Has this been the decade for the diesel

[waynne]

Do you think that this last decade was the decade of the diesel.

It is interesting that diesel still hasn't taken off over in the USA and quite a few other countries.

Has deisel gradually evolved or has it in the last 10 years suddenly come of age?

Is there much more scope for improvement on the diesel? Will petrol engines ever become as complex, and efficient as a diesel?

[HDi fun]

Diesel still has a way to go before it's truly cost effective. Even though the makers suggest the same service intervals as their petrol equivalents the reality is that it should be done more frequently if the car is to remain reliable on a long term basis. With today's models running outrageous fuel pressures and massive boost pressures this is essential.

Clearly the cars are out of warranty by 3-4 years of age and so the maker has no risk associated with repair. This distorts diesel's traditional virtue of long term reliability and economy.

I'm not suggesting that diesel is more costly as an ownership prospect - I'm simply saying that the difference is not as wide as some would have you believe.

Basically, buy diesel if you like the driving style it offers.

[MasterAuron]

http://www.fiat.co.uk/content/?id=10857

1.4 Multi-air engine in the new Punto Evo has 135bhp and achieves 42mpg combined! Petrol is cheaper too. Diesel will start to die out as quickly as it rose to fame if this becomes common place.

[HDi fun]

Originally Posted by MasterAuron

http://www.fiat.co.uk/content/?id=10857

1.4 Multi-air engine in the new Punto Evo has 135bhp and achieves 42mpg combined! Petrol is cheaper too. Diesel will start to die out as quickly as it rose to fame if this becomes common place.

I'm inclined to agree. There's still a way to go to get diesel to burn cleanly enough that we can dispense with particle filters and 2 way cats altogether. Petrol technology is closing fast upon this ideal.

Ultimately, if (and only if) we can overcome this, will diesel surge ahead as a viable liquid fuel.

Diesel does have one advantage, which is it's calorific value by volume. Essentially, a litre of diesel has more energy contained therein than a litre of petrol.

However, let's suppose we sold the stuff by mass instead of volume. Diesel is significantly denser than petrol so buying it by the kilogram rather than by the litre would alter the pricing significantly. Probably to the point that if we measured fuel economy in miles per KILOGRAM of fuel that petrol would win hands down at this point.

[Poddy]

Originally Posted by MasterAuron

http://www.fiat.co.uk/content/?id=10857

1.4 Multi-air engine in the new Punto Evo has 135bhp and achieves 42mpg combined! Petrol is cheaper too. Diesel will start to die out as quickly as it rose to fame if this becomes common place.

I would need to get more than 42 mpg on a combined cycle if i were to buy a petrol, i also prefer diesel because of the massive torque available

[HDi fun]

Originally Posted by Poddy

I would need to get more than 42 mpg on a combined cycle if i were to buy a petrol, i also prefer diesel because of the massive torque available

I agree - diesel does have that massive advantage over petrol. Diesel engines have no throttle which is the single biggest reason for their high fuel efficiency.