Is petrol finally making a come back?
Discussion
Obviously this is likely to be short lived before we all go electric, but ive noticed recently a surprising number of new reg petrol mondeos. The petrol Mondeo has for some years been rarer than an Aston Martin and was almost extinct a year or two ago, but the ecoboost engine is getting some buyers. The new 1 litre Focus could well be the "sweet spot" in the range, based on the rave reviews I have read, just like the old 1.6 zetec was in many ways the sweetest of the Mk1 Focus models.....the new 1.4T Polo promises diesel economy and emissions and diesel engines are getting more and more expensive in order to meet euro laws (basically I guess coz diesel is fundamentally a dirty and smelly fuel!!)
.so is petrol making a last stand against diesel, before we move onto something else?
.so is petrol making a last stand against diesel, before we move onto something else?
Swapped diesel power for petrol power last weekend and absolutely loving it, and the joy of a quieter smoother engine is more than making up for lost mpg.
I hated the fact that the manufacturer's published 'official' mpg figures for the diesel weren't even close to being achievable - once others relaise they aren't always as economical as they're made out to be then maybe they like me will decide it's not worth the noise, additional cost at the pumps, and worry of blocked DPFs and exploding injectors at £1k a a pop....last bit there for dramatic effect.
I hated the fact that the manufacturer's published 'official' mpg figures for the diesel weren't even close to being achievable - once others relaise they aren't always as economical as they're made out to be then maybe they like me will decide it's not worth the noise, additional cost at the pumps, and worry of blocked DPFs and exploding injectors at £1k a a pop....last bit there for dramatic effect.
I think technology from the diesel brigade is making its way to petrol. I've been eyeing up a new C350 petrol and quite astonished really that the claimed mileage and tax band are what they say. Urban is claimed at 30mpg (probably a bit hopeful) but when you compare that plus the omissions to my old 2.5T focus its amazing what they've done with the V6.
Petrols now, to me at least, don't appear to be that much different in terms of economy.
Petrols now, to me at least, don't appear to be that much different in terms of economy.
yellowbentines said:
I hated the fact that the manufacturer's published 'official' mpg figures for the diesel weren't even close to being achievable
Ignoring for a moment that this applies to petrols - averaged over the last 2.5 years I've largely achieved the mpg quoted by the manufacturer for my car, so I think to say they are unachievable is a little extreme. There will be just as many people who will tell you they can match the figures as will tell you they can't get anywhere near. Driving style makes a big difference. Stitch said:
So presumably these new petrol engines will all be bullet-proof?
Sadly I'd imagine they will be as much trouble as the diesel engines are now.It isn't the fact a diesel was diesel that made them a reliability nightmare, it's all the extra crap bolted on to give them the levels of performance and economy which made them more attractive than the 90's stuff.
Now the petrol engines are getting the same stuff - result? Economical engines... with plenty to go wrong.
Fox- said:
Sadly I'd imagine they will be as much trouble as the diesel engines are now.
It isn't the fact a diesel was diesel that made them a reliability nightmare, it's all the extra crap bolted on to give them the levels of performance and economy which made them more attractive than the 90's stuff.
Now the petrol engines are getting the same stuff - result? Economical engines... with plenty to go wrong.
No, shouldn't be as bad. Although some of the tech is similar, petrols still won't have the super high compression ratios and boost levels. Also they won't need dmf and dpf.It isn't the fact a diesel was diesel that made them a reliability nightmare, it's all the extra crap bolted on to give them the levels of performance and economy which made them more attractive than the 90's stuff.
Now the petrol engines are getting the same stuff - result? Economical engines... with plenty to go wrong.
RenesisEvo said:
Ignoring for a moment that this applies to petrols - averaged over the last 2.5 years I've largely achieved the mpg quoted by the manufacturer for my car, so I think to say they are unachievable is a little extreme. There will be just as many people who will tell you they can match the figures as will tell you they can't get anywhere near. Driving style makes a big difference.
Well it was a C220 cdi - if anyone can get the extra urban claimed mpg of 71 I'll stand corrected, I'm sorry but in a heavy 4 door family saloon I think that's unachievable. The combined figure was 59, the urban 46 - I was getting 40-42 combined with mixed driving and a very light right foot.
The replacement (same age, same manufacturer, similar miles on clock) is petrol and getting 2-3mpg less than book but its not yet run in so that's to be expected.
I hear more people moan about getting nowhere near claimed mpg with diesel than I do petrol.
RenesisEvo said:
yellowbentines said:
I hated the fact that the manufacturer's published 'official' mpg figures for the diesel weren't even close to being achievable
Ignoring for a moment that this applies to petrols - averaged over the last 2.5 years I've largely achieved the mpg quoted by the manufacturer for my car, so I think to say they are unachievable is a little extreme. There will be just as many people who will tell you they can match the figures as will tell you they can't get anywhere near. Driving style makes a big difference. RobCrezz said:
No, shouldn't be as bad. Although some of the tech is similar, petrols still won't have the super high compression ratios and boost levels. Also they won't need dmf and dpf.
When you say super high compressions, how high are you talking? Mazda's Skyactiv petrol runs at 14:1, their Skyactiv diesel runs, yep you guessed it 14:1.
As for DPF's only being on diesels, it might be the case now, but it won't be that way for long - there are lots of manufacturers who are testing a petrol version. Add in high pressure direct injection for the petrol engine, and you start to realise that much of the technology used on diesels is finding its way onto petrol engines too
Superhoop said:
When you say super high compressions, how high are you talking?
Mazda's Skyactiv petrol runs at 14:1, their Skyactiv diesel runs, yep you guessed it 14:1.
As for DPF's only being on diesels, it might be the case now, but it won't be that way for long - there are lots of manufacturers who are testing a petrol version. Add in high pressure direct injection for the petrol engine, and you start to realise that much of the technology used on diesels is finding its way onto petrol engines too
What about boost pressure?Mazda's Skyactiv petrol runs at 14:1, their Skyactiv diesel runs, yep you guessed it 14:1.
As for DPF's only being on diesels, it might be the case now, but it won't be that way for long - there are lots of manufacturers who are testing a petrol version. Add in high pressure direct injection for the petrol engine, and you start to realise that much of the technology used on diesels is finding its way onto petrol engines too
Harji said:
They all got lazy producing heavy complicated highly stressed diesel engines. A bit of work and we have 1.0 petrol engines from Ford and Mazda's skyactive.
Apart from BMW, nobody really has any great diesel expansion plans?
Dont forget Fiat! They have been pioneers of small petrol engines for a long time just look at the twinair and multiair!Apart from BMW, nobody really has any great diesel expansion plans?
As long as the design is sound then I think they will be more reliable, they dont need the same fuel pressure, the DPF as mentioned and current petrol cars have DMF's but they dont seem to generate the same issues as they do on Diesel cars, perhaps its down to the diesel engines torque, inherant roughness of the compression ignition or design issues. I can see the Ford one being bullet proof, saw a video on the testing they did for their American turbo truck V6 and it was super rigourous, not saying everyone else doesnt but the failures do seem to be diesel specific, Autocar gave the new 1.0 Focus with 123 bhp a glowing report this week. All the development has been with diesel from about 95 it seems with no massive gains in tech for petrol cars, kind of business as usual, or at least ont he economy front.
So Diesel will be around for a while longer, petrol will resurface and Electric will eventually take over.
So Diesel will be around for a while longer, petrol will resurface and Electric will eventually take over.
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