Diesel vs Petrol - what you need to know | Top 10s

Petrol and diesel cars still make up the majority of UK car sales, despite gradually increasing electric car sales in the UK. To help you make the decision between petrol and diesel, I’ve outlined the costs and benefits of each fuel type in my complete video guide.
I compare two Renault Kadjars, one petrol, one diesel, to help analyse the issues involved:
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[@TheSpiikki]

my car is coal powered.

[@BozjeHumoreske]

I don't have a car

[@VoodooMadMike41]

That would be an electric car then

[@leftmorningstar6954]

because the Kim Jong Un wanted it just like that..( yes life is hard) :(

[@GAMEVIDSnorwegian422]

Its really not right to say an electric car runs on coal, all countries in the world could easly run on waterpower, solarpower and windpower. But majority of countries do not want to, because of how much they earn on selling oil... the oil business is totally ruining for us and holds us back. But yea, 45% of norways electricty is pure waterpower, other countries only uses renewable energy sources aswell. There is no reason to not go over to renewable energy sources, dont blame the electric cars for the way ur country chooses to produce electricity. Tesla has taken a huge step in the right direction, by 2020 all tesla superchargers worldwide will be only powered by solar power, something they have already achieved in Belgium. If we stopped using oil and coal to produce electricty and started making all electric cars that would way up for what it costs for the envioerment to produce electric cars, even tho producing electric cars isnt that much worse than producing fuel cars now... We dont live in 2005 anymore, most electric cars battery r 95% renewable also (Tesla especially). In the long run (and in the short run really) electric cars is the best, fuel cars dont only release alot of toxic gasses when produced, they also produce those gasses theyre whole life. Electric cars is for sure the future, but these countries that wants to keep oil and stuff totally ruins it. Theyre not interested in a good future, theyre just intersted in making their billionaire pockets even deeper.

[@omnomgaming]

Also, you have to realise 99% of petrol heads will not buy electric cars (or even hybrids) and neither will a lot of other people as well. its not just about the running costs as people drive cars for the feeling that it gives them not just the running costs

[@jgr9610]

who pays 27k $ for a Renault?

[@gamingradeon]

Exactly.

[@barumbadum]

Hahahahah... like

[@yesyouareright7076]

Who want to buy, will pay

[@goldenboy1803]

Seriously

[@joecarter1676]

It's £27k not dollars dickhead

[@stamy74]

One of the major factors (if not the most important one) for choosing between diesel and petrol car, is its daily use. So if you perform frequent short runs from cold, petrol is the only option you should consider. This is due to the fact that DPF, the Diesel Particulate Filter, which is mandatory for diesel cars Euro 5 and above, needs to reach a certain temperature in order to operate efficiently and reduce the soot particles. Yes it does have a regeneration mechanism which helps it to autoclean (not all mechanisms have the same efficiency, the most reliable and efficient one is on Mercedes cars), but still frequent short runs from cold will eventually block the DPF in any car and it is not so cheap to replace. If you do short runs but you also perform at least once per week a good run in the motorway, driving at 2.5-3K rpm for half an hour or more, the DPF can regenerate sufficiently making diesel safe option in that case. Other than that, all other parameters mentioned in the video are fully valid.

[@filipvidinovski7960]

OTOH, if you drive your diesel gently in cold and don't rev above, IDK, 1800 rpm, there's really no soot to reduce: the air/fuel ratio inside the cylinders is so huge, the fuel burns almost completely. You need to pretty much floor the modern diesel to start producing significant quantities of soot, any you won't floor it when cold in any case.

[@aidan1585]

The DPFs on BMWs are good

[@catalintimofti1117]

@@filipvidinovski7960 diesel engines have to be revved over 2k at all times if you drive like you said in a couple years you'll fuck the DPF

[@filipvidinovski7960]

@@catalintimofti1117 My 11+ yo 200k+ km Nissan QQ disagrees. (1.5 DCi Renault)

[@catalintimofti1117]

@@filipvidinovski7960 because that engine is made out of unicorn tears

[@shakke52]

carwow and their waterbottles

[@qasimmir7117]

shakke52 Iniiiiit. Any chance they get to plug their big water bottles.

[@leftmorningstar6954]

because the Kim Jong Un wanted it just like that..( yes life is hard) :(

[@MohammadSharulMizwanMdSalleh]

hahahahaha

[@Fred_the_1996]

Wo'o'bo'os

[@gbej1]

I remember the time government said petrol is baaaaaad and diesel is the way, many were pushed to give up their petrol cars and buy diesel. A few years on and government is saying diesel is baaaaaaaad and perhaps electric is the way. I’m waiting for when government will say electric is baaaaaaad!

[@MePeterNicholls]

Smooth Herb did they actually say that. I don’t remember

[@deletedaccount966]

Wait until govs "realize" that electricity is made from nuclear power plants which we have no idea how to dispose of its waste. And wait until they "realize" that batteries need precious materials that are pretty much stolen from Africa

[@da23ni82]

it's all about money people!!!

[@heslop1brian]

Most of UK electricity is made by burning fossil fuels, mainly gas.

[@Progan666]

@@deletedaccount966 once (and if) battery recycling becomes a serious thing it will be a lot better.

[@AlterSchwedeWieGeil]

I've driven diesels as well as petrol cars. In terms of sound you have to know (especially with smaller engines) that the Diesel will be quiter when doing high speeds on the Autobahn(170-180kmh/100-110mph) since it doesn't revs that high. If you want to "race the roads" for Fun you should definetly get a petrol. If not you will surely appreciate that the Diesel has Most of its Power available in the lower rev-range because it makes usual accelerations like you do when driving onto the highway or into small spaces at the roundabout, more comfortable. In some Countries (Germany) Tax in Diesel Cars is way higher than on petrols. But next to better mileage Diesel is also cheaper to buy here. If you Take care of your Car a Diesel engine will usually live longer. In my Family it is Common to Drive Cars until they die. Our diesels Always reached 250k kilometers (my current Diesel has 380k kilometers on the clock). Our petrol cars all died between 160k and 240k kilometers (even tho a friend of mine is driving a 430k kilometer BMW E39 525i) Summary: Think about his thoughts. Sometimes the opposite of what you think is gonna happen unser certain circumstances

[@Momanic]

So you recommend Diesel over Petrol?

