Question for people that have reverted back to Petrol having enjoyed frugal Diesel motoring.

Did you find it difficult dealing with the MPG drop when you changed?

I currently have an Audi A4 Avant Sport 1.9Tdi which despite having been chipped to approx. 180bhp/270lb/ft, still returns 45mpg average each tank. With my annual mileage being circa. 12k, I only have to fill up once every 3 weeks with about £65 worth of Derv.

The Audi has been totally reliable over the last 2 years, the only outlays being for 1 set of tyres, discs & pads (which I new when I bought it) and 1 Audi longlife service. However, time has come to change to something a little more spicy and i've shortlisted to the following.

04/05 - Porsche Cayenne 4.5S
05/06 - BMW M3 (SMG)
05/06 - Audi RS6

Budget is £30k inc. p/ex of the Audi.

Now, I can deal with the increased service costs, tax and insurance of the above but it's the increase in fuel costs that's really doing my head in. All of my potential new car choices will find it difficult to return an average of over 22-23mpg which is half my current return. My fuel bill will therefore DOUBLE in the year!! The only saving grace is that Diesel is usually about 2p/litre more than Standard UL Petrol. Having said that I will probably end up using SUL etc.

I keep finding myself looking at BMW 530/535d which I must stop!!

 

535d

 

Yep - had a mate who went from an M3 to a 535d and says that in real world driving it's as fast.

 

535d has just about twice the torque of an M3.
I'd have one over an M3 any day now (or even better, a 335d).

 

Ive just gone the other way, from petrol STi bugeye impreza to Skoda Fabia VRs diesel, and the amount i save in fuel costs is immense, i think itl be a shock to the system to go back to petrol, so il probably get a weekend/track toy thats petrol, but diesel is the way forwards for road use!

plus with 220lbft as standard its almost as rapid as the scoob in everyday driving but still returns about 48mpg

 

I've had loads of high performance petrol cars ove r the years, but my BMW 330d is awesome, can't see me going back now.

 

Change to a newish car and the increased fuel bill will, I'd imagine, pale in comparison to the depreciation you'll suffer.

But, if you fancy a change: I swapped my '05 STI for a late E46 BMW 330D, and didn't regret it for a moment. It's so smooth and lazy that you almost forget there's over 300 lb.ft of torque and 200bhp available under your right foot. Barring a couple of reliability niggles - sorted under warranty with no fuss - I think it's a fantastic car.

18 months later I did, however, pick up a classic STI...

 

..

 

I've kept with diesel but earlier this year I swapped from 47mpg average to 26mpg average (real figures). New car has a bigger tank as well so it's a £70 fill rather than a £50 fill.

I didn't think it would get to me but it does, I'll have to start using my wife's Fabia 1.9TDi a bit more.

Cheers
Lee

 

The 535d itch is becoming unbareable, might just have to scratch it!!

At the moment my fill up costs £65 (65L tank @ 99.9p/L BP Ultimate Diesel) every 3 weeks. Based on approx. 12,000 annual miles and a 45mpg average I will fill up only 19 times in the year at a cost of £1233.76. (10.28p per mile)

Once you have experienced the economy of Diesel it is very hard considering going back to performance petrol cars costing an extra £25 per week in fuel alone.

I guess the 535d will be a compromise somewhere in the middle which I can just about deal with.

There is also the other option of keeping the Audi, or replacing with a newer Diesel for the day to day and buying a lairy 3rd car for sunny days & weekends!

HHhhhhhhhmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

 

Remster,

I've done loads of diesel to petrol swapping over the last 4 years and can confirm that you'll miss the economy of the diesel. I've had a 535d M Sport and it averaged 32.8mpg. My current 330d Sport is returning 43.8mpg.

I've had an M5 and an M3 in-between my diesels, but always return to the oil burners. Effectively paying double the amount of cash out to run a petrol car is annoying. I feel that I pay enough tax as it is! LOL

Matt

 

I would not worry about fuel bills, the RS6 is going to cost you A LOT of money to run... the Cayenne wont be too far off. The M3 might not be that bad. Put it this way with all 3 of those cars fuel bills will probably be the last thing on your mind, have you seen the price of a set of discs and pads for an RS6..

 

Mpg on an M3 is around 22-26 depending how you drive it so tis a few hundred quid a year.

535D is nice but 5 series feels a bit of a lump compared to the M3 IMHO.

 

Might be worth trying (just trying):

A C320CDI Merc - Suprisingly good and properly quick.
Audi 3.0TDI (A4 if possible) - Same as above.

I've driven a 535d and they really are very quick. Very few situations where an M3 will be quicker in real world driving.
I found with my thirsty petrol (R32 Golf) it was the range that was a pain, rather than the costs. Seemed to constantly be stopping for more fuel!