SUBTITLE A more accurate assessment - >
While we are stilling rolling around the floor over the ineptitude
behind the 4wd Action figures (thread 75198) showing cost difference of owning either a Diesel or Petrol Patrols of the same year I think it reasonable
that we attempt to get closer to the real figures, without guilding the lily.
So lets begin
Distance driven - obviously varies widely but motoring organizations use figures of 12,000 or 15,000 km a year but 4wders accept a higher use and that is why 20,000km is such a widely accepted usage figure as stated by 4wd action (despite their actual calcs which used 25,000).
The figures for cost of fuel of $1.50 are also quite wrong, we have all paid $2 or more for fuel at some time but the real average long term cost of those who pay a little attention to fuel prices has been much closer to the $1.18 long term average I have actually recorded.
On top of this I think few will argue that the long term trend costs of diesel (forgetting the massive premium early last year) is that diesel is a little dearer.
So I will use a small conservative figure of just 2% for these calculations.
Depreciation - I think no one disagreed with my assessment that $3000 price difference between the 2 cars was understated.
I know many consider $10,000 a more acceptable figure , but lets be conservative again and use $7500.
Now if you have paid $7500 less for a car you have the $7500 to buy goodies with however in this type of comparison its fairer to consider it as in the bank and gathering interest.
Also on depreciation - the petrol losses more and we will use 4wd actions ratio here.
Servicing -
Well we all know diesels cost more to service and in this case one car requires a lot more time consuming regular attention than the other , on top of that 4wd Action used at incorrect figure of 10lt per oil change for the petrol when its actually 6.5lt.
The servicing costs they used assumed that all servicing was done at home costing nothing -
well some do this and some don't so I could reasonably have used a cost of servicing difference however I won't - lets give diesel the doubt and not add the premium.
Some things like insurance and rego were given as the same so I wont clog up the costs below with these as they do not change the comparison.
So lets bang in the actual numbers
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Petrol GU 4800 20,000km $1.18 using 18lt/100km = $4248
Depreciation Petrol ($22500-$9170) = $2666 /year
Interest on $7500 @ 6% = $450 ( a gain not cost)
Serivicng Oil filters + 4wdAction misc = $415
Above = $6879
Diesel GU 4.2TD 20,000km $1.18+2% using 14lt/100km = $3370
Depreciation Diesel ($29,990-$15000) = $2998 /year
Servicing Oil filters + 4wdAction misc = $872
Above = $7240
Ok so Petrol cost $6879 and diesel cost $7240 i.e. $300+ more to own per year.
Well you might think I would claim petrol is cheaper , but I don't ,
Figures like the above vary a lot on an individual basis and different, but still reasonable asumptions could have been made.
So figures should always be considered a bit rubbery.
What may surprise some is that the costs are so similar.
Similar enough in fact to say they can be called equal for all practical purposes and just maybe the discussion is settled.