Thread: The great petrol vs diesel debate

I am biased towards diesels, I own three vehicles and they are all diesel, even my little run about hatch back.
I love the torque and the power you get from a turbo diesel, I drove a 1.3 petrol Toyota hatch back for a few weeks and it used more fuel and had half the power of my diesel (with is a lot older).

I think the playing field has levelled out a lot, once upon a time the petrol options in a ute or 4x4 were so thirsty, diesel was the far better option.
A friend has had a few late model AWD soft roaders for work vehicles, 2 diesels and one V6 petrol. As a sales rep he did a lot of driving, but carrying little to no load. He said the diesels were marginally better on fuel, but the V6 petrol had a lot more horsepower and was quiter.
The big difference was when towing his boat, the torque of the diesel was a lot better for towing, and whilst the fuel consumption increased a bit, the V6 almost doubled the fuel useage.

I think you beed to asses each vehicle individually, there is no rule in which one is better. If I were in the market for a new 4x4 or ute, I'd got for a diesel as I tend to do a lot of towing, like a torquey engine and just love the rattle of a diesel.

Originally Posted by Beetroot

I am biased towards diesels, I own three vehicles and they are all diesel, even my little run about hatch back.
I love the torque and the power you get from a turbo diesel, I drove a 1.3 petrol Toyota hatch back for a few weeks and it used more fuel and had half the power of my diesel (with is a lot older).

I think the playing field has levelled out a lot, once upon a time the petrol options in a ute or 4x4 were so thirsty, diesel was the far better option.
A friend has had a few late model AWD soft roaders for work vehicles, 2 diesels and one V6 petrol. As a sales rep he did a lot of driving, but carrying little to no load. He said the diesels were marginally better on fuel, but the V6 petrol had a lot more horsepower and was quiter.
The big difference was when towing his boat, the torque of the diesel was a lot better for towing, and whilst the fuel consumption increased a bit, the V6 almost doubled the fuel useage.

I think you beed to asses each vehicle individually, there is no rule in which one is better. If I were in the market for a new 4x4 or ute, I'd got for a diesel as I tend to do a lot of towing, like a torquey engine and just love the rattle of a diesel.

That is pretty much why I'm still driving diesel. Economy wise there is nothing in it, but towing and off road the torque wins every time.

Pulled the trigger on a hiace supercustom, 1995 with the 1kz couldn't find the newer model with decent seats


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Originally Posted by Smiddy

Pulled the trigger on a hiace supercustom, 1995 with the 1kz couldn't find the newer model with decent seats


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Snap, same year and all. Was older than we wanted too but honestly preferred it. The suspension in the supercustom is damned good.

Originally Posted by gadgetman

Snap, same year and all. Was older than we wanted too but honestly preferred it. The suspension in the supercustom is damned good.

Yep I missed out on the one you suggested by 30mins so found one in chch with 130000kms pick it up tomo


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I reckon with the money saved on diesel vs petrol and better economy, you can probably afford to rebuild your diesel engine about every 100,000km with the savings over a petrol.

Based on $1.02 per litre for diesel and $1.90 for 91.

diesel = 12L/100km+RUC = $18.24

petrol = 15L/100km = $28.50

5000km = $912 for a diesel, $1425 for a petrol.

100,000km with a diesel = $18240 in fuel/RUC, 1500 in servicing (20 filters and oils) = total cost of $19740

100,000km with a petrol = $28500 in fuel, 750 in servicing = total cost of $29250



I get around 11 or 12L per 100km with my 1985 BJ73 for a mix of town/highway use.

15L per 100 is estimated very conservatively for a petrol truck (because I don't have one) but a quick google tells me people with FZJ80s are getting like 18-23L per 100km. My 1.6L petrol Daihatsu Rocky ran at around 15L per 100, on 96, which was painfully expensive on a road trip. I took it from Invercargill to Cape Reinga and back once and ouch.

Far as I can tell most other stuff (parts) costs the same. When something goes wrong on the diesel, it goes more expensively wrong, but there's also less to break.

I chose to buy a 2006 Petrol Prado, 4.0L 5speed auto over a 2004 in Diesel, similar ks on the odo.
The reasons - the 1KD engine is a dog. $450 for seats and seals service every 45,000kms would be every 18mths to me.
diesel - Higher service cost with more oil and more expensive filter. More frequent - every 10,000kms. RUCs, and higher Rego. 12L/100km.
2004 - 4spd box. 173PS, 410Nm.


