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Old 16th September 2011, 03:28   #16
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Re: Does it makes sense to retain petrol cars, considering the frequent fuel hikes?

Yes, surely a yes i am going to retain my Baleno and if i buy a next car it will be a petrol. Diesel only if i buy an SUV. The way i would manage the cost is by using alternative ways to burn less of petrol every month and there are multiple ways to do that if you really sit down and think. As GTO says give me a fast petrol Sedan any day, fuel prices be damned.
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Old 16th September 2011, 07:07   #17
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Re: Does it makes sense to retain petrol cars, considering the frequent fuel hikes?

I am thinking of converting my Honda City as a Pune-Mumbai-Pune Taxi cab. Let the car pay for itself and the gross fuel prices.
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Old 16th September 2011, 08:41   #18
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Re: Does it makes sense to retain petrol cars, considering the frequent fuel hikes?

Ah! come on guys we are getting confused between the love for our car and the hatred for the increase in fuel prices. Would we change our GF/wife just because she spends too much?
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Old 16th September 2011, 09:31   #19
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Re: Does it makes sense to retain petrol cars, considering the frequent fuel hikes?

Am in the same dilema. Have a 6 year old santro. Running fine but the fuel price is killing me. Wondering if i should sell the Santro and buy a Diesel hatch ( Figo/Ritz/Liva etc ). Wanted to keep my Santro for another 2 years and preclose parts of my real estate related loans. ( I have a very expensive land loan )

This may be the correct time to buy a new Diesel hatch. The reasoning is as follows: With the widening diesel petrol price difference, the sale of cars will get completely skewed towards diesel . As a result govt will take some action sooner or later. Dual pricing will be very difficult to implement in our corrupt country and will start a massive black market. So govt most likely will put excess tax on personal diesel vehicles ( to offset the so called "subsidy" ). As a result diesel vehicles will get expensive.
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Old 16th September 2011, 09:58   #20
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Re: Does it makes sense to retain petrol cars, considering the frequent fuel hikes?

The confusion for me has already begun !

Bought the i10 K2 in Dec 2010 on loan. Now to get rid of ever increasing loan rates, i started making part payments (almost 60% of my salary and screwing up my savings) and will be finishing of my loan amount by next month. Now the fuel prices are hitting me too as my office recently moved and now the daily running has increased from 15kms to 64kms .

Not to forget already invested a lot in the car, New michelins, alloys, Vkool sunfilms, autocop, art leather seat covers, etc etc

So,

a) should i sell my new i10 and buy a pre-owned diesel for same price ! (guess since its new and only 8K run, it should get me 4 - 4.5 L)

b) sell off my new i10 and buy a new diesel with the loan with difference amount ?

c) Pay 60K to get a CNG kit fitted from Hyundai and not lose Hyundai warranty !

d) Get CNG fitted from outside for 25-30K and lose warranty !


Help
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Old 16th September 2011, 10:40   #21
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Re: Does it makes sense to retain petrol cars, considering the frequent fuel hikes?

I will still say that for most of us lower mileage drivers Petrol makes sense. However,

1. The change over point may have dropped to 10-12000 km per year.
2. Diesel is also due for a hike, sooner rather than later. They are already talking about only four LPG cylinders a year at the 'subsidised price' and the rest at Rs.750+ each. It is only the fear of the truckers lobby (even though the official reason given is farmers) which is keeping it down. Come end of the year when inflation is expected to start dropping (as per StanChart) and just wait and see diesel prices.

Last edited by sgiitk : 16th September 2011 at 10:51.
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Old 16th September 2011, 10:44   #22
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Re: Does it makes sense to retain petrol cars, considering the frequent fuel hikes?

A petrol car is a petrol car. It will never give you the sensation a diesel does. Bottom-end torque, low diesel prices and better mileage be damned. I will never buy a diesel, unless it's an SUV.

Look at other alternatives instead. Take the bus, or car-pool as much as possible. Look at saving fuel instead of switching over to diesel. Not only will the number of cars on the road come down, you will enjoy your petrol car when the time comes.
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Old 16th September 2011, 10:56   #23
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Re: Does it makes sense to retain petrol cars, considering the frequent fuel hikes?

I have a 5.5 yr old petrol Swift and have contemplated several times switching to a diesel hatch. Had even booked the ZDi but as things stand at MUL's plants, things are looking bleak. And now another fuel price hike!

