OK...let's not get this out of proportion. Based on the petrol doing 32 and the diesel doing 42 mpg and taking into account the

I notice that no one has pointed out the other advantage of a diesel over the equivalent petrol version. Distance or time between forecourt visits. I hate filling up as I always do it on the way to or from work, and I prefer an uninterrupted journey once I'm comfortable I average never less than 50mpg on a tank and can easily manage 550 miles on most tankfuls until the light shows, so that's 2 visits to the forecourt per month for me.

Dave.

Very few people do only 10000 miles a year now , but you are also failing to take into account that a diesel will almost certainly have a higher resale value in the future , so you aren't having to "save"

Hi Alex

Just noticed the fuel prices in your post.

Where the hell are you paying those prices for petrol/diesel?

In Leicester unleaded is 95p and diesel is 97p.

Dan

Hi Alex

Just noticed the fuel prices in your post.

Where the hell are you paying those prices for petrol/diesel?

In Leicester unleaded is 95p and diesel is 97p.

Dan

At the moment unleaded by me is cheapest at 95.9 and diesel is 96.9 , but don't forget we are talking about an average cost over the next three years and I can guarantee it won't be that "cheap" in 2009 ( I rode past a garage charging 102 for both tonight).

I guesstimated a price of what fuel will be in 18 months based on how much it has risen in the previous 18 months and used that as the average figure.

Oh , and as to who will have the more fun , it's obviously the diesel driver as he can use the few grand he saved to buy a motorbike. That's way more enjoyable for recreational travel than a car.

At the moment unleaded by me is cheapest at 95.9 and diesel is 96.9 ' date=' but don't forget we are talking about an average cost over the next three years and I can guarantee it won't be that "cheap" in 2009 ( I rode past a garage charging 102 for both tonight).

I guesstimated a price of what fuel will be in 18 months based on how much it has risen in the previous 18 months and used that as the average figure.

Oh , and as to who will have the more fun , it's obviously the diesel driver as he can use the few grand he saved to buy a motorbike. That's way more enjoyable for recreational travel than a car. [/quote']

Touche!

Aren't you supposed to run the new FSI engines on high octain unleaded fuel aswell, thats around a

Hi Alex

Just noticed the fuel prices in your post.

Where the hell are you paying those prices for petrol/diesel?

In Leicester unleaded is 95p and diesel is 97p.

Dan

I got a shock this morning when I filled up at Asda (Blyth, Northumberland) as my diesel was "only" 95.9p and unleaded was 93.9p.

Just show how bad fuel prices are when I thought to myself "thats cheap!". I remember paying 39.9p for unleaded when I started driving in 1994.

If the petrol vrs can get 38mpg when being driven sensibly that's excellent really. Part of the reason I got the Fabia vrs was I was sick of filling up my VR6 every weekend and even when freewheeling the damn thing for over a mile on my journey to work I was still only getting 28mpg. If I got caught in traffic it went down to 18mpg. Now I only make 2 journeys to the fuel station a month, which I quite like.

Aren't you supposed to run the new FSI engines on high octain unleaded fuel aswell, thats around a

I got a shock this morning when I filled up at Asda (Blyth' date=' Northumberland) as my diesel was "only" 95.9p and unleaded was 93.9p.

Just show how bad fuel prices are when I thought to myself "thats cheap!". I remember paying 39.9p for unleaded when I started driving in 1994.

If the petrol vrs can get 38mpg when being driven sensibly that's excellent really. Part of the reason I got the Fabia vrs was I was sick of filling up my VR6 every weekend and even when freewheeling the damn thing for over a mile on my journey to work I was still only getting 28mpg. If I got caught in traffic it went down to 18mpg. Now I only make 2 journeys to the fuel station a month, which I quite like.[/quote']

Have today done a 200 mile round trip to Cambridge then Peterborough and back home and got 39mpg....and I wasn't free wheeling. I have noticed two things; economy is getting better with time and super unleaded really improves the economy.

Dan

Personally i think this petrol vs diesel debate is a bit pointless.........i think i'm right in saying that a barrel of oil hit an all time high in the last two weeks...that's to say more than $50....therefore both fuels are going to rocket....think about it.....it won't be long before we are looking at

Oil has been well over $50 for two years now - closer to $75 at the mo , and in the UK the cost of the raw material only makes up a smaller percentage of the cost so we haven't been that badly hit by it.

Since 2000 when fuel was at about 80p a litre we've had a 20% price rise.

