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When is diesel REALLY a cheaper option?

OpenToSuggestions

OpenToSuggestions

OpenToSuggestions

Soldato
Joined
5 Aug 2006
Posts
11,595
Location
Derbyshire
Today my local Tesco has unleaded at 89.9p, and diesel at 106.9p.

That is a 17p gap. I am assuming as many dopey people buy diesels to get better mpg the gap will just increase.

I had a look at the new focus 2.0 petrol and diesel on whatcar out of interest - Both engines have similar power.

Petrol averages 39.8mpg
100 miles = 2.513gallons = 11.42litres
11.42litres @ 89.9p = £10.27

Diesel averages 50.4mpg
100 miles = 1.984gallons = 9.02 litres
9.02 @ 106.9p = £9.64

Now that on top of a more expensive car, more to service, more to fix (expecially turbo problems), it just doesn't seem better to get a diesel to me.

Saving <£100 a year on road tax is about the only positive I can see.

Am I missing something obvious??
 
mglover070588 said:
Am I missing something obvious??
Click to expand...

Most of the general public don't make rational purchases, they purchase based on their own assumptions - people assume diesel = economical, so they buy a diesel - it really is that simple. It's remarkable how little thought goes into purchases made by everyday folks.
 
I think to make a decent saving over petrol you need to be doing around 15,000 - 20,000+miles a year?

Correct me if im wrong.
 
congratulations

you've just illustrated that your more intelligent than probably about 80 % of the UK

(seriously !) as fox has said, its amazing how little real though people put into car purchases, especially when it comes to irrational statements like the fact that diesel is cheaper.
 
I drive one because it's a relative's who doesn't mind me using it, and it hacks long distance driving better than my girlfriend's Seat Ibiza 1.4.

But at the moment it's not working out much cheaper than taking hers, whereas a couple of months ago it clearly was.
 
Ford 2.0 litre diesel isnt all that efficient for a 2 litre tbh. It should be getting 55 not 50 imo.

But you make a very valid point, and is a calculation I've been doing in my head quite a bit recently.
 
Andr3w said:
I think to make a decent saving over petrol you need to be doing around 15,000 - 20,000+miles a year?

Correct me if im wrong.
Click to expand...

Lets try 20,000 miles
Petrol averages 39.8mpg
20000 miles = 502.6gallons = 2284.82litres
2284.82litres @ 89.9p = £2054.05

Diesel averages 50.4mpg
20000 miles = 396.8gallons = 1803.86litres
1803.86litres @ 106.9p = £1928.32

Still not worth it:p


EDIT: So what if the diesel got 60mpg average
Diesel averages 60mpg
20000 miles = 333.3gallons = 1515.33litres
1803.86litres @ 106.9p = £1620

To see any savings you would need to buy (assuming new) and way over 100k in it.
 
Last edited:
This is exactly why i will never entertain the idea of a diesel.

On top of all of this there is a 7ppm penalty in fuel rate at my employer if i were to get a diesel. This is huge and actually makes the diesel version of my s-class MORE expensive in fuel than the V8 petrol, added to that the extra complexities of the diesel over the petrol and its just ridiculous. I would imagine most employers fuel rates favour petrols too these days given the price differential at the pumps now.
 
The huge price gap has only recently been so.

The consumer will respond (with a move to petrol (scale of which yet to be realised)), but all in due course, once things have soaked in.

On the company car front - once the price differential starts to affect positively the petrol residuals and negatively the diesel residuals then again the consumer will move towards petrol.

No point scratching your head now when the trigger has only just gone off.
 
This price differential is not a hugely recent thing, it has been a long time coming and has been projected in all forecasts. The only thing which will slow it down or even reverse it is a change in demand which will take years, or government intervention (tax shifting).
 
Jez said:
This price differential is not a hugely recent thing, it has been a long time coming and has been projected in all forecasts. The only thing which will slow it down or even reverse it is a change in demand which will take years, or government intervention (tax shifting).
Click to expand...

I don't recall a 16p price differential last month let alone last year.
 
The price differential has been steadily increasing, yes it has hiked with recent events but this has been a long term projection which has finally become very noticable. If we could dig up posts from 18 months ago or more i was posting that indutry forecasts put the differential as high as 20ppl down the line before demand starts to alter.
 
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