[@KindOfyeah]

yeah but who doesnt downshift before an overtake

[@TristanSilverwood]

M8than people with diesels, because we don’t need to

[@ricksanchez8469]

@@TristanSilverwood Yeah but it would be a quicker overtake if you dropped a gear.

[@TristanSilverwood]

Zeros DaBast I don’t think it would be as dramatic as stalling or harming the engine, but you don’t really need to change down a gear on the highway

[@ricksanchez8469]

@Zeros DaBast If your car stalls at 60 mph because you downshifted your car has serious issues.

[@TheAkhilvinayak007]

People with diesel's 🖤

[@mr08tsx]

You're such a star!! Really enjoyed watching this video. Great info on the differences between the two fuel options. Keep up the good work! A fan from USA.

[@JMNTN]

If you have a heavy car or suv i'd buy a diesel, for a light car or sports car a petrol

[@ultralul3400]

MARIO UK Mercedes did make a "sporty" diesel car

[@JMNTN]

MARIO UK there is a diesel peugeot rcz and audi tt and there are a few diesel hot hatches like the golf gtd

[@Omex1425]

Also Skoda Octavia RS TDI

[@cosmins3268]

hmm. skoda octavia rs 2.0 TDI (184 Hp)

[@WhitewalkerII]

BMW Alpina D3

[@ARMATUNE]

WOW....Taxation Petrol £140 (€160) - Diesel £160 (€183) In Belgium - VW Golf 7 Variant 2016 Petrol €155 (£135) - Diesel €465 (£406)

[@jjwhyt7633]

ARMATUNE why

[@umair___1]

Jesus Christ Belgium is expensive

[@berso6292]

Belgium is expensive? Haha that amount is per Year, in the netherlands you’re paying for the same car 315€ for 3 months, thats around 105€ A MONTH.!!!!!!!

[@yamahawr450f2003]

that's why they use bicycles in NL...or citroen...they are light weight.

[@joypadee4289]

Petrol is cheaper to tax in England

[@dalekenning1363]

There's one thing you forgot, diesels are more efficient when driving long distances and petrols are more efficient around town so it depends on where you usually drive to (probably how far away your job is from where you live.)

[@em4703]

Yea, long roads on highway diesels beat even hybrids in consumption.

[@baoyiyang]

i really like that you mentioned the diesel smell on your hand - it takes someone who really owned a diesel to appreciate how bad it is. however when overtaking on motor way, most people would downshift a gear, wouldn't they?

[@Hopgop1]

That is true, but he's trying to make the gearbox not a factor in the test, after all he's only comparing the engine, not gear ratios and manual vs automatic.

[@m135i.]

I own a diesel and its not as fun as a petrol, but its still really enjoyable especially when you get into tuning it

[@iProCombo]

I can confirm that I down shift before overtaking in my 2L diesel, the aim is to get the revs at like 2k so you can maximum torque

[@ThunderWindz]

@@Hopgop1 if you downshit a gear the petrol would be faster though.

[@xvlad1600]

@@Hopgop1 No, he is not comparing the engine, it's a stupid comparison. Petrol has power/torque in the higher revs, diesel in low revs, and you compare both cars performance in low revs. It's like comparing a cheetah and a bull about who is faster. Cheetah does 60 mph, bull does 30mph, but wait, they both start with 200 pounds of weight in their back. HMMM, Let's see who is faster ! ( exactly the same thing )

[@jimbocorrigan94]

Petrol because it smells nicer :)

[@eDriver]

Nicer than what? electricity doesn't have any smell. If you like that smell in your electric car, just pour one gallon gasoline beside your seats and you have that smell too... If you like the noise.. Just build some big speakers inside with a sound generator and you have that noise too. If you like the vibration, just build in and electric vibrator and you don't have that smooth driving anymore.

[@abhisheksikdersagar2894]

i think you should use old two strokes engine, it smells nicer.

[@lockG1776]

@@eDriver What if I like manuals??

[@jansteen5640]

@@eDriver Oh go away you and your electric car propaganda.

[@daveyboiyeah]

I prefer the smell of diesel, plus diesel sounds nicer too and more masculine

[@jimxxx5068]

hello from greece nice video, keep up the good work!!!

[@160619891000]

Why did you not say anything about maintenance cost and long term ownership cost / mechanical issues/ spare parts price etc?

[@janislidaka4658]

Seat ibiza 1.6 tdi injector price £360 Seat ibiza 1.6 petrol injector price £40 it's big difference

[@dieselgeezer18]

yes diesels last longer and require less maintence. No spark plugs to replace too :)

[@telcobilly]

@@dieselgeezer18 that used to be the case when diesels had manual injectors and no emmision equipment. The maintenance costs of a modern diesel don't justify buying one. I had a deisel pickup and I drive a diesel semi truck..(broken down right now') no thanks

[@dieselgeezer18]

@@telcobilly well, i have a toyota hilux diesel from 1994 and a Mitsubishi L300/Delica diesel van. They are pretty fuel efficient and extremely reliable. The toyota hilux has 600.000 miles and the mitsubishi Van has 300.000 miles. Only oil changes and one broken thermostat in the van. Nothing else on the engines has been touched. Super reliable and can take hours of abuse. I have relatives who own old diesel cars and trucks that have crazy milage but they still work perfectly

[@rogercantwell3622]

Yes, DPF problems are the deal-killer for diesels.

[@Lolimaster]

There should a bigger push for hybrid, that tiny e-power really helps to improve mpg/kpg on city usage by as much as 30-40%.

