Pre 2008 Diesel vs Petrol

jduffy3

Hi,

Looking to buy a car. Toyota Corolla 1.4 engine. I'm just starting out driving and hear these are fairly reliable. Having started to keep a look around my area I see them everywhere and have come to the conclusion they are very reliable. My family own one as well but they live in the country and drive a diesel.

My question:

I live in the city but plan to not use the car all that often- perhaps just shopping and the occasional rainy day I'm not cycling. Other than that I'll probably be hitting the motorway. Which would make more sense, buying a diesel or a petrol?

Note:
I'm aware of the DPF and DMF for diesel cars to be worried about. Since I'm buying pre 2008 I don't think this should be a concern. The DPF in particular anyway.

Thanks for any helpful replies!

JohnBoy26

Get a petrol version. For your requirements it's perfect and a nice one will be easier to find and cheaper to buy than the diesel version. Aim for strata or Luna spec. Avoid the basic Terra spec.

The Bishop Basher

If your car use is that occasional I would definitely go with petrol if for no other reason then it's cheaper to buy.

ShaunieVW

Absolutely go for the petrol version. They are usually cheaper to buy and maintain. The advantages of diesel only come in with high mileage. I'm in a diesel atm due to needing one for work(zero public transport here). I'd love to be back in a petrol. They are so much more refined than there diesel variant especially pre 08 cars. For city driving the mpg will by negligible also as that's not diesels strong point.

JohnBoy26

The 1.4 d4d isn't really that much more to maintain than the petrol version though. It's almost as refined as well.

jduffy3

Thanks for all the quick responses.

Sounds like Petrol is the way forward. I've budgeted about 4k.
To clarify as well. I don't plan on driving a lot in the city- but obviously if I have a car and the weather isn't the best I'll be taking it out.

The only time I'd then be driving it is mostly on weekends travelling/exploring Ireland. That's why I was considering Diesel. Also my family live in the country and most tout the benefits of Diesel. Luckily they aren't trying to brainwash me either!

Jesus.

ShaunieVW wrote: »

I'm in a diesel atm due to needing one for work(zero public transport here). I'd love to be back in a petrol. They are so much more refined than there diesel variant.

I'm in a petrol atm due to cost but I'd love to be in a diesel. Petrol's are torque-less noisy pains in the arse (hundreds of exceptions excluded). If its down to money alone the OP should go for a petrol but if he can afford a few extra quid its diesel all the way, especially since his driving will be on the Motorway,

Cee-Jay-Cee

Jesus. wrote: »

I'm in a petrol atm due to cost but I'd love to be in a diesel. Petrol's are torque-less noisy pains in the arse (hundreds of exceptions excluded). If its down to money alone the OP should go for a petrol but if he can afford a few extra quid its diesel all the way, especially since his driving will be on the Motorway,

The OP has a budget of €4K. He doesn't need a diesel for the odd motorway journey, a petrol car suits their needs perfectly. The 1.4 Corolla is plenty fast and economical (they'll do 42-45mpg on the motorway and only slightly less around town)

You are typical of the type of person who thinks they need diesel cars. The OP will do the odd journey on a motorway so automatically you declare he/she needs a diesel (which will have higher servicing costs, higher purchase price and only marginal fuel savings costs) even though they may only do 100-200km a week maximum!

In reality the vast majority of the population only require a petrol car but they're brainwashed into thinking that the €20 a week they might save in fuel cost and the €200 a year in tax savings justifies the €4000 higher purchase costs along with the €300 pa higher servicing/maintenance costs.

shietpilot

The 1.4 D4D is a brilliant little diesel engine and nothing really goes wrong with them when compared to other modern diesel engines. I would really say there isn't much difference between owning the 1.4 petrol or 1.4 D4D besides initial purchase cost and fuelling costs...

Jesus.

Cee-Jay-Cee wrote: »

The OP has a budget of €4K. He doesn't need a diesel for the odd motorway journey, a petrol car suits their needs perfectly. The 1.4 Corolla is plenty fast and economical (they'll do 42-45mpg on the motorway and only slightly less around town) You are typical of the type of person who thinks they need diesel cars. The OP will do the odd journey on a motorway so automatically you declare he/she needs a diesel (which will have higher servicing costs, higher purchase price and only marginal fuel savings costs) even though they may only do 100-200km a week maximum! In reality the vast majority of the population only require a petrol car but they're brainwashed into thinking that the €20 a week they might save in fuel cost and the €200 a year in tax savings justifies the €4000 higher purchase costs along with the €300 pa higher servicing/maintenance costs.

