Petrol Engine or Diesel Engine: Your Choice?

[Gurrala74]

I have become a calm driver now. I generally dont need to do that. And whenever I have needed it, my diesel has never let me down.

noz

I agree with you on this 100%. My driving style has changed a lot once I have shifted to diesel car. With petrol car I used to do lot of zip zap always and now I drive bit cool, calm and very responsible. Yes my diesel car never let me down whenever I want to cross something as once I reach 2000 rpm kicks like a bullet from gun

 

[nozzlering]

Atleast right foot must be happier now. On highways, I rarely need to downshift if I am revving above 2k rpm. A little more weight on accelerator pedal and turbo does the job well.

 

[S Class]

I think diesel is costing nearly same as petrol in most of developed countries

If same would have happened in India, then diesel wouldn't have been at 75-80/L but petrol would have been for 45/L !!

As I have mentioned, I am a diesel fan. I drive diesels because I love driving diesels. Not because of the fuel efficiency or price of the fuel. Yes, the price and FE is the icing on the cake. And I believe, there MAY be many more like me...

And for that matter, even if someone buys a BMW, why should he not buy a diesel. If he is saving on some money, isnt it good? He can buy a bigger car later with those savings!

As far as I am concerned, all my cars (whether Maruti or Audi) will be diesel. I cannot switch back to petrol now.

+1. Agree with you (for a change ) to all these points.
Just because one has money, doesn't mean one should waste it. Apart from this, here is something I would like to share :-

* The price difference between petrol & diesel in luxury (entry or high end) is negligible when you talk in %age terms.

* Merc S 350 CDI is cheaper than Merc S 550 petrol (ofcourse, this is V8). Even there isn't much of difference in E Class either.

* FE of diesel is higher by atleast 25-30%. My friend has latest Merc C 220 CDI & he gets atleast 13.2-13.5 with 100% AC in city.

I have seen FE for E 350 CDI on highway in excess of 19+ km/L !! Now thats really something for car of this size, power & weight. Petrol on other hand may give around 13 km/L, (+/-) 5%.

4 yrs back, I was die-hard petrol head, now its diesel all the way & happy with it as engines of diesel have made more progress than petrol, thanks to diesel importance laid in countries like Europe for being more efficient & environment friendly.

 

[mastersquall]

Can you please elaborate on that. What makes a diesel unreliable?



I have become a calm driver now. I generally dont need to do that. And whenever I have needed it, my diesel has never let me down.

in off-roading diesel are most unreliable compare to gypsy. That's why it is said gypsy owner enjoy there Sunday in home and diesel owner in garage

 

[S Class]

in off-roading diesel are most unreliable compare to gypsy. That's why it is said gypsy owner enjoy there Sunday in home and diesel owner in garage

Hmm. This means one should not take the risk of taking pajeros & likes for off-roading. This is precisely why I was saying, SUVs/UVs are hopeless.

 

[nozzlering]

in off-roading diesel are most unreliable compare to gypsy. That's why it is said gypsy owner enjoy there Sunday in home and diesel owner in garage

Agreed that gypsy is good at off-roading. But what makes a diesel unreliable?

When I think of off-roading, I get following things in my mind:

• Uneven surfaces High ground clearance is required. 4WD will suit better.
• Surface could be sandy, rocky or muddy. It could also involve waving through considerable depth of water with rocky or sandy base Torque requirement will be high.

Diesel engine will provide the required torque easily. But petrol engine too can produce similar torques at higher revs. And since a basic diesel engine wont need battery power for running, it can be easily used to pass through deeper waters (wading), while it will be more difficult for a petrol engine. No need to worry about wet/ damp spark plugs in a diesel.
Although petrol engines for 4WD vehicles are designed to give better low end torque, but not as good as a diesel engine.
While working out of slush or sand, low speed and high torque is needed, which is an easy job for a diesel engine. While it gets a bit tricky for petrol engine. At low rpms there efficiency is bad, as very less air is being admitted. And if revved hard, very good chances of wheels digging in deeper. Though 4WD specific petrol engine designer take care of this problem, still diesel is better.
As usual, petrol engine will be more responsive than diesel engine.
And because of its light weight and high ground clearance, Gypsy performs pretty well in slushy and sandy offroading. But I have serious doubts, if it needs to wade through water.

I find it clear that diesel engine powered vehicles suit pretty well for offroading. I have tried to justify this statement above. And gypsy too is a good offroader.

Now, kindly let us know why diesel engine is unreliable?

 

[nozzlering]

Just now found this interesting video. Have a look at it
Zoom TV on 7mate Ep.9 - Petrol vs Diesel Engines - YouTube

Hmm. This means one should not take the risk of taking pajeros & likes for off-roading. This is precisely why I was saying, SUVs/UVs are hopeless.

SUVs and UVs are hopeless!! What vehicle holds your hopes, Sir?

 

[codename47]

Raj , Why diesel ?

 

[dharmesh]

Issue is in Western.
And one of the biggest advantage of diesel is that when you go to fuel station, it brings a smile on your face....45/L !!

+100000. When I switched over from Zen to PUNTO Diesel, After delivery first time I went to Fuel station, Bill for Rs. 1800 for approx 40 Litres of Diesel. Trust me smile on my face was bigger than >>> .This was one of the major or you can say only major factor I switched over to diesel. Today my running is well over 2000 + km per month and I am justifying what I bought. .

