I bought a diesel because it was the only real option for the age of car I wanted. I used to drive a 330bhp 200Sx and now drive an XFS 3.0D and I love it. Yes I enjoy driving sporty cars etc no I dont need a diesel but I love it all the same else I would have sold it by now. I would happily buy another and am considering doing so next year.
Is it just me that prefers the drive of a diesel car?
- Thread starter -Mike-
- Start date
Soldato
- Joined
- 20 Feb 2010
- Posts
- 4,503
- Location
- Darkest Worcestershire
Diesel fuel smells, so I will stick with petrol.
At least in a low powered diesel, the lump of torque it rams into you gives the illusion of being quick compared to an equally low powered petrol. Once you're dealing with anything with a relevant amount of power, diesel has nothing but fuel efficiency going for it.
It came to me where I'd read it. AutoExpress ran a Tsi as one of their cars for a while and did 2-3 running reports. Of course I'd remembered it incorrectly, good ole Mk1 Gti, was a bit quicker.
http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/volkswagen/polo/19396/volkswagen-polo-second-report
Last edited:
You need to define the word "nicer" to be able to answer this question properly.
If the following is your definition of nicer:
* Easy (i.e. lazy) drive
* Fuel consumption that is about as good as the bore of the engine will allow (bit of a controversial one I know)
Then pound for pound a modern diesel will probably be the nicer drive compared to a petrol.
If "nicer" means:
* Responsive drive (fast throttle response etc.)
* Engaging drive (having to consider your current gear etc.)
* Nice noise (quiet when not on the go and a good noise when you are)
Then pound for pound a petrol engine will be the "nicer" drive.
Personally I stick with diesels as my car is a method for doing a boring commute which includes lots of stop-start traffic where being able to just raise the clutch to roll forwards makes things much nicer, if I'm not commuting then I'm doing a long trip somewhere. I never "engage" with my car or choose a longer route through twisty roads etc. unless it will take me less time to get somewhere. For me, a diesel car (of equivalent size to a petrol) is the "nicer" drive.
For most, especially on here where people actually care about their cars dynamics, the opposite will be true, hence petrol.
Personally I'm just waiting for a nice electric motored car (not bothered how the motor gets its juice as long as the range is good and the source reliable) so I can stick it in "drive" and have an even easier (i.e. "nicer") drive!
If the following is your definition of nicer:
* Easy (i.e. lazy) drive
* Fuel consumption that is about as good as the bore of the engine will allow (bit of a controversial one I know)
Then pound for pound a modern diesel will probably be the nicer drive compared to a petrol.
If "nicer" means:
* Responsive drive (fast throttle response etc.)
* Engaging drive (having to consider your current gear etc.)
* Nice noise (quiet when not on the go and a good noise when you are)
Then pound for pound a petrol engine will be the "nicer" drive.
Personally I stick with diesels as my car is a method for doing a boring commute which includes lots of stop-start traffic where being able to just raise the clutch to roll forwards makes things much nicer, if I'm not commuting then I'm doing a long trip somewhere. I never "engage" with my car or choose a longer route through twisty roads etc. unless it will take me less time to get somewhere. For me, a diesel car (of equivalent size to a petrol) is the "nicer" drive.
For most, especially on here where people actually care about their cars dynamics, the opposite will be true, hence petrol.
Personally I'm just waiting for a nice electric motored car (not bothered how the motor gets its juice as long as the range is good and the source reliable) so I can stick it in "drive" and have an even easier (i.e. "nicer") drive!
Caporegime
- Joined
- 18 Oct 2002
- Posts
- 37,804
- Location
- block 16, cell 12
Have you seen how most normies drive? Its like a race to 4th gear at 20mph. Shifting up as quickly as mechanically possible usually at 1.5-2k rpm is the golden rule. Thats in petrol cars too. Things like power bands and labouring an engine are like your talking japanese.
For this purpose I.e a quick pump and shift is ideal for a turbo diesel.
For this purpose I.e a quick pump and shift is ideal for a turbo diesel.
(sorry everyone)
Hmm.. do I stick my head above the wall ready to be shot down with battery acid ?
Yeah, what the hell !
I was a diesel-head for a while, with some petrol in between. Nothing spectacular from either camp, 306 TD, Xantia TD, Merc A170 Cdi, 405 Petrol Auto, AX Diesel, Rover 420Sdi, Vectra Dti (not all in that order)
Now I have a P... one of those hybrid things..
I have to say, I love it. Yeah, I spent some money to get it (redundancy after being into another job for a while), sure it's not fast, but it's got...
1) The low down get-away torque of a diesel.
2) The refinement of a petrol
3) The lazyness of an auto.
4) Mod-cons such as cruise, leather, aircon etc..
Granted, high-end torque is no match for diesels, so above about 50 it's being caught by the skin it just pulled from the pudding, but that's not what they're all about.
I exceed the economy of any of my previous cars ( plus some newer hire / company cars I've also driven for work ). Servicing is simple and cheap. Brakes last over 100k. No filters, flywheels etc..
