Diesels 5121

It is there if you want it, but even if you don't do a high mileage, I find diesels more pleasant to drive.

Petrol engines have catalytice converters, and most diesels dont. Particulate trap technology exists and works and is fitted to some cars as standard, but is not a legal requirement, unlike cats.

Why? Diesels benefit more from a turbo than peterol engines perhaps. So there is less incentive to fit a turbo to a pertol car.

But you will need to replace it sooner if you do a high mileage.

In France, Blegioum. Holland and Luxembourgg, and lots of other countries too it is two thirds the price. And in any case, the better mpg more than makes up for the extra cosdt.

Quieter - sometimes, more flexible - probably means they are more forgiving on the driving error of being in the wrong gear, more powerful - well, that depends on all sorts of factors like turbo boost, cheaper to maintain - not that I have noticed - diesels don't need replacements spark plugs and what else is different, less smelly - well I actually think diesel smells nicer than petrol. I agree, petrol cars are usually cheaper to buy.

Diesels on the other hand are cheaper to run, more pleasant to drive, longer lasting, and now have service intervals as good as petrol cars, produce lower CO2 emissions, are less polluting, and with all that torque can accelerate well without the need to change gear.

The only petrol cars than can compete in terms of economy and environmental freindliness are hybrids like the Prius, in fact probably only the Prius. But this is a very complicated solution to a problem that can be solved more cheaply and simply by going diesel.

Martin

-- Created on the Iyonix PC - the world's fastest RISC OS computer.