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Diesel vs Petrol

1K views 11 replies 10 participants last post by  forehead 
#1 ·
I have recently moved away from my work and where my round trip used to be 15 miles it is now closer to 80 so my 1.8 ZR fuel consumption has shot up dramatically.

Im planning on getting a cheap little run around to use for about 6 months until I find a job closer to home and then sell it on to my little sister who should hopefully be driving by then but Im torn between getting something like a 1.7 diesel or a 1.1 petrol. What do you lot think would work out to be more economical and how does the insurance and tax compare between the two?
 
#2 ·
The choice not only depends on th figures but your preferences and your driving style. Personally, if I was driving 40 miles to work, I'd want something with a decent bit of power under the right pedal as a long journey in an underpowered car can be firing and frustating. If you're the same then diesel is the only way to go. Only consider a petrol if you don't mind a hefty drop in performance.
A natural suggestion would be a ZR or 25 TD. They're easily capable of 50mpg but real-world performance will equal if not better that of your 120. The 25 may be a better prospect due to greater comfort and cheaper insurance and buying costs.
 
#7 ·
The choice not only depends on th figures but your preferences and your driving style. Personally, if I was driving 40 miles to work, I'd want something with a decent bit of power under the right pedal as a long journey in an underpowered car can be firing and frustating.
I did originally get the 120 so that when the need arose (getting round a lorry or old dear) I could floor it and have no problem getting past, but since I have had to start watching my fuel consumption I have had to go along at 50mph everywhere, which is embarrassing when people carriers come zooming up behind and tale gate me!

After posting this thread I had another long search on autotrader and ebay and found a few cheap (which is important) little petrols and compared them to the slightly more expensive diesels and Im now leaning towards the petrols as they are cheaper to buy and insure so the money I save from that I could save up and when I get my new job I could buy a decent car.... maybe my lotus I've been after :D

Im going to look at a 1993 Rover Metro 1.1 tomorrow which is similar to my first car and I loved that so hopefully this one will be as good to me!
 
#4 ·
I wouldn't say that diesel in a small car works out any cheaper than Petrol nowadays. First you pay a premium for a diesel engine and then on a small car the savings don't typically add upto that much.

Also bear in mind that however much the Diesel brigade go on about how much Diesels have improved, they still sound like a tractor from cold! Also Diesels are heavier than petrol engines and this can effect handling. I noticed for example that Auto Express loved the petrol XJ in this weeks road test but commented that the diesel was not as good round the corners because of the added weight. Probably not a consideration for you but the advantages of going Diesel are not what they once were.
 
#6 ·
I used to do more then that in a 1.1 saxo, peice of ****. 75bhp or 175bhp, makes no difference if you spend a lot of it sat about in traffic.
A decent little fiesta or corsa will crack 50mpg no bother, and are just as comfortable as anything else out there.
 
#8 ·
Perosnally I'd stump up the extra money to fuel the ZR then do 400 miles a week in a Metro. The Metro is a grand car for a cross-town pootle, not an 80 mile commute. If you want cheap, look at a 200 diesel. Comfortable, fairly nippy and cheap to buy and run.
 
#9 ·
I guess it leans more to cost and driving style...

I learned to drive in a diesel and owned one for a year (2006 renault clio 1.5 DCI), loved the torque pulling me round corners, just up the road from me is a massive hill, I have to go up it everyday its about 1/3 of a mile up, in a diesel I could just run up it in 3rd at 2500 rpm.

Now a petrol doesn't like that kind of behaviour, but give it a boot and they howl much more nicely :D

Problem is you have to offset the cost of the diesel against petrol, they say if your given a petrol 1.8 or a diesel 2.0 and drive for 10k a year, the difference is about £300 cheaper for diesel (average), any less than that and its a level playing field.....

Tell you what, test drive a diesel and a petrol and decide what you prefer... better than statistics or mpg, in the end you have to drive it
 
#10 ·
Fuel consumption wise, if you're going to get a car with oversized engine power and drive it at part throttle most of the time, then diesel is going to be a lot better than petrol.

If you are going to get a small car with a small engine and drive it at full throttle on the motorway or trunk roads a lot of the time, then it isn't worth going for a diesel.

The main difference between petrol and diesel engines is that petrol engines are very inefficient at part throttle, whereas diesels are efficient over a wide range of power. With the throttle full open (as with an car with an undersized engine driving on a motorway), the efficiency of petrol engines begin to approach that of diesels. If you want a big engine with some degree of fuel efficiency, or a not too small car with good city driving efficiency, a diesel wins hands down.
 
#11 ·
Diesels have come on a looooong way in recent years, and as someone said above, in a small car you're looking at a matter a couple pence per mile difference. Things like saxo's will do 40 as a pterol and 46 as a diesel, so not much to write home about.

If you're looking at one of the newer diesels then different story, our audi 1.6tdi does an average of 64mpg over the last 4000 miles, thats a big jump.

I'd take a look at the Corsa 1.7cdti in 90bhp form, manages mid 50's, and cheap as you like, just make sure you top it up with oil every month.
 
#12 ·
A 103hp 2.0L 200 or 400 would give at least 45mpg on that sort of journey and given the journey I am faced with have starting looking for a nice 113hp ZS on an 04 / 54 plate so am listening to my own advice.

I have regularly seen L series with 100k + and these are still going strong and are reliable.
 
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