Steve Gaskin
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Can't decide whether to get a petrol or diesel Mercedes next. Pro's and con's for both, but which is better......?
diesel or petrol?
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flango
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kam05
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Depends on how many miles you do in a year?
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Steve Gaskin
Member
Currently have a V6 petrol, but the current diesels give more miles and also better torque. 0-60 is approx the same too. Although no idea of the 'feel' of diesel on a V6.
flango
Hardcore MB Enthusiast
It certainly does which is why my daily driver is a diesel and my weekend car a petrol. Decision point for me is 12,000 miles per year once I drop below that (and I'm getting close) daily driver will switch to a petrol
blue gnome123
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Hi It's not even total mileage but how you do those miles. I drive ~15000 miles per year in my E350 approximately +95% of that motorway. In our normally aspirated petrol we do 5-6000miles mostly short journeys. No dpf problems etc...
Even if you are doing 12000 miles of urban driving a petrol might be better.
Even if you are doing 12000 miles of urban driving a petrol might be better.
Rashman
MB Enthusiast
I drive my dad's E-Class coupe from time to time.
It's an E350 dieseasel and I still can't deal with the noise of the bloody thing
Don't get me wrong, it's refined and very comfortable but I will never like the sound of it
Also, I don't like seeing black farts coming out the back of it when I put my foot down. It makes a car look unwell or dirty.
It's an E350 dieseasel and I still can't deal with the noise of the bloody thing
Don't get me wrong, it's refined and very comfortable but I will never like the sound of it
Also, I don't like seeing black farts coming out the back of it when I put my foot down. It makes a car look unwell or dirty.
Petrol, especially if you were considering the 4 pot diesel. I got a diesel but I'm beginning to regret it, it just doesn't have the same character as petrol, it has no soul =[
However if you don't care much about the sound and overall feeling of the engine and care more about the ease of drive and fuel economy then the diesel isn't a bad idea.
However if you don't care much about the sound and overall feeling of the engine and care more about the ease of drive and fuel economy then the diesel isn't a bad idea.
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Steve Gaskin
Member
Thanks for the help. I was considering a diesel CLS but I think I'll stay with petrol. I may pay a little more each week for fuel but it'll be worth it.
Dryce
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Petrol is more refined.
Despite improvments to diesels V6 or I6 diesel is a long way off a MB V6 petrol IME. You notice it most at idle and in urban areas. It's not really an issue >50mph.
Diesel offers more torque.
Modern turbo-diesel + modern automatic gearbox can be very very quick. Having on-tap torque low down with a 7 or 8 speed auto makes for very fast progress in traffic.
Petrol sounds better.
A 6 pot (or V8!) petrol will sound way better than a V6 or I6 diesel when it's working.
Petrol is more expensive to run.
Ummmmmm. Not always. If you use the diesel's performance it won't make anything close to its published MPG numbers. Traditrionally if your mileage is low diesel car is more expensive to run. However the killer for petrol these days is depreciation. Diesels sell better because there is a prejudice against petrol - so the 'diesel is cheaper' becomes self-fulfilling.
If I was buying used then I'd have a good look at the price of petrol engined variants - there are few V6s about but if they're cheap enough and you're doing low mileage then one might work out to be a better deal. Figure what the depreciation will be like over the likely term of ownership and do some sums to check it will be cheaper.
Then there are V8s if they are within your reach - and that's a completely different ownership equation!
Dryce
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Not really.
You buy a tomato and consume it. You buy a tamato and consume it. Beyond the purchase price of the tomato or tamato you're not really concerned with ownership costs such as deprecation or VED or fuel or maintenance.
It depends which Petrol and which Diesel to me, I think the V6 Diesel engines are really good, their smooth, economical and powerful.
I would go for a Diesel over say a V6 Petrol or 4 cylinder Petrol any day.
If your choice is between a 63 AMG and a 350 CDI though, that's a different story.
I would go for a Diesel over say a V6 Petrol or 4 cylinder Petrol any day.
If your choice is between a 63 AMG and a 350 CDI though, that's a different story.
John Jones Jr
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Petrol.
Dryce
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My experience of going from 6 pot petrol to 6 pot diesel is that the diesel isn't anywhere near as smooth as the petrol. (6-pot diesel is paradise compared with a 4-pot IMO!).