[@mrgreg6177]

Here in Greece you pay 80€ taxes per year on a 1.4 l diesel and around 260€ on a 1.4 tsi. Besides this, diesel costs 1.1€\per litre and petrol sells for 1.45€\per litre.

[@papakonstantinougeorge3314]

Στην Ελλάδα όλα ερχοντε με 10 - 15 χρόνια καθυστέρηση.. Τώρα που η Ευρώπη αρχίζει κ "διώχνει" τα diesel τα έφεραν στην Ελλάδα. Αν ο κόσμος αγοράζει diesel το καύσιμο θα αυξηθεί θα φτάσει την τιμή της βενζίνης. Για μέσα στην πόλη δεν αξίζει diesel όπως δεν αξίζει diesel κάτω από 2.0. Τα service ποιο ακριβά κ αν δεν κάνεις πάνω από 150-200 χλ την μερα δεν αξίζει.

[@faruktta3151]

İn 2020 if you Live in belguim euro 4 3 2 and 1 diesel cars will cost you a tax of 300€ 3 2 1 are already taxed but in 2020 euro 4 will be too

[@tezatmezat]

@randomm User1237589 fuck hazard and fuck real madrid

[@KuboTheEditor]

@@tezatmezat lol

[@zee7931]

Haha I only pay £30(35 euros ) road tax on my 2014 Vauxhall Insignia 2.0L Diesel in the UK for the year.

[@runawayronnie]

Great effort - this is one of the better attempts at explaining the differences between the two engines. The only issue I'd raise with the comparisons is when Matt says the buyer has to calculate the break-even point. ie how much fuel is going to be used to recoup that £2000 difference in list price. Well that's wrong, or at least wrong if you don't plan on keeping the car for ever. A diesel is worth more when you sell it, so if you keep the car for say three years as most people will, you'll probably receive £1000-£1500 more for the diesel when you sell it. So the price difference to make up in fuel savings is only £500-£1000 and not £2000 as per the video. I currently have a 0.9TCe petrol Clio and I'm looking for slightly more room - ie looking at a Renault Capture. The petrol Clio worked out a lot cheaper for the tiny annual mileage I do. The best price I can get on a del miles Capture 0.9tce Dynamique from a Renault dealer is £13000. The best price I can get on exactly the same del iles car with a 1.5tdi engine is £13000 !!!! ie exactly the same price. Even if I only do 100 miles a year, the petrol would be by far the more costly car to own. There are no hard and fast rules on which fuel works out the cheapest but as I say, Matt's video is about the best there is out there right now.

[@alexnelson4629]

runawayronnie - exactly my point.. I hate how these videos never address this fact!

[@da_great_mogul]

Fair point but those days are since gone. Now you'll buy a diesel for a little more and the petrol will be worth more at resale!

[@jackthebassman1]

Excellent comparison, about time someone did this - well done!

[@mrandersson2009]

Finally! The best video on the topic so far!

[@arnemaeschaelck5012]

7:08 oh dear, the familiar-sounding Volkswen diesel TDI rattling tho

[@philip.aocallaghan4602]

VW seriously sound like a dump truck

[@nighttripper1432]

@@philip.aocallaghan4602 Diesel only sounds bad when idle

[@georgegeorgakopoulos5956]

On a mountain road with 4 passengers and luggage the diesel car will have easily 1/2 fuel consumption to the petrol car.Always it's the Torque that generates power.

[@paz1261]

Dont complete agree but yea, you get it atleast someone who gets it 😂

[@Ambienfinity]

Very sensible video, Matt. I've never owned a diesel, but there again, most of my driving is schlepping around town.

[@harbl2479]

Very informative and in my opinion impartial. Good job!

[@jeremylister89]

you forgot to mention the HUGE problem with DPF and short journeys!

[@alexsavastru8125]

@ferkemall that genuinely doesn't change the fact that diesels fart out more crap.

[@flipper2392]

A regular short burst of high revs in low gear will usually blow the shit out.

[@mikep6726]

Once a week, take the car out to the motorway and do 2.5k RPM in fifth or fourth gear, and within 10-15 mins the DPF will be fine. The lack of maintenance and people choosing DPF equipped cars for city driving are what cause these issues; there’s nothing wrong with the system itself.

[@petermorris3665]

@@mikep6726 The point is that it was not mentioned! Why should you need to take a car out once a week for a long run to make it work properly! The use of the car is a massive factor in petrol/diesel choice.

[@dubFROGGY300]

My dpf clears its self, I get around 45mpg in the city, it will put the revs high when it needs to clear(only like once a month)

[@palidee4243]

Do this video again but using performance cars made. so a Golf GTI and a GTD would be a good comparison or something like a 330i vs 330d also make sure their both same gearbox because that does play a part

[@golaoi]

That was a really good punchy video with zero BS. How to do it!

[@julesmumford8833]

Good video and explanation, thanks Mat

[@TheVerrm]

Normally I'd buy petrol, but currently I run a diesel car and that torque and hiss of a turbo is so satisfying! Don't worry when buying a car - if you're going only short trips - never consider diesel. If you do longer trips at least once every 2/3 weeks - just get what car you like most or is cheaper.

[@MrZekToR]

Petrol cars tend to be lighter / less nose heavy. Meaning that the petrol car will be more agile / better to drive. That's an important point for those of us that like a good drive.

[@LawrenceSimpson]

So unbiased and well rounded, top work Matt!

[@ninjoun]

Overtaking with petrol at 2k RPM. Objectivnes at its finest.

[@unicorntomboy9736]

Carwow is biased against electric cars

[@amrsamir5718]

As usual superb video ... well done Mat

[@flyhighpizzapie]

This was a really good and informative video. Thanks!

[@comments7335]

You should have included reliabilty and long term ownership maintanence cost. That's what buying car is all about.