You've missed my point entirely. I'm saying that if its a case of cost then he should go petrol (I agree with you there!). But if its performance and driving satisfaction he's after then he's better off stumping up for a diesel.



(A 1.4 Corolla isn't plenty fast either)

Jimmy Garlic

You would be getting about 50-55 mpg with the D4d, 30-35 with the petrol. A significant difference. There isn't much between the D4d and the petrol in terms of refinement. I'd go with the diesel.

Jimmy Garlic

Cee-Jay-Cee wrote: »

(they'll do 42-45mpg on the motorway and only slightly less around town)

That is a very optimistic mpg figure. Wife had one, she was getting nowhere near that mpg. About 35-40 on motorways. Down into the high 20s around town.

jduffy3

Originally I was considering buying a diesel but I was worried I might mess it up if I was occasionally driving it around the city.

If that is not the case- I would prefer to buy a diesel as I've driven them before and do like the feel. In saying that I haven't tried the petrol.

Basically I'm wondering:

Petrol v Diesel in Toyota Corolla pre 2008. I'm living in the city so there will be some city driving but other than that will probably be taking it for long trips (i.e. hitting the motorway).

So if I went for a diesel would I regret it because I live in the city and would be doing small trips (getting the shopping). Could I potentially mess something up because of those small trips? Would I then be better off with a Petrol (and save potentially ruining a good car if those occasional small trips are really that bad)?

CiniO

Jesus. wrote: »

You've missed my point entirely. I'm saying that if its a case of cost then he should go petrol (I agree with you there!). But if its performance and driving satisfaction he's after then he's better off stumping up for a diesel.



(A 1.4 Corolla isn't plenty fast either)

In general, when people look for performance or driving satisfaction, they buy petrol cars.

Jesus.

jduffy3 wrote: »

If that is not the case- I would prefer to buy a diesel as I've driven them before and do like the feel. In saying that I haven't tried the petrol.

Its a better feel than a petrol. Lots of fellas are stone mad on revving the shyte out of little petrols but I reckon they're just a vocal minority.

jduffy3 wrote: »

I'm living in the city so there will be some city driving but other than that will probably be taking it for long trips (i.e. hitting the motorway).

You'll be grand with the diesel if you're hitting the motorway semi-regularly. That said, if you're pottering around the City more than you're letting on, you should go petrol for sure.

CiniO

jduffy3 wrote: »

So if I went for a diesel would I regret it because I live in the city and would be doing small trips (getting the shopping). Could I potentially mess something up because of those small trips? Would I then be better off with a Petrol (and save potentially ruining a good car if those occasional small trips are really that bad)?

Diesels have 3 problems.
1. Are more expensive to buy than petrol equivalent cars. (this might not be the case with older cars due tax regime)
2. Might have DMF which might fail and is expensive to replace
3. Might have DPF which might fail and is expensive to replace.

Now. About (1) you know straigh on when buying which car costs you more.
About (2) driving in the city means more running on low revs, more starts and stops, more gear changes. That will kill DMF quicker than motorway driving usually.
About (3) - DPFs need regular longer spins where car works at higher revs for prelonged period of time so they can do regeneration. If you're going to regularly drive on a motorway, there should be no problem with that.

Bear in mind though, that diesel's better fuel economy than petrol's, might suffer greatly on short runs, as diesel economy is poor when engine is running cold, and it takes much longer for diesel engine to warm up comparing to petrol.
Example - if you mostly do f.e. 5km runs, your diesel engine might provide much worse fuel economy than petrol car would provide. Simply because this diesel will always run cold, while petrol will have enough time to warm up half way that distance and dramatically improve fuel economy in second part of each run.

IMO - unless you are going to do more than 25 - 30k km per year, I wouldn't buy a diesel.

Special Circumstances

jduffy3 wrote: »

Originally I was considering buying a diesel but I was worried I might mess it up if I was occasionally driving it around the city.

If that is not the case- I would prefer to buy a diesel as I've driven them before and do like the feel. In saying that I haven't tried the petrol.

Basically I'm wondering:

Petrol v Diesel in Toyota Corolla pre 2008. I'm living in the city so there will be some city driving but other than that will probably be taking it for long trips (i.e. hitting the motorway).

