|
Although I have owned Diesel cars for many years I have only driven Petrol autos. Any preferences out there? My next car may be a Kia seed or Hyundai i30 Diesel Auto.
|
Petrol auto is always more responsive.
Do you do enough miles to recover the extra cost of buying, servicing and fuelling a diesel?
|
The low-down torque of diesels suits autoboxes well, I find.
But the choice depends on your mileage, use and personal preferences. Personally, having driven a number of diesel autos, I can't see myself going back to a petrol any day soon, regardless of my mileage.
|
|
|
|
V6 or V8 - Diesel or Petrol it doesn't matter so have the diesel.
4 Cyl - Petrol
|
|
Just finished reading the woes over on technical matters regarding diesels at 4 to 5 years old (55K) there is no way I would buy a diesel with my own money out of warranty. £6000 to fix a Mazda 6! Thats over 1200 gallons of unleaded or 36000 miles worth.
|
Why not? I and many others have run them for hundreds of thousands of miles with no problems - though not Mazda 6s... I suppose all petrols are perfect... lets get back to the title of the thread instead of trying to knock diesels eh!
Going back to the early replies - one says that petrol autos are much more responsive, the next says that an auto box suits a diesel better...
So who's right?!!
|
I don't know who's right.
My sister in law has an auto diesel but it's a Mercedes. The auto/manual thread on here seems to suggest diesel and auto go together well in expensive motors, like a Merc.
In a less expensive car I wonder whether it would be as successful. But if Old Navy drives the diesel auto and likes it and the car in preference to the petrol version, he's right.
|
|
|
|
I was agreeing recently with a poster on another thread that 4-cylinder diesel autos don't make a pleasant noise - at least, not torque converter autos or CVTs, but we are assured that the DSG in VWs etc doesn't result in the same droning.
6 or more cylinders - fine for a diesel auto.
Make sure you get a good long test run, Old Navy, and make sure you can live with it.
|
|
Is there a minimum annual mileage one should do before it becomes financially better to buy a diesel instead of a petrol engined car?
|
I don't really know which is the cheaper option for Old Navy's purchase, maybe he's not all that bothered, i wouldn't be, don't suppose there'd be a great deal in it. The way the goal posts move theses days its a lottery anyway.
Its been my experience that modern diesels drive very nicely with proper auto's, possibly more pleasurably than an equivalent petrol engine. My only thoughts are as some have suggested get a good test drive and go where you want, not the route the salesman chooses.
Some diesels are a little peaky and don't pull away all that smartly, others are on the ball straight away, and you won't know till you have to nip out smartly at a few junctions which is which. And do some close traffic/manoeuvering to seewhat it crawls like.
Hope you enjoy your choice anyway.
|
|
Thanks for your input everyone, I am retired and do about 15000 miles a year, preference takes priority over cost (within reason!) so all I have to do now is convince SWMBO that she can drive an auto. This will be a long slow process so dont expect a result soon.
|
Have a look at the FAQ's (No 92).
Some very interesting points about the overall cost of ownership od diesels V petrols.
It make the point that the torque converter on a diesel auto saps the economy.
And when you have convinced SWMBO - let us know how it's done.
Edited by Pendlebury on 12/04/2008 at 21:15
|
It make the point that the torque converter on a diesel auto saps the economy.
The Jags with the PSA 2.7 6 cylinder with auto is good for 40+ mpg on a run and collegues with S type diesel autos get 30ish round town. This must be one of the best diesel and traditional autobox combinations around. I've driven S type and XF with this set up and it is excellent.
|
|
|
|
