RE: Diesel myths debunked
Discussion
Andy ap said:
Just took an A3 TDI s-line for a spin round the block to see if i can find any merit in Derv..... laaaaag. BOOST! and before you know it its all over.
That's more telling of your driving style than anything else to be honest. If you anticipate things slightly better and make sure you're in the right gear you won't have a problem.Dave Hedgehog said:
Devil2575 said:
I had this when I first drove a Diesel, an 07 VW Passat. I couldn't work out why it got rubbish economy. They I started to alter the way I drove it and it...
By the end of a 400 mile round trip i'd improved the mpg on the trip computer from 35 to 55 mpg.
Boring yes but in a boring car sitting on the motorway a petrol engine is not really any more exciting, IMHO.
but thats the thing i dont want to change, honestly i would rather take the train than drive like miss daisyBy the end of a 400 mile round trip i'd improved the mpg on the trip computer from 35 to 55 mpg.
Boring yes but in a boring car sitting on the motorway a petrol engine is not really any more exciting, IMHO.
StottyZr said:
Dave Hedgehog said:
Devil2575 said:
I had this when I first drove a Diesel, an 07 VW Passat. I couldn't work out why it got rubbish economy. They I started to alter the way I drove it and it...
By the end of a 400 mile round trip i'd improved the mpg on the trip computer from 35 to 55 mpg.
Boring yes but in a boring car sitting on the motorway a petrol engine is not really any more exciting, IMHO.
but thats the thing i dont want to change, honestly i would rather take the train than drive like miss daisyBy the end of a 400 mile round trip i'd improved the mpg on the trip computer from 35 to 55 mpg.
Boring yes but in a boring car sitting on the motorway a petrol engine is not really any more exciting, IMHO.
I wonder.......
A roads with traffic, 200bhp diesel vs 200bhp petrol which would get your overtakes done fastest and hence get you ahead of more of the slow moving cars.
I am pretty certain that from my experience (with auto's) it would be the diesel. In the diesel at 40mph starting your overtake, you will already be at or around max power, in the petrol you will not get to max power before you are well over the speed limit unless you trundle around in traffic in 3rd.
A roads with traffic, 200bhp diesel vs 200bhp petrol which would get your overtakes done fastest and hence get you ahead of more of the slow moving cars.
I am pretty certain that from my experience (with auto's) it would be the diesel. In the diesel at 40mph starting your overtake, you will already be at or around max power, in the petrol you will not get to max power before you are well over the speed limit unless you trundle around in traffic in 3rd.
sleep envy said:
Dave Hedgehog said:
this seams to be the solution, drive very boringly (road speed is irrelevant, wafting at 100 on a motorway is just as dull as changing at 1400rpm), its not for me
Eh?So how do you get enjoyment out of driving a petrol car on the motorway?
sleep envy said:
Dave Hedgehog said:
this seams to be the solution, drive very boringly (road speed is irrelevant, wafting at 100 on a motorway is just as dull as changing at 1400rpm), its not for me
Eh?So how do you get enjoyment out of driving a petrol car on the motorway?
Drive any car to achieve its paper figures and you'll have to drive it "boringly". Alternatively you can drive spirited, and you won't get near the claimed figures. Petrol or diesel, it makes no difference.
blueg33 said:
I wonder.......
A roads with traffic, 200bhp diesel vs 200bhp petrol which would get your overtakes done fastest and hence get you ahead of more of the slow moving cars.
I am pretty certain that from my experience (with auto's) it would be the diesel. In the diesel at 40mph starting your overtake, you will already be at or around max power, in the petrol you will not get to max power before you are well over the speed limit unless you trundle around in traffic in 3rd.
Both with 200hp, would be about the same A roads with traffic, 200bhp diesel vs 200bhp petrol which would get your overtakes done fastest and hence get you ahead of more of the slow moving cars.
I am pretty certain that from my experience (with auto's) it would be the diesel. In the diesel at 40mph starting your overtake, you will already be at or around max power, in the petrol you will not get to max power before you are well over the speed limit unless you trundle around in traffic in 3rd.
floor both auto's and they would drop to the correct gear and both produce a very similar amount of hp.Dave Hedgehog said:
Devil2575 said:
Dave Hedgehog said:
i deeply disliked the power delivery in the A6, its horrible for [b]how i drive day to day[.b],
fuel economy is poor as well, i only got 28mpg out of it ...
Perhaps the two points are connected?fuel economy is poor as well, i only got 28mpg out of it ...
If you drive a diesel like you normally drive a petrol then it will get rubbish economy.
i would rather have the OHs polo GTi than the V6 A6 if i wanted better economy, fun, power across the rev range and a real world 40mpg
Edited by Dave Hedgehog on Friday 27th April 15:45
I drive a 2009 Touran with what is probably almost an identical engine (136BHP?) and kerb weight (but greater frontal area, I'd wager), kick the s
t out of it on a daily basis, and never see less than 40MPG out of it, typically 45-48MPG. It also pulls strongly from about 1400 to 4000rpm, not peaky at all.I can only think the A6 you had was gebroken in some way.
