Petrol or Diesel for you?
Diesel engine cars have become the standard on the forecourt of Irish and indeed European
vehicle dealerships over recent years, Sales of diesels are now making up nearly 73 percent
of vehicle sales in the Irish car market, according to the Society of the Irish Motor Industry.
It’s a no brainer really, diesel is cheaper than petrol at the pump per litre, diesel engines are
more fuel efficient and also they have become increasingly cleaner and more refined. So why
doesn’t everyone have a diesel fuelled car?
How much money are you really saving? Or is it actually costing you more? Do people
sit down and ask themselves the hard questions before making this massive purchase,
like what will be its day to day tasks? Are you doing the mileage to justify the car? Do you
consider the tax band and road tax? The extra service cost, the use the car is actually going
to get?
Diesel cars have come a long way in recent years, in terms of quality, power refinement
and availability, indeed some vehicle manufacturers' most popular models are only available
with a diesel engine, less choice for the consumer. But are they for everyone?
If we take a look at three of the most popular family cars on Irish roads we can see on
average, a price difference of 11.8 percent of diesel over petrol. This is understandable- a
compression ignition diesel engine is heavier, more robust, and as such requires more raw
materials.
The VW Golf Comfortline 3dr 105HP petrol will cost you €23,395, the diesel equivalent will
cost you €25,330; the Nissan Qashqai 1.6XE Petrol costs €23,745, the diesel costs €27,145;
the Ford B-Max 1.4 petrol costs €19,821 while the 1.5 TDCi costs €22,358.
Service costs may also be higher for these heavy duty engines, with fuel filters an
additional cost of between €20-€50 and you’ll pay extra for diesels requiring special oils, like
Low SAPS oil — SAPS stands for Sulphated Ash, Phosphorus Sulphur, by-products of your
diesel energy.
To remove the particulate matter also produced in your vehicle's engine, a particulate filter
is an EU requirement since 2008. These filters are designed to trap the soot created after
start up and burn it off later when you get out on to the motorway. In those conditions the
engine is up to its normal operating temperature, but what happens if you only use your
diesel to drop the kids to school or run to the shops? The engine's computer will try to burn
it off in a ‘regeneration’ but if this filter blocks up, your exhaust gases can’t escape, and it
will cost around €1,000 + VAT to replace the part alone.
The NVH, or Noise Vibration and Harshness experienced in the passenger compartment,
is something vehicle manufacturers are always trying to reduce and is a real challenge in
a diesel engine product. For the most part after the initial start up phase it can be hard to
notice a knocking diesel noise in a modern car, however if you want refinement, a petrol
option will be a quieter and smoother ride especially in a smaller car.
So sit down and take a look at how many miles a year you cover, and do the sums before
taking what will inevitably be offered to you when you enter your local dealership. Beware,
although your car salesman may be pleased to make any sale in these hard
times, and see you smoothly drive off in a petrol, he won’t be as welcoming
when your warranty is up and you would like to trade-in. Because the
demand is so high for diesels now, when it comes to looking for a new
model, your petrol car might not be worth quite as much as you think.
(ED Note: But on the other hand, remember that you have paid significantly
less for the petrol car in the first place, and the value difference may only be
reflecting this.)
John Howlett BEngTech.
Irish motorists have
migrated en masse to
diesel powered cars,
mainly to chase cheaper
road tax. But does it make
sense for everyone? Our
Technical Editor Tony
Conlon asked Dublin
Institute of Technology
expert John Howlett to
write a piece on the issue.
And, no surprise, John's
article mirror's Tony's own
opinions.
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