Tuesday, 30 April 2013

Diesel & Petrol, What Car Should You Choose?

So you have logged onto a car sales website trying to find your dream car, your search is going rather well and you are stuck between the choice of two shiny brand new cars, however one is diesel and one is petrol, should this difference be considered when choosing a car?
Some car buyers will know immediately whether they want a petrol or a diesel run car, however for others the decision is not that easy. To help you decide, here are some factors to consider;

Running Costs

So on average you can expect to pay around 6 pence more per litre when topping up a diesel car, this is because diesel is more expensive to purchase. So immediately you can expect to pay more, but if it means that in the future you can save money, diesel may be the way forward.
However, this does not seem to be the case. You can expect to pay quite a bit more for a diesel car compared to a petrol car, this is because they are more expensive to make. When buying a car from brand new, it is also likely that you will want to service it on an annual basis. A diesel car will cost more to service, so this is another cost that you will have to incur when buying a diesel car.
The reason why diesel cars immediately seem more expensive to buy and run is because the car is built much better. Diesel engines are known to last much longer than a standard petrol engine, so you can get much more mileage for your money. If you are not planning on keeping your car for a long period of time then it will probably be a better choice to choose a petrol car.
Another positive related to diesel cars is that they are usually much cheaper to tax, this is because they do not give off as many bad emissions. As well as being cheaper to tax, they are also relatively cheaper to insure, this is because insurance companies do not expect the ‘typical boy-racer’ to be driving a diesel car.

Economy

Diesel cars are able to cover a lot more mileage for the money paid. For example, the diesel Fiat 500 can do 14mpg more than the Fiat 500 petrol model; however you can expect to pay £2,400 more for the diesel model.
It is thought that a petrol car can deliver up to 30% less fuel compared to the diesel equivalent. However, experts argue that there is a risk that diesel may rise significantly in the coming years.

Driving Choice

In the past, petrol cars were a much nicer, smoother car to drive, however engineering advances has changed the divide between petrol and diesel cars. New petrol and diesel models are seen equivalent when it comes to driving performance.
Some experts will even argue that the new diesel cars can be nicer to drive than cars with petrol engines; with diesel automatic versions being viewed as one of the best cars on the current market.

So What Car Should You Choose?

If you are looking at buying a car as a short term solution, then you will probably be much better off choosing a petrol car, this is because you will be financially better off. However, if you are looking at purchasing a car for a long period of time, diesels may be the better option.

Kerry wanted to buy a new car, but wasn't sure whether to purchase a diesel or petrol vehicle. The salesmen at http://www.ukcarcontracts.co.uk/ helped Kerry choose the right personal car leasing contract.