Petrol - 15,000 km service interval. Half the service price. No RUCs. Half the Rego cost. Economy 15L/100kms.
2006 - 5 spd box 240PS, 377Nm.

My daily commute is 48kms round trip. If I don't go on hunting trips, my weekly fuel bill is no more than my diesel surf was, about $75.
However, when towing, it really sucks. The diesel would have been much better for economy.

But the power at the lights, acceleration is brilliant, and wow betide the rice burner who comes up behind me and thinks I should get out of his way....of course my Visa regrets it later.
That VVTi really sings at 4000rpm

Diesels will become more economic to run than petrol the larger they get as the RUCs become a much smaller part of the running cost.
My wife has a 1.6 turbo diesel sedan which has wonderful torque and runs on the smell of the proverbial oily rag but she pays just as much in ROC as she does for diesel!
I was looking at some specs on petrol/diesel vehicles the other day and in one model, the 2.0 litre turbo diesel produced TWICE the torque of the larger petrol version at much lower revs and peak torque was spread over a 1000 rpm band right at the rev range you need it. No need to thrash them to accelerate quickly.

Originally Posted by Shearer

Diesels will become more economic to run than petrol the larger they get as the RUCs become a much smaller part of the running cost.
My wife has a 1.6 turbo diesel sedan which has wonderful torque and runs on the smell of the proverbial oily rag but she pays just as much in ROC as she does for diesel!
I was looking at some specs on petrol/diesel vehicles the other day and in one model, the 2.0 litre turbo diesel produced TWICE the torque of the larger petrol version at much lower revs and peak torque was spread over a 1000 rpm band right at the rev range you need it. No need to thrash them to accelerate quickly.

Have the old man's 3.0 outback same grunt in his new 2.4(?) turbo diesel and WAY better economy

Ive looked at everything.. Cant stand that Common Rail Rattle your balls off till its hot or 20 Kms later.

My land Cruiser was petrol leave any diesel for dead including bro in laws amarok.

Probably I m a petrol head not a diesel head.

Reckon I ve found the solution .. Time ll tell .



and Yep its petrol .. I probably don't do any
where near enough mileage wise to save anything over a diesel

170 Kw is pretty cool as well.

What are the torque figures?

Originally Posted by Ryan

What are the torque figures?

Ha ha I wondered who d say that .. Who cares . It tows like a tow truck.
I actually don't tow a caravan as I like to camp.
How many four wheel drives smoke the tires in two wheel drive ?
Its petrol head heaven ............. In a 4WD
The brand new Hi Lux I drove in diesel was not impressive.
The four year old Nissan work ute would kill it .But it rattles its tits off all day . Yay

Originally Posted by Happy

Ha ha I wondered who d say that .. Who cares . It tows like a tow truck.
I actually don't tow a caravan as I like to camp.
How many four wheel drives smoke the tires in two wheel drive ?
Its petrol head heaven ............. In a 4WD
The brand new Hi Lux I drove in diesel was not impressive.
The four year old Nissan work ute would kill it .But it rattles its tits off all day . Yay

What fuel economy do you get out of it?
Do you notice a big increase in fuel consumption if towing?

With the costs of RUCs and Petrols often being cheaper to buy, especially second hand, if you don't do too many KMs and aren't towing all day every day, going petrol is a pretty good option for most folk.

Originally Posted by Beetroot

What fuel economy do you get out of it?
Do you notice a big increase in fuel consumption if towing?

With the costs of RUCs and Petrols often being cheaper to buy, especially second hand, if you don't do too many KMs and aren't towing all day every day, going petrol is a pretty good option for most folk.

So far it's at average 12 litres per 100 kms done 8000 kms nearly but has not been used on the Eco setting much as I Ve been playing a bit.
My Landcruiser was 15 to 16 driving softly so it's better than that at least I wouldn't change much as they have all the fruit

Originally Posted by Happy

So far it's at average 12 litres per 100 kms done 8000 kms nearly but has not been used on the Eco setting much as I Ve been playing a bit.
My Landcruiser was 15 to 16 driving softly so it's better than that at least I wouldn't change much as they have all the fruit

Bloody hell, that LC was thirsty!
Like you said, you don't do too many Kms so the diesel probably isn't worth it.
Diesels really show their worth when you are doing a lot of towing, the extra torque and the fuel consumption really come into play.