i20 Petrol or Diesel?

karthik_rao · 18th February 2010, 19:21

Hi,
I am impressed by the overall quality of the i20, especially the cabin insulation and comfort, and am pretty sure I want to buy it.I am not quite sure if I should get the petrol or the diesel.

Maybe 10 years ago, diesel engines needed a costly overhaul after a certain mileage, and wore their tyres faster, and you had a rough idea that it wasn't worth buying a diesel if you had a daily run of less than 75-100 KM.

I am not sure if that is true anymore. The cost per km difference is almost Rs. 2 per km in Mumbai (Assuming current prices and mileages of 18/12 kmpl for the diesel/petrol). How about maintenance costs? And will the diesel give a mileage of 18kmpl even over short runs after a cold start? I travel barely 5 km to work.

Appreciate advice from the gurus on the forum.
TIA
Kar

Vibhanshu · 19th February 2010, 02:07

The mathematics are lot more to calculate the savings.
And hey, just 5 Kms to work? Eyes closed Petrol. Its still the same 75-100Kms per day atleast!
Buy a diesel ONLY if you want that extra torque, otherwise I dont see a reason.

But, heres another piece that you might wanna take a look into. Consider the Punto MJD. Just around 50K difference from Petrol version and city average is above 15 which is really good. But still the diesel is not justified if you consider only savings.

Hope this helps, Cheers!
And Welcome to Team BHP.

ph03n!x · 19th February 2010, 05:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by karthik_rao

Maybe 10 years ago, diesel engines needed a costly overhaul after a certain mileage, and wore their tyres faster, and you had a rough idea that it wasn't worth buying a diesel if you had a daily run of less than 75-100 KM.

Even today, the Diesel variants of the same cars have a premium over their petrol siblings.

BUT Diesels have come a long way - no, there is no costly overhaul after, say, 100,000 KM. The tire wear is negligible as the engines are lighter than yester-years' Diesels, and tire rotation takes care of that. Fuel filters are costlier than petrols, other wise the difference is not much...

Quote:

Originally Posted by karthik_rao

I am not sure if that is true anymore. The cost per km difference is almost Rs. 2 per km in Mumbai (Assuming current prices and mileages of 18/12 kmpl for the diesel/petrol). How about maintenance costs? And will the diesel give a mileage of 18kmpl even over short runs after a cold start? I travel barely 5 km to work.

Though for a daily run of ~10 KM, a Diesel seems to be an over-kill, there are few more things you have to consider - the two biggest ones being:

1) TORQUE - modern diesels, especially like the i20 that comes with a VGT, are worth buying for the driving pleasure alone
2) Travels - I know we do not go on outings every other day. But when we do, and that too on a Diesel car, the savings is considerable - and the power and torque is addictive on a highway! Conversely, we will drive more on our outings!

My daily run is less than 15 KM (office and back). But I have done 15200 in exactly 8 months (I was out of country for 3 months in that!!) - and guess what I drive? Yeah - its a Diesel - a Getz CRDi

ShanG · 19th February 2010, 08:00

Well -- I also went thru the same dilemma as recent as Oct / Nov 2009 and my daily commute is almost 35 to 40 km (2 way including some highway & some bumper2bumper driving).

The additional premium on i20 Diesel didn't seem justified for my usage and finally went ahead with Asta Petrol itself.

Given your drive of just 5 Km (1 way or both??), you shouldn't think twice -- unless you do go on long drives every weekend.

- ShanG
------------------------------
1991 Geo Metro (Sold)
2009 Hyundai i20 Asta

Musicmaker23 · 19th February 2010, 09:09

You need to give a few more details about your daily run & monthly trips.

If you're a driving enthusiast, buy the CRDi for the torque. Look up the engine reviews on the forum for more info.

But if you're not rev-happy & more practical, never consider the diesel unless your monthly running is over 1500-2000 kms. It doesn't make any financial sense whatsoever.
But be warned the 1.2 kappa doesn't fully do justice to the car on the highways or during overtaking, but is just fine in city driving.

car-dent · 20th February 2010, 16:00

i also wanted i20 diesel and did lot of research on it and i absolutely loved it until i drove the jazz and i was completely jazzed over.jazz petrol its going to be now.

i guess petrol must be good enough for you given that the price difference between petrol and diesel i20 is quite a lot and you would break even at approx 70000-80000kms which would take decades given your daily driving of only ~~10 kms .

santhosh_lv · 20th February 2010, 17:32

i dont drive my car during d weekdays

, but then i have completed 15000 kms in 1 yr. have bought swift diesel knowing this fact as i believe in DDiS. y dont u knw abt the i20 diesel engine comparing with others dude?

