Moving from Diesel to Petrol

breeno

Hi all

Not much of a car expert but looking to upgrade and was thinking about a Skoda Octavia as its spacious and seems pretty well kitted out for a decent price. I have a megane 1.5 diesel currently which is fine if a little clunky sometimes and reviews of the 1.0 petrol are largely very positive. Usage is a 10/15 minute commute each way daily and usual family stuff at the weekend and once a month Dublin to Clare and back. Maybe 15k max.

Just wondering is there a school of thought on petrol v diesel these days. Am I mad to consider it. Both seem as crazy per litre at the moment.

I think of a 1.0 litre and have visions of a little mini metro but they seem capable these days?

Would love to look at electric but it's probably just out of budget this time around.

micks_address

i went from Diesel to petrol in 2021, went from about 55 mpg in diesel octavia to 40 mpg in petrol tiguan.. 45 on longer runs.. bit less on shorter runs.. ive heard the 1 litre octavia can be thirsty.. the change didnt make much different to my costs as pretty much stopped my work commute due to covid.. i guess like anything else do your numbers.. for short journeys id have always said petrol was best anyway

GandhiwasfromBallyfermot

If the Megane is still in good shape I would just wait a while and save up for the electric.

micks_address

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119257657#Comment_119257657

might not be bad shout... most evs are a year waiting list now anyway... an extra year to save

breeno

Yea I'm weighing that up as well but the megane is 2015 now and conscious that the trade in is only going to dwindle more and more from here. A 3 year pcp stint in the cheaper Octavia maybe makes more sense in our current situation (double creche fees!) and then look electric next time.

breeno

But again I'm not an expert so if my logic is flawed please tell me!

GandhiwasfromBallyfermot

In fairness I would say the most economical thing to do would be to keep the Megane for a few more years if you don't owe any money on it, at least until the kids are out of creche. Cost savings on fuel would be very marginal if anything compared to the PCP payments and final lump sum you'd be signing up to for a new car even if you take off trade in value. But I do appreciate sometimes you want to treat yourself to an upgrade!

breeno

Thanks for that some food for thought. Still eager to hear from more people who have gone from Diesel to Petrol.

User1998

Changing from diesel to petrol is great but you should prioritise changing from manual to automatic if you haven’t already

Stallingrad

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119257902#Comment_119257902

Wife went from a 1.5dci Scenic to a 1.4 petrol Superb. A whole different world with regard to refinement, didn't miss the diesel for a day, and the 1.5dci was one of the better ones.

5.6l/100 Scenic

6.7/100 Superb

breeno

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119258827#Comment_119258827

I've never owned an auto but have test driven one and liked it a lot. Very smooth. Why would you say its a priority? Are they more economical generally?

breeno

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119258913#Comment_119258913

That's part of my thinking. The petrol is just a bit smoother than a diesel and more enjoyable maybe.

Jim_Hodge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119257902#Comment_119257902

I did it four years ago. Never regretted it for a minute. Smoother driving and my mileage didn't justify diesel .

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119259100#Comment_119259100

Yes automatics would be slightly better on fuel, but I just mean that if your looking for ways to have a better driving experience then swapping from manual to automatic will have a much bigger effect than swapping diesel for petrol, you know?

rsole1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119259392#Comment_119259392

Automatics are not better on fuel.

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119259501#Comment_119259501

Well the official fuel economy figures for most modern cars would disagree with you. Automatic is usually slightly more economical and can have up to 9 gears unlike the maximum of 6 in a manual.

bazz26

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119259501#Comment_119259501

This isn't 1990.

mr_edge_to_you

Switched from a Hyundai i40 1.7 diesel to a new 1.0 TSI Octavia. Absolutely love it. I'm getting the same MPG, hovering around 43mpg. I40 is a big car for that engine. On motorway journeys, with cc on at 115kph the mpg on the Octavia shoots up to 50mpg.

The big thing for me was that since covid, my commute is now only 10km each way. Not doing the mileage for a diesel (potential DPF issues). Also worth noting, that the diesel car is at least 2k more expensive than the petrol. That's a lot of fuel to use to justify the (normally) lower running cost of the diesel.

Also, the 1.0 petrol at 110bhp is so much nicer to drive than the 2.0 diesel at 115bhp. Have no hesitation in recommending it!

Mad_maxx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119259544#Comment_119259544

Been driving automatics for fifteen years, they are harder on fuel but it's absolutely worth it, hate manual

Lantus

Octavia is a great family car. I would consider hanging onto the megane and saving the monthlys you would be paying. At say 400 a month you would save 10k over 2 years and this would open your options re ev cars.

But as a petrol and diesel owner the petrol is smoother. An auto would be great for any start stop type journeys like yours. Diesel suits crunching motorway miles.

Henry Ford III

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119259392#Comment_119259392

Most automatics consume more fuel.