diesel or petrol?

paratus · 18-05-2007, 15:18

I was thinking of getting a Fabia VRS or standard diesel Fabia but someone told me that diesel cars are more expensive to run unless you do long journey. Is this true and if it is approx how much more expensive are they for someone who does mostly (80%) city runs?

Octygone · 18-05-2007, 15:21

Generally more expensive to buy ...actually cost less to run and when you sell it you get a fair bit of the, extra it cost ot buy, back as well

ScoobyChris · 18-05-2007, 15:23

If you're only doing short journeys the car will not get great fuel economy as the engine will not be running at it's optimum temperature so will be running "rich".

Chris

paratus · 18-05-2007, 15:35

OK thanks thats understood.

Are diesel engines more reliable than petrol and do they last longer or are they both more or less the same?

Octygone · 18-05-2007, 15:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by paratus

OK thanks thats understood.

Are diesel engines more reliable than petrol and do they last longer or are they both more or less the same?

Diesel is normally more reliable and should last longer ...i have a pd130 engine (same as the VRs) and it does 50mpg on a long run and around 36 mpg around town and short trips....the Fabia vrs will do more mpg as it is lighter than mine

ScoobyChris · 18-05-2007, 15:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by paratus

Are diesel engines more reliable than petrol and do they last longer or are they both more or less the same?

These days, as long as they're looked after, I'd expect both to run to similar mileages......

Chris

Mike Austin · 18-05-2007, 19:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by ScoobyChris

If you're only doing long journeys the car will not get great fuel economy as the engine will not be running at it's optimum temperature so will be running "rich".

Chris

Guess you meant 'short' journeys there?

bryand · 18-05-2007, 19:55

I'm a dieselhead, so I'm biassed, but I get the feeling that there are more 'engine problems' threads on here from petrol owners than diesel owners.

It takes about 20 minutes for my Fabia vRS to get thoroughly warm: any journey shorter than that (from cold) won't be super-economical, just more economical than petrol.

lfc958 · 18-05-2007, 20:40

Diesel - Common theory is that you should exceed 16K miles p.a. and hold the car for at least 3 years, to make the cost of purchase worth while.

Petrol - These are better for constant short journeys fuel wise, but you will not get the best economy out of any engine, doing lots of short journeys.

In all honesty I would say if you are not going to exceed 16K miles p.a. then go with petrol.

ScoobyChris · 18-05-2007, 21:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Austin

Guess you meant 'short' journeys there?

Good spot! Now fixed

Chris

Chris GB · 18-05-2007, 21:07

Commercially, you will need to cover on average 56,000 miles to reap the benefits of going diesel in the average car. New car tax brackets may make that a little lower.

Reliability and service wise, a diesel is a lower revving engine, so should see a quarter of a million miles if not abused. IMO only larger petrol engines are good for that sort of mileage. Diesel can also cost more to service.

Chris

ChrisRs · 19-05-2007, 20:00

Coming from a VW Bora with a 2.0 petrol which gave me 19mpg around town. Now I get 38mpg on the same journey. Easy answer isnt it?!!

Dmac1969 · 20-05-2007, 16:15

I get 36-38 mpg around town in my 1.4 8V mk1 Fabia , not sure if the 1.2 12V in the new car is more economical than that , although I'd reckon it will be , since its a newer engine. I dont see the need to have a diesel with the miles I do (£12 of petrol lasts me a fortnight!!) , the only reason I'd go diesel is the fact that Skoda have only fitted the TD engine in the top spec Fabia (vRS), if there was a petrol vRS I'd not go near a heavy oiler.

ChrisRs · 20-05-2007, 17:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dmac1969

I get 36-38 mpg around town in my 1.4 8V mk1 Fabia , not sure if the 1.2 12V in the new car is more economical than that , although I'd reckon it will be , since its a newer engine. I dont see the need to have a diesel with the miles I do (£12 of petrol lasts me a fortnight!!) , the only reason I'd go diesel is the fact that Skoda have only fitted the TD engine in the top spec Fabia (vRS), if there was a petrol vRS I'd not go near a heavy oiler.

