Another diesel/DPF query

Daysha

I'm currently doing 8,000 miles a year in my 2011 Mazda3 1.6 petrol. I've driven petrols all my life because I was under the assumption that I don't do enough miles to warrant a diesel. Now I'm in the market to upgrade to the new model Mazda3 but unfortunately petrols are extremely hard to come by, so I'm racking my brains on whether I should finally make the plunge to diesel. Two questions...

When people say it needs a 'good spin' every once in a while, what exactly are we talking? I'll admit my current journeys are very short...10 minutes to and from work, the same length anytime I head to town, and in the last month I've needed to do a 100+ mile round trip just once. If I need to go on a 30/40 minute motorway drive every 2 weeks to keep the car in good nick I don't mind doing that (I'd much rather that then pay crazy money on getting a petrol imported). But if it needs to be more often I'd probably reconsider.

And would a 2.2 diesel engine need to be taken for this 'good spin' any more or any less than a 1.6? Again it's the 2.2 engines that are everywhere in these new Mazda 3s, and 1.6s are extremely scarce.

Thanks for your help.

grogi

Daysha wrote: »

And would a 2.2 diesel engine need to be taken for this 'good spin' any more or any less than a 1.6? Again it's the 2.2 engines that are everywhere in these new Mazda 3s, and 1.6s are extremely scarce.

Thanks for your help.

Don't get a Mazda diesel... Not the best one out there...

Renault/Nissan 1.5dCi is very good for city driving - it has 5th injector, so the DPF can clean without those spins you were talking about. In recent years they fixed the lubrication issue in those motors.

bazz26

Have a look at hybrids and plug in electric vehicles to widen your choice of non diesel cars, the likes of the Toyota Prius, Auris and Nissan Leaf are available and are probably more suitable and less likely to give you problems than a diesel.

zizou_

grogi wrote: »

Don't get a Mazda diesel... Not the best one out there...

Renault/Nissan 1.5dCi is very good for city driving - it has 5th injector, so the DPF can clean without those spins you were talking about. In recent years they fixed the lubrication issue in those motors.

@grogi - I had a look online about the Nissan/Renault dci engine and the link below from honestjohn suggests the 1.6 has an improved design. Is this the same engine or something different altogether? Sounds like a good step forward if true.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/caradvice/honestjohn/10433365/Will-my-Nissan-Qashqai-dCis-DPF-be-a-problem.html

grogi

zizou_ wrote: »

@grogi - I had a look online about the Nissan/Renault dci engine and the link below from honestjohn suggests the 1.6 has an improved design. Is this the same engine or something different altogether? Sounds like a good step forward if true.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/caradvice/honestjohn/10433365/Will-my-Nissan-Qashqai-dCis-DPF-be-a-problem.html

With 1.6 dCi they have introduced an updated oil pump. This was brought to the 1.5 dCi as well.

_Brian

I don't care what changes have been made to diesels, doing that sort of
Milage OP should be buying a petrol car.
Diesels are suited to high milage drives and petrol to lower city style driving that op is obviously doing.

dev100

Daysha wrote:

When people say it needs a 'good spin' every once in a while, what exactly are we talking? I'll admit my current journeys are very short...10 minutes to and from work, the same length anytime I head to town, and in the last month I've needed to do a 100+ mile round trip just once. If I need to go on a 30/40 minute motorway drive every 2 weeks to keep the car in good nick I don't mind doing that (I'd much rather that then pay crazy money on getting a petrol imported). But if it needs to be more often I'd probably reconsider.

To make a diesel pay for itself you need to be doing 50 km plus trips to make it economical . I wouldn't go for a big diesel engine for short journeys . If I were doing your mileage I'd be aiming for an electric car or hybrid but preference would be electric.

run_Forrest_run

would you consider a Honda Civic? There are plenty of petrol models out there. Granted the 1.4 isn't the fastest around but it's good for city driving. Also there is the faster 1.8 available.