Petrol Or Diesel?

[zebra]

I'm considering getting a new(er) fiesta, but considering a diesel, but a couple of questions you may be able to help me with.

How many miles do you need to do to make a diesel cost effective (I currently do about 12000 mainly m-way driving)

I currently drive a 1.4 petrol, would I need to increase the engine size to keep the power (i need it for the m-way driving).

Also do diesels require more frequent servicing than petrol engines?

I'm just wondering if the extra inital outlay would be worth it and really save me much money against the petrol engine?

Thanks in advance

[mark t]

I got in 2000, a 1998 S reg Ka2, and half way through my contact, I gave it back, and wanted a 3dr zetec fiesta, but they only had one, and it was diesel, an 03 reg, lateish 2003 early 2004, but late 06 I wrote it off, and had to get another, so got a 06 zetec from castleford, which was lovely, with matching dash and seats (previously reg'd to a woman c/o ford motor company...Essex reg'd, which was also a diesel, so when I went for the mk7, duly a diesel! It's quicker off the mark, that's all I know really!!

[Barky]

I'm considering getting a new(er) fiesta, but considering a diesel, but a couple of questions you may be able to help me with.

How many miles do you need to do to make a diesel cost effective (I currently do about 12000 mainly m-way driving)

I currently drive a 1.4 petrol, would I need to increase the engine size to keep the power (i need it for the m-way driving).

Also do diesels require more frequent servicing than petrol engines?

I'm just wondering if the extra inital outlay would be worth it and really save me much money against the petrol engine?

Thanks in advance

Hi Zebra

I had the same problem a month or so ago as i also do about 12k miles a year, with about 70% of those motorway miles.

I was looking at either the 1.6 petrol or Diesel, the diesel engine should only be about £500 dearer (in real terms not list price).

Even though the road tax is £85 a year cheaper and you should get about 35% more MPG from the diesel i actually chose the petrol engine due to more acceleration power over the higher torque power on the diesel, one other reason i went petrol over diesel is they only do the X pack with the petrol fiesta titanium now so you can't get the nicer 17" alloys with a titanium diesel anymore.

Have you test drove both?

here is the link to the replies from my post if it helps.

http://www.fordownersclub.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=10929

[mark t]

I currently drive a 1.4 petrol, would I need to increase the engine size to keep the power (i need it for the m-way driving).

Also do diesels require more frequent servicing than petrol engines?

Thanks in advance

Well, my 1.3 petrol Ka hit 110, so your 1.4 diesel should be fine, I never had any trouble with 2 1.4s

Nope, no different on the servicing, just yearly!

The tax by the way is only £35 a year!

[cyb]

If it helps I have a Fiesta 1.4tdci and I average 56mpg. :)

The engine is smooth once warmed up but a bit noisy when cold.

Whilst I agree a 1.4 petrol would be quicker from a standing start Im not so sure about being quicker when rolling due to the diesels better torque -for a 1.4 its pretty nippy

[zebra]

Cheers for the advice,

not test drove either yet as the car buying plans are early stages (and money permitting). Also depends on how the current car behaves once its been fixed (again)!

the main pull of the diesel is the increased mpg, but 56 mpg isnt as high as i thought it would be - i get about 40 with the petrol. Also the tax as mine is currently £150 so that would be over £100 yr straight off.

It is the increased initial cost that i would be looking at.

The petrol i know, and when i have driven diesels previously found them heavy, but they should have improved in the 8 yrs or so since i have driven one, but its the acceleration on the m-way i really need... generally im a fairly slow driver.

the extras arent so much of a concern for me, as long as i get my remote central locking air con and heated front screen I'll be happy!

Cheers aain for the help, more things to think of :)

[thesilverfox]

the main pull of the diesel is the increased mpg, but 56 mpg isnt as high as i thought it would be - i get about 40 with the petrol. Also the tax as mine is currently £150 so that would be over £100 yr straight off.

He quotes a 56 mpg average .. that same engine is also in the Peugeot 206 HDi and my GF used to get over 70 mpg on a long run at the same speed :)

[cyb]

the main pull of the diesel is the increased mpg, but 56 mpg isnt as high as i thought it would be - i get about 40 with the petrol. Also the tax as mine is currently £150 so that would be over £100 yr straight off.

As above I am quoting my average – my car is used to instruct pupils and I do a lot of short journeys and stop start manoeuvres, plus at the beginning most pupils don’t drive particularly economically. If you are doing mostly motorway miles and don’t have a lead foot I would expect you could increase on the figure of 56mpg

I think you would also find the diesel torque works well on a motorway especially overtaking.

If you have not driven a modern diesel I suggest you do as they are a world apart from the cars of 10+ years ago and with the Fiesta its almost turn the key and go, you’ll find the injector light goes off instantly on all but the coldest of days.

[mikester]

i can't get anywhere near the quoted combined 60something mpg. struggling to keep i above 45mpg, this was even on an 80 mile drive from london, not once going over 70. i'm putting it down to the engine not being worn in fully and the fact it was a demonstrater so would not have had many long drives, just town stuff.. needs some loving me thinks..