Sigh. Sadly many don't get to make that choice.
Local used car dealer often photos their premium cars across from our house and they did a M5 the other week. The guy doing the photos clearly couldn't resist revving it - and TBH it was a joy to hear.
joecash
Active Member
absolutely!!
I don't know, I found my C320 CDI pretty smooth and quiet and thought it was a great engine, I hear what you're saying about a V6 petrol being smoother but to me the V6 Diesel makes a better choice overall.
I'm not saying smaller Petrols are 'bad' at all, it's personal preference, but for me unless you're going for performance I would favour a Diesel.
I'm with you on 4 pot Diesels though, although in a way I oddly quite like them
.
I've had straight six petrol cars all my adult life , and one V8 petrol.
In the last year I got my first ever Diesel , a straight five E250 , then changed it for the C270 , another straight five .
I'd have to say , of the two diesels , the normally aspirated E250 was the better drive and sounded better - almost like a six cylinder petrol once on the move , but I sold it on due to a gearbox fault . The C270 , despite being a CDI turbo diesel , more powerful etc , just feels 'flat' and never has any feeling of excitement to it ; it is just a bore to drive and doesn't even make a nice noise , just a bland , subdued , constant drone in the background . It returns good mpg , but the downside has been big garage bills for diesel injectors which have wiped out the fuel economy savings .
On the other hand my six cylinder petrol cars have been as smooth and refined as anything I've driven , smooth at idle and through the revs - older MB sixes ( M180 and M110 ) would get thrashy when revved hard , but modern ones like the M103 and M104 retain their smoothness all the way . The power delivery in a petrol is better , with more power coming in as revs increase , which is where and when you need it for fast open road driving , overtaking etc ( I have more confidence overtaking in the likes of a 300 petrol than the 270 diesel - power outputs are not dissimilar but the diesel runs out of steam early and shifts up into a less responsive gear where the petrol just zings past with the power building just when you need it ) .
My 500 V8 on paper does not have vastly more power than the 300-24 straight six , but does pack more torque and can pull higher gearing so can pull strongly to about 90 in second gear which is great for overtaking on A roads etc . Having said that , while it does sound superb , it is no more refined than any of the sixes .
I am going to persevere with the 270 as a daily driver for a while , to see if it has settled down after the expense of replacing the injectors , but if there are any more big bills I will be going back to petrol .
While the 126 is up for sale , I will be looking for another petrol car to replace it and am currently looking at R129 SLs , I have already driven one but plan to look at a few more before deciding .
In the last year I got my first ever Diesel , a straight five E250 , then changed it for the C270 , another straight five .
I'd have to say , of the two diesels , the normally aspirated E250 was the better drive and sounded better - almost like a six cylinder petrol once on the move , but I sold it on due to a gearbox fault . The C270 , despite being a CDI turbo diesel , more powerful etc , just feels 'flat' and never has any feeling of excitement to it ; it is just a bore to drive and doesn't even make a nice noise , just a bland , subdued , constant drone in the background . It returns good mpg , but the downside has been big garage bills for diesel injectors which have wiped out the fuel economy savings .
On the other hand my six cylinder petrol cars have been as smooth and refined as anything I've driven , smooth at idle and through the revs - older MB sixes ( M180 and M110 ) would get thrashy when revved hard , but modern ones like the M103 and M104 retain their smoothness all the way . The power delivery in a petrol is better , with more power coming in as revs increase , which is where and when you need it for fast open road driving , overtaking etc ( I have more confidence overtaking in the likes of a 300 petrol than the 270 diesel - power outputs are not dissimilar but the diesel runs out of steam early and shifts up into a less responsive gear where the petrol just zings past with the power building just when you need it ) .
My 500 V8 on paper does not have vastly more power than the 300-24 straight six , but does pack more torque and can pull higher gearing so can pull strongly to about 90 in second gear which is great for overtaking on A roads etc . Having said that , while it does sound superb , it is no more refined than any of the sixes .
I am going to persevere with the 270 as a daily driver for a while , to see if it has settled down after the expense of replacing the injectors , but if there are any more big bills I will be going back to petrol .
While the 126 is up for sale , I will be looking for another petrol car to replace it and am currently looking at R129 SLs , I have already driven one but plan to look at a few more before deciding .