Youve not owned a diesel then?
I, like you appear, was not convinced. I am now a total convert. I will never have a petrol engined car again!!
BTW you can get aTDi engine in lower spec cars in the range

nickrees · 20-05-2007, 20:44

Depends how long you intend to keep the car and how many miles you do. The improved economy offsets the initial extra price in the long term. Diesels are generally more reliable than petrol engined vehicles and diesels don't rot their exhaust systems like petrol cars do especially on short runs. When you eventually trade in the diesel you'll get a better price than the petrol but the longer you keep it the smaller the difference. What the local constabulary do is buy BMW or Mercedes diesels and sell them after 3 years and 100,000 miles or so and they reckon they're quids in!

Mike Austin · 21-05-2007, 02:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChrisRs

Youve not owned a diesel then?

But maybe he has driven behind them

. I frequently have to close my vents. I did try a VRS - and it was good - but I opted for petrol.

ScoobyChris · 21-05-2007, 21:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Austin

But maybe he has driven behind them

. I frequently have to close my vents. I did try a VRS - and it was good - but I opted for petrol.

Damn straight! If I had a choice, I'd be picking a petrol every time

Chris

Dmac1969 · 21-05-2007, 21:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChrisRs

Youve not owned a diesel then?
I, like you appear, was not convinced. I am now a total convert. I will never have a petrol engined car again!!
BTW you can get aTDi engine in lower spec cars in the range

No , none of my 18 cars have been diesel! That might change for number 19 , depending on price and availibilty of Fabia vRS' in approx 2 years time , also , it will depend on whether I can get a brand new Fabia Mk2 to the spec I want on a PCP scheme for less money than I can buy a minter of a 2nd hand vRS on ordinary finance/Personal Loan. MPG doesnt come into it for me (ive done 8000 miles in 2 years in my Fabia!) but I have to say , if the vRS was availible with the 1.8T petrol (like it ought to have been) then I would only be looking at these , and not the 130PS diesel.

alltorque · 23-05-2007, 23:11

In terms of engine life; both petrol and diesel engines should far exceed your normal ownership life. One of our local taxi guys bought a new Octy 1.9 TDi estate recently. His old 1.9TDi saloon was just over 4 years old and was worth about 7p as it had 400k+ miles on it, (trouble free). He gave it to his wife who now uses it as the school-run / shopping trolley car. Last time I saw him the "new" Octy was approx 6 weeks old and had 14k miles on it. I like driving but that's plainly ridiculous.

18-05-2007, 15:18	#1
paratus Briskodian Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 65 Members Car: Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	diesel or petrol? I was thinking of getting a Fabia VRS or standard diesel Fabia but someone told me that diesel cars are more expensive to run unless you do long journey. Is this true and if it is approx how much more expensive are they for someone who does mostly (80%) city runs? __________________ When there are no more tears left life carrys on.

18-05-2007, 15:21	#2
Octygone Old Git Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Wiltshire Posts: 6,967 Members Car: Octavia Elegance combi 1.9tdi Images: 1 Thanks: 192 Thanked 128 Times in 84 Posts	Re: diesel or petrol? Generally more expensive to buy ...actually cost less to run and when you sell it you get a fair bit of the, extra it cost ot buy, back as well __________________

18-05-2007, 15:23	#3
ScoobyChris Briskodian Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Andover Posts: 18,265 Members Car: Fiat Panda Thanks: 16 Thanked 352 Times in 303 Posts	Re: diesel or petrol? If you're only doing short journeys the car will not get great fuel economy as the engine will not be running at it's optimum temperature so will be running "rich". Chris __________________ Holding up the traffic in a little Italian.......... Last edited by ScoobyChris; 18-05-2007 at 21:06.

18-05-2007, 15:35	#4
paratus Briskodian Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 65 Members Car: Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: diesel or petrol? OK thanks thats understood. Are diesel engines more reliable than petrol and do they last longer or are they both more or less the same? __________________ When there are no more tears left life carrys on.

18-05-2007, 19:55	#8
bryand Fabian Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 1,767 Members Car: Volvo C30 2.0D Thanks: 1 Thanked 21 Times in 19 Posts	Re: diesel or petrol? I'm a dieselhead, so I'm biassed, but I get the feeling that there are more 'engine problems' threads on here from petrol owners than diesel owners. It takes about 20 minutes for my Fabia vRS to get thoroughly warm: any journey shorter than that (from cold) won't be super-economical, just more economical than petrol.