 

[codename47]

All I hear from everyone here is FUEL ECONOMY , is that all you people have to support the Diesel engine ?

I am neither petrol nor diesel engine fan . Both have their pros and cons

but just saying Diesel is the best puts me down in this thread.

Other two terms I am hearing is Torque and Power on Diesel turbos

I haven driven more cars then any random person .

Let me write it down for you :

Audi A3, Audi A4 Quattro

BMW 325i , 318i , 330ci, 320d

Honda Integra Type R , Honda Accord Euro , Honda Civic , Honda city

Mercedes C180 , C200, S500, CLK350

Alfa Romeo 156 , 159

Nissan skyline R32 GTR, Nissan Skyline R33 GTST , Nissan skyline R34 GTT, Nissan skyline V35, Nissan 300zx twin turbo, Nissan 180sx , Nissan Maxima ,Nissan TIIDA

Toyota Supra , Toyota Celica , Toyota Delica , Toyota Landcruiser V8 Sahara, Toyota Landcruiser prado v6 , Toyota Chaser , Toyota Camry , Corolla

Mitsubishi Lancer coupe , Lancer EVO VII , GTO Twin turbo , FTO, Magna

Mazda 3, Mazda 6 , Mazda Rx7 , RX8

Ford Falcon XR6 , XR8 , Ranger (D) , Falcon XT, Focus XR5 turbo , Mondeo (D), Fiesta Zetec

Peugeot 206 , 407 (D)

Tata Indica, Safari (Dicor)

Mahindra Scorpio

Daewoo Cielo , Nubira

Hyundai Accent Viva (CRDI) ,Excel, S Coupe, getz

Holden Commodore , commodore S , Barina ,Jackaroo

Suzuki Swift

Maserati quattorporte

Subaru Liberty GT, WRX Sti

and alot more

Most of them were petrol and some were diesel .

From my experience , Diesel cars saves you money but they are noisy and when you rev them high you feel like the engines gona burst ( yes after driving a diesel bmw I am saying this) .

Not sure how many of you have experienced the ride quality and comfort and performance in variety of cars.

If you say am being biased please drive all the cars and then come to me for conclusions.After driving performance cars , even a normal car that you guys call fast appears to be slow and laggy.
Not sure the statements made in this thread refers to what torque /power/pleasure.

 

[rahul4640]

I am fond of petrol engines, although I know that diesel ones have good torque and modern engines do sound less. And God forbid, if I ever buy a diesel car some day, it will be just because the fuel is cheaper.

 

[nozzlering]

Thats a long list. I dont think I will ever get to drive that many cars.
Yes both have pros and cons. Once again, I am mentioning what has been disucssed on this thread. Pro of one is con of another. So only mentioning pros of each.

Diesel Engine
Pros

• Engine efficiency is higher than a petrol engine. And it remains so even at low speed or at idle.
• Diesel is cheaper than petrol. So running cost is lower. High mileage is an added advantage
• Rich low end torque is a big advantage.
• Turbo diesels are quite peppy if driven in turbo range (ie above 2000 rpm).
• CRDI/ turbo engines have imroved a lot in terms of vibration, sound, maintenance etc.
• Diesel engine are more sturdier than petrol engine. Maintenance cost on a very old diesel engine (Say more than 1 lakh kms) will be lesser than a petrol engine.

Petrol Engine
Pros

• Engine is more refined and responsive than a diesel engine.
• Petrol engine offer greater high end power than a diesel engine. Can achieve higher top speeds.
• Noise levels are much lower than a diesel engine. And almost negligible vibrations.
• In general maintenance costs lower than a diesel engine. Though as the engine starts ageing, there's a different story.

So the discussion is definitely not one sided. Yes the number people in favor of diesel engines is more.


@codename: Performance cars a built for a particular purpose. It would be unfair to compare common cars with them.

 

[VivekRj.Dieselhead]

Can you please elaborate on that. What makes a diesel unreliable?

I also wanna know.

I have become a calm driver now. I generally dont need to do that. And whenever I have needed it, my diesel has never let me down.

So I am.

 

[VivekRj.Dieselhead]

Thats a long list. I dont think I will ever get to drive that many cars.
Yes both have pros and cons. Once again, I am mentioning what has been disucssed on this thread. Pro of one is con of another. So only mentioning pros of each.

Diesel Engine
Pros

• Engine efficiency is higher than a petrol engine. And it remains so even at low speed or at idle.
• Diesel is cheaper than petrol. So running cost is lower. High mileage is an added advantage
• Rich low end torque is a big advantage.
• Turbo diesels are quite peppy if driven in turbo range (ie above 2000 rpm).
• CRDI/ turbo engines have imroved a lot in terms of vibration, sound, maintenance etc.
• Diesel engine are more sturdier than petrol engine. Maintenance cost on a very old diesel engine (Say more than 1 lakh kms) will be lesser than a petrol engine.

Petrol Engine
Pros

• Engine is more refined and responsive than a diesel engine.
• Petrol engine offer greater high end power than a diesel engine. Can achieve higher top speeds.
• Noise levels are much lower than a diesel engine. And almost negligible vibrations.
• In general maintenance costs lower than a diesel engine. Though as the engine starts ageing, there's a different story.

So the discussion is definitely not one sided. Yes the number people in favor of diesel engines is more.

Now this is an honest report man.

I completely agree with all of the points mentioned by you.

 

[dharmesh]

Diesel is cheaper than petrol. So running cost is lower.

This is only true for India, I think so.