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The Truth About Petrol V Diesel


The Truth About Petrol V Diesel

Author: NRMA Motoring & ServicesDate: 09 July 2009

A study by NRMA Motoring & Services has revealed that driving diesel vehicles could reduce fuel consumption by up to 33 per cent when compared to driving same-model vehicles running on petrol.

NRMA President Wendy Machin advised motorists to think about diesel options on the market when presented with a choice, particularly with diesel and unleaded prices currently on par.

"The NRMA tested four popular vehicles on the market with petrol and diesel variants on city roads and highways and fuel consumption figures were recorded," Ms Machin said.

"Motorists who drove a diesel Holden Epica could reduce consumption by 33 per cent on city roads and 20 per cent on highways leading to an overall 28 per cent reduction on a combination of city and highway use.

"A Hyundai i30 diesel achieved 20 per cent lower fuel consumption overall that its petrol equivalent, a Holden Astra 19 per cent and a Hyundai Sonata 13 per cent less.

"On average, the four diesel models tested consumed 20 per cent less fuel than their petrol counterparts. However in some cases diesel models don't generate as much power so motorists should make sure they are happy with the vehicle's characteristics.

"Due to the higher purchase price of diesel models, an analysis of running costs over four years reveals little difference between petrol and diesel. With this in mind consumers' preference may come down to a vehicle's engine characteristics and performance."

Last year, the NRMA released the results of a fuel consumption survey that found motorists could make substantial savings just by changing their driving habits.

Ms Machin said that adopting good driving habits combined with operating a diesel vehicle could see motorists make further substantial savings on their car running costs.

"Driving aggressively increases a car's fuel consumption by as much as 35 per cent," Ms Machin said.

"Moving smoothly through the gears when approaching or leaving a stationary point such as traffic lights and keeping unnecessary weight out of cars are two effective ways to reduce consumption.

"The results of last year's NRMA's test showed there was no point trying to beat a few red lights or leaving heavy items in your car."

The NRMA has taken a lot of the mathematics out of evaluating car running costs. The Operating Costs Calculator allows for petrol and diesel calculations on over 500 popular new cars.
Read the Petrol v Diesel Fuel Consumption Results (PDF 280KB/2 pages)


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