Is Petrol cheaper to run than a Diesel ?

[mrc1501]

Okay, this is my scenario. I bought a petrol XC70 after selling my characterless VW TDi, but to get the same model and spec and mileage in a diesel, an XC D5 was, on average, between £1500 to £2000 more expensive to buy.

This got me thinking. My average mileage is 12,000 a year, and based on that, I have worked out what it costs me in petrol (@ £1.30 per litre) against what it would cost for diesel (@ £1.40 per litre)

I have based by calculations on an average of 30mpg for my petrol, against 40 mpg for the diesel, with 4.5 litres to a gallon. So here are the numbers

Petrol

12,000m / 30mpg = 400gallons = 4.5 lts x 1.30 = £5.85/gallon x 400g = £2340


D5

12,000m / 40mpg = 300gallons = 4.5 lts x 1.40 = £6.30/gallon x300g = £1890

Difference in fuel costs for 12,000M = (P)£2340 -(D) £1890 = £450

So it costs me £450 more in fuel for my petrol than a diesel, so to justify the difference in purchase price for a like for like diesel car it would mean me running my petrol car for 4 years (4 x £450 = £1800), BEFORE any saving could be made against the D5

Is this a good enough reason to KEEP the petrol??

Not even considered the difference in VED, insurance, or servicing costs

[Bendolfc]

The price difference will fall a fair bit when it warms up and there is less demand for heating oil.

[Eoin]

I'd say 12K miles is pretty low to get a diesel.

I'd definitely factor in servicing too - it doesn't take much to go wrong on a diesel to cancel out any savings.

I've just spend a few hundred quid getting my turbo issues sorted, and in a previous diesel, I spent 2K getting the clutch and DM flywheel replaced. I know clutches go in all cars, but it would have been cheaper for the petrol and most likely not as soon.

[Clan]

if you are driving in a way to get 30 mpg from your petrol then you will be getting near 50 mpg from a D5 not 40 mpg
looking at it another way , if you are driving in a way to get just 40 mpg from a D5 then a petrol will be giving you low 20's .
better alter the spreadsheet calculations :-)

[60041]

Originally Posted by mrc1501

to get the same model and spec and mileage in a diesel, an XC D5 was, on average, between £1500 to £2000 more expensive to buy.

Remember that the diesel will always be worth more than a petrol when you come to sell it, so you will recoup some of that extra £1500

[johnjp]

Two reasons I don't like diesels:
1 - throttle 'lag'
2 - more polluting

[Volvo2002]

As I do low miles and do a lot of shorter runs I'm guessing based on my style of driving a diesel wouldn't really benefit me?

I get 30MPG in the town with smooth use of the controls and not accelerating when not necessary so not bad at all and not wallet denting

Unavoidable expenses come in the form of the old TAX...£134 per 6 months and £245 for a year. In comparison a Diesel S40 emits 142Co2 emissions putting tax down a good bit and saving you more money.

One thing I like about diesels are the torquey engines...but not a fan of the tractor tickover

[GMad]

This, to me seems pointless.
You are evidently a mathamaticion, or possibly an accountant and have done an admiral job of working the figures out with no input from the likes of myself.
Personally, it would be petrol all the way for me, (despite the huge mileage I do), simply because in my experience, only French people, Taxi drivers and Farmers use diesel

[mrc1501]

Originally Posted by Clan

if you are driving in a way to get 30 mpg from your petrol then you will be getting near 50 mpg from a D5 not 40 mpg
looking at it another way , if you are driving in a way to get just 40 mpg from a D5 then a petrol will be giving you low 20's .
better alter the spreadsheet calculations :-)

I don't believe that there is a 20 mpg difference between the D5 and a petrol, and looking through the threads, general consensus is a 10mpg difference.

If, like you suggest, the difference is twice my calculations, then that gives me 2 years of petrol motoring before any benefits of having a diesel :-(

[mrc1501]

Originally Posted by GMad

This, to me seems pointless.
You are evidently a mathamaticion, or possibly an accountant and have done an admiral job of working the figures out with no input from the likes of myself.
Personally, it would be petrol all the way for me, (despite the huge mileage I do), simply because in my experience, only French people, Taxi drivers and Farmers use diesel

I'm none of the above, but I admit that after returning to a Volvo petrol after a diesel, I do spend more time at the pumps filling up.

I think secretly I'm pining for another V70R.......Oh damn....did I just say that.......no, It's supposed to be a secret