Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie
Please note that it is not permitted to have referral links posted in your signature. Keep these links contained in the appropriate forum. Thank you.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2055940817/signature-rules
Hi there,
There is an issue with role permissions that is being worked on at the moment.
If you are having trouble with access or permissions on regional forums please post here to get access: https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058365403/you-do-not-have-permission-for-that#latest

Diesel Vs Petrol

  • 11-10-2011 5:39pm
    #1
    ugglasdav
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 564 ✭✭✭


    i know people have seen this thread before, but i would like to discuss it further.
    in general are diesels better than petrol in modern cars, if you had both a diesel and a petrol car to do 100,000 miles and where looked after the same way which would cost u less

    Are diesels as reliable as petrol?

    Are they as powerful as petrol cars these days?

    if the journey is short, do diesels have better mpg?

    can a diesel go for longer without a service?

    also some people say diesels can go for about twice the mileage a petrol car can go if it is looked after


Comments

  • #2
    gyppo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,648 ✭✭✭gyppo


    ugglasdav wrote: »
    i know people have seen this thread before, but i would like to discuss it further.
    in general are diesels better than petrol in modern cars, if you had both a diesel and a petrol car to do 100,000 miles and where looked after the same way which would cost u less

    Are diesels as reliable as petrol?
    No. In theory they should be more reliable though.
    ugglasdav wrote: »
    Are they as powerful as petrol cars these days?
    Yes - most modern ones are.
    ugglasdav wrote: »
    if the journey is short, do diesels have better mpg?
    Marginal, I would say.
    ugglasdav wrote: »
    can a diesel go for longer without a service?
    No.
    ugglasdav wrote: »
    also some people say diesels can go for about twice the mileage a petrol car can go if it is looked after
    Open to further discussion. Modern diesel engines are more stressed than the earlier generation ones, in that more power is expended from them, than those of 10/20 years ago. When modern diesels do go wrong, you need deep pockets.


  • #3
    dougie-lampkin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 677 ✭✭✭dougie-lampkin


    ugglasdav wrote: »
    Are diesels as reliable as petrol?

    With modern petrols and diesels the question should nearly be rephrased as "Are diesels as unreliable as petrol?" :P I read of a lot more cases of diesel problems than petrol ones on this forum at least though.
    ugglasdav wrote: »
    Are they as powerful as petrol cars these days?

    Not at all. Compare a two litre turbo diesel to a two litre turbo petrol. BMW's new two litre turbo straight 4 petrol makes 245 bhp. Whereas VW's current comparable TDI engine makes 170 bhp in its most powerful incarnation. The petrol will also be far more refined and smoother throughout the range, and on the cruise won't be that much less efficient than the diesel.

    Another example is the VAG 1.4 TSFI as against the 1.9 TDI. Despite its lower capacity, the petrol puts out more power. It could be said the 1.4 doesn't have enough torque to propel the Earth through space and time like the 1.9 though. Lad.
    ugglasdav wrote: »
    if the journey is short, do diesels have better mpg?

    That's debatable, but usually yes. But on the flip side, short journeys are said to be the cause of modern diesel unreliability.
    ugglasdav wrote: »
    can a diesel go for longer without a service?

    Not quite, the diesel is quite a finicky motor in comparison to the petrol. I've heard of 90's Jap petrol cars going 10's of thousands of miles between services, and not showing a sign of it. I wouldn't be so sure a diesel would be as happy about it.
    ugglasdav wrote: »
    also some people say diesels can go for about twice the mileage a petrol car can go if it is looked after

    There's a reason most high mileage taxis are petrol Jap cars :pac:


  • #4
    ugglasdav
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 564 ✭✭✭ugglasdav


    some good points there dougie, but could you expand a bit more on why diesels are alot less reliable in general and why they can also be unreliable on shorter journeys.


  • #5
    Squall19
    Closed Accounts Posts: 565 ✭✭✭Squall19


    Don't agree about the Turbo Petrol's Dougie.

    I have a 2.3 one now and no matter how you drive it won't get anywhere near the mpg a diesel can.

    I don't know if it's gearing or what but my car drinks petrol crusing at 75 mph, while a 3.0 diesel is just idling, a strong 170bhp 2.0 diesel will be very easy on the juice on that speed.

    Maybe the new 2.0 turbo petrol is different.

    But pre 2009 2.0l Turbo Petrol Mitsubishi, Ford, Opel, Mazda, Subaru, etc drink petrol at motorway speeds compared to a good 2.0l Diesel.

    They are tuned for performance, not economy/performance like a diesel.


Advertisement