Which Is Better Petrol Or Diesel?

Thursday, 30. September 2010

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The gap is starting to open up between petrol and diesel at the pumps again, pushing drivers towards petrol cars. There is also continued concern that people that take diesels fitted with particulate filters, as all new diesel cars have to have fitted, do not understand that they need to run the car at over 50mph for at least 20 minutes in one session per month in order to create the chemical reaction that clears out the filter. If this isn’t done the filter clogs and needs to be replaced costing hundreds of pounds, not covered by the warranty. Some car leasing companies now insist upon a form being signed by customers to say that they understand this basic requirement before they can have the finance, as a result of customer complaints about dealers who refuse to replace clogged filters under the warranty. The problem has become so bad in some fleets that they have decided to switch to petrol cars from diesel. One such fleet is the 750 strong Salvation Army. Many of their drivers only travel small distances around the towns where they live, so don’t often get above 50mph for any sustained period. Linked with the fact that around town there is little difference in fuel consumption between petrol and diesel, petrol cars cost less and petrol is a few pence less than diesel many more fleets may follow the Salvation Army. Benefit in kind tax may be a little higher in terms of percentage but as petrol cars cost less in the first place the net difference is minimal. Have you had a particulate filter problem? By Graham Hill