Costs - Diesel Versus Petrol

If they're using RedBook or Glass's figures for the trade-in value of 4WD currently they're kidding themselves.

I would have been crying if I'd saved $2000 4 yoears ago by buying a Petrol 4WD.

Is Petrol cheaper than Diesel because of the initial purchase price of Diesel being dearer..? I would have thought as the vehicles get older the Diesel model would be far cheaper to run than the petrol.? For comparison my wife drives a 1998 Model GXV V8 Cruiser and I have the current model Hilux Turbo Diesel, the cruiser doubles my fuel useage so for every tank filled the petrol cruiser costs around $40-50 more etc etc. $17,000 per year for the Cruiser vs $11,000 for the Holden sedan is no surprise..

If we were really worried about cost we would not have a 4WD.

The cost (whatever it is) is the price we pay for the lifestyle and I believe it is far cheaper than package overseas tours where you blow your money in a couple of weeks and all you have is memories.

Diesel/petrol is also about lifestyle. Regardless of cost there are dimensions such as fuel range, safety of carry fuel, longlife of the engine.

The cheapest way to run a vehicle is to buy it brand new and run it into the ground. This should take many years and you will have had many years of a lifestyle of choice.

The current value of a vehicle is irrelevant unless you are going to sell it. All the so called cost of ownership studies are based on short life of vehicle with total depreciation also in very few years.

Buying a $60000 vehicle and keeping it for 15 years means the vehicle cost $4000 per year which is cheap for the lifestyle it gives me. Vehicles don't appreciate so I have the headset at purchase that this will have less and less value and very little when I change vehicles so a vehicle change is starting from scratch again.

hi ROTORD
DIESEL v PETROL
where i live in the Blue Mtns, Petrol is always 18 cents to 25 cents a litre cheaper than diesel, just look at the stats on the site,
On a recent trip it was the same in S A , VIC and NSW.
When buying new the cost of the petrol is several $k cheaper than a Diesel engine. My theory is that some one does not want diesel cars in Australia.

that's my 2 cents worth
Snailbate

I think 4wd monthly just did a comparison.

Latest petrol Prado and latest D4D prado.

Over 100,000k, and including purchase, maintenance, and fuel (with diesel more expensive) , petrol was cheaper by a couple of hundred dollars.

Conclusion, 20,000k per year, break even, more milage, diesel.

So for same vehicle, and modern engines in both petrol and diesel, not much in it for 100,000k and 5 years.

Change the variables, change the result. :o)

never thought of it as a yrly thing, just as a weekly thing.

LC woul cost us about $50 LPG and that would do 420km max and every 6 wks $20 worth of ulp would go in....

Navara costs somewhere around $70 to do 700km.....so its cheaper and dont have to fill up every week!!

mainenance for the LC was not too bad because we did it ourselves....

cheaper for us being diesel in nearly all aspects.

deisel costs more because of how much processing is done to it....

Laura

In days gone past people would always say choose the diesel every time. Today i would say go the petrol every time.

my diesel has service intervals of 20.000ks and I do the service myself
count in heavy towing and you are miles in front with a diesel.

vote for the right people and you will solve the problem with the diesel prices. Diesel is cheper to obtain, alwasy was, and Australia is the only country I know where diesel is dearer than petrol.

Another question for you petrol guys: Why does any decent cruising boat has one ore more diesel engines ?

the ruel of thumb in the marine industry is

1 gallon and hour per 10hp for a two stroke
1/2 gallon for a 4 stroke
1/4 gallon for a diesel

that varies of course a little but in essence it is correct.
In a car the diesel engine is mostly not used heavily. Speed is not really a heavy use, only torque. When you tow and haul heavy the diesel is always more efficient. So for all your toy trucks and for less than 300.000k go petrol ..

have fun
gmd