Diesels and low mileages
Discussion
Am trying to find out a few more facts about why diesels are deemed to be a poor choice if your annual mileage is low; if you just use it to pop to the shops or for a commute of a few miles.
Why are diesels recommended only if your annual mileage is high; if you rep up and down motorways and do 20k or 30k + miles a year?
What are the actual facts about a diesel engine that make it a poor choice for low miles?
Why are diesels recommended only if your annual mileage is high; if you rep up and down motorways and do 20k or 30k + miles a year?
What are the actual facts about a diesel engine that make it a poor choice for low miles?
Because they take more time to warm up properly, so short trips are a big no no as the engine isn't even up to temperature, and they are only worth the approx 2/3k premium that diesel demands over petrol cars if you can offset that cost by doing more miles, enough to save at least 2/3k that you spent extra buying the diesel version 
Happy to be corrected
Happy to be corrected
aspirated said:
they are only worth the approx 2/3k premium that diesel demands over petrol cars if you can offset that cost by doing more miles, enough to save at least 2/3k that you spent extra buying the diesel version
Happy to be corrected
That's only a consideration if you are buying new/nearly new. At my end of the market the difference in price betwixt diesel and petrol is negligible (although the oil-burners are likely to have got higher mileages).Happy to be corrected
Diesel costs more to buy
Diesels warm up slower, and until they are up to temperature (Required for proper combustion) they use more fuel than the equivalent petrol.
Turbos don't like short runs ware the oil does not get up to temperature
Modern diesels go wrong a lot so cost per mile can be huge.
Diesels warm up slower, and until they are up to temperature (Required for proper combustion) they use more fuel than the equivalent petrol.
Turbos don't like short runs ware the oil does not get up to temperature
Modern diesels go wrong a lot so cost per mile can be huge.
Prizam said:
Diesel costs more to buy
Diesels warm up slower, and until they are up to temperature (Required for proper combustion) they use more fuel than the equivalent petrol.
Turbos don't like short runs ware the oil does not get up to temperature
Modern diesels go wrong a lot so cost per mile can be huge.
Coming from a 1.8 diesel focus to my cherry.Diesels warm up slower, and until they are up to temperature (Required for proper combustion) they use more fuel than the equivalent petrol.
Turbos don't like short runs ware the oil does not get up to temperature
Modern diesels go wrong a lot so cost per mile can be huge.
Focus used to get to temp 10 mins from college, cherry 1 minute from home and its already blasting hot air.
aspirated said:
Because they take more time to warm up properly, so short trips are a big no no as the engine isn't even up to temperature, and they are only worth the approx 2/3k premium that diesel demands over petrol cars if you can offset that cost by doing more miles, enough to save at least 2/3k that you spent extra buying the diesel version
Happy to be corrected
Fair point... But you'll always get that 2/3k back when you sell it on.Happy to be corrected
So if you can afford to outlay it in the first place you're not really losing out.
Just my two penneth.
3 years ago, my wife bought her previous car, a 2007 S-type 4.2, from a dealer that had an identical car (colour, mileage, history etc) but with the 2.7 twin turbo diesel. It was £2495 more to buy.
Now, my wife does around 8500 miles per annum, mostly dual carriageway for her commute. At the time, I put together a spreadsheet factoring in as many of the costs as I could thing of, including the timing belts / tensioner change that would have occurred during ownership of the diesel.
It worked out that the diesel would have made up that price differential in a little under 6 years, providing nothing major went wrong with, what can be, an inherently unreliable engine (although I understand the revised 3.0 is better).
When we traded it in this year, a few weeks later it was up for sale for £495 less than again, an identical but diesel S-type.
Interestingly, it sold within a week, when I though there was no market for large patrols.
Make of that what you will, but I'm just recounting our own experience.
HTH
3 years ago, my wife bought her previous car, a 2007 S-type 4.2, from a dealer that had an identical car (colour, mileage, history etc) but with the 2.7 twin turbo diesel. It was £2495 more to buy.
Now, my wife does around 8500 miles per annum, mostly dual carriageway for her commute. At the time, I put together a spreadsheet factoring in as many of the costs as I could thing of, including the timing belts / tensioner change that would have occurred during ownership of the diesel.
It worked out that the diesel would have made up that price differential in a little under 6 years, providing nothing major went wrong with, what can be, an inherently unreliable engine (although I understand the revised 3.0 is better).
When we traded it in this year, a few weeks later it was up for sale for £495 less than again, an identical but diesel S-type.
Interestingly, it sold within a week, when I though there was no market for large patrols.
Make of that what you will, but I'm just recounting our own experience.
HTH
Edited by V88Dicky on Friday 2nd August 10:30
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