diesel vs petrol power

Janesy B said:
Well that means you are not, by the time you declare these mods you might as well buy the quick version of the car rather than mess about. All you're given is what you think and hypothetically and told me to read the facts but you haven't presented any hard fact.
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digitalwolf said:
Problems with diesels is getting the power down.

0-60's are not really their strong points in all honesty.

Rolling at 20-30mph and booting it is more their forte.
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this is exactly it, you will struggle to find figures, as 0-60's and top speeds are similar, if not identical, look at the vag figures for golf 1.8t and pd 150 cars for example

its on the open road where it's noticible, and having driven many of these two cars, i can tell youy the diesel is quicker, and its not ALL IN MY MIND ;)
 
Housey said:
Both engines have their merrits but even your best diesel engine does not offer the sporting drive of your best petrol engine to any true petrol head and anyone who believes that isn't the case is misguided. The choice of which you prefer is subjective of course and a modern diesel engine is very very good for A to B driving, which most people do but as a sporting unit it simply lacks in noise, revs and response and no matter how much those with diesel may wish to argue those of use who have driven both and can be objective know that truth.

If you want to run up and down main roads and motorways for a living a diesel is a solid choice, if you want to go hooning or tracking it simply isn't, and a hot hatch with a diesel that betters its petrol counterpart in any objective view, assuming the petrol isnt a dog, is yet to be seen.
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I'll quote what I think are the most important bits from the above because people will doubtless skip past it.

This sums it up perfectly for me. Diesel engines just do not have the feel and characteristics that petrol engines do. Driving for me is all about feel, numbers (be they speed, G-force, power) have never concerned me. I just can't get the satisfaction I want and need from a diesel engine.
 
digitalwolf said:
Yes but you don't get the dollop of torque in the petrol like you do in the diesel out of the blocks. Hence poor traction.
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I'm pretty sure that at 30mph in 2nd gear a decent petrol engine is delivering a healthy dose of torque to the tarmac.

Note, tarmac, not flywheel.
 
digitalwolf said:
Yes but you don't get the dollop of torque in the petrol like you do in the diesel out of the blocks.
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I can see where you're coming from but I still think that when driven correctly a petrol car can have very good acceleration at any speed.
 
( |-| |2 ][ $;14202955 said:
Perhaps but either way the petrol is faster to 60 has a higher top speed and is lighter thus will probably be quicker around a track.
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yes, by 0.1 of a second. parkers claims 8.2 to the petrol and 8.3 to the diesel, with both topping out at 134.

the petrol is better on the track as they are much more enjoyable to rag than diesels.
having said that, the petrol GTi is a **** car.
 
[TW]Fox;14202962 said:
You can do this pretty well with a petrol engine in 2nd gear, as well.
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and first.


mjt said:
yes, by 0.1 of a second. parkers claims 8.2 to the petrol and 8.3 to the diesel, with both topping out at 134.

you have to remember thought that the petrol GTi is a **** car.
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It's not great I agree and regarding the 150 petrol I'd take the diesel, if the 180 petrol was an option though.....
 
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stinka said:
this is exactly it, you will struggle to find figures, as 0-60's and top speeds are similar, if not identical, look at the vag figures for golf 1.8t and pd 150 cars for example

its on the open road where it's noticible, and having driven many of these two cars, i can tell youy the diesel is quicker, and its not ALL IN MY MIND ;)
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I agree.
 
stinka said:
its on the open road where it's noticible, and having driven many of these two cars, i can tell youy the diesel is quicker, and its not ALL IN MY MIND ;)
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The diesel will feel quicker as its power delivery style is such that the rate of change in acceleration is quicker than the petrol car, but the petrol cars power delivery is more linear. This means the diesel has more 'urge' which makes you think its quicker than it is, whereas the petrol car lacks this shove which makes you think its slower than it is.
 
[TW]Fox;14202976 said:
I'm pretty sure that at 30mph in 2nd gear a decent petrol engine is delivering a healthy dose of torque to the tarmac.

Note, tarmac, not flywheel.
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Yes but we are not torquing - sorry - 300nm.

A tad bit of grease on the road and the traction control light will be flashing in 1st 2nd and maybe 3rd.
 
[TW]Fox;14202993 said:
The diesel will feel quicker as its power delivery style is such that the rate of change in acceleration is quicker than the petrol car, but the petrol cars power delivery is more linear. This means the diesel has more 'urge' which makes you think its quicker than it is, whereas the petrol car lacks this shove which makes you think its slower than it is.
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Is this not where a 6 speed diesel has the edge on a 5 speed petrol?
 
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