me. Its part of the reason I favor C5s, as they are a bit cocoon like at motorway speeds.

I know its a different engine to your 2.0 Meg, but our 2.0 16v Scenic RX4 was one of the worse petrols ive driven and not at all suited to the car. Good performance if it was thrashed everywhere but try getting it to move from low speeds in 2nd and it would not have it, totally useless, so many times you would have to drop to 1st where 2nd would be used in other cars. It had a tough time towing our horse box, maneuvering on anything other than flat ground with this attached usually resulted in a smoked clutch, as it just wouldn't move, gutless! The diesel version, although down on power is much more drivable. In fact, one time going up a bank in 1st gear in a car park the Scenic came to a stop as it had a full load of people and luggage, I had to ride the clutch to make it get up the hill and onto the level. Very poor. Due to the problem it had with brakes we tested a few other versions of the same car, all proved similar in a lack of torque and brakes actually. Apart from that, it really was a fantastic car, im sure it would still be with us had the brakes and engine of worked better. The old Activa pulled the box like a train.

[Xaccers]

They are faster more of the time though, not requiring the revs most NA petrols do to make them really shift.

I'm going to argue that. I usually sit at around 35 MPH in 6th gear in the Meg. RPM sits at 1250. If I put my foot down, it will accelerate very nicely indeed without having to change down. Whereas in the diesel equivalent, I'd be there forever waiting for it to reach the required rpm for the turbo to kick in and provide the boost, or I'd have to change down.

Never had that problem with my DCI megané, used to get into 6th pretty much straight away and pootle along with the power to oomph when my foot went down.

[Chlorate]

The way I see it, diesels are brilliant for your day-to-day driving needs. Good on fuel and the ability to eat hills and miles like no other. Although modern ones are getting a touch complicated.

Petrol is for the little something you have in the garage that comes out of a weekend for a bit of fun and to hell with how much fuel it uses.

Although my Volcane with it's 1.9TD still manages to put a smile on my face

[Citroenmad]

The way I see it, diesels are brilliant for your day-to-day driving needs. Good on fuel and the ability to eat hills and miles like no other.
Petrol is for the little something you have in the garage that comes out of a weekend for a bit of fun and to hell with how much fuel it uses.

Nicely put