[Red Liner]

Originally Posted by KarthikK

Plenty of choices if you're open to exploring different ages and segments of cars , but if you're looking for something no-nonsense, a Swift, i20 or a Punto can be yours for that budget range. Of course, the Swift would hold a better resale over contemporaries and has a more efficient service backup too. Being open to petrols will give you a plethora of options!

Thanks man, I got a Ford Figo top of the line diesel - 2012 edition done about 10k for this budget.

[HillMan]

Originally Posted by Atif

So, what do u think is better in terms of low maintenance cost in a long run say for 3yrs ?

3yrs is a very short time span. The depreciation on your vehicle cost (the resale value) will get the better of it. Unless off-course you are hunting in the pre owned market.

Diesel Vs Petrol argument goes on, but in today's scenario I'd say the Diesel doesn't have a distinct price advantage. The saving you make from subsidized price is paid out in higher price of the car and slightly higher service cost.

The new generation turbo charged Diesels for that matter are very efficient and have high torque at low RPM. In simple terms, this means a petrol car would be shouting at the top of its voice on highway and inclines, where a Diesel would have an effortless run.

Petrol is smoother while Diesel has a powerful grunt. I like both in their own ways. I'd prefer a Petrol sedan and a Diesel SUV.

Petrol sedan for its smoothness and silence. Diesel for the heavy roar and torque which gives you larger than life feel to it. More a psychological thingy.

The other point in favour of Diesel is it gives you a feel of low running cost. My EMI is fixed and budgeted for. Its a mind game and feel good factor. I wouldn't mind going on a long drive at the drop of a hat, because I dont have to run to an ATM

So, I'd say it depends on what you like. To get VFM on Diesel you must be a high miler.

Frankly for our day to day needs all we need is a spacious car thats comfortable to drive. Go where your heart desires so that you have a happy and peaceful driving experience.

Just my thoughts

[mrohit17]

Friends I am in a dilemma.

For replacement of my 5 year old Punto I have drilled down to two choices: Linea MJD or Linea T-Jet (both old models, getting good discounts there).

Now my Dad already has a 7 month old Linea MJD and in my family we have 4 new generation Fiat's so no issues with the AuthSS.

Essentially my purchase price for both the cars will be same so no difference here.

Now my heart is on T-Jet (I own a Duke 390 too and drove my Punto with RD Chip ). My monthly running would be 1500KM max and most of which will be official so would be covered there. I believe the price difference of fuel will also slowly wane away.

The query is: with similar purchase price the difference remains in the maintenance and mileage aspect. Is there a distinct maintenance advantage in petrol vs diesel?

I really would like to buy the T-Jet. Help me in supporting my decision or showing me the right path.

[HillMan]

Originally Posted by mrohit17

I really would like to buy the T-Jet. Help me in supporting my decision or showing me the right path.

You have already chosen your path my friend . T-Jet already has a huge fan following. Go through the blogs and seal your decision.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/offici...ve-review.html

[dass]

So, if the diesel price continues to increase and comes to a stage where it is only lesser by around Rs.10 to petrol, do you think the cost of owning the diesel upfront would come down? I for one do not think so, but have no valid reason for the same. Can the experts comment?

[itsashishsharma]

Originally Posted by dass

So, if the diesel price continues to increase and comes to a stage where it is only lesser by around Rs.10 to petrol, do you think the cost of owning the diesel upfront would come down? I for one do not think so, but have no valid reason for the same. Can the experts comment?

So the price difference b/w diesel and petrol variants of the same car is not because of the lower cost of diesel, but due to the fact that diesels are costlier to manufacture. Common Rail, Direct Injection, Turbochargers are a few of the things which make diesel engines costlier to make.
On the other hand, because of the higher demand of diesel variants, we see discounts offered on their petrol counterparts. If there is minimal price difference b/w the two fuels, the demand for diesels would come down comparatively, forcing the manufacturers to either lower their margins and reprice (not only making diesel variants cheaper, but making petrols costlier too) or offer some discounts on the diesel variants too.

[DrvSafe]

Hi guys.
We are in the market for a hatchback. Since only maruti and hyundai service centre in my home town, narrowed down to swift. Now the confusion is whether to go for a petrol or diesel.
Usage will be less, may be 10k an year. Also since I will be abroad most of the time, need to park the car for 6 to 8 months idle. What you guys say?. To park car for long term, which car is better? Diesel or petrol?.
Need to make a fast decision. Please advice.

[sgiitk]

Do your own arithmetic - I expect the Diesel - Petrol differential to end up in the Rs.10-12 band. I would say 15-20,000km per annum may be a good transition point.

[Ruchitya]

Originally Posted by DrvSafe

Hi guys.
We are in the market for a hatchback.
============
Need to make a fast decision. Please advice.