[@dieselgeezer18]

same here. I go diesel all the way. Best reliablity and no spark plug

[@amirfirdaus9419]

@@dieselgeezer18 dpf lol

[@dieselgeezer18]

@@amirfirdaus9419 haha my diesel doesn't have DPF because is from 1997

[@blackcatsarenopussies]

You get a particulates filter now in gasoline cars as well. New stupid EU regulations

[@reubenx]

Diesel engines last longer

[@antohosm43]

An excellent balanced appraisal of the current buying dilemma, Matt!

[@Rapscallion2009]

2:50 - yeah, but the diesel will usually have firmer residuals - offsetting this difference in purchase price somewhat.

[@soundseeker63]

One thing you forgot to mention here was how journey type and length matter. Many people have been buying diesels to drive on short journeys and in stop-start urban conditions, only to experience DPF problems very quickly! Diesels only run clean when they are fully warmed up and running at a constant load, i.e at a cruise. They are not suited to urban driving at all, it's only very recently that dealers have even started talking about these things with customers due to the number of warranty claims they are having with clogged DPFs and damaged turbos etc.

[@Scorpion-wv1hs]

What if you do both urban and long distance ?

[@vincentproductions8963]

I am a Rebel, if people go Petrol I'll Go Diesel. If they Go Diesel, I'll still Go Diesel.

[@nikolanikola8543]

Cars run on gasoline, Tractors run on diesel 😁😁😁

[@nikolanikola8543]

@ferkemall Wait until it gets older and starts breaking down! 😂

[@miskey2166]

@@nikolanikola8543 stop comparing tractors to cars, power output from tractors gets converted into a lot of torque, anyways wondering why they have huge engines? 60 hp tractor could pull 600hp modern car no matter the surface. By the way how would a car transmission and a cars petrol engine be able do pull a 1 row plow through the dirt. Also taking the fact a 90hp modern tractor would run to 100 000 dollars because of the advanced technology complex engines and transmission to put out a ton of torque to the wheels.

[@nikolanikola8543]

@@miskey2166 Diesel doesn't belong in a car!

[@leonardostankic1364]

@@nikolanikola8543 In that case a lot of tractors are better than your car. Now how does that makes you feel ?

[@shanethrussell]

Hi Matt. Something very important that should have been nemtioned about the new diesel cars is the type of driving that is now necessary with the particulate filters e.g. if just doing short trips the filter can get clogged up.else you end up just keeping the service department happy with 4 digit bills they give you in return!

[@da_great_mogul]

Not if it's under warranty...!

[@lilithmarleen]

I have a compact SUV and a roundtrip to and from work is about 80km for me, most of it in the motorway. So yeah I went for the diesel option. Got the car new in April 2018 and it uses adblue, so I am not worried about particles or other gases.

[@anitawhelan3712]

Ye but them egr valves an the particular filters cost a bomb when it comes to services on some makes, but I like this 1.5dci Renault engine I'm hearing good things bout this one 🤔

[@PaulHawkins87]

One of the best impartial current consumer videos car wow has made, thank you guys!

[@Uzishan]

When I picked my 2009 Facelifted Honda Civic 1.8 5D I picked it for 2 reasons. 1. NA petrols last way longer and maintenance is cheaper than on a diesel. 2. I drive more in a city/town and since diesels are made for long distance trips, a diesel wouldn't have lasted as long in town before needing maintenance.

[@BackyardSpaceProgram]

Had a 2015 Volvo V70 D4 (manual), that thing was fast and fun to drive, fuel consumption was about 0,5-0,7 L / 10 kilometres.

[@goddesseddog]

? makes no sense to lock in M7 to measure acceleration. even a Bentley will be slow if stuck in M8. This gearbox would've downshifted to 3rd.

[@daveyboiyeah]

You could've downshifted a diesel to 3rd. I don't think you've undertood the point in that test. The test is showing ease of driving and low down torque.

[@PREDATEURLT]

@@daveyboiyeah test should be done at same gear length, if automatic has longer final gear it will be slower even if engine is the same. MAYBE this particular petrol was slower, but test wasn't fair...

[@ConstantinSPurcea]

Usually Diesels sit at 2000rpm at 70mph in top gear. Diesels have peak torque at typically 1800rpm, which in terms would be 60mph. So accelerating in top gear in a Diesel is fairly easy to 70mph. Most Petrols that have manual 5-speed boxes have 4th gear direct drive and 5th overdrive, which typically lets the car do 2800-3200rpm at 70mph, where peak torque is generally between 3500-4800rpm. Some petrol automatics for fuel economy have more overdrive gears and thus can keep low RPMs but are too far from the torque range figure, and thus 7th top gear would be too high for it to accelerate properly from whatever it was at, likely 2000rpm at 60.

[@BigUriel]

@@ConstantinSPurcea It's really not that simple depends hugely on gear ratios and quite often the petrol has better in gear acceleration than the Diesel equivalent all else being equal. This was a very bad comparison because one car was manual and the other automatic. Automatic transmissions usually have higher final gears to minimize fuel consumption, and acceleration in these gears is not a concern because you're supposed to let it do its job and downshift if you put your foot down (if the fact that this auto has 7 gears vs 6 in the manual wasn't a giveaway, and if you notice it was doing about 2000rpm at 60mph which is insanely low for some 140hp petrol engine). Compare for instance in gear acceleration figures for a MK7 Golf GTI vs GTD: www.zeperfs.com/en/duel4563-4626.htm

[@annm3631]

No - you are wrong. He didnt downshift in the Diesel, and he had to lock the petol auto to create a fair test. Both tests must have the same parameters to be accurate.

[@flylikealbatross7441]

For me its very simple: If you have a small car or a sporty one wich is used on short Trips, buy a Petrol. If you have a lage family car or station wagon or any car wich runs only on long trips, buy a Diesel. Ive got a 2013 Renault Laguna 150 dCi. Perfect car. Nice and powerful engine. But if i would buy a car like a Clio or Megane in RS or GT version it has to be a petrol.

