I went from a Seat Toledo 1.9 TDI to my Octavia 2.0FSI.

I was looking at buying another diesel but the price difference won me over to the petrol.

It was as least £1500 cheaper than the same diesel, and with more than half the miles on it. This was for a 2nd hand 06 reg from a main dealer.

We used to do 12k miles a year so the diesel was worth having, but now we have 2 cars and each does less than 5k miles. It would have taken a lot of miles to recoup that expense.

The Octavia does 35+mpg most of the time, the Toledo did about 45mpg all the time. At the time we bought it, jan 09, diesel was dearer than petrol but now it's the same.

It was great going from that noisy engine into one so quiet. When I had a fabia diesel coutesy car I hated it, the noise was awful.

The other thing in favour of it is that it's a simpler engine with less to go wrong. One reason for selling the Seat was that it would keep going into limp home mode which i suspected could be a turbo fault, and my research highlighted faults with diesel engines of all makes, so i was leaning back towards a petrol.

I'm more than happy with my choice.

"If I were to buy a track car, then it would have to be petrol."

100% in agreement here:thumbup:.

But it's always nice to surprise a few people on track in a derv. Just something a bit different. The chap who I was chasing down in a 280bhp MR2 turbo in Hullavington had to come over for a chat.

Use the parkers guide on petrol v diesel.

Unless you do the miles, then it'll cost you more to sell out to the devil.

While this is patently true, I reckon there's a difference between money you shell out for a car (usually with some kind of loan), and the money you pump into the tank week to week.

An extreme example obviously, but where I was filling up every fortnight, my mate with the Skyline (R32) was putting in £20 every few days. Even though his car was vastly cheaper than mine, guess who never had any disposable income!

While this is patently true, I reckon there's a difference between money you shell out for a car (usually with some kind of loan), and the money you pump into the tank week to week.

An extreme example obviously, but where I was filling up every fortnight, my mate with the Skyline (R32) was putting in £20 every few days. Even though his car was vastly cheaper than mine, guess who never had any disposable income!

AFAIK the parkers guide uses manufacturers MPG and current fuel figures, as well as RRP in it's calculations.

This is just stupid, the whole derv v petrol is like arguing which one is better - cod4 or cod5.(Say what?)

But I will say petrol is better! Turbo petrol engines are fantastic, and now that most companys have realised small diddy engines can be turbocharged to give more umpf without costing massive mpg.1.2tce from Renualt is a start (The Japanese have been doing this for 20 odd years mate), my mate has it in his Clio and while its no rocket its ok. but even so like his if you thrash it you will get poor mpg. My baby tdi seems no more cheaper to run than my old c2 vtr. and that didnt half get a pasting (Don't drive like an idiot and you will see god mpg from most cars). You don't get that torque surge, but the speedo just climbs. Truthfully im very very tempeted to get rid of my derv, and go back to petrol. Anyone who goes on about how much torque they have, almost talking about the size of there c**k its stupid.( Have you looked at your user name recently?) And how they could toe lots of heavy things. Why?? if you shooting facts for cred am sure someone would be more impressed with a good exhuast on a petrol car. (What a fart can?, you just look/sound like a knob) Than you putting your 2p in saying how you could toe a 2 berth caravan!! I had a wonderful set up on my old car, i never tired of going in a tunnel dropping down a gear and smiling at the sound of the overrun (Oh the sound of a 1.6 8v...:confused:). But hey am sure in my tdi I could toe some big heavy 5hit! O i also perfer cod5! (COD5 is ****)

Hmm

Edited 30 August, 200916 yr by P13SST

But it's always nice to surprise a few people on track in a derv. Just something a bit different. The chap who I was chasing down in a 280bhp MR2 turbo in Hullavington had to come over for a chat.

Agreed, I love the way they feel like a lesser person, because a derv has managed a similar/ better lap time.

In response to the first post, there are several petrol cars which are awsome on the mway look at the Lexus range, so smooth and refined at 70+ (however i do realise these are not in the typical family budget)

Cheap cars are horrible at 70 mixture of gear ratios lack of sound proofing underpowered engines etc

Oh and btw this thread isnt derv V petrol.

So, "Reasons to buy a petrol car" and loading the OP with pro-diesel and anti petrol comments is not a petrol vs diesel thread? :confused:

:rofl:

I was a diesel convert. I had a couple of smaller engined petrol astras a 1.3 Mk2 and a 1.6 16v Mk3.

It was a revelation at the time when changing to a Focus derv that you could go up hills without changing down. I got a 100hp Clio derv after that and I was getting over 65mpg regularly driving it quite hard and over 80mpg occasionally.

When I looked to change, because my mileage dropped, I was still going for a diesel because I like the relaxed way you can drive a car with lots of torque. I was set for the VRS TDI but because of my low mileage I thought it worth trying the petrol.

Never having driving a turbo petrol before I was very surprised by the amount of torque and the lazy way I could drive the car leaving it in 6th most of the time with no issue of hills or overtaking that I'd had on other petrol cars. I remember thinking that this was a diesel-like character I liked. On paper the costs were very similar over 3yr so I took the extra 30hp and went for the smooth petrol.

I think I've said enough with my "thanked" posts

diesel for economy and lazy commutes (and the like) but petrol for fun

diesel for economy and lazy commutes (and the like) but petrol for fun

That's not a bad idea if you have room and funds for 2 cars, but the petrol would need to be a powerful one, preferably 3 litre or more if NA.