Diesel cars need to be run regularly. That's what I know. Petrol cars can be left for a couple of months idle(not advisable but still) and then just recharge the battery and you're good to go. This I know practically, not theoretically. So the reasons are not known to me

[drsingh]

Why do you have to park it? It would be better to leave it with a trusted friend/ relative and have them drive around a bit. You could buy it in their name. I have a similar arrangement with my uncle who is out of the country 5 months a year.

[Desi Dybuk]

With the ever narrowing price difference between Petrol & Diesel, the viability of purchasing a Diesel car is diminishing rapidly for regular drivers. Below is the small comparison ROI I did. (All prices Bangalore)

Models compared: Hyundai Verna SX (O) Manual Petrol & Diesel.

Ex-Showroom Cost:

Petrol: Rs 9,87,017
Diesel: Rs. 11,19,266

Difference: 1,32,249


Mileage (ARAI Figures):

Petrol: 17.01 km/l
Diesel: 22.32 km/l


Fuel Cost:

Petrol: Rs. 75.13 Rs/Ltr
Diesel: Rs. 64.07 Rs/Ltr


Per KM cost:

Petrol: Rs. 4.42 per km (75.13/17.01)
Diesel: Rs. 2.87 per km (64.07/22.32)

Difference: Rs. 1.55 per km

Hence, to recover the extra premium paid for the Diesel variant, the purchaser would have to drive an additional 1,32,249/1.55 = 85,322kms!!!

Or, to put it another way, assuming a typical driver drives 15,000 kms per year. Then, he'd save about Rs. 23,250 in fuel costs per year if he opts for a Diesel over Petrol. That means, he'll be able to recover his 1.32 Lakh premium only at the end of 5.7 years!! (Mind you, I have not included the maintenance, insurance, depreciation costs which are higher in Diesel)


This is insane!! Only Taxi drivers would be able to recover the cost! Diesel cars don't make sense for probably 80% of regular car owners!

[lurker]

Mileage (ARAI Figures):

Petrol: 17.01 km/l
Diesel: 22.32 km/l

On road conditions in India will mean that the diesel will still give 22.32 km/l on highways and 15 km/l in city but petrol will give 16 km/l on highways at best and 8 km/l in city. This is the only chink in the 'now let's go for petrol' argument.

Petrol mileage is highly dependent on traffic conditions, if you are stickler for those sort of things such as mileage.

[drmohitg]

Originally Posted by Desi Dybuk

That means, he'll be able to recover his 1.32 Lakh premium only at the end of 5.7 years!! (Mind you, I have not included the maintenance, insurance, depreciation costs which are higher in Diesel)

The calculations are not exactly correct. Firstly the ARAI figures cannot be used for the calculations as in real traffic scenario the petrol will struggle to return anything more than 10-12 kmpl whereas the diesel will easily return you 17-18 kmpl.

Also the depreciation would be much higher on the petrol variant than the diesel. Hence it is not that easy to draw such conclusions.

[RSR]

Originally Posted by Desi Dybuk

This is insane!! Only Taxi drivers would be able to recover the cost! Diesel cars don't make sense for probably 80% of regular car owners!

Your calculations are a correct template for the recovery of the initial extra purchase cost.

However, as the others have mentioned, the ARAI numbers are misleading. Even if the car is driven only on highways, the diesel Verna with its tall 6th gear would easily achieve or even go over the ARAI certified FE figure. The petrol Verna, on the other hand, may only achieve a highway FE number that's slightly less than the ARAI one.

If the car is primarily driven in the city, then things change drastically. The diesel Verna would easily return more than half the ARAI number, while the petrol Verna would struggle to achieve half its ARAI number even when driven with a light foot, as petrol engines' FE figures are more sensitive to traffic conditions and driving style.

This has to be factored into the calculations. So one has to decide the average % of city and highway usage the car would be subjected to, use real life FE numbers for such conditions, and then calculate the cost difference per km.

Broadly speaking - yes, the rapid narrowing of the gap between the two fuels means petrol cars should make much more sense to many, many more private car buyers. For a person who has low to moderate average daily usage, it simply doesn't make sense anymore to spend a huge additional sum of 1 - 1.5 lac rupees on an equivalent diesel variant.

One may as well use that kind of money to buy a higher variant/higher segment petrol car with more features/space, and enjoy the extra features and the way better NVH levels provided by petrol cars.

[wilful]

With the gap between diesel and petrol narrowing down to the (approx) Rs.10/- mark per litre, petrol seems to attract an increasing number of buyers. According to a report (which includes a working) in Times of India, petrol cars have started making more financial sense.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/b...w/41554062.cms