Should I Go Diesel

[Dearnla]

Depreciation will cost you loads more than fuel, so buy carefully. So the less it costs in the first place, the less you will lose when you sell.
So, for ultimate economy, buy a £500 banger with a year's ticket - even if you chuck it away after the year, it will have cost you less than any new car.....

Or to put it another way, YES.

[gingerjedi]

I recently had to drive a 1.6 petrol Astra for a week or so while my regular car, a 2.0 diesel Volvo, was off the road.

Average fuel prices in my area are 128.1/ltr for petrol and 132.6 for diesel.

This equates to £5.82/gallon for petrol and £6.00/gallon for diesel.

According to the trip computers on the two I got 35mpg out of the Astra and I get 45mpg from the Volvo.

This works out to 23p/mile for petrol and 13p/m for diesel.

These figures are from a daily 120 mile round trip split between A roads and motorway.

ps. As a car the Astra was tulip.

£5.82 / 35 = 16.6p per mile Shirley?

Are you a climatologist?

[Lumiere]

So, for ultimate economy, buy a £500 banger with a year's ticket - even if you chuck it away after the year, it will have cost you less than any new car.....

Presuming it does not break, which is gambling and possible time off the road.

[DimPrawn]

Go for the deisel. Cheaper (and better in snowy conditions during the coming ice age).

FWIW Honda do bloody good deisel engines.

I'm curious to know why a diesel is better in snowy conditions, seeing diesel starts to turn to wax in cold temperatures and petrol doesn't?

Diesel engines tend to be heavier too, which is no advantage on snow.

[DaveB]

I'm curious to know why a diesel is better in snowy conditions, seeing diesel starts to turn to wax in cold temperatures and petrol doesn't?

Diesel engines tend to be heavier too, which is no advantage on snow.

Diesels tend to have a lot more torque at low revs making it easier to drive without spinning the wheels.

Waxing of diesel fuel isn't an issue these days as additives are used to prevent it happening. My Diesel engined Volvo started and ran quite happily at -14 during the recent cold snap.

Having more weight over the driving wheels helps a lot with low speed grip in slippery conditions as well.

[TykeMerc]

Diesels tend to have a lot more torque at low revs making it easier to drive without spinning the wheels.

Waxing of diesel fuel isn't an issue these days as additives are used to prevent it happening. My Diesel engined Volvo started and ran quite happily at -14 during the recent cold snap.

Having more weight over the driving wheels helps a lot with low speed grip in slippery conditions as well.

/Agree on all counts.

I'd think with the higher tax rate on diesel fuel and the premium you pay for the vehicle to start off with unless you're doing a fairly high mileage it's debatable if there's any financial benefit to diesel these days.

[DaveB]

/Agree on all counts.

I'd think with the higher tax rate on diesel fuel and the premium you pay for the vehicle to start off with unless you're doing a fairly high mileage it's debatable if there's any financial benefit to diesel these days.

3.6p per mile cheaper with diesel according to my (corrected by GingerJedi) calculations. That's a tenner a week based on the OP's predicted mileage.

[stek]

When I did my 500 miles a week contract, I had a diesel Pug 405, never got more than 44mpg from it. Then I got an Alfa 166 (still have it) an I could get 42mpg out of it, more normally tho, 38mpg.

Diesel fuel more expensive, needs more regular servicing, plus that horrible diesel over-rev when changing gear, much prefer petrol.

[Paddy]

When I did my 500 miles a week contract, I had a diesel Pug 405, never got more than 44mpg from it. Then I got an Alfa 166 (still have it) an I could get 42mpg out of it, more normally tho, 38mpg.

Diesel fuel more expensive, needs more regular servicing, plus that horrible diesel over-rev when changing gear, much prefer petrol.

Obviously something wrong with your Pug. The PSU 1.9TD was one of the best made that’s why taxi drivers bought the 300,000 to 500,000 miles are not uncommon.

[stek]

Obviously something wrong with your Pug. The PSU 1.9TD was one of the best made that’s why taxi drivers bought the 300,000 to 500,000 miles are not uncommon.

Was old - P reg, 208,000 miles on it when the electrics went wonky so I flogged it.