Are you looking to purchase a new or used car or 4WD? Are you looking for a reliable and powerful engine but you’re also concerned about rising petrol prices? If so, then you need to give serious consideration to buying a diesel vehicle. Why? Let’s take a look…
Fuel efficiency
- Typically, diesel vehicles are 20 to 30 per cent more efficient than an equivalent petrol engine.
- Although diesel vehicles emit more noxious gases and carbon dioxide per litre of fuel used than their petrol counterparts, they use less fuel and therefore emit less CO2 over time.
Performance
- Almost all diesel engines are turbocharged which gives them greater torque. This means they are much faster from a standing start and can also out-tow their petrol counterparts.
- While petrol engines use spark plugs to ignite fuel and start, diesel engines use compression for ignition. As such, diesel engines are built more ruggedly to withstand the rigors of higher compression. This means they can usually run for longer between major repairs and generally outlive their petrol counterparts. In fact, Mercedes-Benz holds the record for longevity with several of their diesel models clocking up a staggering 1.5 million kilometres on their original engines! This kind of lifespan and reliability usually means higher trade-in and resale values.
While most cars in Australia are powered by petrol, the demand for diesel vehicles is growing rapidly and manufacturers are responding to this. You might be surprised to know that many popular makes and models are now offered in both petrol and diesel, such as the following vehicles.
4WDs / SUVs
- Audi Q5/Q7 Turbo diesel in the SUV
- BMW 1 and X series
- Jeep – Grand Cheroke
- Nissan – Dualis
- Subaru – Forester and Outback
Sedans and hatchbacks
- Audi A6, A7 and A8
- BMW – all vehicles available in diesel
- Holden – Cruze
- Honda – Civic
- Hyundai – i30
- Mazda – 6
- The Smart Car
- Volkswagon – Golf, Passat, Jetta and Beetle
Although diesel vehicles might be more robust than petrol-powered models, you still need to regularly service and maintain them. As diesel engines are engineered to higher technical specifications, failure to maintain them and in particular, the fuel injection system, could cost you big bucks. To ensure you stay on top of this, make sure you get your vehicle serviced and repaired by a diesel specialist such as Hi Tech Diesel.
The benefits of buying and owning a diesel car or 4WD are pretty obvious. In Europe, diesel vehicle sales have overtaken petrol models for some manufacturers and with their growing popularity here, it’s likely they’ll do the same in Australia. If you’re looking to upgrade to a diesel vehicle or already own one, make sure you get the most out of it by getting it regularly serviced and repaired by a mechanic who specialises in diesel fuel injection systems.
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