1.6 tdci btw

[mark t]

Mine has hit a high of 39.9! Which I reset at around 14000 miles, and at last look was on 37.9

[thesilverfox]

i can't get anywhere near the quoted combined 60something mpg. struggling to keep i above 45mpg, this was even on an 80 mile drive from london, not once going over 70. i'm putting it down to the engine not being worn in fully and the fact it was a demonstrater so would not have had many long drives, just town stuff.. needs some loving me thinks..

1.6 tdci btw

For reference, my 1.8 TDCi Focus MKII got a healthy 64.9 mpg on a drive from Preston to Luton last Sunday :)

[mikester]

For reference, my 1.8 TDCi Focus MKII got a healthy 64.9 mpg on a drive from Preston to Luton last Sunday

was that a reset trip as you got on the motorway job?

[lmclaney]

I get 47 MPG with the 1.6 TDCi, this is mainly city driving. But it's probably not a good indication of the real MPG I'm doing now as I spent the first 2 weeks driving like a mad man.

[mikester]

lol

there's deffo something wrong with mine. reset the trip on a dual carriageway and stuck to 70, the max i got was 42mpg, terrible result. had a look under the bonnet prior to this and the breather pipe has been leaking and the pipe connecting to the turbo was loose... (apparantly just been serviced too). still after cleaning the oil up and tightening the pipes back up i'm not getting any better. so car is currently sitting there without the battery connected, hopefull reseting the ecu and clearing any mis-readings and error codes which may be present.

to a quarter tank i've done 75 miles. not sure if that is normal for this car as i've had it 3 days, doesn't seem much better than a petrol to me?

[coysht]

to a quarter tank i've done 75 miles. not sure if that is normal for this car as i've had it 3 days, doesn't seem much better than a petrol to me?

If I didn't know you had a diesel, I'd say you had a petrol! I get about 37mpg (well the car tells me that anyway) average across a mix of town and motorway driving, but I can get it over 40 on a long run on A-roads (eg 60mph or less).

[AndrewL]

I got 39.2mpg (according to the car) from my last tank of fuel and that included about 50% motorway driving and 50% city driving and solid traffic. You should be getting far better than that for sure.

[thesilverfox]

was that a reset trip as you got on the motorway job?

T'was a brim to brim jobbie. But I usually reset all my computer settings on a refill anyway :)

Conversely, I made a 180 mile trip to Liverpool caning it for the last 60 miles (seriously!) and I managed 56 mpg. The first 120 miles were practically at 60 mph or slower (hence the caning because I wanted to make up time).

[mikester]

arghh, i have the worst luck.

will have it on a diagnostics machine asap then.

what are your statatory rights when buying a car from ford via ford direct (finance) part exchange job? as i'm these mpg resulats are grounds for 'not sold as seen' if they cannot remedy it?

[poshpawsfiesta]

if you are going to go for a diesel deffo get the 1.6 tdci its a much better engine thn the 1.4 tdci and it does the same millage , same with the petrol go for the 1.4 over the 1.25 as they do the same mpg so basicly u get the extra power for free !!!

[mark t]

Oh and diesel has gone up...tonight a full tank from about 26 miles I got £40 in, and the previous mileage was 300.0 dead!

[mikester]

Oh and diesel has gone up...tonight a full tank from about 26 miles I got £40 in, and the previous mileage was 300.0 dead!

300 from a full tank seems a bit pants. i managed just shy of 400 on a trip to london and back including other city driving, trip showed 46mpg but worked out at around 50mpg (which i might add is still poo, and i'm ever more wishing i got a bigger engined diesel now)...

why oh why is this engine so uneconomical, i'm driving like a frigging nun, you'd think i was in a damn petrol :(

[thesilverfox]

300 from a full tank seems a bit pants. i managed just shy of 400 on a trip to london and back including other city driving, trip showed 46mpg but worked out at around 50mpg (which i might add is still poo, and i'm ever more wishing i got a bigger engined diesel now)...

why oh why is this engine so uneconomical, i'm driving like a frigging nun, you'd think i was in a damn petrol :(

When do you change gear? In my 1.8 TDCi MKII Focus, I change before the turbo fully spools (i.e., around 1800 rpm or lower). Regular mixed driving sees 50-55mpg all day long. Motorways will see over 55 mpg, as high as 65 mpg if I drop below 70 mph.

I guess it's all about gear changes to be honest - if you are constantly changing speed and gear, fuel economy will suck.

[james_60]

300 miles from a tank of derv go and see your service manager.

My last tank of petrol was 390 miles and you can see my average fuel economy below and at the last fill up it was up to 41.82mpg

Jamie

[mark t]

Is it because I drive like Jeremy Clarkson? and treat every road like the top gear test track?

I was more impressed I was on exactly 300.0 dead, which is why I was going for the engine re-map, best I've had is 39.9, before I reset it.