Are my sums correct here

prospect

Cyrus wrote:

the thread had nothing to do with my purchase, i was more interested in seeing how the figures stacked up and it was for other people to use when making a decision, a lot of people pay a premium for diesel but only drive 10000 miles a year.

and to make a fair comparison lets compare the 335i vs the 335d

335d is nearly 2k more expensive but will save that in fuel over 2-3 years depending, both will have similar residuals as fuel type aside irish people have an averison to larger engines anyway.

the 335d is surely not any easier or more difficult to drive than the 335i, both have loads of power and loads of torque and are faster than each other in different situations.

for me id take the 335i, sportier sound and larger power band.

and the most people that want diesels that you refer to normally want the rocketship known as the passat 1.9tdi

id take a 335d if someone wanted to give me one tho!!!

Well I don't think there is any argument based on lower mileage, unless the cars have the same initial cost.
Also, as I said already, if this is purely a financial decision, then residuals must be considered.

I have no real personal experience of the 1.9tdi in the passat, and I share your sentiment that its 'rocketship' status does often seem exaggerated.

As for the purpose of this thread informing the masses about the pros and cons of petrol and diesel, you should consider that the most people would not be able to pick up, or be interested in the advantages you consider a petrol have as both are soley related to sporty driving, which is not everyones cup of tea.

cyborg

So to summarise !

Petrol
Pros -
better sound
smoother engine
Cheaper to buy
Possibly faster if you drive flat out all the time.

Cons -
higher depreciation
higher fuel consumption
Need to be kept on the boil to extract performance
People with diesel cars asking you how many MPG you get.

Diesel
Pros -
Less fuel consumption
Quicker & more relaxed in most everyday driving situations
lower depreciation

Cons -
Noise - 4pots bad 6 pots not so bad
more expensive to buy
Horrible diesel smell
People with petrol cars telling you their car is quicker round a track!

Cyrus

you forgot the horrible diesel smell

ciarsd

Cyrus wrote:

you forgot the horrible diesel smell

My pet hate

Why is it that the pump always has a lot of residue on it, the smell off my hand after filling up with diesel is horrible, stinks out the car momentarily!

cyborg

edited!

nastysimon

cyborg wrote:

So to summarise !

Petrol
Pros -
better sound
smoother engine
Cheaper to buy
Possibly faster if you drive flat out all the time.
Larger rev band

Cons -
higher depreciation
higher fuel consumption
Need to be kept on the boil to extract performance
People with diesel cars asking you how many MPG you get.

Diesel
Pros -
Less fuel consumption
Quicker & more relaxed in most everyday driving situations
lower depreciation

Cons -
Noise - 4pots bad 6 pots not so bad
more expensive to buy
Horrible diesel smell
People with petrol cars telling you their car is quicker round a track!

Additional petrol pros:
More responsive
Lighter engine
Better specific output
Quicker when all the rev band is used.

Additional diesel pros:
Better for the environment (less CO2)

galwaytt

unkel

galwaytt wrote:

Naturally, stats on paper aint what it's about.........

That's it. It is far harder to do 0-100km/h anywhere near the official figures in a petrol car compared to a modern diesel. Why? Because in a diesel you're nearly always in the max torque range even just before upshifting and just after downshifting. It takes a pro to get it right in a petrol. Us non-pros need a diesel or if we go petrol, we need an automatic

maidhc

If you drive by holding each gear to the red line a diesel will DISGUST you.

If you are a more sedate driver, who only uses the power when needed they a diesel will reward you by giving about 20mpg over its equivalent petrol, have more power on demand in higher gears, hold its value better, and hopefully do 200k miles without needing any money spent on it.

(Incidentally I got my car NCTed last week. Its soot was only 10% of the maximum allowable!)