Petrol Vs Diesel - How To Make The Perfect Decision For Your Next Vehicle?

One of the primary decisions that you have to undertake when picking up your first car (or your next vehicle) is to decide whether you want to go ahead with a petrol car or a diesel vehicle. Each type of vehicle has its pros and cons, which is why you need to decide which type of features you need and which ones you don't need.

Since the decision-making process won’t be easy, we have decided to help you by creating this in-depth blog post, explaining the differences between petrol & diesel vehicles, so that you’ll have an easier process of making the correct decision.

Knowing The Differences Between Petrol & Diesel Cars

1. The Differences In Price & Technology

According to popular Willawong wreckers, diesel vehicles tend to be more expensive than petrol cars. Although, when it comes to fuel prices, diesel has an upper hand compared to petrol. Such is the reason why one of the common arguments that support diesel vehicles is that - diesel vehicles are much more economical to run in the long term because of the lower fuel costs. However, it can sometimes take months & years to recoup the additional cost that you're paying for diesel vehicles at first.

In terms of technology, there's no denying that petrol cars tend to have the upper hand because they are more efficient. But, the same cannot be said for diesel vehicles because they don't receive the same amount of technological advancements as petrol cars. This is due to the less demand for diesel cars compared to petrol cars in the market. Since petrol cars have more demand, they tend to sell more, which in turn allows car manufacturers to invest more in R&D.

So, it's indeed a tricky situation to solve because on one hand, you have the latest technology with petrol cars and on the other hand being economical (long term) with diesel cars. The decision will be for you to decide.

2. The Reliability

It has been reported multiple times that diesel vehicles tend to be less reliable than petrol vehicles. The difference is not that significant. However, if you don’t have much spare money to burn on car repairs, then choosing petrol vehicles might be the ideal choice because petrol cars will break down less frequently than diesel ones.

3. The Resale Value

When it comes to the residual value of cars, diesel vehicles tend to depreciate much slowly than petrol cars, which means they can hold on to their value for a longer period. So, if you're buying your new vehicle with a plan to sell it a couple of years later down the line, then you should go ahead with diesel vehicles.

4. The Repairs

Generally, routine maintenance costs are similar for both petrol & diesel vehicles. However, when it comes to serious repairs, diesel vehicles tend to be more expensive. One of the most common problems that diesel cars tend to face is the use of particulate filters, which can sometimes get clogged (in case you regularly use your diesel car for short journeys). Thus, replacing or repairing diesel car parts will be comparatively expensive.

5. The Travel Frequency

In case you use your car regularly (or plan to use it regularly) and for long distances, then using diesel cars will be the ideal scenario. On the other hand, if you want to use your sparingly and for shorter distances, then going ahead with a petrol car would be a perfect choice.

6. The Mileage

Lastly, when it comes to mileage, diesel cars will have an upper hand because they can run for longer distances than petrol cars, on the same quantity of fuel. This is because diesel vehicles don’t use a spark plug.