The gap between petrol & diesel prices is widening every month. Which means minimum mileage criteria for buying a diesel vehicle has also dropped. As a rule of thumb, one is advised to opt for a car if running is <1k km/month. Now, that equation should go out of the window. If you can afford a diesel car by paying that premium over a petrol car, just go for it. We can keep bragging about high revving "fun factor" in a petrol car but where exactly do we high rev cars in city traffic? Not only do diesel cars return better FE, fuel is cheaper and also low end torque is fantastic.

If I was in the market for a new car (which I am for a hatch), diesel seems to be the way forward. I also use a 1.5 year old petrol sedan - so I am not exactly opposing petrol vehicles. Its the cost/km in petrol cars which is hurting like never before.
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Old 16th September 2011, 11:06   #24
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Re: Does it makes sense to retain petrol cars, considering the frequent fuel hikes?

Way I see is i am paying about a 1000 bucks extra in petrol a month now.
I'll manage, thank you.
I saw people , individual owners. not fleet operators, rushing off to get tank fulls yesterday.
40 odd litres, 150 odd bucks.
so much hassle at the pumps.
totally not worth it to save that amount.

But I saw the "nali ka kida" type people yesterday too.
pump operators who got news about the hike, and put up out-of-order signs on the pumps.
These are the guys who will make up the essence of the scent of "rotting-in-hell".

You dont even feel like arguing with such guys, they are so beneath you.

In wars, hoarders are shot, arent they?

I feel, in peace time, at least a shoe-polish-faced donkey-ride around town should be allowed.

Last edited by mayankk : 16th September 2011 at 11:08.
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Old 16th September 2011, 11:10   #25
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Re: Does it makes sense to retain petrol cars, considering the frequent fuel hikes?

Wrong fuel pricing and insane level of taxing is killing the common man. The government says that they have decontrolled petrol prices but I don’t see any drop in prices when crude was down some time back, moreover all the major oil marketing companies are acting as cartel and prices are not decontrolled at all.

In US I have seen prices of fuel vary on a daily basis.

This wrong pricing will allow more dieselization of private vehicles for sure.
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Old 16th September 2011, 11:21   #26
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Re: Does it makes sense to retain petrol cars, considering the frequent fuel hikes?

Enjoy the party while it lasts. It is just going to be a matter of time before the Government in its populist mood clamps down on Diesel cars against diesel for transport vehicles - spawning a whole new black market economy. Maybe we will have to buy an old lorry each to keep our diesel cars running on the road.
Meanwhile it is the best time to buy luxury petrol cars at throwaway prices to add to our stable.
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Old 16th September 2011, 11:26   #27
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Re: Does it makes sense to retain petrol cars, considering the frequent fuel hikes?

No more of "Well Educated" Prime Minister hankering for me. Manmohan has proved beyond doubt that Education does make a good PM. Thank you Manmohanji for clearing this.

It is said that bankers and finance guys should, like railway carriages, never put in front. They will surely take it to ruin. And how aptly proved.

They increase the prices when crude goes up, but forget to do the same when crude goes down. Who are they fooling. Economics be damned.
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Old 16th September 2011, 11:26   #28
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Re: Does it makes sense to retain petrol cars, considering the frequent fuel hikes?

Oh yes, if you can avoid unnecessary usage of your petrol car, it makes a great deal of sense to retain or buy one. After all, a diesel gaadi does not give you as much pleasure as a petrol one.

Best way to avoid unnecessary spending on petrol is to switch to public transport [I take the bus to office; my bike and car remain unused Monday thru Friday, only used as and when required on weekends for family(car) or self(bike) usage].

Now, it can be argued that for my usage the investment on a car is wasted. I don't think so. I bought the car for convenience and safety reasons.

Last edited by WindRide : 16th September 2011 at 11:28.
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Old 16th September 2011, 11:27   #29
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Re: Does it makes sense to retain petrol cars, considering the frequent fuel hikes?

Nowadays I take the car out only if I feel like giving myself and my family a treat! And the car ride is part of the treat!
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Old 16th September 2011, 12:21   #30
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Re: Does it makes sense to retain petrol cars, considering the frequent fuel hikes?

For those who have cars outside your warranty period, try after market LPG kits. I have been using a closed loop LPG kit 4 years back for 18K from PKY Works (Pandian is among the best in this business). You get to enjoy the fun of driving a petrol car without worrying about the rising petrol cost.
The southern part of India has abundance of Auto LPG filling stations.
As sgiitk said, "Diesel is also due for a hike, sooner rather than later"
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