[@GGMan]

FlyLikeAlbatross Totally agree with you on that, I went from a Q7 to a TT since it just me now

[@deangoesdime]

What about bmw 1 series for normally city driving and occasionally 150 miles drive once a month?

[@shaana4079]

OrcaNinja petrol, less problems, less tax, more speed (generally)... Petrol are better in towns and urban, diesels are more for long journeys like commuting everyday far

[@bt7033]

FlyLikeAlbatross I’m getting a smaller car (1.2 Polo GTI) so sounds like petrol would be ideal but it’s slower isn’t it? 0-60 is slower and engine power is less? (I don’t know anything about cars)

[@bikeman123]

Who only uses their car for one type of trip?

[@joshuaminke6629]

my parent used to have a kia sedona, the old one with the bonnet scoop, it had a 2.9l V6 turbo diesel engine, and it was very loud, you could here it from down the street, it also had a nice turbo whistle

[@UlgerReule]

Nice video!!!!!Keep up the good work!!!

[@ThunderWindz]

I drive around 12.000 miles yearly. I was i doubt when, chosing my civic 2015.... a 1,8 with 142/174 nm or a 1,6Tdi with 125/300nm... thats a massive diffrence in torque... but im a petrol head and the 0-60 is 2 seconds faster in the petrol. + Honda gears is lovely to change so i'm happy i went for petrol, its so much more fun to drive a petrol and having 50mins to work i want my minutes to be fun, and capable to be quick.

[@Mr330d]

Why didn’t you chose Civic 2.2 Idtec 150BHP 350NM 0-60 8.2 seconds

[@ThunderWindz]

@@Mr330d not able to get it in my country

[@Mr330d]

@@ThunderWindz Luckily the 1.6 Idtec is tuneable to 150bhp 350NM 😏

[@steveh3949]

I have a 10litre triple turbo, supercharged German crap wagon sports coupes with a diesel engine as back up for when it breaks down, it's great, uses that much fuel I have to stop at every garage I come across. It does 0 to 100kms in 0.5 seconds and pollutes as good as any VW on the planet. It's for Sale!

[@frimand5822]

Steve H how much and where u live

[@IliescuBenyamin]

My driving instructor had the same 1.5 dci renault engine on his first and second car. he said that the first engine managed 270.000 Km without any work to the drivetrain, only consumables. that is pretty good for a learner car

[@catalintimofti1117]

that engine is magic the Renault 1.5L DCI is one of the best car engines ever made

[@raghavkotabagi9917]

Great video, mate! :D

[@msngth]

thanks matt, explains alot. what about particulate filters which some manufacturers claim "recharges" and self cleans at 80km/h?

[@W_F_M_UK]

All dpfs clean themselves not at speed but normally you have to drive doing more then 2500rpm for around 20 - 30 min. but they have a life span of around 80-120k

[@j3xk72r9]

What you fail to mention are the long term maintenance hazards of diesel; choked up DPF, failed EGR, failed turbo bearings, failed dual mass flywheel and their unsuitability for lots of short journeys.

[@ImpetuzViscus]

Diesel injectors going bad, highpressure pumps going faulty, the most importent thing when choosing between these two types of engine. Running costs on a diesel is so much higher, and it only has to go wrong one time, then all your fuel savings are gone x10.

[@jraw7199]

thus buy a pre 2010 diesel most of these problems go away

[@ImpetuzViscus]

God LovesAtheist, I agree 100%, imo the last best diesel engine for car's was VW's 1.9 TDI PD. After the CR system came, with particle filters ect, it went down hill for alle manufacturers. The problem is actually not diesel engines its the government regulations requirements. You can ask for all the requirements you want, but at some point, the manufacturer have to call it quits, because the government kinda is in it's own little utopia :-)

[@Carpenter92]

Horus - I love how the things you mentioned are used in most modern petrol cars as well...

[@thedons4270]

Impetuz Viscus I had a vw 1.9 tdi engine and it was a complete disaster! multiple injector failures, egr valves and Turbo failure! if that was suppose to be a good diesel then we should just give up on progress now!

[@timdavies6174]

Great review 👍🏻

[@ScottishNSRailFan]

Fantastic comparison test review

[@markony94]

I like the sound of diesel engine

[@plodd3293]

We currently own a petrol Skoda Yeti. We are changing it for a Skoda Kodiaq. The Kodiaq will be a diesel. Why? Towing a caravan. The petrol Yeti will tow the van but a diesel will do it easier.

[@paz1261]

Torque will help massively especially uphill

[@luttrell1973]

Diesels also have Dual Mass Flywheels which can be very costly to replace as the clutch has to be replaced at the same time. Although that should only affect higher mileage cars so watch out if you're buying a used diesel.

[@catalintimofti1117]

ah like 1000$ every couple years not that bad

[@Iamolivialondon]

amazing information ,really helped

[@Vormelon]

My car is powered by the souls of the lost

[@HassanPoyo]

Yeah technically the souls of fossilised dinosaurs

[@user-nf3hh8kn5r]

sounds rad.

[@nadeemkhan5957]

My car is powered by Philosopher's stone.

[@DJay-cm5hu]

@@nadeemkhan5957 just use alchemy

[@davidsanderson2960]

So you drive a Skoda then?

[@socialsnmedia]

I use horse shit to power my car ever since Brexit was delayed.

[@lexaron]

Do you still use horseshit?

[@borisjohnson7553]

How do you feel about Brexit now I have pulled through with it?

[@koolyman]

@@lexaron he was only using horseshit out of tantrum

[@manelecuamv-uridinnaruto6679]

Well, this didn't age very well...

[@iamtomkills]

Thanks for this. Enjoyed as always.

[@KujezZi]

In Finland theres basically 2 options, if you drive over around 20-25k km s you buy diesel , if you drive less you buy petrol. With diesel car is more expensive + car tax per year is hella lot more on diesel but diesel costs ~1.2€ per litre when petrol costs 1.5€ per litre.