In the states their costs have more than doubled.

When oil doubles in price to $150 a barrel we would only be paying about £1.30 a litre

Note that I said when , and not if.

As demand increases from places like india and china the costs are bound to rise substantially.

As for this making the petrol vs diesel debate pointless , it makes it even more important to be as economical as possible

The thing that really peeves me off about the price of fuel is not only the tax on it but the fact that VAT is added to the tax as well! So in reality you are being taxed twice for the fuel. I think the current price is around 37p per litre with 48p tax then VAT added onto the combined price. Complete and utter rip off.

Have today done a 200 mile round trip to Cambridge then Peterborough and back home and got 39mpg....and I wasn't free wheeling. I have noticed two things; economy is getting better with time and super unleaded really improves the economy.

Dan

How much is super unleaded per litre though? Over a quid I would guess.

I think I've convinced myself to get an Octy and now I'm trying to convince myself not to get the vrs but you are making my job harder.

The thing that really peeves me off about the price of fuel is not only the tax on it but the fact that VAT is added to the tax as well! So in reality you are being taxed twice for the fuel. I think the current price is around 37p per litre with 48p tax then VAT added onto the combined price. Complete and utter rip off.

But as has been said lots of times , if the tax is cut on fuel it will have to be raised elsewhere , or the money can't be spent.

Look at the states - they pay half what we do for petrol but have to spends hundreds of not thousands of pounds a year on health insurance to get any meaningful cover.

You can't just look at one single aspect of taxation in isolation

But as has been said lots of times ' date=' if the tax is cut on fuel it will have to be raised elsewhere , or the money can't be spent.

Look at the states - they pay half what we do for petrol but have to spends hundreds of not thousands of pounds a year on health insurance to get any meaningful cover.

You can't just look at one single aspect of taxation in isolation[/quote']

True, but the NHS is in such a state that a lot of people are now going private anyway, and last time I checked I was paying a few thousand a year in NI payments.

When I moved to my current area I was stupid and didn't register with a dentist, now none will have me. So if I get any trouble I need to go and get private treatment. Trying to get a doctors appointment is an absolute nightmare, you can only get one for the same day so if you are not down there for those doors opening you don't get an appointment as the phone lines are constantly engaged and whne you finally get through there are no appointments left. Not great when you are feeling like sh!te. Thing is, my area isn't exactly over populated, I'd hate to think what it's like in the South East.

Don't get me wrong, the NHS is a great thing and I'm glad of it but it is just very poorly run at the moment. Wwwwaaaaaayyyyyyy of topic now, oops.

if the tax is cut on fuel it will have to be raised elsewhere , or the money can't be spent.

True but the thing is for every price increase the VAT also goes up...there should be a cap on it.

Our first ones have arrived. I'd take one for a spin and let you know, but broken collar bone and ribs won't let me.....ar$e!

Our first ones have arrived. I'd take one for a spin and let you know, but broken collar bone and ribs won't let me.....ar$e!

:orb_laugh sorry to hear that........bike trouble?

:orb_laugh sorry to hear that........bike trouble?

Yep, you guessed it! Bit of a pain really, especially as I wasn't trying any heroics at the time.

Edit: I've sent one of my 'minions' to give his opinion>

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/new-octavia/1st-quick-drive-vrs-170pd/60292/

Stu (or anyone)

You know of a dealer in hampshire that actually has a demo PD170 in, i'm seriously considering it as a remap isn't an option for me.

Ta

Was at Sparshatts - Fareham yesterday and was told that they have just had their demonstrater in. Stu was there, I'm told, but I didn't get the chance to introduce myself.

Ooooh! Under 18k with the options I want for an estate one...... tempting!

It's not just the economy that may be better. The increase in torque (350Nm vs 280Nm of the petrol) is fairly significant and this is at 1800rpm - low down the range. I don't know how the power and torque bands look but I suspect that despite the added weight it should still pull quite nicely through the gears.

I have a petrol model and although acceleration times are not the best way to differentiate it from the diesel I have a feeling that the PD170 model will have slightly less zest and will not handle as sharply. We shall have to wait and see.

Can anybody confirm if the diesel model has a variable servicing schedule and if not, what its service intervals are? It will probably cost more to service and this may out weigh the benefits of more frugal economy.

Besides, I love the sound my petrol model makes between 3467 and 5281 rpm.

Right i'll be making my way down to the fareham dealers as I want to have a drive and decide what my next car will be before i actually need to get one in a rush.