If I gave up the P... what would I go back to... difficult one.. I love the diesel torque shove but they're getting far too complicated with emissions stuff nowadays.. I'd probably get another hybrid, just not the Honda system cos I'm not that impressed with the one in the other half's Jazz IMA.
Yeah, what the hell !
I was a diesel-head for a while, with some petrol in between. Nothing spectacular from either camp, 306 TD, Xantia TD, Merc A170 Cdi, 405 Petrol Auto, AX Diesel, Rover 420Sdi, Vectra Dti (not all in that order)
Now I have a P... one of those hybrid things..
I have to say, I love it. Yeah, I spent some money to get it (redundancy after being into another job for a while), sure it's not fast, but it's got...
1) The low down get-away torque of a diesel.
2) The refinement of a petrol
3) The lazyness of an auto.
4) Mod-cons such as cruise, leather, aircon etc..
Granted, high-end torque is no match for diesels, so above about 50 it's being caught by the skin it just pulled from the pudding, but that's not what they're all about.
I exceed the economy of any of my previous cars ( plus some newer hire / company cars I've also driven for work ). Servicing is simple and cheap. Brakes last over 100k. No filters, flywheels etc..
If I gave up the P... what would I go back to... difficult one.. I love the diesel torque shove but they're getting far too complicated with emissions stuff nowadays.. I'd probably get another hybrid, just not the Honda system cos I'm not that impressed with the one in the other half's Jazz IMA.
let me introduce you to the e46 m3...
http://rototest-research.eu/popup/performancegraphs.php?Flap=Graph&ChartsID=293
heres the closest i can find to mine
Caporegime
- Joined
- 18 Oct 2002
- Posts
- 37,804
- Location
- block 16, cell 12
Hugs 1280kg car with 240ps at 6000 rpm and 224lb/ft torque at 4000rpm.
For a motorway drive on hills I prefer a turbodiesel to small petrol with equivalent power. For some reason I just prefer not having to change down from top gear at cruising speed on the motorway.
My last car was a 2000 Octavia 1.9 tdi (pre-pd 110 BHP). Apart from the idle noise, I enjoyed driving it and liked the sound of the engine (in motion anyway). The variable vane turbo gave a more linear power delivery than some other turbodiesel engines I've driven.
Spent a small fortune on repeatedly fixing the Octavia before cutting my losses. That's put me off old diesels for the time being.
(disclosure - I have never driven a bigger petrol engine than a 2.0 litre 4 cylinder in a mk1 Focus and never owned a perol car with greater than a 1.4 engine. Cost is probably my number 1 motoring considration. I don't like the fuel consumption on big petrols and I don't like what I'm hearing about modern diesel reliability either)
My last car was a 2000 Octavia 1.9 tdi (pre-pd 110 BHP). Apart from the idle noise, I enjoyed driving it and liked the sound of the engine (in motion anyway). The variable vane turbo gave a more linear power delivery than some other turbodiesel engines I've driven.
Spent a small fortune on repeatedly fixing the Octavia before cutting my losses. That's put me off old diesels for the time being.
(disclosure - I have never driven a bigger petrol engine than a 2.0 litre 4 cylinder in a mk1 Focus and never owned a perol car with greater than a 1.4 engine. Cost is probably my number 1 motoring considration. I don't like the fuel consumption on big petrols and I don't like what I'm hearing about modern diesel reliability either)
Turbo petrols are the way forward. Large amounts of torque, 7-8krpm rev limit and a good noise. I'm currently driving a diesel most days and whilst it isn't bad, it certainly isn't a patch on my car. You get a half decent push from around 2500-3500rpm before it meets the cliff. It's a pain really, people say diesels are "lazy" but i find them harder work as you're forever changing gear to try and get into the power band.
As for the 335i avec Milltek - over 300ft/lbs of torque from 1900rpm to 5600rpm, with the full 340ft/lbs from around 2200rpm to 5000rpm. Lazy when you're feeling lazy - frisky when you're feeling frisky!! My kind of car.
As for the 335i avec Milltek - over 300ft/lbs of torque from 1900rpm to 5600rpm, with the full 340ft/lbs from around 2200rpm to 5000rpm. Lazy when you're feeling lazy - frisky when you're feeling frisky!! My kind of car.
Last edited:
I was thinking about this the other day... The amount of people that say they "prefer the drive of a diesel because of the low down torque". I hear it quite often and almost every time they are comparing a turbo diesel to a non turbo petrol and have not driven a turbo petrol to compare it to.
Turbo petrols tend to be in a different fuel consumption league! Also most car makers are moving away from / don't even sell n/a diesel lumps now.
Caporegime
- Joined
- 18 Oct 2002
- Posts
- 37,804
- Location
- block 16, cell 12
And apart from 90s Japanese hot cars turbo petrol havent been accessible in most standard motors. We've had an na phase but the turbo is back.
