Petrol vs diesel…the big debate explored
Diesel is slowly but surely becoming a new trend as diesel-fueled cars are no longer what they used to be. By the year 2020, more than half the vehicles on the road will be diesel-powered. Cars.co.za advises that diesel engine cars are no longer ‘noisy or billow out plumes of smoke every time they pull off’. They are also not less powerful than petrol engine vehicles anymore counterparts any more.
A recent study showed that consumers are becoming more interested in diesel-powered vehicles because they go longer distances, have better resale value, and give you performance and towing capacity without sacrificing the joy of driving. Almost every German manufacturer offers diesel-powered vehicles.
Furthermore, diesel-fueled cars also tend to be more fuel efficient, both in city driving situations as well as on the long road. The final positive for diesel is that at the moment it’s more affordable than petrol, since the prices have dropped exponentially.
However, petrol still remains a firm favourite fuel choice for some people – that’s why most cars still run on petrol. And diesel doesn’t win in every aspect, it also has its cons – diesel technology also costs more and therefore makes the cars more expensive to buy.
Let’s weight the pros and cons:
Petrol vs Diesel
Model: Ford Fiesta 1.4 Ambiente vs Ford Fiesta 1.6 TDCi Ambiente
Price: R178 000 vs R194 900
Fuel Consumption: 6.8 l/100km vs 4.2 l/100km
Power: 71 kW / 128 N.m of torque vs 70 kW / 200 N.m of torque
CO2 Emissions: 130g vs 90g
Model: Ford Ranger 2.5 XL vs Ford Ranger 2.2 XL
Price: R223 900 vs R234 900
Fuel Consumption: 13 l/100km vs 9l/100km
Power: 122 kW / 226 N.m of torque vs 88kW / 285 N.m of torque
CO2 Emissions: 257g vs 237g
Model: Hyundai ix35 2.0 Elite vs Hyundai ix35 2.0CRDi Elite
Price: R377 400 vs R397 900
Fuel Consumption: 10.6l/100km vs 7.8l/100km
Power: 116 kW / 192 N.m of torque vs 130 kW / 383 N.m of torque
CO2 Emissions: 200g vs 170g
However, when deciding between a diesel on petrol car, the fuel efficiency and price of the car shouldn’t be the only factors. You should also think about the maintenance, size and type of vehicle and the depreciation value. The AA advises that diesel vehicles have traditionally been more expensive to service. However, many modern diesel vehicles now have similar service intervals to petrol powered vehicles. Service intervals can vary however and depend on the manufacturer’s recommendation. Depreciation is a major factor when considering which fuel type to use. In particular, petrol models of large 4WD’s tend to depreciate more quickly than their diesel equivalents.
Our conclusion? On the whole large cars and 4WD vehicles with high fuel consumption often will benefit from being diesel powered while smaller cars with petrol engines of around 1.6 litre (or less) capacity will generally be very fuel efficient. Therefore, if you’re thinking of buying a bakkie or large SUV diesel is the better option, whereas petrol will be more approriate for a smaller car with a smaller engine.
If none of this does it for you, you can also opt for a hybrid / electric car…