Thread: Petrol V Diesel Ongoing Fuel Running Costs

Originally Posted by Tombie

Which is kind of moot.. Because you just replaced your lease with a whole new payment regime

If I look at lease costs then factor in depreciated pay out figure; bank half my original post tax payment then I'm well in front with any engine...

But I don't have a shiny new vehicle

A vehicle is a tool or a toy.. IMO worrying about resale value etc on a depreciating asset is pointless.

Get what ever suits your use - in my case I travel where I could never carry the Petrol required to make it... Diesel I can.. Plus I like the more consistent consumption of a diesel - as opposed to a Petrol on sand etc...

A tank of petrol wouldn't even get my boat to my favourite launch & fishing spot and back! The diesel does it with ease...

Horses for courses and to each their own.

Mine isn't a lease car just under LRs corporate programme which gives you fee servicing to 100000kms and free floor mats and cheaper dealers delivery.

Originally Posted by Meken

And if you play your card right you replace it with another newy and no maintenance costs again

Very true there the corporate programme is a great thing I've found saves a bit in servicing!

For me, I can safely say that the bulk of my maintenance / repair costs are entirely unrelated to the fuel used by the motor and are things that would be shared by either engine type (eg. suspension, body clips and bits that have been sacrificed to the trials, windscreens, tyres, a diff, gearbox fluid change, exhaust etc etc). Without doing the math, I think the biggest single area of repair/maintenance expenditure is suspension (mostly by choice to make sure the magic carpet doesn't fray).

The costs directly attributable to my engine over 9years/140km are only things like : oil, oil filters, coolant, some coolant parts, spark plugs, air filters, sensor cleaners.

The biggest single running cost attributable to the vehicle is depreciation and in that respect the cost is significantly higher than the equivalent diesel I would think.

Not sure if that's what you were getting at Terry, but there it is

If you plan on keeping the vehicle long term then remember a well maintained Diesel engine will outlive a well maintained petrol engine by quite a bit.

It would be interesting to find the highest mileage V8 D3 and see what the butchers bill has been.

A mate of mine ran his D3 for a shade over 200,000kms with no issues whatsoever from the motor - he just serviced when required and changed the plugs at the required time. The only other bits he replaced were suspension bushes and brakes.

Heading to Brisbane and the car is strong and tight as any.


intending to do a petrol lit/100Km test by filling before and after the trip. I have just switched to Conti cross contact uhp at 255 60 R18 over previous tyre on car when I bought it which were 255 55 R18 -


I would expect to use less fuel than usual (as the revolutions are higher with smaller profile tyre) but also have to consider it takes more power to push with greater circumference which may play a part.


I have done the same trip and clocked 10.2 lits/100km - I am doing exactly the same trip with same load to see if there is a difference and which tyre profile is more economical.


As far as Logs show - no engine issues to date. Has had things like Aircon compressor , AES Compressor, and usual brake and suspension repairs done .. not much done during the last two years with me. only standard servicing an Alternator and a few electronic repairs by the British offroad team.


Engine strong as new - I feel sure it will double the current Km's without a problem with regular servicing but who can really foretell.


There would be plenty out there who must be approaching half a mill I would think as they are such a great workhorse.

So what is the real world economy of the diesel engine?
what l/100 are you getting
around town?
towing?
hwy?

As for diesel outliving a petrol is that still the case with common rail and its relience on tight tolerences in the fuel system?

Originally Posted by bacicat

..........a well maintained Diesel engine will outlive a well maintained petrol engine by quite a bit.

Bacicat
I wonder if that is still the case these days. Diesels used to be low power engines which were derived mostly from trucks, without higher tech approaches such as big/multiple turbos, high pressure injection etc to push the power and torque levels. Diesel rev and perform so much better these days.

Similarly, the durability of petrol engines has increased due to much better oils and fuel injection managing fuel delivery etc. These days, who hears of recent petrol engines having to be rebuilt except where there has been failure such as overheating? For example, my daughter's 2000 auto Astra, at 308,000kms, runs almost like new, with minimal oil use. It has only had a head gasket replaced, a known issue with these. My son's similar car untouched at 200,000kms is equally good. Although I wish I could say the same about the electrics on Astras!

The V8 Ford/Jaguar engine has proven extremely durable, as have the internals of the 2.7 diesel. I am a Jaguar buff and have read more than one article from the UK about the V8s with 200,000 miles on the clock running beautifully, still having spot on compression and no increased oil use.

These days, I suspect most engines regularly maintained will outlast the driver's except perhaps those who do extreme mileages. Wasn't there an Irish Disco3 2.7 that had covered around 500,000 miles (or was that kms?) and was having its engine replaced?