diesel or petrol? is it worth it on a smaller car?

[PermaBanned]

So Diesel is better in both situations? Why are we still using petrol then?

 

[Jonnycoupe]

So Diesel is better in both situations? Why are we still using petrol then?

Cos you dont find it in the bottom of childrens lungs?

 

[[TW]Fox]

So Diesel is better in both situations? Why are we still using petrol then?

Because a petrol engine is smoother, quieter, more refined and less intrusive?

Last thing i want when sat in a jam is DAG DAG DAG DAG DAG DAG DAG (diesel owners will deny and pretend their Golf diesel is silent at idle, it isnt).

 

[Bluelion]

i'm not sure what the soundproofing of a bmw 530d is like, but from my experience of the 330d and a number of vehicles from the VW range is that the DAG DAG DAG DAG DAG DAG DAG DAG is hardly intrusive inside the cabin while sat in a jam. In fact the frequent running of my fan system as it tries to cool the inefficient idling petrol engine is significantly louder.

Diesel engines are more efficient, offer better low rpm performance and in my opinion are more reliable. Petrol engines sound better and are more fun to drive. Decide your priorities and pick your poison.

edit: diesels stink and I'm commuting on the bicycle at the moment, choose petrol please

 

[The_Dark_Side]

Work out the difference between the purchase price of a petrol model over a diesel. Decide how long you're going to keep it then check the difference in price between used petrol and diesel models that are x years old (where x=the number of years you're going to keep it for), then work out how much in fuel you're typical annual mileage would cost for both models.
At that point you'll have a figure, but only you will know if that figure is significant enough to sway your decision. It's possible that the difference could be so small then your best course of action is to ignore the fuel type completely and simply buy the "right" car for you.

 

[Tute]

The reasons are the same for new or used. Diesels hold their money better so are more expensive to buy (diesel is also more expensive to buy) so you need to work out over your expected mileage the running costs of both.

Yes but it's a sliding scale. The cost of a diesel car over a petrol car is more of a percentage than a fixed value - for example a diesel variant is going to cost more over a petrol one when new than used.

And I wouldn't expect there to be much of a gap at all at £1000, for example.

There is no set "rule" - the prospective buyer needs to sit down and work out what would be cheaper rather than reading the tabloid "OMG 20K MILEZ" rubbish designed to shift copies.

owners will deny and pretend their Golf diesel is silent at idle, it isnt.

And petrol owners will try and pretend that the noise of a diesel engine should be a contributing factor in the buying decision.