[@mrnicktoyou]

I have a diesel car and apart from the cheaper fuel bills, it's horrible. It's loud and rattling, a petrol engine is far smoother and feels sophisticated.

[@daveyboiyeah]

I prefer the sound of a diesel, diesel feels stronger and they do make smooth diesels too.

[@roshanthapa9321]

Diesel engine sound does sound like a real engine

[@liakim1001]

@@roshanthapa9321 yes that's why sport car got V8 TDI engine haha. No petrol sound like a real engine.

[@reubenx]

V6 TDI sounds better than most petrol cars

[@mrnicktoyou]

I would just like to say that since I wrote this post, I now have a different diesel car and its much better than the diesel I had 4 years ago. So I take it back, I like some diesels.

[@mmcbey1401]

One thing that you haven't considered is the much greater torque that you get in a diesel. It means less gear changing and if you live in a hilly area and/or tow often the greater torque is a big help.

[@hsal382]

very helpful...thank you VM

[@syntacticreality4855]

What about short distance journeys? 1>mile< 8 Or town driving? My two diesels had engine malfunction at 60k Would petrol be better for short journeys?

[@misterosc]

I just wish there was an affordable and desirable electric car out there

[@NTHNCSGOContent]

misterOsc model 3 ;--------)

[@nothing6y567]

misterOsc Nissan Leaf

[@aneesh8963]

there isn't, just as much environmentalists like to shout that electric is the future the more it isn't, alternative fuels are the future not electric

[@AgentAGent007]

Electric power is definitely the future, its just not quite the present. when battery tech gets cheap, reliable and light weight enough. the advantages of being able to fuel up anywhere with power, have no need for gears have incredibly light, simple to maintain drive trains and be able to be powered off renewables will show through. but until them, i'm gonna stick to my fast fun fossil fuel burners

[@eDriver]

I just bought an Renault Zoe Q90 Z.E 40, which is affordable and with a range of 300+ km with one battery load. 80% loading in 1 hours is great. This brand new for 25.000 EUR. What else do you like? A brand new electric car for free? Tesla is a luxury car, that's way to expensive. You can compare a Tesla with an luxury S class Mercedes car. No regular people would like to buy that

[@stubones]

The majority of us buy used cars so new car prices are irrelevant. Buying a diesel was a no brainier for me. I can get up to 60mpg on the motorway in my 320D touring which gives me a range of about 750 miles. It might sound like a delivery van at low speed but it's torquey and once up to cruising speed it's effortless and quiet. I see no point in buying a petrol engines car for my purposes.

[@londontrucker6804]

I could also mention, if someone is afraid of the DPF, if you floor it sometimes, and not driving like my grandma, it will burn out properly, and won't cause too much headache.

[@scotwilson4169]

Agreed, I've got a 325d (3.0 straight six turbo) - so bad mpg in diesel standards but still 42mpg with a lot of country A road + motorway driving. Never driven economically as I make the most of the 320ftlb of torque on my right foot. The only way a petrol would maybe suit better is if I was doing slot of driving in towns, with start stop traffic and diesels don't really like that. Don't get me wrong it shifts when you want but the mpg drops a lot if you don't let it open up at higher speeds. I was getting 37mpg when I fuelled up in town and did about 20 local towns miles, so a petrol would have probably been better, especially as that's potentially blocking the dpf on the diesel like most people I love the power delivery of petrol engines+the sound etc. But compared to my previous 1.6 petrol Toyota before I get just under double the bhp, 3 x more torque, and under the same driving style, about 15 mpg more, oh and the tax is £20 less. There's was literally no upside to the petrol, and the bigger petrol engines are higher in tax and less fuel efficient.

[@samfowler1520]

My 1.6TDI polo is used for short journey but if i blast it up the motorway for 10 minutes the light goes off for a couple of months!

[@x1c3x]

Didn't some cities start banning diesels? I heard you can't drive a diesel somewhere in Germany. Any truth to that?

[@Jehowy666]

Why not LPG? Cheap to operate, cheap to tank and really good for enviroment. I own 2014 Carrera S with LPG and is a blast to drive. I had 2015 M550d before and that an absolute failure. That engine had so many problems, that BMW was forced by court to buy this car from me. Also, I was banned to drive to certain parts of my town, because I had diesel.

[@ninakozlova2181]

Nice video and indeed newer generation diesel cars have all manner of filters to make for a “cleaner” car, although you forgot to add the repair costs of said filters to the equation of the maintenance costs... If you also add the increased initial price as you said, and it’s really hardly a difference in savings in the long run especially with UK gas prices.

[@oli3659]

I used to drive a 1.4 petrol manual and now drive a 2.0 diesel Audi A3. I don't really see much difference in fuel consumption. The diesel generally does better for motorway journeys but I'm lucky to get over 45mpg. Sometimes in the diesel on my daily commute I get like 35 mpg!

[@tomooo2637]

Diesel VS petrol :NO2 and particulates. The problem is that people are unable to read engineering specs, there are petrol engines that emit more NO2 / particulates than diesels, though generally petrol is cleaner. There is a big BUT here. All emission tests are done with the car at operating temperature and this means the petrol catalytic converter at optimum temperature above 200 degC. This is a significantly long time depending on the driving, and in cold conditions - never. Without the cat in operation a petrol engine is usually more polluting with regard to NO2 than diesel. The other big problem is that most journeys are short (the school run for example) and emission control system is never active in this case. If only graphs of emission VS time in different weather conditions would be produced for different/equivalent cars, that would be helpful for the public what the problem is.

[@vladmihai306]

Yeah, diesels with dpf and adblue are cleaner than petrols, BUT the latest petrol engines have particulate filters fitted which brings them back to the top.