Don't think I'm some sort of DERV lover either; there are masses of awful diesels out there, even today, and there are things about even the better VAG & BMW units I still don't like (artificially restricted torque when pulling away etc.).
When I'm paying the bills and doing 15-20k a year I have to go for a diesel. If I was only doing 5-6k a year then a petrol would perhaps make more sense.
StottyZr said:
sleep envy said:
Dave Hedgehog said:
this seams to be the solution, drive very boringly (road speed is irrelevant, wafting at 100 on a motorway is just as dull as changing at 1400rpm), its not for me
Eh?So how do you get enjoyment out of driving a petrol car on the motorway?
Drive any car to achieve its paper figures and you'll have to drive it "boringly". Alternatively you can drive spirited, and you won't get near the claimed figures. Petrol or diesel, it makes no difference.
give me an RS4 as a daily drive and ill happily take the GT3 for play time
Lucas Ayde said:
I used to have a 1.5D 106 - great little car. A whopping 53bhp on tap but because it was overall a pretty light car it actually was reasonably nippy I thought.
Skinny tyres and a heavy diesel block at the front gave it good grip in snow/ice. Plus 55mpg combined without trying and super cheap servicing and maintenance costs meant extremely low cost motoring. It would typically get through MOTs with about £100 of work and a few times with no work at all. It really liked biodiesel (quiter, no black smoke) and seemed to run OK on a mix of 50% veg oil/50% diesel too - I never dared go higher.
Quite practical too - with the seats down you could carry quite a bit, like a small van.
OK, so it topped out at 85-90mph and overtaking anything travelling at 70 or above could take a while but it could certainly keep up with normal traffic. Also, the head gasket went at 60k miles but was only a couple of hundred quid to replace at the time.
It wasn't bad, but when she was looking for it we tested a 1.4 petrol and it was much better IMO. Me running an S40 2.0T at the time could well have clouded my judgement too.Skinny tyres and a heavy diesel block at the front gave it good grip in snow/ice. Plus 55mpg combined without trying and super cheap servicing and maintenance costs meant extremely low cost motoring. It would typically get through MOTs with about £100 of work and a few times with no work at all. It really liked biodiesel (quiter, no black smoke) and seemed to run OK on a mix of 50% veg oil/50% diesel too - I never dared go higher.
Quite practical too - with the seats down you could carry quite a bit, like a small van.
OK, so it topped out at 85-90mph and overtaking anything travelling at 70 or above could take a while but it could certainly keep up with normal traffic. Also, the head gasket went at 60k miles but was only a couple of hundred quid to replace at the time.
Diesels are fine until they go wrong.
When they go wrong, the cost of fixing them will make you cry.
Every year it seems that something new is added to make them smoother or less polluting and are sold on saving you money but not mentioning DPFs/DMFs/etc which when the car is used in the wrong environment WILL fail.
On a motorway = good. In the city = bad.
When they go wrong, the cost of fixing them will make you cry.
Every year it seems that something new is added to make them smoother or less polluting and are sold on saving you money but not mentioning DPFs/DMFs/etc which when the car is used in the wrong environment WILL fail.
On a motorway = good. In the city = bad.
loudlashadjuster said:
I've no idea how you managed to get such a low MPG out of one of those VAG diesels.
I drive a 2009 Touran with what is probably almost an identical engine (136BHP?) and kerb weight (but greater frontal area, I'd wager), kick the st out of it on a daily basis, and never see less than 40MPG out of it, typically 45-48MPG. It also pulls strongly from about 1400 to 4000rpm, not peaky at all.
I can only think the A6 you had was gebroken in some way.
Don't think I'm some sort of DERV lover either; there are masses of awful diesels out there, even today, and there are things about even the better VAG & BMW units I still don't like (artificially restricted torque when pulling away etc.).
When I'm paying the bills and doing 15-20k a year I have to go for a diesel. If I was only doing 5-6k a year then a petrol would perhaps make more sense.
the V6 bi turbo is 200bhp? i got it down to 16.2mpg on a run in londonI drive a 2009 Touran with what is probably almost an identical engine (136BHP?) and kerb weight (but greater frontal area, I'd wager), kick the s
t out of it on a daily basis, and never see less than 40MPG out of it, typically 45-48MPG. It also pulls strongly from about 1400 to 4000rpm, not peaky at all.I can only think the A6 you had was gebroken in some way.
Don't think I'm some sort of DERV lover either; there are masses of awful diesels out there, even today, and there are things about even the better VAG & BMW units I still don't like (artificially restricted torque when pulling away etc.).
When I'm paying the bills and doing 15-20k a year I have to go for a diesel. If I was only doing 5-6k a year then a petrol would perhaps make more sense.
StottyZr said:
Both with 200hp, would be about the same floor both auto's and they would drop to the correct gear and both produce a very similar amount of hp.
Except that the diesel wouldn't have to build so many revs or drop as far as its on power already? floor both auto's and they would drop to the correct gear and both produce a very similar amount of hp.Back to back, I am certain that my 233 bhp diesel is faster than my 242 bhp petrol especially at overtaking, whether in full auto or tiptronic.
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff