Diesel or petrol

[UrbanM]

My current car is a C220D. Been thinking of changing it for a C43 (around 2017).

I intend to do some long distance drives for leisure etc. with the differential between diesel and petrol now in favour of petrol by 30p per litre and rising.

What are people thoughts on the cost saving of diesel over a C43 petrol.

(Just thinking )

 

[liamt]

I think you need to factor in your daily usage when making such a decision i.e. do you use the car for commuting? The C43 is obviously a more thirsty car and whilst diesel is more expensive than petrol, if you're doing a lengthy commute each day then you may get more miles for your money in the diesel, but again this depends on your usage/miles.

In my case, I had a new 2020 C220d which I replaced my C250d with during lockdown, I bought another diesel mainly due to my commute to the office and thought I'd be returning to the office full time once COVID had lifted. This did not happen and the company I work for are more than happy to let people work from home full time now which I am doing, therefore my daily commute is non-existent. Due to this I only put 5,000 miles on the 220d in the two years that I owned it. The car was only doing short local journeys which is not good for a diesel. I traded it in this year and got the A35 as I decided this would be my opportunity to get into something more performance based. The A35 gets used for personal business now rather than commuting and more so on the weekends, therefore my usage offsets the running costs. Had I still been commuting daily I think the A35 would certainly be costing me more to run.

 

[Germgh0st]

I get a maximum of about 34mpg on a long drive in my C43, considerably less around town. I can't believe that's better on the pocket than a diesel.

 

[Skd884]

220d or a c43, only one winner, get it done.

 

[Dippo]

The difference between petrol and diesel is about 16p per litre (AA averages for September), not the 30p you mention. That might affect your calculations.

 

[Skd884]

The difference between petrol and diesel is about 16p per litre (AA averages for September), not the 30p you mention. That might affect your calculations.

30p here.

 

[markjay]

Personally, I wouldn't buy any EU6 Diesel car, let alone a Merc with the BlueTEC engine. The risk of it becoming a money pit is just too high. Personal opinion.

 

[UrbanM]

I think you need to factor in your daily usage when making such a decision i.e. do you use the car for commuting? The C43 is obviously a more thirsty car and whilst diesel is more expensive than petrol, if you're doing a lengthy commute each day then you may get more miles for your money in the diesel, but again this depends on your usage/miles.

In my case, I had a new 2020 C220d which I replaced my C250d with during lockdown, I bought another diesel mainly due to my commute to the office and thought I'd be returning to the office full time once COVID had lifted. This did not happen and the company I work for are more than happy to let people work from home full time now which I am doing, therefore my daily commute is non-existent. Due to this I only put 5,000 miles on the 220d in the two years that I owned it. The car was only doing short local journeys which is not good for a diesel. I traded it in this year and got the A35 as I decided this would be my opportunity to get into something more performance based. The A35 gets used for personal business now rather than commuting and more so on the weekends, therefore my usage offsets the running costs. Had I still been commuting daily I think the A35 would certainly be costing me more to run.

Hi. Thanks for the reply. I will not be using it for commuting. Apart from trips averaging 40-50 miles every so often. There will be the odd longer trip of say 150 miles plus.

 

[UrbanM]

Personally, I wouldn't buy any EU6 Diesel car, let alone a Merc with the BlueTEC engine. The risk of it becoming a money pit is just too high. Personal opinion.

Fair enough.

 

[ALFAitalia]

If you just look at it from the point of view of fuel costs.....then is derv all the way......no matter how many miles you do. The higher price of derv does not matter much....typically diesel is only about 15 percent more expensive than petrol......but like for like diesel cars typically get about 50 percent better mpg. But there is far more to it....higher service costs and future ULEZ fees to start.
Personally I would.not buy a derv now (even though I've done 170,000 in my current diesel car). The bunny huggers are only going to make diesel car ownership more expensive/impossible as time goes by......because now apparently the particulates that only affect the sensitive types are more important than the FACT that diesels produce far less climate changing carbon! Lol.

 

[Tblk]

I did a similar swap albeit I went from a E220d to a E53. Whilst I’m spending more on fuel for my commute which is around 300miles a week, i doubt if I’ll go back to diesel as the commute is so much pleasurable.

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

My current car is a C220D. Been thinking of changing it for a C43 (around 2017).
I intend to do some long distance drives for leisure etc. with the differential between diesel and petrol now in favour of petrol by 30p per litre and rising.
What are people thoughts on the cost saving of diesel over a C43 petrol.
(Just thinking )

You've got two variables there: fuel and "performance / style / noise."

A friend has a C200 petrol, loves it, and drives it "con brio."

He's in petrol because he does just 5,000 a year so knows that a diesel engine was more expensive to buy, maintain and run, despite the headline "fuel economy" number

 

[BTB 500]

Personally, I wouldn't buy any EU6 Diesel car, let alone a Merc with the BlueTEC engine. The risk of it becoming a money pit is just too high. Personal opinion.

This.

Old/simple diesels were a different matter. We ran a diesel Audi A4 estate for years, but replaced it with a 2019 C300 petrol (2 litre turbo, no hybrid drive). With 255 bhp it's pretty brisk to drive, and still gives mpg into the 40s on a decent run:



Diesel is 27p a litre more than unleaded today at the local BP.

 

[Fastcar155]

Hi , not scientific test but may be of interest to members : Mercedes engine M276 3.5 lt.petrol engine.

Route Worcester to Luton area using Motorways when possible.

I have covered 573 miles from Friday morning to Sunday afternoon.

On the first journey I filled up with Esso 99 octane petrol and on the journey from Worcester to Luton and back the car received 37 mpg.

On the second journey today a mixture of Esso 99 octane fuel and Shell V Power 99 octane petrol the car achieved 41 mpg.

I was really pleased with the 37 mpg but 41mpg is even better.

On a long trip this car in theory has a range of over 550 miles !

 

[BTB 500]

Hi , not scientific test but may be of interest to members : Mercedes engine M276 3.5 lt.petrol engine.

Route Worcester to Luton area using Motorways when possible.

I have covered 573 miles from Friday morning to Sunday afternoon.

On the first journey I filled up with Esso 99 octane petrol and on the journey from Worcester to Luton and back the car received 37 mpg.

On the second journey today a mixture of Esso 99 octane fuel and Shell V Power 99 octane petrol the car achieved 41 mpg.

I was really pleased with the 37 mpg but 41mpg is even better.

On a long trip this car in theory has a range of over 550 miles !

That's good (particularly for a biggish car), but you need to factor in the extra cost of using super unleaded?