(30-03-2015, 12:52 PM)C.A.R. Wrote:(30-03-2015, 11:17 AM)Iceman299 Wrote:(30-03-2015, 11:15 AM)C.A.R. Wrote: Financially a diesel doesnt' make much sense unless you're doing at least 10,000 miles.
How did you work that one out?
It's widely acknowledged that because of multiple factors the 'break even' is quite high when it comes to diesel vs. petrol.
People immediately dismiss this as nonsense because they don't look at the argument fairly. When comparing two cars, with equal mileage, of equal condition and age - the diesel will almost certainly be more expensive, sometimes by a lot more.
The cost of fuel for diesel is higher, whilst the tax is often lower. It is important to carefully work out whether you are actually saving any money or are 'better off' in a diesel. Then, there is the potential cost for service items - always more complex and therefore more expensive to replace on a diesel car. This sort of maintenance can instantly skew your running costs and make it uneconomical to run a diesel.
However...
This is a 306 forum, and it is widely accepted that the 306 is a pretty reliable little rust bucket, with residual values struggling to see 4-figures on any model then the cost of the car definitely has to be considered as a factor. You can't lose much money on a car if you didn't spend much in the first place, right? Perhaps this is why the diesel vs. petrol model doesn't really work on these forums and is usually met with hostility from diesel owners doing 6,000 miles a year on vegetable oil!
What is more complex about servicing a diesel??
Only real differences between a petrol and diesel is the fuel used, compression ratios and being ci/si engine.
Diesel is ~5p a litre more but gives a lot more mpg and tax is cheaper.
Newer diesels with dpf's can cause issues when not driven long distances, so people driving a couple of miles a day should maybe consider a petrol.
So i still don't see where these extra expenses for diesels come from...
