Petrol vs Diesel Cars- The right way to choose

Owning a car is every person’s dream. While buying a car, you need to take care of a number of factors. In this long list of factors, choosing the right fuel variant is one of the top priorities. There are significant differences between petrol and diesel cars. However, the differences between petrol and diesel cars and their individual benefits are varied and diverse. Here are a few factors that you need to know thoroughly before buying a new car.

Car prices- 

The price of a car is the prime factor that people look at. Almost all the automobile companies produce models in both diesel and petrol variants in India. However, the diesel variants are relatively more expensive than the petrol variants. The price of diesel variant cars can be around INR 50,000 -1 lakh more than the petrol variant of the same specifications.

Fuel prices- 

Not just the buying cost but the cost of running the vehicle and its benefits are also areas of major concern for car buyers. The price of petrol is more than the price of diesel. The difference usually stays around INR 10. Currently, as of September 2021, the price of diesel is INR 89.32 per litre and the price of petrol is INR 101.19 per litre. The exact difference is INR 11.87per litre. 

But in the long run, will it make a difference? The difference in the price of petrol and diesel is minimal compared to the difference in the price of the vehicles. You save money while driving a diesel car. But it takes almost seven years of regular use to cover the extra money you spent on the diesel car. Therefore, choosing a car over the difference in the price of petrol and diesel is not ideal. 

Mileage-

 It is the total number of miles the vehicle can travel in a specific period of time. A diesel car provides better mileage than a petrol car. The diesel engine has higher compression because it does not need a spark plug.  

Cost of maintenance-

 Diesel cars have higher maintenance costs than petrol cars. This is due to the higher price of its consumables such as engine oil and spares. Therefore, for every maintenance service, a diesel car will cost you around INR 1000-2000 more than a petrol car. 

However, the difference in maintenance cost is not as high as it used to be before, thanks to the improvement in diesel engine technology. Still, if the maintenance cost is a concern for you, a petrol car seems to be a better choice for you. 

Overall Performance (efficiency)-

Two prime factors must be taken into consideration while measuring the overall performance of diesel-driven and petrol-driven vehicles i.e. power and fuel efficiency. 

The power produced by a diesel engine is more than that of a petrol engine. As a result, the diesel engines produce more torque and give smoother rides. That is why heavy vehicles use diesel engines as they are capable of giving higher efficiency when you have to travel with a loaded vehicle.

The power produced by a petrol car is less than that of a diesel car due to the low compression ratio. On the other hand, petrol-driven cars give good initial power. The diesel cars give a higher performance in higher gears and return more kilometres per litre. Therefore, for travelling short distances, petrol cars are good for you and for travelling long distances, a diesel car is a better choice. 

Apart from this, the diesel engine makes way more noise and produces a lot of vibrations during the ride than petrol-driven cars.

Resale value

In this fast-changing world, many people prefer to sell and buy a new car after using a car for 3-5 years or more. Due to the slower rate of depreciation of diesel cars, the resale value of diesel cars is much more than their petrol counterparts. You need to keep it in mind if you are one of those who like to change their car after a period of time and diesel seems to be a better option.

Environmental factors-

 The air quality in India is degrading rapidly. It is quite well known that vehicles are one of the massive contributors to air pollution. Thus, the major concern here has to be which fuel variant is environment-friendly. While a diesel car generates less Carbon dioxide and more particulate matter- specifically NOx, the petrol variant produces more carbon dioxide and less particulate matter. Therefore, petrol variants are less polluting and a better choice with respect to health concerns.  

Also, the conversion of a diesel car into CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) is more expensive. Conversion of a petrol car into CNG is easier and requires less modifications. 

Conclusion

You need to keep combinations of the above-mentioned factors in mind while buying a car as per your needs. The differences between petrol and diesel cars and their benefits are diverse. For short distances, low maintenance cost, low price of the car, less pollution, and noise a petrol car is better. For long distances, higher fuel efficiency, performance, mileage, and less fuel price, a diesel car is better. The diesel car can be resold at a good price as well.