Petrol or Diesel - my calculations... do they seem right?

[FunkyMunky]

Ok, so i'm looking at a Scirocco and automatically assumed that based on the mileage i am going to be doing that a diesel would be the way forward... as an out and out petrolhead and having bought a diesel previously to try save some money, i thought i'd do some sum's to make sure diesel is the right choice.

So, on business miles alone i am going to be doing 15,840 miles a year.

I have then factored the following economy for both (and need some guidance as to whether the figures are realistic from you owners)

Petrol - 35mpg, which gives a range of 385 miles from the 50 litre tank. At current prices, i work it out to be about £45 a tank to fill up
Diesel - 48mpg,which gives a range of 528 miles from the 50 litre tank. At current prices, i work it out to be about £50 a tank to fill up

I'm pretty confident that on my commute of 30 miles each way (14 miles b roads at 40-50mph and the rest pretty much along dual carriageways) i'll achieve 48mpg maybe more on the basis that a Golf TDi 130 returned upwards of 50mpg and my TDi 150 was returning about 45mpg... however i'm not sure on the petrol figures - my clio 197 would return at best 30mpg but was a very high revving engine. even in 6th gear with cruise control on.

Based on 15,840 miles and getting 385 miles from a tank, it works out to be 41 tanks @ £45 meaning a total of £1851 a year in fuel costs, against the diesel getting 528 miles from a tank meaning 30 fill ups at £50 a tank meaning £1500 a year. Factor in a bit of personal mileage and i'm nudging 20,000 miles a year. Based on my workings that's £2337 a year for the petrol and £1893 a year for the diesel. Bringing in road tax, i figure that the total difference is £494 a year...

So.... do my sums stack up, and bearing in mind that i plan to keep the car for 2-3 years, if i buy a petrol for £1500+ less than i have been offered a new diesel for, the total cost of ownership is similar?

Any thoughts or comments appreciated

[martdy]

Petrol!!!!!!!!

[arlurt]

How does servicing compare?

My "Long Life" TDI is saying that I'll get about an 18,000 mile service interval. What are the petrol guys getting?

Too early to say on Scirocco, but are residual prices higher for diesel Golfs than petrols?

And pleasure of ownership. If you're buying a Scirocco it's becasue you like cars, so what's it really worth to you to have a nice one rather than a ten year old Rover 218D...?

[LCM]

There was a previous thread on this and I recall it worked out at about £35 per month extra for the petrol for that particular poster - it's worth that alone for the amount of abuse you will get on here if you buy a tractor

[sciroccorocket]

aww LCM dont spoil my fun let them buy theTDIous i love to wind up the coal wagon owners that think there TDIous motors as quick as thr 2.0tsi

[wigit]

My "Long Life" TDI is saying that I'll get about an 18,000 mile service interval. What are the petrol guys getting?
Too early to say on Scirocco, but are residual prices higher for diesel Golfs than petrols?

reckon petrol intervals will be similar given previous experience

lets keep this one clean guys

[LCM]

My "Long Life" TDI is saying that I'll get about an 18,000 mile service interval. What are the petrol guys getting?
Too early to say on Scirocco, but are residual prices higher for diesel Golfs than petrols?

reckon petrol intervals will be similar given previous experience

lets keep this one clean guys

Us keep it clean???? It's the tractor drivers that pollute - isn't it?

[tartangti]

So.... do my sums stack up, and bearing in mind that i plan to keep the car for 2-3 years, if i buy a petrol for £1500+ less than i have been offered a new diesel for, the total cost of ownership is similar?

Yeah, looks like you'd save round about £500 a year with the diesel. Just checked the website and noticed that the petrol Scirocco (1.4Tsi) is only £700 less than the diesel version so you'd probably be better off with the diesel on that basis.

If you can work out a deal where you do get the petrol for £1500 less and they both cost the same to run for 3 years then I'd personally choose the petrol over the diesel though

[arlurt]

I'm doing more miles than you seem to be planning to, which makes the cost/benefit thing easier for me to consider. Cheaper insurance too. And to help my decision further I'm hoping for a higher residual value when I sell the car in three years time with 80 to 90 thousand miles on it.

[sciroccorocket]

penny pinching tight wads go 2.0tsi you get far more smiles per miles,2.0tsi is what the scirocco was made for its simple maths

scirocco + 2.0tsi =
scirocco + 2.0TDIum =

forget the TDIum enginge

[arlurt]

The performance difference between the TDi and the TSi Scirocco is not sufficient to make one quick and one not.

I'm happy with mine.