[@thomash2806]

I don't think concerns about diesel started with the VW scandal. The issues mentioned below are the same as when I first experienced a diesel Cavalier in 1986. Diesel has never been and never will be suited to being burned near populated areas. Diesel engines are ill-suited to applications where engine speed varies such as cars. They are far better-suited to constant-speed operation which makes treating their exhaust gases much easier. The point about carbon dioxide is a moot one. It is illusory to take it into account in this analysis. The oil will be refined, the quantities of petrol and diesel obtained from a given volume of crude don't change and the resulting fuels will be burned anyway. It seems logical therefore to burn diesel away from people. The WHO has classed diesel fumes as a known carcinogen and it is thought diesel fumes cause 7,000 premature deaths a year in the UK. Add to that the smell or both the fuel and the exhaust fumes, the noise, the vibrations and the cost to purchase and there's really no contest at all. It's a no brainer both from an engineer's point of view and that of a responsible citizen. The scandal is the taxation system that has pushed buyers towards diesel for personal transport. Personally I have never owned a diesel car and never will. I would have a diesel container ship, though...

[@mjames2117]

The Renault 1.5 K9K engine is very fuel efficient, has good torque for this size of car and now reliable. Firstly the 1.5dci is a 1.46 litre has good EGR which effectively reduces the burning combustion/ engine capacity further. K9K has a decent turbo aswell so you have good low down torque matched with a good mid range. I was achieving 70mpg on a motorway with one so you could easily average 60+ mpg with the diesel 1.5dci. Town driving petrol will be easier but for hilly or distance driving the diesel is much much better. I personally think Qashqai is a better finished car with 1.5 K9K diesel engine than Renaults. Generally diesel engines should last longer with less engine wear and have no coil packs to fail. Also a diesel car fully loaded does not lower MPG whereas in a petrol it will lower MPG (diesel Low rev, high torque vs petrol low torque needing high revs. Revs=Fuel). Used prices for diesels will be more competitive do this 38k mile rule does not apply. The 1.5 diesel will practically pay for itself if you keep acceleration down in low gears and use the gearbox, you will see average 60mpg.

[@DeanBaco]

I'm actually looking at getting either a BMW GC 440i xDrive or GC435d xDrive. Performance wise (on paper) the Diesel gets the advantage, but I'm leaning towards the petrol due to the sportier sound actually. My first ever petrol car, actually, been driving diesel cars for almost 18 years... I do around 25000 kilometers a year and the price of the diesel is increasing and nearing the petrol price, so the fuel economy benefit is getting slimmer by the day. Choices, choices...

[@secondchance4498]

HOW COULD YOU NOT TALK ABOUT DPF PROBLEMS!!!!!! Many car dealers are now telling people to get the petrol version if you don't do long(ish) motorway runs on a regular basis due to the endless problems with the DPFs (diesel cars)

[@BNT1985]

Bit of a red herring I think, manufacturers are starting to add particulate filters to petrol cars. Not sure if its law they have to be there like on a diesel, but more than likely only a matter of time until they are mandatory on petrols also.

[@BNT1985]

It will be interesting to see in time if petrol engines start suffering from filter issues when they become more mainstream. Buy a petrol for low milage and still get the same issues as you would with a diesel DPF? I don't know enough about mechanics to make an educated guess; do you think that they will start having similar issues to diesel DPFs if only used for short trips/low mileage/low speed?

[@stubones]

Second Chance problems with dfp are usually with older cars when the filter was fitted too far back in the exhaust system to burn the particulates efficiently due to it not generating enough heat. Most newer cars have the filter closer to the exhaust manifold where it's much hotter and therefore more efficient when it does the regeneration burn. The only time I know my 320D has done a regen is when I get out of the car and it smells like I've been driving with the handbrake on.

[@stubones]

NiniJay Bmw cars don't have endless dfp issues. No modern diesels do. It's older cars with the filter further back in the system that get clogged and don't burn off the particulates properly. I've done 13000 miles in my 320D which itself has done 113k miles and there are no dfp issues listed in its full Bmw service history.

[@LiamS94]

The DPF in my 116d smells like caramel after a regen. Quite pleasant actually

[@Professor-Scientist]

I like the quieter, smoother, nicer sounding, nicer smelling petrol but I love the power and the mpg benefit of diesels. I'm literally stumped on which to get. As you can tell I'm slightly petrol biased but I do a LOT of miles and mpg is a big factor.

[@user-cq7iz7dk5j]

Unless you’re doing weird stuff like accelerating from 0 to 60, diesel is much better, it has an instantaneous response no matter the rpms

[@MrRasalgethi]

One of the best videos I ever saw comparing two things side by side. Thanks a lot!

[@adidesrd]

Best comparison of petrol v diesel I have ever seen done!

[@moelester4853]

Short version: Predominantly city car - petrol Long commutes - diesel Both have advantages and disadvantages.

[@slamminx3]

Diesel sounds like you’re driving a van

[@jonah6404]

@ferkemall There are quite a lot of petrol vans in my area alongside the diesels

[@jonah6404]

@ferkemall I know, I was just saying that there are a lot of petrol vans in my area.

[@love2understand]

More like a tractor :')

[@livaivandeweyer6464]

Never heard a proper diesel engine ? Like a merc/BMW/Audi... Mine really doesn't sound like that rubbish renault

[@daveyboiyeah]

@@livaivandeweyer6464 You mean the Mercedes-Benz models that use Renault diesels? Germany don't make good diesels anymore. France and Korea make the best.

[@charlesdelusignan7909]

I dilly dallied when ordering a new car recently. In the end I ended up going diesel because in Belgium where I live diesel is still 10 cents a litre less than petrol, and the volvo I got is 30% more fuel efficient in diesel but only costs 200 euros more meaning two fill ups later youve recouped the difference. I was very fearful about making a 25000 euro mistake - I still am - and a video like this would have been dead useful at the time!

[@13Humanbeing]

You should have tried the same car with the same capacity. For example BMW x3 20d and 20i, both with 2 litre engine and 190 BHP .... Or with the same engines in saloon cars.