18-05-2007, 20:40	#9
lfc958 500 Power Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Kent Posts: 4,089 Members Car: Fiat 500 Thanks: 16 Thanked 27 Times in 27 Posts	Re: diesel or petrol? Diesel - Common theory is that you should exceed 16K miles p.a. and hold the car for at least 3 years, to make the cost of purchase worth while. Petrol - These are better for constant short journeys fuel wise, but you will not get the best economy out of any engine, doing lots of short journeys. In all honesty I would say if you are not going to exceed 16K miles p.a. then go with petrol. __________________ Steve Man-Bag ? Girlie Car ? - You Decide ( I have - it's neither )

18-05-2007, 21:07	#11
Chris GB Briskodian Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: East UK Posts: 2,612 Members Car: Mini Cooper D Thanks: 19 Thanked 53 Times in 31 Posts	Re: diesel or petrol? Commercially, you will need to cover on average 56,000 miles to reap the benefits of going diesel in the average car. New car tax brackets may make that a little lower. Reliability and service wise, a diesel is a lower revving engine, so should see a quarter of a million miles if not abused. IMO only larger petrol engines are good for that sort of mileage. Diesel can also cost more to service. Chris __________________ Red Fabia vRS. Gone but not forgotten. Chilli Red / white Mini Cooper Diesel with dual controls. Silver 53 MR2. Mods: PPE 4>1 manifold \| PPE Mangnaflow high flow cat \| Blueflame catback exhaust \| Pikey inlet mod \| 3.0 Racing Chassis stiffening brace kit \| BC Racing fully adjustable coilovers \| TF loud. Details here My MR2 Page

19-05-2007, 20:00	#12
ChrisRs Skonda Fabic Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 4,962 Members Car: Honda Civic 2.2 i-ctdi Type S GT Thanks: 16 Thanked 20 Times in 19 Posts	Re: diesel or petrol? Coming from a VW Bora with a 2.0 petrol which gave me 19mpg around town. Now I get 38mpg on the same journey. Easy answer isnt it?!!

20-05-2007, 16:15	#13
Dmac1969 Briskodian Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Berwick upon Tweed , Northumberland. Posts: 2,564 Members Car: Fabia 1.4 MPi Comfort Images: 1 Thanks: 21 Thanked 66 Times in 53 Posts	Re: diesel or petrol? I get 36-38 mpg around town in my 1.4 8V mk1 Fabia , not sure if the 1.2 12V in the new car is more economical than that , although I'd reckon it will be , since its a newer engine. I dont see the need to have a diesel with the miles I do (£12 of petrol lasts me a fortnight!!) , the only reason I'd go diesel is the fact that Skoda have only fitted the TD engine in the top spec Fabia (vRS), if there was a petrol vRS I'd not go near a heavy oiler. __________________ Duncan - England's most Northerly Briskodian! 2000/V reg Fabia 1.4 Mpi Comfort-Dynamic Blue Ex Octavia vRS and Octavia Slxi 1.8T.

20-05-2007, 20:44	#15
nickrees Briskodian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Darlington Posts: 35 Members Car: Octavia Scout Tdi Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: diesel or petrol? Depends how long you intend to keep the car and how many miles you do. The improved economy offsets the initial extra price in the long term. Diesels are generally more reliable than petrol engined vehicles and diesels don't rot their exhaust systems like petrol cars do especially on short runs. When you eventually trade in the diesel you'll get a better price than the petrol but the longer you keep it the smaller the difference. What the local constabulary do is buy BMW or Mercedes diesels and sell them after 3 years and 100,000 miles or so and they reckon they're quids in!

23-05-2007, 23:11	#19
alltorque Briskodian Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Lincoln Posts: 86 Members Car: '06 Volvo S60 D5 SE Geartronic Thanks: 3 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Re: diesel or petrol? In terms of engine life; both petrol and diesel engines should far exceed your normal ownership life. One of our local taxi guys bought a new Octy 1.9 TDi estate recently. His old 1.9TDi saloon was just over 4 years old and was worth about 7p as it had 400k+ miles on it, (trouble free). He gave it to his wife who now uses it as the school-run / shopping trolley car. Last time I saw him the "new" Octy was approx 6 weeks old and had 14k miles on it. I like driving but that's plainly ridiculous. __________________ Fabia vRS - Now departed and replaced by : Volvo S60 D5(185bhp) SE Geartonic. Bit of a cruise missile.

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode