petrol vs diesel running costs - dont understand!

[cologne2792]

It depends on the type of driving you do almost as much as the amount and it was very simple up until about 2002:
Diesels used considerably less fuel than their petrol counterparts when they were cold with difference shrinking as both engines warmed up. On the short commute to work our petrol Fiesta used to average 26mpg and our diesel Fiesta 49mpg. If your journeys were short then you were quids in. Unfortunately, as has already been mentioned, from about 2002 onward the advent of DPF and exhaust emission obsession has meant that the short, cold journey doesn't suit the environmentally imposed strangulation. The AA said last year that for small diesel cars, the sort that occasionally pop into town, they were getting 800 callouts per month for blocked DPFs and anti-pollution faults. Modern common rail diesels take longer to warm up and this harms the mpg though still better than the eq petrol. If you're buying new then ask people what they actually get to the gallon and under what circumstances. My pre-2002 406 hdi manages about 44mpg on short trips and 55-60mpg on longer ones - exceedingly reliable too with 218k - our 2.2hdi C5, with DPF, struggled to reach 40mpg - but I think most are like that.

[Engineer1]

The payoff mileage for diesel is probably higher than 10k miles these days

[anonymous-user]

I suspect the difference in costs between gasoline and diesel is way way less than the principal costs of things like tyres, servicing, and of course depreciation!

[RE92]

dowsett said:

Thats kind of what i was looking for in the least technical kind of response.

I agree with all the posts. I sort of knew that petrol would be cheaper but on paper, couldnt work out how.

plus, ive ever only owned petrol cars. imo, much more fun to drive

I wouldn't put a 1.6 focus into the fun category . They are both horribly dull but at least the derv is dull with lower tax and consumption.

Insurance is also a major factor. Compare quotes between the two. When I passed my test diesels were a lot cheaper to insure because they were less popular with the boy racers.

[swisstoni]

Probably not that important to the first few buyers, but aren't diesel engines supposed to be able to last much longer than petrols? I certainly heard this about the older, more agricultural types of old.

[dowsett]

RE92 said:

I wouldn't put a 1.6 focus into the fun category . They are both horribly dull but at least the derv is dull with lower tax and consumption.

Insurance is also a major factor. Compare quotes between the two. When I passed my test diesels were a lot cheaper to insure because they were less popular with the boy racers.

actually my mk1 focus was quite fun. i enjoyed it. you could chuck it about around corners better than any other hatch and was going strong until somewhere past 110k miles.

I imagine the mk2 focus is much heavier though and harder to work on.

yes, diesel engines normally go alot longer and they are cheaper on insurance because of a few factors, i think they are under powered compared to their petrol models.

[northwest monkey]

pherlopolus said:

sparkyhx said:

Servicing cost are usually higher on Diesels - another factor

really?

In my experience, the servicing on a diesel doesn't necessarily cost any more, it just needs doing more often.

[Toaster Pilot]

northwest monkey said:

pherlopolus said:

sparkyhx said:

Servicing cost are usually higher on Diesels - another factor

really?

In my experience, the servicing on a diesel doesn't necessarily cost any more, it just needs doing more often.

Aren't modern diesels on 20k+ service intervals~?

[pherlopolus]

My diesel jag is an Oil and Filter change every 15k miles, with air filter and Brake fluid every 2 years.

No Plugs/Leads/Coil packs, but does have a Cambelt every 105k miles.

[thatdude]

With regards to servicing costs, I havnt seen much diffrence in seriving my wifes BMW deisel compared to my Honda civic petrol. The BMW takes more oil in the sump, pushing up the cost a little, but it doesnt have spark plugs to replace (or a cam belt)

Mind you, the air filter is a pain. I can see a mechanic wanting to charge a bit to get that out and back in again, lots of fiddly plastic bits to remove and put back!

As for fuel economy....well, the BMW is not really impressing us much there.

[sparkyhx]

northwest monkey said:

pherlopolus said:

sparkyhx said:

Servicing cost are usually higher on Diesels - another factor

really?

In my experience, the servicing on a diesel doesn't necessarily cost any more, it just needs doing more often.

generally correct - so the overall cost is higher - sorry if its was initially misleading

[sparkyhx]

just found this - 4years old

Breakeven miles - not sure if they have calculated in depreciation, insurance, servicing

http://www.parkers.co.uk/cars/advice/buying/Archiv...


Quick look at servicing on a few and found greater parity in the miles these days, but also found many where petrol = every 2 years or x miles and diesel every 1 years or x miles.

So instead of mileage they get you on 'years' instead

[Engineer1]

The thing is the real hyper efficient diesels are probably on short service intervals again. my 1.2TDi Ecomotive is on a 10k service interval, or atleast had it's first service at 10k with the second due at 20k.

[anonymous-user]

dowsett said:

RE92 said:

I wouldn't put a 1.6 focus into the fun category . They are both horribly dull but at least the derv is dull with lower tax and consumption.

Insurance is also a major factor. Compare quotes between the two. When I passed my test diesels were a lot cheaper to insure because they were less popular with the boy racers.

actually my mk1 focus was quite fun. i enjoyed it. you could chuck it about around corners better than any other hatch and was going strong until somewhere past 110k miles.

I imagine the mk2 focus is much heavier though and harder to work on.

yes, diesel engines normally go alot longer and they are cheaper on insurance because of a few factors, i think they are under powered compared to their petrol models.

Yep, mk1 Focus was a great car and got rave reviews from the motoring press.

[Bluebarge]

kambites said:

I think they started to appear around 2000 and have been fitted to pretty much everything since about 2005.

Bit later I think - more like 2007 when they started to be standard-fit. I have a 56 plate 06 VAG diesel which is non-dpf and Citroens of the same vintage could either be equipped with one or without ("fap" or non-fap" as per the blurb of the time).

[Willy Nilly]

swisstoni said:

Probably not that important to the first few buyers, but aren't diesel engines supposed to be able to last much longer than petrols? I certainly heard this about the older, more agricultural types of old.

I expect that when an engine is developed, it has an intended design life and fuel used will have little effect on this, besides, there is no point in having a good engine in a vehicle that is worn out.

BTW, what make you think that agricultural engines are inferior or less sophisticated than car engines?

[HannsG]

Engineer1 said:

The thing is the real hyper efficient diesels are probably on short service intervals again. my 1.2TDi Ecomotive is on a 10k service interval, or atleast had it's first service at 10k with the second due at 20k.

10k service on my Fabia VRS was a pain.

Moreso as I was doing nearly 30,000 miles a year!!!

[corvus]

Willy Nilly said:

swisstoni said:

Probably not that important to the first few buyers, but aren't diesel engines supposed to be able to last much longer than petrols? I certainly heard this about the older, more agricultural types of old.

I expect that when an engine is developed, it has an intended design life and fuel used will have little effect on this, besides, there is no point in having a good engine in a vehicle that is worn out.

BTW, what make you think that agricultural engines are inferior or less sophisticated than car engines?

I think he meant more agricultural in terms of the older, rougher, mechanical fuel injection types of engine, not actually engines used in agricultural machines.

The actual diesel engine itself can last a long time but on modern examples the ancillaries around it don't last.

[Sensibleboy]

Bluebarge said:

Bit later I think - more like 2007 when they started to be standard-fit. I have a 56 plate 06 VAG diesel which is non-dpf and Citroens of the same vintage could either be equipped with one or without ("fap" or non-fap" as per the blurb of the time).

I seem to recall the MK5 Golf getting the common rail 2.0 TDi in 2008 which brought along DPF too.

[New POD]

Toaster Pilot said:

pherlopolus said:

sparkyhx said:

Servicing cost are usually higher on Diesels - another factor

really?

Based on the servicing costs for my petrol Kia Rio, I fail to see how main dealer servicing for boring stuff like that can possibly cost any more!

Just Serviced a 2.2 icdti Honda accord. Parts (Oil Filter, Air Filter and a sump plug washer) Came to £15. and Oil (Mobil 1 Fully Synthetic from Costco, came to £35 IIRC)

And a mk1 Mx5 1.6 (Parts as above plus 4 plugs, came to £25) castrol GTX Semi Synthetic from Costco came to er about £15 (I think it was 2x4 litre for £30, and I had one unopened in the back of the garage)

Time to do both in my drive ? 2 hours including a cup of tea.