diesel or petrol?
 

We've always prefered diesel cars in uk as more economical to run is this the case in Australia?

Re: diesel or petrol?
 

Sometimes. Currently diesel is about 15% more expensive to buy than Petrol in VIC, so you would have to calculate whether any fuel efficiency would pay off. Also, often diesel cars are more expensive to buy. When I bought my latest car, I calculated that in order to regain the extra cost of buying a diesel, I would have to drive 700,000ks. I bought petrol.

It is a slightly different mindset here.

BB

Re: diesel or petrol?
 

The price of petrol goes in cycles (usually weekly) and can vary by up to 15c between the peak and trough of a cycle, whilst the price of diesel remains fairly steady - so sometimes diesel costs more than petrol and sometimes less.

With diesel you also have to factor in the higher cost of servicing over the year.

Both my 4wd and my wife's car are diesel.

Re: diesel or petrol?
 

Unless you're 4WD'ing or driving a truck there's no point. There's no mindset here for using diesel for fuel efficiency as petrol isn't taxed as much as Europe. Diesel is such a dirty fuel anyway.

Re: diesel or petrol?
 

Diesel. Always. Diesel price does fluctuate and at the present time, B20 bio-diesel is an average of just under 6c a litre more expensive than ULP in Perth. Others times it is cheaper. Diesel cars are much more economical to operate, even with the slightly higher servicing costs. My diesel VW gets about 850kms on 55l for general commuting, more on a long drive, but can easily do over 200kph.

The culture of diesel cars is not the same as it is in Europe, but that is slowly changing.

Re: diesel or petrol?
 

+1

And I'd disagree with the poster who says diesel is dirty. Maybe 20 years ago, but not with the modern converters. Diesel engines also last longer that petrol, another aspect to go into the calculation. In NSW diesel has been sitting around $1.50 p/l for quite some time.

Re: diesel or petrol?
 

Diesel is great for urban driving - low rev torque is great on pull off and perfect for cruise. Sure, you'll never get the top speed of a petrol engine, but for most people that is irrelevant. Modern diesel fuel is much cleaner, and as you say, with modern converters pollution is not an issue. Economy is the big thing. 55l costs me about $80 and lasts me 3 weeks, which includes a daily 55km round-trip commute. $27 a week is peanuts.

I use Gull B20 bio-diesel, and that is currently about 146c but has been trending downwards

Re: diesel or petrol?
 

If you have a 4x4 and actually use it to visit remote places you need a diesel.

I was on the Gibb River Road in July and the vast majority of vehicles were diesel. I don't think unleaded was available anywhere at the few fuel stops, just diesel.

Re: diesel or petrol?
 

I would like to see the Government introduce some incentives to buy fuel efficient cars here as they do in many other places. Diesel cars do work out more economical to run long term but you really do have to use them for a lot of k's to see the advantage, if they cut the registration costs it would make it more worthwhile.

Re: diesel or petrol?
 

Thanks for all the advice, seems diesel may be the way to go!

Re: diesel or petrol?
 

At service stations (servo's) the diesel pump used always to be off at the side for the trucks and only had the large hi-flow nozzles which won't fit a lot of modern cars. Most servo's now have the diesel in the main bank of pumps and have the smaller nozzles because diesel private vehicles are now a lot more common - but in the servo's with multiple banks of pumps not every row will have diesel, and some places still don't have small nozzles, so you have to look out for the right pump.

Re: diesel or petrol?
 

I'm interested to know which vehicle won't fit a high flow nozzle? I've always had diesels, here and UK, and always chose the high flow where possible. With 160 L tank it feels like all day when using standard now :sneaky:

Re: diesel or petrol?
 

My VW Jetta will not take a high flow nozzle - and its not an option.

Re: diesel or petrol?
 

My Prado will take the high flow nozzle but I seem to recall some kind of warning about using it on non commercial vehicles when went to use it. I was scared so I just used the normal one!

Re: diesel or petrol?
 

My Pajero takes the high flow.