Petrol or Diesel Car | Which one to choose?
The fuel price has touched the century mark in recent days, and it’s not looking to going down any soon. Rs 100 may be the new normal for petrol in high VAT states, says the Times Of India headlines. With the rise of the price of both petrol and diesel, there’s a question running in every confused mind. Which is the better option between petrol or diesel cars?
Both these engine technologies have existed for centuries now and have evolved in their perspective. With the lower cost of diesel, is opting for a diesel car a better choice? What are the other factors that affect the ownership of a petrol or diesel car? What purpose do these serve? And to more of these questions, we come to the rescue. So let’s put our thinking caps on, and validate the better choice between buying and owning petrol or a diesel car.
Petrol or diesel car which was a better choice in India for 2020?
Let’s now jump right to the conclusion, due to price hikes of fossil fuels, diesel’s lesser price makes diesel cars more profitable and manageable. But a few a year back, when prices weren’t touching the skies, would that have made a difference in your choice? Maybe yes, or no. Yeah right, we are not mind-readers, but let’s go through the most common distinction between petrol or diesel engines.
Refinement
When we talk about engine refinement it narrows down to smoother and quieter operations, so which is a better choice in petrol or diesel car. The petrol cars are popular for their refined engines. Talking in the Indian auto market, one can easily get their hands to a cheaper petrol engine which is smooth. But diesel engines are loud and noisy. But one can easily find silent and finesse diesel engine block in premium cars. With ‘refinement’ having a different meaning to each individual, it’s more of a preference.
Power
Petrol engines are renowned for their higher spectrum of power and low torque, while diesel engines prowess with better torque, but power figures can match the levels of petrol cars. Heavy-duty vehicles often bolt-on diesel engines, because of their heavy-duty proposition and better torque.
Purpose
While both petrol or diesel cars serve similar purposes, one should prefer petrol engines for frequent, yet short commutes. While diesel engines are better for long trips and continuous driving. Thus most of the taxis in the late 90s featured diesel engines under the hood.
Fuel Efficiency
Diesel engines are a walkaway as they deliver better fuel economy to petrol engines.
Service and Maintenance
The service and maintenance of either petrol or diesel cars depend on primary use. But overall, diesel cars have higher service and maintenance costs compared to petrol cars.
The Difference in Fuel Prices
The price of per liter petrol in January 2020 was Rs.76, while the same for diesel was around Rs. 68. Currently, the price of petrol by the end of February stacks to a hot Rs. 97.34/l while that of diesel rates Rs. 88.44. Diesel prices have always been cheaper than petrol.
Conclusion
At the end of this comparison matrix, diesel cars have an edge over petrol cars with lesser prices of fuel, but the initial costs of diesel cars are higher. But according to some calculations done by Cars24, the cost of running a petrol car is higher, yet the diesel’s higher initial costs need at least 5-6 years to even the cost on the price of fuel.
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Petrol or diesel car, which is a better choice now?
With the inflammations in prices, either petrol or diesel cars would end up spending long, continuous fuel bills, services and maintenance costs, and more. Yet this article prefers petrol cars to be a winner, with lower initial costs over diesel cars, which lets you option more premium or safety options. Petrol cars’ refinement is better, while diesel cars are preferred in heavy-duty vehicles. The services and maintenance costs over the years are less in case of petrol cars, despite the less fuel economy of the same.
What are some of the other options over petrol or diesel car fuss?
Thanks for coming to this part, as even we think petrol or diesel cars are never going to be the face of the future. Electric vehicles are gaining popularity these days, and thanks to Tesla entering the Indian market, our future is similarly bright to that of other developed countries. Also, flying cars are becoming a clear reality now, there’s still room for many innovations and evolution of current petrol or diesel car technology. Electric and hybrid vehicles are prevalent in many countries, while CNG engine options suit the likes of us Indians. If we consider the likes of automakers like Porsche, synthetic fuel can be a better alternative to fossil fuel and electric vehicles. But for now, all we can do is to fold our hands and wait.