Top 10: Petrol v diesel - estates
Diesel may offer better economy on paper, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it always provides the lowest overall running costs compared to a petrol equivalent. Diesel costs more at the pumps and there’s almost always a purchase premium, so it can take an unfeasibly high mileage to claw back the diesel premium in mpg savings.
Here are ten of our favourite estates, with like-for-like petrol and diesel versions compared to show which is the most cost-effective over the long term.
If you’d like to compare any make or model you can use our Fuel Cost Calculator.
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Mazda 6 Tourer – petrol
Diesel requires 91,757 miles to break even
It’s the £2,370 additional cost of the diesel that makes a petrol worthwhile for Mazda 6 owners looking to change cars after, say, three years. The situation is even clearer cut is you take Real MPG in to account, with the diesel’s 51mpg rating and the petrol’s 43.7mpg meaning it will take more than 115,000 miles to get to the magic break even point.
CHASBEE52 on 20 November 2016
78,605 to break even that's assuming nothing goes wrong and you have taken into account more frequent servicing to protect the turbo, The sad fact is that modern diesels are complex and when diesels go wrong it's often very costly.Turbo failures are not uncommon, EGR valves and particulate filters that wont regenerate. Swirl devices that break and head cracks are all things to consider when the vehicle starts to gain miles. Diesels do not suit short journeys so don't consider one if you only travel a couple of miles each day.
I have spent some time looking at this fuel choice and I am not convinced Just the cost of more frequent oil changes makes a big dent in any savings that a diesel may make on fuel. If I drove a taxi or a delivery van where the engine is running all day ten it would make sense.
As diesel starts becoming a scourge in cities then expect this to have an adverse effect on depreciation.
I currently own a diesel but my next car will be petrol if not a hybrid. I change my oil and filter every 5000 miles .
I guess you take your choice.
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