1.6 petrol or 1.9 diesel

Hi

I was hoping i could get some advice regarding the possibility of changing my car, we are moving from Dublin to Offaly in the next few weeks (all going well) I still work in Dublin and drive a 1.6 mini cooper, i was thinking of changing my car to maybe a VW Passat or something similair, I have never had a diesel car so am not sure if this would be a good idea or would work out around the same for fuel, can someone give me some advise please?

Thanks

Diesels are a lot more efficient and are built stronger than petrol engines so will provide more mpg and last longer.

VW diesels are good so diesel would be my choice.

1.9 tdi is a rattly old nail. There are many better options.

Thank you both for your comments
RS2K - Would you be able to give me some other suggestions rather than the 1.9 tdi?

Thanks

In a car the size of a passat a 1.6 will be heavy on fuel and dissapointing to drive.

Look for a 2.0 tdi passat, better than the 1.9 for a car newer than 2005 when they changed to the new one.

Pre 2005 only buy the 130bhp 1.9 RED DI.

Look for highest spec you can get.

Congratulations on your move!

Many Dublin folk are now realising that housing in Offaly / North Tipperary costs just a fraction of Rip Off Dublin Prices.

With the new N7/M7 fully underway house prices will dramatically increase.

I know many people who live and work in Dublin.

Average commuting times range from 1/12 hours / 2 hours one way depending on traffic.

The good old N7 will get you from Roscrea to the Mad cow in 1 hour ten max.

1 hour ten of beautiful driving not stressfull stop start 1st second third at best Dublin driving.

Frank Zappa-
So true. I go from Slane to Coolock in 45 minutes. Thats less than some of my workmates that live in the city.

AngryGirl-
Based on a 1.9 diesel passat and a 1.6 petrol avensis and driving 5 days a week for 50 weeks a year and dublin-offaly distance being 252km return, fuel and road tax will cost as follows:
Diesel: (5L/100k) 4717 euro per year
Petrol: (6L/100k) 5178 euro per year
Assuming you are going for a pre 2008 car and not paying emissions tax. If you do go for an 08 car, the petrol car will cost even more to run. I haven't included insurance but i'd say the difference would be small if any.
This is also based on todays prices of 1.32 for diesel and 1.26 for petrol.
Diesels are a little harder on tyres due to the weight and torque but are more reliable.
So diesel is a good bet. Best of luck with the new car!

ollie

Frank Zappa said:

I know many people who live and work in Dublin.

Average commuting times range from 1/12 hours / 2 hours one way depending on traffic.

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I go from one side of Dublin to the other each day. Commute: 25-45 minutes.

thanks everyone for your help, its all systems go with the move thank god so think from what i am reading and from your advice i will def make the change, i love my lil mini but its not pratical for the journey i'll be making each day.. A diesel is def on the cards for me me thinks....

Thanks again

ollie323 said:

Frank Zappa-
So true. I go from Slane to Coolock in 45 minutes. Thats less than some of my workmates that live in the city.

AngryGirl-
Based on a 1.9 diesel passat and a 1.6 petrol avensis and driving 5 days a week for 50 weeks a year and dublin-offaly distance being 252km return, fuel and road tax will cost as follows:
Diesel: (5L/100k) 4717 euro per year
Petrol: (6L/100k) 5178 euro per year
Assuming you are going for a pre 2008 car and not paying emissions tax. If you do go for an 08 car, the petrol car will cost even more to run. I haven't included insurance but i'd say the difference would be small if any.
This is also based on todays prices of 1.32 for diesel and 1.26 for petrol.
Diesels are a little harder on tyres due to the weight and torque but are more reliable.
So diesel is a good bet. Best of luck with the new car!

ollie

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What kind of mpg are they ollie? I'd expect a lot better than a 16% improvement from a diesel. Nearer 30% maybe?

RS2K is correct; I can't imagine why anyone would buy the 1.9 VAG when the new 2.0 diesel has been about for a few years now, and is so much better, either new or second hand. Avoid the 1.9 in any make/model of VAG.
Your next problem is that the 2.0L Passats are rare here in IRL, and over-priced of course as a result; but I imagine they are way cheaper to import.

RS2K said:

What kind of mpg are they ollie? I'd expect a lot better than a 16% improvement from a diesel. Nearer 30% maybe?

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Hi RS2K, I got my figures from the SIMI website. I found a 2004 list and it's not much different to the 2008 list:[broken link removed]. Although the 2008 list only has the emissions for the passats, no mpg is mentioned. In any case, it seems to me that virtually all diesels of that size do 5 to 5.5L/100k which is about 50 to 55mpg. I carpool with a diesel passat driver and thats what he gets. My other car is a kia cee'd sw 1.6crdi and it also does 5 to 5.5L/100k.
AngryGirl will be doing long open road drives so a larger proportion of her drive will (hopefully!) be spent at 100kph average and therefore might even get down into the 4 to 5L/100k region.
Re: the avensis fuel consumption, the combined figure is 7.2L/100k but the extra urban figure is 5.8. I figured the large % of her drive was extra urban so i steered towards the extra urban figure. It's all guess work after that because i don't know how AngryGirl drives and i don't know what the commuting traffic is like coming in from Offaly but i'm sure it's not too far off.
The general consensus is that diesels are great on juice but they're not that great when you combine the fleecing diesel drivers are getting at the pump.

ollie