So if I went for a diesel would I regret it because I live in the city and would be doing small trips (getting the shopping). Could I potentially mess something up because of those small trips? Would I then be better off with a Petrol (and save potentially ruining a good car if those occasional small trips are really that bad)?

Buy diesel, delete all emissions controls, bask in the awesomeness of lower running costs and less CO2. The system is rigged in such a way that, unless you're a petrol head, you'd be mad not to.

jduffy3

Jesus. wrote: »

You'll be grand with the diesel if you're hitting the motorway semi-regularly. That said, if you're pottering around the City more than you're letting on, you should go petrol for sure.

Well I cycle to work so really in the city it would just be for doing the weekly shopping and I'd say that's about it. I suppose what's considered pottering?

Cee-Jay-Cee

Jimmy Garlic wrote: »

That is a very optimistic mpg figure. Wife had one, she was getting nowhere near that mpg. About 35-40 on motorways. Down into the high 20s around town.

My wife also had one. Consistently 40-42mpg on her 16km (return) daily commute and up to 45/46mpg on long journeys. It was an 03 car and she kept it 7 years. I checked it regularly and she reset it after filling every single time. In winter that figure dropped to 38/39mpg.

The figures above were from the trip computer but I regularly checked it after a fill and it was very close to the trip computer figure. Sometimes the actual figure was slightly less (1-2mpg) sometimes it was actually higher.

shietpilot

CiniO wrote: »

Diesels have 3 problems.
1. Are more expensive to buy than petrol equivalent cars. (this might not be the case with older cars due tax regime)
2. Might have DMF which might fail and is expensive to replace
3. Might have DPF which might fail and is expensive to replace.

Now. About (1) you know straigh on when buying which car costs you more.
About (2) driving in the city means more running on low revs, more starts and stops, more gear changes. That will kill DMF quicker than motorway driving usually.
About (3) - DPFs need regular longer spins where car works at higher revs for prelonged period of time so they can do regeneration. If you're going to regularly drive on a motorway, there should be no problem with that.

Bear in mind though, that diesel's better fuel economy than petrol's, might suffer greatly on short runs, as diesel economy is poor when engine is running cold, and it takes much longer for diesel engine to warm up comparing to petrol.
Example - if you mostly do f.e. 5km runs, your diesel engine might provide much worse fuel economy than petrol car would provide. Simply because this diesel will always run cold, while petrol will have enough time to warm up half way that distance and dramatically improve fuel economy in second part of each run.

IMO - unless you are going to do more than 25 - 30k km per year, I wouldn't buy a diesel.

As far I have heard the 1.4 D4D doesn't have a DMF (that or it's the most reliable DMF as I've never heard of one being changed or can't find one for sale) and no DPF.

jduffy3

shietpilot wrote: »

As far I have heard the 1.4 D4D doesn't have a DMF (that or it's the most reliable DMF as I've never heard of one being changed or can't find one for sale) and no DPF.

Exactly. At the top of my post I've mentioned the awareness of DPF and DMF.
As far as I know there is no DPF especially in pre 2008 Toyota Corollas.

The DMF I was aware of but not sure how easily I could potentially mess that up.

Bear in mind that I really do only plan on using this car for getting the weekly shopping in the boot. Other than that, I would plan to use if for long trips that would more than likely take me onto the motorway.

shietpilot

jduffy3 wrote: »

Exactly. At the top of my post I've mentioned the awareness of DPF and DMF.
As far as I know there is no DPF especially in pre 2008 Toyota Corollas.

The DMF I was aware of but not sure how easily I could potentially mess that up.

Bear in mind that I really do only plan on using this car for getting the weekly shopping in the boot. Other than that, I would plan to use if for long trips that would more than likely take me onto the motorway.

Well my only concern would be the EGR valve clogging up but it's a fairly common problem anyway even if you drive high motorway miles. You need to give the diesel engines some breathing once every 2 weeks by driving in a lower gear at higher revs for a bit.

In my own car I noticed if I drive very economically at say 50+ MPG and then put the foot down momentarily, the cars behind me would be covered in black smoke probably caused by the soot build up. If you drive it at a quicker pace with fuel consumption at 40+ MPG you never see this because the car gets to breathe.

IMO you can't go wrong with that 1.4 D4D though. Get one with a good service history and you'll have trouble-free motoring. Buy what you want to drive and not what others tell you on an online forum. There's nothing worse buying something that someone else likes and regretting it because you don't enjoy it!

bear1

Op, how often will you going on a journey which isn't to the shops and back?

bazz26

Your 4k will buy you a far better condition and lower mileage petrol Corolla than a diesel one.

jduffy3

bear1 wrote: »

Op, how often will you going on a journey which isn't to the shops and back?

It would be mainly on weekends. So I'd say about twice a month? Obviously I'm not going on a trip every weekend. I used to normally just rent a car and the cost was average enough. At this stage I think I'd prefer owning a car as then I could just get out and drive whenever I wanted.

bear1

jduffy3 wrote: »

It would be mainly on weekends. So I'd say about twice a month? Obviously I'm not going on a trip every weekend. I used to normally just rent a car and the cost was average enough. At this stage I think I'd prefer owning a car as then I could just get out and drive whenever I wanted.

Is the distance far to your parents?
Do yourself a favour, get a petrol one.

JohnBoy26

bazz26 wrote: »

Your 4k will buy you a far better condition and lower mileage petrol Corolla than a diesel one.

This op. You can get a very nice hatchback 05-06 corolla 1.4 vvti Luna for around 3.5k these days. The 1.4 d4d version is equally as good but they cost more and good ones with reasonable mileage are difficult to find and expensive to buy.

colm_mcm

The other thing with diesel corollas is they're pretty dead when they're cold. If you're doing short journies you'll never get the full (limited) power out of it.

The Bishop Basher

Cee-Jay-Cee wrote: »

The OP has a budget of €4K. He doesn't need a diesel for the odd motorway journey, a petrol car suits their needs perfectly. The 1.4 Corolla is plenty fast and economical (they'll do 42-45mpg on the motorway and only slightly less around town)

If he's doing a bunch of long runs at the weekend, Diesel is a better option.

Cee-Jay-Cee wrote: »

You are typical of the type of person who thinks they need diesel cars. The OP will do the odd journey on a motorway so automatically you declare he/she needs a diesel (which will have higher servicing costs, higher purchase price and only marginal fuel savings costs) even though they may only do 100-200km a week maximum!

And you are typical of the group think regarding Diesels on boards.

What are the higher service costs on a Diesel ? I've asked on here before and so far the only thing anyone could come up with is more frequent tyre changes due to more weight.

Higher purchase price is offset by the higher selling price.

To claim marginal fuel savings on long runs is nonsense. Diesels are far more economical for motorway driving and even the biggest Diesel critics on here would have to admit that.

Cee-Jay-Cee wrote: »

In reality the vast majority of the population only require a petrol car but they're brainwashed into thinking that the €20 a week they might save in fuel cost and the €200 a year in tax savings justifies the €4000 higher purchase costs along with the €300 pa higher servicing/maintenance costs.

You're making a lot of assumptions about other people's choice of car. You're also making judgements about their personal choices based on your own assumptions and bias. You cannot and do not have the remotest idea why other people make the choices they do despite the fact that those choices appear to rub you up the wrong way.

It's all too easy for people on here to recommend petrol to anyone doing less then 30k a year but they won't be the ones filling up 3 times a week or watching the needle drop like a stone on the motorway.

OP- I orginally said petrol as you said it was just for the odd short trip in the city but if you're doing long runs at the weekends, Diesel is the way to go....

bear1

Tbf diesels do have higher maintenance requirements.
Op said it isn't a bunch of weekend trips but seems to be max twice a month... Maybe.
You can have intercooler failure, turbo failure, boost sensor failures, boost pipes splitting, egr clogging up.. Also until they are at least to 70 degrees you cant really open the taps as the oil is still cold.
Honestly for the odd weekend away it simply isn't worth it.
But hey it's your money op.

Vodamoan

Petrol petrol petrol all the way for short city driving spins. Diesel for long "exhaust clearing journeys" You will buy a petrol car for a lot less €€ than a diesel.

The Bishop Basher

bear1 wrote: »

Tbf diesels do have higher maintenance requirements.

What are they though ?

I've owned numerous petrols and diesels, I do all my own servicing, and i've noticed no difference whatsoever in maintenance costs. It's a line that's constantly trotted out here but i've yet to see anyone back it up with facts.

bear1 wrote: »

You can have intercooler failure, turbo failure, boost sensor failures, boost pipes splitting, egr clogging up..

You say that as if nothing can ever go wrong with a petrol which is obviously not true. The most expensive repairs i've had with cars have been parts not related to the engine or fuel type in any way whatsoever. Petrol cars can have just as expensive repairs depending on the issue. If we all avoided motors to avoid expensive repairs we'd all be walking. It's a flawed argument.

bear1 wrote: »

Also until they are at least to 70 degrees you cant really open the taps as the oil is still cold.

You can start opening them up at 50. You're talking about a minute or 2 between 50 and 70. Another minute or 2 between 70 and 90. I agree that time is a precious commodity but lets be honest, the couple of minutes more that it takes a diesel to warm up will be irrelevant on any kind of decent run.

bear1 wrote: »

Honestly for the odd weekend away it simply isn't worth it.

If all he's doing is a couple of weekend trips cross country at the weekend then the car is being used primarily for long runs and it's more then worth it. Even if it's only one weekend in the month and the car sits up the rest of the time, it's still worth it. The frequency of the runs is totally irrelevant.

shietpilot

Swanner wrote: »

What are they though ?

I've owned numerous petrols and diesels, I do all my own servicing, and i've noticed no difference whatsoever in maintenance costs. It's a line that's constantly trotted out here but i've yet to see anyone back it up with facts.

Usually DMF/DPF issues although the 1.4 D4D Corolla doesn't have either one of those.

The Bishop Basher

shietpilot wrote: »

Usually DMF/DPF issues although the 1.4 D4D Corolla doesn't have either one of those.

Well I wouldn't consider either of these as maintenance. If they fail they will need a repair but other then that you just leave them be. Good general maintenance may extend the life of these parts but as above, if you're priority is to avoid the potential for expensive repair bills then don't buy a car of any sort.. Get yourself a bus pass instead.

Cars go wrong and cost money. Petrols can, do, and will cost just as much to repair for certain issues.

And even if he did have both, He's no more likely then anyone else is to have a DMF failure. He could just as easily have a clutch failure. or a pump failure, or any other type of failure. Given the driving he's describing he's not likely to experience a DPF failure either. And even if he did he can just whip it out for a permanent fix.

I'm not suggesting Diesels are faultless. They have their drawbacks just as petrols have their drawbacks. It's up to each individual to decide what meets their needs and wants and purchase on that basis preferably without the anti diesel brigade tut tutting and casting judgment on them for making their own personal decisions.

It gets very tedious seeing people spit out the anti diesel mantra that they've clearly just "learned" to mimic from reading a few posts on here without actually being able to substantiate what they're saying.

bear1

Swanner wrote: »

What are they though ?

I've owned numerous petrols and diesels, I do all my own servicing, and i've noticed no difference whatsoever in maintenance costs. It's a line that's constantly trotted out here but i've yet to see anyone back it up with facts.



You say that as if nothing can ever go wrong with a petrol which is obviously not true. The most expensive repairs i've had with cars have been parts not related to the engine or fuel type in any way whatsoever. Petrol cars can have just as expensive repairs depending on the issue. If we all avoided motors to avoid expensive repairs we'd all be walking. It's a flawed argument.



You can start opening them up at 50. You're talking about a minute or 2 between 50 and 70. Another minute or 2 between 70 and 90. I agree that time is a precious commodity but lets be honest, the couple of minutes more that it takes a diesel to warm up will be irrelevant on any kind of decent run.



If all he's doing is a couple of weekend trips cross country at the weekend then the car is being used primarily for long runs and it's more then worth it. Even if it's only one weekend in the month and the car sits up the rest of the time, it's still worth it. The frequency of the runs is totally irrelevant.

Before you lose the plot completely, I have a diesel. It does not take 1 minute to get from 50 to 70 and then 1 minute from 70-90.
If it's a cold day it will take at least 5min of normal driving before that needle starts creeping up and then after that another 2mins at least before you go up to 88/90 degrees.
It is a typical Irish response that any journey which is over 5km long must be done in a diesel.
The petrol Corollas are quite a frugal engine so getting a diesel to save 20e a week is bloody stupid.
You can try and prove that petrols can cost just as much as diesels to repair but it is simply not true.
I've already listed what can go wrong with a turbo diesel which cannot go wrong on a N/A petrol engine.
Opening up the TDI at 50 degrees? You mustn't give two ****s about the engine then.
Just because you didn't notice a difference does not mean there is no difference.
After a run do you also just turn off the car without letting it cool down?

The Bishop Basher

bear1 wrote: »

It does not take 1 minute to get from 50 to 70 and then 1 minute from 70-90.
If it's a cold day it will take at least 5min of normal driving before that needle starts creeping up and then after that another 2mins at least before you go up to 88/90 degrees.

I said a minute or 2 which is what it takes. Maybe yours takes a while to warm up and yes, first start on a very cold morning it will take longer but i had an X5 that was at full temp within 3 minutes first thing every morning. Granted the drive is uphill. Current car takes a bit longer but it doesn't make any difference at the start of a run. 5 mins / 7 mins / 3 mins, does it really matter ?

bear1 wrote: »

I've already listed what can go wrong with a turbo diesel which cannot go wrong on a N/A petrol engine.

And i've pointed out why it's a flawed argument. Things go wrong on cars and cost money. If you buy one expect a big bill at some stage. The bill will arrive whether your driving a petrol or a diesel so expect one regardless.

bear1 wrote: »

Opening up the TDI at 50 degrees? You mustn't give two ****s about the engine then.

Let's not get dramatic. I said start to open it up. I don't have a temp guage so I can only guess my temp anyway but i know roughly from measuring it before where it's at. I can assure you the vast majority of drivers don't give engine temp a seconds notice and while i'm not suggesting it's good for the engine, their cars don't all suddenly blow up. Never mind the number of cars being driven with failed stats and running at 55 / 60 degrees for months or even years without the driver ever knowing.

bear1 wrote: »

After a run do you also just turn off the car without letting it cool down?

Mostly I do, sometimes i don't. I don't always have time. Life gets in the way. I don't lose any sleep over it when I don't.

shietpilot

Swanner wrote: »

Let's not get dramatic. I said start to open it up. I don't have a temp guage so I can only guess my temp anyway but i know roughly from measuring it before where it's at. I can assure you the vast majority of drivers don't give engine temp a seconds notice and while i'm not suggesting it's good for the engine, their cars don't all suddenly blow up. Never mind the number of cars being driven with failed stats and running at 55 / 60 degrees for months or even years without the driver ever knowing.

Indeed I've noticed how my neighbours leave their houses in the mornings with diesels and it usually goes something like this:

1. Start engine
2. Shoe to the floor, head to work because I woke up 20 mins too late

bear1

Swanner wrote: »

I said a minute or 2 which is what it takes. Maybe yours takes a while to warm up and yes, first start on a very cold morning it will take longer but i had an X5 that was at full temp within 3 minutes first thing every morning. Granted the drive is uphill. Current car takes a bit longer but it doesn't make any difference at the start of a run. 5 mins / 7 mins / 3 mins, does it really matter ?



And i've pointed out why it's a flawed argument. Things go wrong on cars and cost money. If you buy one expect a big bill at some stage. The bill will arrive whether your driving a petrol or a diesel so expect one regardless.



Let's not get dramatic. I said start to open it up. I don't have a temp guage so I can only guess my temp anyway but i know roughly from measuring it before where it's at. I can assure you the vast majority of drivers don't give engine temp a seconds notice and while i'm not suggesting it's good for the engine, their cars don't all suddenly blow up. Never mind the number of cars being driven with failed stats and running at 55 / 60 degrees for months or even years without the driver ever knowing.



Mostly I do, sometimes i don't. I don't always have time. Life gets in the way. I don't lose any sleep over it when I don't.

Sorry, I just can't agree with you.
I've a B6 Passat and it doesn't take 1/2 mins to get up to temp no matter how I drive it.
I do let me car cool down after a run cause it will eventually affect my financial life if I don't.
A driver not knowing their stat isn't working is a completely different matter.
The argument here is that the OP really doesn't need a diesel and it would be a complete waste of time/money to even get one.
What are the common issues with a petrol Corolla? What huge bill could he expect?
I also never said that nothing goes wrong on a petrol car, I said that diesel require higher maintenance and I just showed that to be true.

The Bishop Basher

bear1 wrote: »

Sorry, I just can't agree with you.
I've a B6 Passat and it doesn't take 1/2 mins to get up to temp no matter how I drive it.
I do let me car cool down after a run cause it will eventually affect my financial life if I don't.
A driver not knowing their stat isn't working is a completely different matter.
The argument here is that the OP really doesn't need a diesel and it would be a complete waste of time/money to even get one.
What are the common issues with a petrol Corolla? What huge bill could he expect?
I also never said that nothing goes wrong on a petrol car, I said that diesel require higher maintenance and I just showed that to be true.

I never said 1 or 2 mins. But 3/4 I have had. But look we're talking about a couple of minutes either way. It just doesn't matter.

And I get that expensive parts can fail on a diesel but from reading boards you'd be left with the view that every diesel is a mechanical and financial time bomb but that's just not the case. Buy any decent well maintained engine with full service history and take care of it and you'll have a very very reliable engine. Diesel or petrol...

As for everything else sure we'll just have to agree to disagree.

bear1

Swanner wrote: »

I never said 1 or 2 mins. But 3/4 I have had. But look we're talking about a couple of minutes either way. It just doesn't matter.

And I get that expensive parts can fail on a diesel but from reading boards you'd be left with the view that every diesel is a mechanical and financial time bomb but that's just not the case. Buy any decent well maintained engine with full service history and take care of it and you'll have a very very reliable engine. Diesel or petrol...

As for everything else sure we'll just have to agree to disagree.

I have a diesel, not cause I just want to have it but because my requirements make it a necessity.
I just don't think buying a diesel car to pop down to the shops and maybe twice a month hit the motorway makes any sort of sense.
But sure, this is for the OP to decide so we may as well leave it there.

The Bishop Basher

I drive one because it's a better compromise between power and economy. The torque also really grows on you and i'd miss it now in a petrol

That said i've yet to own a Gs or an RX but both are always in the mix when changing cars..

grogi

bear1 wrote: »

I have a diesel, not cause I just want to have it but because my requirements make it a necessity.
I just don't think buying a diesel car to pop down to the shops and maybe twice a month hit the motorway makes any sort of sense.
But sure, this is for the OP to decide so we may as well leave it there.

The diesel/petrol discussion often goes to availability of particular cars too.

Grand, it should not be an issue for pre 2008, when there are plenty of petrols - but with newer cars you often don't have a choice and when you want anything more than poverty spec, you have to get a diesel.

Jimmy Garlic

bear1 wrote: »

Tbf diesels do have higher maintenance requirements.
Op said it isn't a bunch of weekend trips but seems to be max twice a month... Maybe.
You can have intercooler failure, turbo failure, boost sensor failures, boost pipes splitting, egr clogging up.. Also until they are at least to 70 degrees you cant really open the taps as the oil is still cold.
Honestly for the odd weekend away it simply isn't worth it.
But hey it's your money op.

It would take less than ten mins to warm one up on a cold day. We are not living in siberia here. Good practice to take it slightly handy until the needle starts rising in any diesel car. Not great for a petrol engine to have the bejaysus revved out of it cold either.

bear1

grogi wrote: »

The diesel/petrol discussion often goes to availability of particular cars too.

Grand, it should not be an issue for pre 2008, when there are plenty of petrols - but with newer cars you often don't have a choice and when you want anything more than poverty spec, you have to get a diesel.

This I would agree with it. But you can still find ok spec'd cars out there which aren't diesels for a relatively low budget.
Accord comes to mind.

Jimmy Garlic wrote: »

It would take less than ten mins to warm one up on a cold day. We are not living in siberia here. Good practice to take it slightly handy until the needle starts rising in any diesel car. Not great for a petrol engine to have the bejaysus revved out of it cold either.

I won't get back into the debate of warming a car up and if yours takes 10s or 10mins is relevant only to yourself. I include myself in this statement.
Not saying a petrol should be revved to the balls either.

JohnBoy26

The maintenance argument is pretty moot with a 1.4 d4d though. They don't really give any of the major issues that you see on other modern diesels and they aren't any more expensive to service than the petrol version.

The real argument here is weather the op needs a diesel or not. From what I see the petrol version is perfect for the op's requirements. The benefits of the diesel won't be felt with the type of driving they are doing + when you add in the cheaper purchase price of the petrol version and the fact that good examples with reasonable mileage are more plentiful it's a no brained really.

I wouldn't worry about using the petrol version for long distances either. The will still do 40+ mpg and they aren't bad on the motorway either for a 5 speed 1.4 n/a petrol car.

the.red.baron

Cee-Jay-Cee wrote: »

My wife also had one. Consistently 40-42mpg on her 16km (return) daily commute and up to 45/46mpg on long journeys. It was an 03 car and she kept it 7 years. I checked it regularly and she reset it after filling every single time. In winter that figure dropped to 38/39mpg.

The figures above were from the trip computer but I regularly checked it after a fill and it was very close to the trip computer figure. Sometimes the actual figure was slightly less (1-2mpg) sometimes it was actually higher.

40.9 on the right as we speak, thats just over 1000 miles

2001 1.4 VVTI

About 400 of that was cork and back me driving, was 48.8 driving economically

The rest was the missus, m50 and stop start city rush hour

jduffy3

Thanks for all the responses. It's a issue I've been debating with myself constantly before I even posted here. I didn't actually expect to see such a quick response!

Initially I wanted diesel but have been swayed by petrol every now and then. Because I can't determine whether Diesel suits how often I'll be driving.

Couple of things that sway me towards Diesel:

1 Familiarity
2 I've driven them before and like the feel
3 Searching on done deal - They seem much harder to find which I find convinces me that they are valued and worth it.
4 Hearing the saying and observing on DoneDeal "They hold their value"

What sways me toward Petrol:

1 Cost
2 They seem much easier to find and I'm getting really annoyed with not having a car.

Questions:

My driving lifestyle (which I'm not 100% sure means I should get Petrol) Will using it to do the local shopping in Galway city really cause problems in it? (Note. No this car would have no DPF or DMF!)

If it will cause problems then it's a no brainer to go with Petrol!

JohnBoy26

jduffy3 wrote: »

Thanks for all the responses. It's a issue I've been debating with myself constantly before I even posted here. I didn't actually expect to see such a quick response!

Initially I wanted diesel but have been swayed by petrol every now and then. Because I can't determine whether Diesel suits how often I'll be driving.

Couple of things that sway me towards Diesel:

1 Familiarity
2 I've driven them before and like the feel
3 Searching on done deal - They seem much harder to find which I find convinces me that they are valued and worth it.
4 Hearing the saying and observing on DoneDeal "They hold their value"

What sways me toward Petrol:

1 Cost
2 They seem much easier to find and I'm getting really annoyed with not having a car.

Questions:

My driving lifestyle (which I'm not 100% sure means I should get Petrol) Will using it to do the local shopping in Galway city really cause problems in it? (Note. No this car would have no DPF or DMF!)

If it will cause problems then it's a no brainer to go with Petrol!

It's unlikely to cause issues on the 1.4 diesel in the corolla. The petrol will suit your needs better though. I wouldn't worry about not being used to driving petrol cars, the corolla is a very easy car to drive so I don't think you'll have any issues in that regard.

bear1

jduffy3 wrote: »

Thanks for all the responses. It's a issue I've been debating with myself constantly before I even posted here. I didn't actually expect to see such a quick response!

Initially I wanted diesel but have been swayed by petrol every now and then. Because I can't determine whether Diesel suits how often I'll be driving.

Couple of things that sway me towards Diesel:

1 Familiarity
2 I've driven them before and like the feel
3 Searching on done deal - They seem much harder to find which I find convinces me that they are valued and worth it.
4 Hearing the saying and observing on DoneDeal "They hold their value"

What sways me toward Petrol:

1 Cost
2 They seem much easier to find and I'm getting really annoyed with not having a car.

Questions:

My driving lifestyle (which I'm not 100% sure means I should get Petrol) Will using it to do the local shopping in Galway city really cause problems in it? (Note. No this car would have no DPF or DMF!)

If it will cause problems then it's a no brainer to go with Petrol!

Please, for the love of God, do not use that as a reason to buy a car. Be it petrol or diesel.

oppenheimer1

bear1 wrote: »

Before you lose the plot completely, I have a diesel. It does not take 1 minute to get from 50 to 70 and then 1 minute from 70-90.
If it's a cold day it will take at least 5min of normal driving before that needle starts creeping up and then after that another 2mins at least before you go up to 88/90 degrees.
It is a typical Irish response that any journey which is over 5km long must be done in a diesel.
The petrol Corollas are quite a frugal engine so getting a diesel to save 20e a week is bloody stupid.
You can try and prove that petrols can cost just as much as diesels to repair but it is simply not true.
I've already listed what can go wrong with a turbo diesel which cannot go wrong on a N/A petrol engine.
Opening up the TDI at 50 degrees? You mustn't give two ****s about the engine then.
Just because you didn't notice a difference does not mean there is no difference.
After a run do you also just turn off the car without letting it cool down?

€20 a week is over a grand a year.

JohnBoy26

oppenheimer1 wrote: »

€20 a week is over a grand a year.

You'll save 2k on buying the petrol version though.