6k miles p/a diesel or petrol

[adsvx220]

Me and the wife are in the Market for a new car. We both want a BMW 3 series but I want a 6 pot petrol and she wants a 320d as she thinks it will save us money on fuel bills.

We hardly drive as I have a work van and she rides to work every day so we only use the car for the weekly shop and days out etc. So the most we cover a year is 6k miles.

Would it be more cost effective to go the diesel route or to go and buy the proper petrol.

Hopefully you guys can prove her wrong.

Thanks in advance.

Adam

[kambites]

New or used? And to keep for how long?

[Johnnytheboy]

Petrol.

IIRC any annual mileage under 10-12k, petrol's a better bet.

[Rawwr]

A decent 2nd hand 760iL could save you a fortune.

[V88Dicky]

What's the budget?

[XTR2Turbo]

don't get a modern (post 2010ish) diesel with a dpf if doing such short journeys all the time.

[10 Pence Short]

Why go the effort of taking a smack in the cock with depreciation on a new car that's going to spend 95% of the time decorating your drive?

Buy a 2 year old low mileage petrol one and spunk the saving on a decent holiday. You might even get laid.

[RizzoTheRat]

I'm a diesel fanboy but for 6k/year get a petrol, for the same age/condition car the saving on the purchace price will will be way more than you'll save in fuel, and as others have said modenr DPF equipped diesels don't always like short journeys.

[danyeates]

Depends on the type of driving. I'm always doing short trips around country lanes and into town. I just changed our diesel Octavia for a petrol 1.6 Civic and it's doing more MPG than the diesel and petrol is cheaper!

If we were running on the motorway the Octavia diesel would be much better. Just depends on your driving style and the types of roads you're on. I found the diesel wouldn't warm up by the time I got into work in the morning. Not good for the DPF or fuel economy.

[jvl]

2011 330i Coupe 37.7 mpg @ £1.32 per litre over 6000 miles = £950 per year fuel cost
2011 330d Coupe 45.6 mpg @ £1.37 per litre over 6000 miles = £820 per year fuel cost

The 330d is actually faster 0-60 and saves you £130 per year in fuel and £20 per year in tax if you drive 6000 miles.

[Johnnytheboy]

jvl said:

2011 330i Coupe 37.7 mpg @ £1.32 per litre over 6000 miles = £950 per year fuel cost
2011 330d Coupe 45.6 mpg @ £1.37 per litre over 6000 miles = £820 per year fuel cost

The 330d is actually faster 0-60 and saves you £130 per year in fuel and £20 per year in tax if you drive 6000 miles.

How do servicing costs and new/used values compare though?

[danyeates]

jvl said:

2011 330i Coupe 37.7 mpg @ £1.32 per litre over 6000 miles = £950 per year fuel cost
2011 330d Coupe 45.6 mpg @ £1.37 per litre over 6000 miles = £820 per year fuel cost

The 330d is actually faster 0-60 and saves you £130 per year in fuel and £20 per year in tax if you drive 6000 miles.

45 mpg from the 330d? I'd doubt it would be anywhere near that if you're doing short/slow journeys round town etc. My Octavia was doing 40-42mpg.

[jvl]

danyeates said:

45 mpg from the 330d? I'd doubt it would be anywhere near that if you're doing short/slow journeys round town etc. My Octavia was doing 40-42mpg.

I just took the figures off autotrader for combined mpg, no idea how accurate that is.

[V88Dicky]

Right. Done some sums.

As you haven't given a budget, I'll have to guess. Let's say you had £12k to spend on a 320d;
6000 miles at 49.6 mpg (combined) will cost you £748 in fuel (135.9ppl) and £165 per year VED.

TOTAL COST = £913


325i;
6000 miles at 39.8 mpg (combined) will cost £896 in fuel (130.9ppl) and £190 per year VED.

TOTAL COST = £1086

So. £173 a year, £14.45 per month or £3.60 a week EXTRA to run a 325i over a 320d.

One catch though. Because diesels are perceived to be more economical, they carry quite a premium, and consequently, an equivalent petrol engined 3 series will be at least £1500 cheaper to buy.

[kambites]

V88Dicky said:

One catch though. Because diesels are perceived to be more economical, they carry quite a premium, and consequently, an equivalent petrol engined 3 series will be at least £1500 cheaper to buy.

And may be worth 2k less when he comes to sell it? That's why we don't have enough information.

[adsvx220]

We have a max of £7500 to spend. Driving round town and very little motorway use I also service my own cars. And I am probably looking at no older than say 6-8 years old.

[KaraK]

adsvx220 said:

We have a max of £7500 to spend. Driving round town and very little motorway use I also service my own cars. And I am probably looking at no older than say 6-8 years old.

I've got nothing against diesel but based on the driving you are talking about and total mileage I would say go with the petrol - the running costs are going to be very similar in terms of fuel and I would suggest that the diesel has the higher chance of hitting you with a massive bill.

[ADEuk]

Unless your using it as a taxi, go petrol

[aka_kerrly]

KaraK said:

I would suggest that the diesel has the higher chance of hitting you with a massive bill.

This is exactly why I would buy a petrol version. Do a search on swirl flaps, DPF, fuel injectors an fuel pumps for diesel engines and the £100 a year in fuel saving will be blown into oblivion by 1 major repair bill.

[Waugh-terfall]

My Dad does roughly 16k a year in a thirsty petrol V6 Audi barge, it still just about works out cheaper for him to drive that when compared to the equivalent 2.7TDI. His boss does similar and just changed a 3.0TDI A6 for a supercharged 3.0 V6 S4 Avant.

My petrol 4-pot will see 50+mpg fully loaded on a 70/75mph motorway cruise.

Punch you wife in the fanny and tell her you are taking a 330/335i and that is final.