[@PowerPc94]

I love the sound of the diesel when it is in idle.

[@SnakeyLetzner]

Nikola2016m maybe the knocking would stop if they bolted on the engine? 🤔

[@crazydrifter13]

yeah it sounds like a machine that has some weight and makes power. Very unlike petrol Now, petrol cars sound girlish to me lol

[@shanepatrick641]

Me to! I really want a diesel but I've bought a Vauxhall Corsa petrol on finance. But when I can I'm so going to buy a diesel! 😍

[@balaskoab]

Yeah, just like a loud tractor. I bet your neighbours like your loud tractor too

[@cornovii3012]

I love the sound of my diesel cold start on a freezing morning :-)

[@theoriginalLP]

That tractor sound is enough for me to prefer the petrol cars. :D

[@theoriginalLP]

ferkemall it's all good, mate. There are pros and cons of every type of engines.

[@terzokun8596]

@@theoriginalLP despite being loud when you are outside.. the diesel car on the inside sometimes is well noise isolated so you could barely hear anything

[@theoriginalLP]

@@terzokun8596 sure, but you still hear a difference between diesel and petrol engine in the same model.

[@SVDdragunov1]

Search for diesel turbo v8 sound in lancruiser👍

[@theoriginalLP]

@@SVDdragunov1 Is it a very loud tractor? :D

[@limitededition1053]

Great video as usual. I would like to know which is cheaper in cost in a ULEZ?

[@alexaudiolab]

matt great in depth video

[@topgearjp]

I don't think there should be a war on petrol vs diesel, as long as you know the effects of the car you own. It is also a fact that some manufacturers only produce Diesel engines for some of their cars and I doubt owners really care, as long as they are happy with the car then it's fine. My dad is pretty old school and prefers petrol which is why we own a couple of petrol engined cars. Great video Car Wow!

[@sermovies3217]

actually Diesel over long time will be more expensive since the repair bill for the filters and the build up in the EGR Valve will clock up at 40.000 miles upwards.

[@user-mi4yc7pr3x]

Not if you dont have egr or dpf

[@catalintimofti1117]

the problem is the fleshbag behind the wheel that probably does not know how to drive a diesel right

[@doctorzia247]

The video, I have been waiting for a long time. Mat ! Here in our country, unfortunately the gas ⛽️ companies cheat with the public. No quality gas is available at all...

[@exwhyz33]

Nice one Matt !

[@propanbutan4634]

Love the diesel sound.

[@AverageAlien]

For these tiny shiteboxes maybe. When it comes to powerful engines petrol always wins

[@Indigenous51]

@@AverageAlien , not any more . Torque v hp ? Hp v torque?

[@AverageAlien]

@@Indigenous51 Petrol wins in terms of horsepower

[@AverageAlien]

@Ronix 97 yes

[@aqilnaufal93]

@Ronix petrol produce more horsepower, diesel produce more torque

[@williamgoss4691]

Very informative, Thks.

[@timmyjan]

I always loved the petrol, would it be possible to do a vs video with a 2.0L cars both petrol and diesel ???????

[@Cheddarpop]

15 large cargo ships emits more pollution than all the cars in the world, and there's over a 100.000 of them on the seas. If you really want to make a difference to the environment, start buying locally produced items and less of the garbage out of Asia. But lets face it. we're all hypocrites when it comes to money vs anything else.

[@emilferent23]

that's actually not true; the study looked at particular substances, not overall pollution; secondly, even with that pollution from the ships, growing locally often uses more energy; growing tomatoes in Britain needs heated house glasses for instance; and that heat is done with polluting means; and it is overall NOT better to buy locally; use the common sense though for witch products though

[@paz1261]

Yes.

[@JayDee-xj9lu]

Not forgetting the pollution from cow farts. That's even worse.

[@d0718]

I used to be a fan of diesel cars but now I think that all small passenger cars must be petrol/hybrid/electric. I would also allow diesel only on large SUVs used for towing or commercial vehicles and public transport.

[@SAKTHITech]

Dmitry L the Tesla model X can tow tho. they have more torque than diesels.

[@d0718]

true, but it will run out of battery pretty quickly. Although not many people need to tow regularly for long distances, so 95% of people in the UK would be just fine with an electric or hybrid daily. if that's too expensive - a small petrol engine will do. Diesel should be used mostly for commercial and public transport - that does not include taxis. I hate the fact that black cabs are powered by ancient diesels, you can smell the fumes for like 5 minutes after a black cab drives past you. They should all be made electric or hybrid.

[@abbcc5996]

hey dmitry you seem knowledgeable in these things, what do you think is best for off roading, petrol or diesel?

[@d0718]

I'm not knowledgeable in any way, I'm afraid. I don't know about off-roading, but I would imagine, diesel would be superior due to more torque and more range on a tank of fuel. But personally, if the car spends less than 50% of its time off-roading, I would go for a petrol version.

[@abbcc5996]

the higher torque seems like a good enough reason to get a suv when its meant for off roading, great insight thanks

[@konnod321]

In Ireland a 2009 Ford Focus 1.6 Petrol's tax is 570 per year. Whereas a 1.6 TDCI is 180-200euro a year. Diesels have become big over here mainly for the fact of cheap car tax. A 2007 2.0 TDi Passat would be 710 per year, whereas a 2008 model is 390 per year (and it reduces the newer the car, e.g a 2009-2010 Passat would be 270 per year)

[@Martin_Forty_Seven]

One thing I think you are missing is, if you are going to tow trailers, specially heavy like a horsetrailer, the diesel give you more torque.

[@GaryBox]

Even if the new cost was closer I'd still go with a petrol. I've always owned diesel but the newer ones are a total pain. I only do motorway driving but still get issues with dpf. By the time to add that cost of Adblue and the large repair bills of dpf issues and replacement Adblue injectors, the petrol will work out cheaper. Old diesels were brilliant but government regulation has ruined them.