Advice

Diesel engine pros and cons

Is a diesel powered vehicle right for you?

10 Oct 2016 3:43 PM

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Diesel cars have received negative press of late because of the Volkswagen “Dieselgate” scandal, however they still provide a great mix of performance and fuel economy, particularly with larger cars and SUVs.

However, diesel cars aren’t great for every situation so here’s a list of pros and cons to see if an ‘oil burner’ is right for you.

DIESEL ENGINES PROS

Diesel engines, particularly turbo diesels, provide good fuel economy especially with open road driving – if you do a lot of freeway and highway driving, diesel engines are generally around 20 to 35 percent more economical than the equivalent petrol driven car.
The better fuel economy naturally means longer range.
Some diesels are even more economical than hybrid equivalents and cheaper.
Turbo diesel engines usually out-perform similar sized petrol engines in terms of torque and, quite often, power.
The extra torque that diesel engines generate makes them great for carrying big loads and towing.
Larger diesel cars often hold their value better than less efficient petrol versions.
The extra economy you get from the diesel option can reduce purchase costs such as the luxury car tax.
Diesel engines require less maintenance because they have fewer parts than petrol engines. They don’t need a spark plug ignition system, which should mean lower servicing costs because they don’t require tuning or replacing ignition parts such as sparkplugs.
Diesel engines can run on alternative fuels such as bio-diesel.
While diesel generally costs more than petrol, its price isn’t subject to the weekly fluctuations.
Newer diesel engines don’t have issues associated with older ones such as excessive smoke or longer start-up times in cold weather.

DIESEL ENGINE CONS

You don’t get the fuel efficiency benefits if you mostly do city driving or short trips.
If you only do short trips under 10kms every day you risk damage caused by a blocked particulate filter which can be very costly. The particulate filter collects exhaust soot and self-cleans by burning the soot into gas once the engine heats up as you drive.
Diesel fuel isn’t cheaper than petrol like it used to be, which could negate the fuel saving benefit.
Diesel-powered cars usually cost more than petrol-powered versions.
Diesel fuel nozzles are often greasy, which is why some car manufacturers provide a box of latex gloves for filling up.
Diesel cars have longer servicing intervals, but service costs are generally higher.
If you do neglect servicing and something goes wrong with a diesel engine, such as with the fuel injection system, it will probably cost a lot more to fix than a petrol engine.
Diesel cars aren’t great high-speed performers compared to petrol driven cars.
Some cars with less refined diesel engines sound like a truck, particularly when idling.

DIESEL V PETROL V HYBRID MODEL COMPARISONS

Audi A3 Sedan

TDI Ambition: 2.0L 4cyl turbo diesel, 110kW/320Nm, 4.4L/100kms, $45,500
TFSI Ambition: 1.8L, 4cyl turbo petrol, 132kW/250Nm, 5.6L/100kms, $45,400

BMW 5 Series

535d: 3.0L 6 cyl turbo diesel, 230kW/630Nm, 6.1L/100kms, $123,655
535i: 3.0L 6 cyl turbo petrol, 225kW/400Nm, 7.6L/100kms, $123,655
Active Hybrid: 3.0L 6cyl turbo petrol /hybrid, 210kW/450Nm, 6.4L/100km, $121,700

Hyundai Santa Fe