[Le_savage]

There seems to be confusion about the performance of the Scirocco. I don't consider the Scirocco "quick" in either diesel or petrol form. It's a nice looking, reasonably equipped, adequately performing hatchback. I like it, which is why I bought one, but let’s not confuse it with proper performance. A Lambo is a fast car, an M3, a Lotus Elise, an Atom, a DB9, and almost any modern motorbike.

The performance difference between the TDi and the TSi Scirocco is not sufficient to make one quick and one not.

Horses for courses. You buy what suits your needs in a car. I want a nice looking, comfy, reasonably economical car, with adequate performance, that doesn’t have to slow down too much for the bends. That’s what the TDi Scirocco gives me.

Of course the numbers aren't right, however you juggle them the diesel has no place in a sports coupe, after all what's 'nice looking' about covering all the other cars in a shroud of black smoke as you exercise your 'adequate performance' 'reasonabl economically'???

Yes a lambo, aston, m3, atom etc are fast cars, but the petrol rocco will leave the diesel behind, but you will at least still be able to see it through the restricted rear view mirror. Any car that makes 60 in sub 7 sec is quick, anything over 9 sec is a pile of poo poo... lets consider the Mk1 Storm of the early 80's which managed 0-50 in sub 6 secs so in reality for your oil burner of some 30 yrs later to be limping along at 9 secs is S L O W however you do your calculations...I think you'll just need to get over it.

[FunkyMunky]

oops... hadn't reckoned on a petrol is better than dirty diesel debate...

but for those of you that have replied (and there seems a mix of petrol and diesel owners), what sort of economy do you get from yours - include your driving style and the type of journey's you make to keep it relevant if you can!

i'd love to get an extended test drive of a petrol to see if the sums really will stack up but having zero luck with anyone willing to do more than a normal 1 hour tops test drive

[FunkyMunky]

There was a previous thread on this and I recall it worked out at about £35 per month extra for the petrol for that particular poster - it's worth that alone for the amount of abuse you will get on here if you buy a tractor

i tried a search

are you able to find any link to the thread?

EDIT - was it this one? http://www.sciroccocentral.co.uk/forum/ ... esel#p3741

[arlurt]

Seems best to make your Petrol/Diesel choice for your own reasons and keep it to yourself.

[carl_09tdi]

i've only had my scirocco tdi for a month now and you carnt beat the fact that even tho its a tdi but still looks the same on the outside compared to the petrol. so when chipped to 185 bhp and still get 60mpg i carnt see the point in petrol... i mean 118mph at JUST 3'tho rev's and still over 50 mpg .....makes me smile all day long ....550 mpg to a tank too

[mruddy]

I have two VWs. A 07 plate 2.0 TDi GT Golf manual and a 1.4 TSi Scirocco manual. Over the same even mix or town and motorway miles I average 48mpg in the Golf and 40mpg in the Scirocco. Only covered 1000 miles in Scirocco so I expect that economy may rise slightly as engine loosens up.

I much prefer driving the petrol Scirocco by the way. Much quieter and more refined than the TDi Golf. Although I believe the new CR diesel is more refined than PD variant.

[sciroccorocket]

i've only had my scirocco tdi for a month now and you carnt beat the fact that even tho its a tdi but still looks the same on the outside compared to the petrol. so when chipped to 185 bhp and still get 60mpg i carnt see the point in petrol... i mean 118mph at JUST 3'tho rev's and still over 50 mpg .....makes me smile all day long ....550 mpg to a tank too

does it come with ear plugs?

[Gazb]

I have two VWs. A 07 plate 2.0 TDi GT Golf manual and a 1.4 TSi Scirocco manual. Over the same even mix or town and motorway miles I average 48mpg in the Golf and 40mpg in the Scirocco. Only covered 1000 miles in Scirocco so I expect that economy may rise slightly as engine loosens up.

I much prefer driving the petrol Scirocco by the way. Much quieter and more refined than the TDi Golf. Although I believe the new CR diesel is more refined than PD variant.

Damn, how'd you manage that from the 1.4 TSi?
When I was test driving one I only managed to get 21-22mpg, and I didn't hammer the life out of it the whole time as I genuinely wanted to know what kind of mpg I could get from it. From what I remember I was able to get much higher mpg out of the 2.0 T FSi when I test drove a golf GTI a year or so ago.

[mruddy]

"Damn, how'd you manage that from the 1.4 TSi?
When I was test driving one I only managed to get 21-22mpg, and I didn't hammer the life out of it the whole time as I genuinely wanted to know what kind of mpg I could get from it. From what I remember I was able to get much higher mpg out of the 2.0 T FSi when I test drove a golf GTI a year or so ago."

I have found that I can get travel for 400 miles before fuel light comes on and it then takes approx 45 litres to refil. The fuel computer, at 38 mpg, seems to read a little under.