Pancham · 20th February 2010, 18:03

@karthik. I am planning to buy i20. When i went to the showroom and asked a senior official whether it would be advisable to buy a diesel his first question was "How many kms do you run everyday". He advised me not to go for the diesel variant if I am not doing 70-80 km per day. Another thing he said that after 2-3 yrs the car will ask for more and more maintenance cost (since its a diesel).
So i advice you to go for petrol buddy.

ph03n!x · 21st February 2010, 03:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pancham

... his first question was "How many kms do you run everyday". He advised me not to go for the diesel variant if I am not doing 70-80 km per day. Another thing he said that after 2-3 yrs the car will ask for more and more maintenance cost (since its a diesel)

Looks like even Hyundai's staffs need to be trained on modern Diesels. From a purely return on expense perspective, yes a Diesel needs a higher running - but from a driver's car perspective, the i20 Diesel is a far better car than the i20 1.2 Petrol, worth the higher asking!

And higher expenses after 3 years?? I suggest you ask the "senior official" to look up the Verna CRDi / Getz CRDi threads (especially KPZEN's) and see how much they have spent for an older engine than what comes in the i20!

Guess its gonna take a while for mindsets to change!

Pancham · 21st February 2010, 13:45

Yes may be you are 100% right. I had this thing for i20 diesel because I heard good reviews. But after listening to him I thought of sticking to Petrol. But who knows nothing can be said until the car is a few years old in the market.

Musicmaker23 · 21st February 2010, 21:46

I still don't know why some sales execs do this - they try to under-sell their cars; tales of maruti trying to sell the vxi inspite of customer asking for the zxi are legendary. The bias against diesels won't go away very easily.
People's opinions are slower to fine-tune than engines

It can be summarized like this - financially, the petrol is way more viable for a person with your kind of running especially in the city. If you're expecting a powerhouse under the hood or you choose to change your office to one 50 kms away from your house, choose a diesel. The CRDi in the i20 churns out a great 220 Nm torque compared to some 110Nm in the kappa 1.2. It'll help you get the most out of the chassis.
You should know what you're getting into & what your expectations are. I've myself booked a kappa as i knew my driving style is neither very aggressive, nor is my daily running high; & frankly, i haven't had enough experience on very powerful cars to know that the kappa is sluggish (of course the money is also dearer to me!). This is not to say the petrol is by any means a pain to drive around in the city, just that a little more wouldn't have hurt

ph03n!x · 22nd February 2010, 02:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by Musicmaker23

...or you choose to change your office to one 50 kms away from your house, choose a diesel

Well, well..! My office used to be 7 KM from my residence. And I have still done 15k in the CRDi rocket in the 6 months I actually drove it (and 3 months I did not - was not in town!). But now my office is being shifted to about 40 KM from my place of stay - look who's laughing now?!!

Seriously, even in bumper to bumper traffic, driving the Getz CRDi is so easy once you learn how to - no half clutching. 1st Gear / 2nd Gear and no accelerator = car chugs along at 10 / 20 KMPH happily! When the car in front stops - clutch fully and brake to neutral. And then back to 1st without accelerating at all..! You gotta experience it to know what I mean

karthik_rao · 22nd February 2010, 13:56

Thanks for all the replies.

My main concern is that I should get great mileage and lower pollution even on my 5 Km run to office (and 5 km back). I am just wondering if the diesel will give top mileage immediately on starting, or does it run relatively inefficiently for 4-5 km until it is hot and primed up. My 5 km run is usually a smooth 15 minute run with minimal traffic.

I do around 1000 km a month including some highway driving and weekend runabout in city. I dont mind the extra initial price, as that will be compensated by a higher resale value three years later. Just not sure of the maintenance costs. I will try and find the Verna threads someone mentioned.

A price difference of 1.2 lakh today will probably be somewhat offset by a relsale price that is around 50 k better. So I effectively need to make up around 70K of extra capex, which, at a saving of Rs 2 per KM, will be covered in 35000 Km. I am sure I will do that much in three years. I havent covered for higher maintenance, but I am assuming that the New Age Diesel is as easy to maintain as a Petrol.

karthik_rao · 22nd February 2010, 14:38

Couldnt find the threads you mentioned. Could you please help with details of these threads?

Quote:

Originally Posted by ph03n!x

Looks like even Hyundai's staffs need to be trained on modern Diesels. From a purely return on expense perspective, yes a Diesel needs a higher running - but from a driver's car perspective, the i20 Diesel is a far better car than the i20 1.2 Petrol, worth the higher asking!

And higher expenses after 3 years?? I suggest you ask the "senior official" to look up the Verna CRDi / Getz CRDi threads (especially KPZEN's) and see how much they have spent for an older engine than what comes in the i20!

Guess its gonna take a while for mindsets to change!

ph03n!x · 22nd February 2010, 19:11

KPZEN's long term ownership: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/long-t...e-pg-36-a.html

Undead's ownership: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...km-update.html

Mine - is not updated yet, am planning to do that some time soon

(http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...getz-crdi.html)

All these are Getz CRDi - Try searching for i20 CRDi ownership reviews too..

18th February 2010, 19:21	#1
karthik_rao BHPian Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Mumbai Posts: 75 Thanked: 14 Times View My Garage	i20 Petrol or Diesel? Hi, I am impressed by the overall quality of the i20, especially the cabin insulation and comfort, and am pretty sure I want to buy it.I am not quite sure if I should get the petrol or the diesel. Maybe 10 years ago, diesel engines needed a costly overhaul after a certain mileage, and wore their tyres faster, and you had a rough idea that it wasn't worth buying a diesel if you had a daily run of less than 75-100 KM. I am not sure if that is true anymore. The cost per km difference is almost Rs. 2 per km in Mumbai (Assuming current prices and mileages of 18/12 kmpl for the diesel/petrol). How about maintenance costs? And will the diesel give a mileage of 18kmpl even over short runs after a cold start? I travel barely 5 km to work. Appreciate advice from the gurus on the forum. TIA Kar
	() Thanks

19th February 2010, 02:07	#2
Vibhanshu BHPian Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Mumbai Posts: 242 Thanked: 152 Times	The mathematics are lot more to calculate the savings. And hey, just 5 Kms to work? Eyes closed Petrol. Its still the same 75-100Kms per day atleast! Buy a diesel ONLY if you want that extra torque, otherwise I dont see a reason. But, heres another piece that you might wanna take a look into. Consider the Punto MJD. Just around 50K difference from Petrol version and city average is above 15 which is really good. But still the diesel is not justified if you consider only savings. Hope this helps, Cheers! And Welcome to Team BHP.
	() Thanks

19th February 2010, 08:00	#4
ShanG BHPian Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Mumbai Posts: 34 Thanked: 0 Times	i20 Petrol it is.. Well -- I also went thru the same dilemma as recent as Oct / Nov 2009 and my daily commute is almost 35 to 40 km (2 way including some highway & some bumper2bumper driving). The additional premium on i20 Diesel didn't seem justified for my usage and finally went ahead with Asta Petrol itself. Given your drive of just 5 Km (1 way or both??), you shouldn't think twice -- unless you do go on long drives every weekend. - ShanG ------------------------------ 1991 Geo Metro (Sold) 2009 Hyundai i20 Asta
	() Thanks

19th February 2010, 09:09	#5
Musicmaker23 BHPian Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Mumbai Posts: 145 Thanked: 9 Times	You need to give a few more details about your daily run & monthly trips. If you're a driving enthusiast, buy the CRDi for the torque. Look up the engine reviews on the forum for more info. But if you're not rev-happy & more practical, never consider the diesel unless your monthly running is over 1500-2000 kms. It doesn't make any financial sense whatsoever. But be warned the 1.2 kappa doesn't fully do justice to the car on the highways or during overtaking, but is just fine in city driving.
	() Thanks

20th February 2010, 16:00	#6
car-dent BHPian Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: NOIDA Posts: 284 Thanked: 469 Times	i also wanted i20 diesel and did lot of research on it and i absolutely loved it until i drove the jazz and i was completely jazzed over.jazz petrol its going to be now. i guess petrol must be good enough for you given that the price difference between petrol and diesel i20 is quite a lot and you would break even at approx 70000-80000kms which would take decades given your daily driving of only ~~10 kms . Last edited by car-dent : 20th February 2010 at 16:05.
	() Thanks

20th February 2010, 17:32	#7
santhosh_lv BANNED Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Bangalore Posts: 117 Thanked: 64 Times	swift D i dont drive my car during d weekdays , but then i have completed 15000 kms in 1 yr. have bought swift diesel knowing this fact as i believe in DDiS. y dont u knw abt the i20 diesel engine comparing with others dude?
	() Thanks

20th February 2010, 18:03	#8
Pancham Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Kolkata/NCR Posts: 1,756 Thanked: 2,652 Times	@karthik. I am planning to buy i20. When i went to the showroom and asked a senior official whether it would be advisable to buy a diesel his first question was "How many kms do you run everyday". He advised me not to go for the diesel variant if I am not doing 70-80 km per day. Another thing he said that after 2-3 yrs the car will ask for more and more maintenance cost (since its a diesel). So i advice you to go for petrol buddy. Last edited by Pancham : 20th February 2010 at 18:07.
	() Thanks

21st February 2010, 13:45	#10
Pancham Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Kolkata/NCR Posts: 1,756 Thanked: 2,652 Times	Yes may be you are 100% right. I had this thing for i20 diesel because I heard good reviews. But after listening to him I thought of sticking to Petrol. But who knows nothing can be said until the car is a few years old in the market.
	() Thanks

21st February 2010, 21:46	#11
Musicmaker23 BHPian Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Mumbai Posts: 145 Thanked: 9 Times	I still don't know why some sales execs do this - they try to under-sell their cars; tales of maruti trying to sell the vxi inspite of customer asking for the zxi are legendary. The bias against diesels won't go away very easily. People's opinions are slower to fine-tune than engines It can be summarized like this - financially, the petrol is way more viable for a person with your kind of running especially in the city. If you're expecting a powerhouse under the hood or you choose to change your office to one 50 kms away from your house, choose a diesel. The CRDi in the i20 churns out a great 220 Nm torque compared to some 110Nm in the kappa 1.2. It'll help you get the most out of the chassis. You should know what you're getting into & what your expectations are. I've myself booked a kappa as i knew my driving style is neither very aggressive, nor is my daily running high; & frankly, i haven't had enough experience on very powerful cars to know that the kappa is sluggish (of course the money is also dearer to me!). This is not to say the petrol is by any means a pain to drive around in the city, just that a little more wouldn't have hurt
	() Thanks

22nd February 2010, 13:56	#13
karthik_rao BHPian Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Mumbai Posts: 75 Thanked: 14 Times View My Garage	Thanks for all the replies. My main concern is that I should get great mileage and lower pollution even on my 5 Km run to office (and 5 km back). I am just wondering if the diesel will give top mileage immediately on starting, or does it run relatively inefficiently for 4-5 km until it is hot and primed up. My 5 km run is usually a smooth 15 minute run with minimal traffic. I do around 1000 km a month including some highway driving and weekend runabout in city. I dont mind the extra initial price, as that will be compensated by a higher resale value three years later. Just not sure of the maintenance costs. I will try and find the Verna threads someone mentioned. A price difference of 1.2 lakh today will probably be somewhat offset by a relsale price that is around 50 k better. So I effectively need to make up around 70K of extra capex, which, at a saving of Rs 2 per KM, will be covered in 35000 Km. I am sure I will do that much in three years. I havent covered for higher maintenance, but I am assuming that the New Age Diesel is as easy to maintain as a Petrol.
	() Thanks

22nd February 2010, 19:11	#15
ph03n!x Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Coimbatore Posts: 2,566 Thanked: 5,961 Times	KPZEN's long term ownership: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/long-t...e-pg-36-a.html Undead's ownership: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...km-update.html Mine - is not updated yet, am planning to do that some time soon (http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...getz-crdi.html) All these are Getz CRDi - Try searching for i20 CRDi ownership reviews too..
	() Thanks