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the difference between petrol and diesel cars?

I have a 1.4 Diesel and I'm wondering if there is a performance or even a driving difference between diesel and petrol cars? I was telling my mum that my car feels slow to get going and she said she has found this to be the case with diesel cars she has owned over the years.. Just wanted to know if there's any real performance differences?
My instructor's car is diesel and like a donkey, it really has to work to get going, whereas mine is petrol and a lot quicker, I only have to touch the gas and I'm away. The main difference is that petrol cars need more gas to get going otherwise you'll stall, diesel cars can start off with less gas compared to the amount of bite. Most instructors teach in diesels as their miles to the gallon is so much better to the petrol equivalent but is also the reason why people stall at first if they learn in a diesel and end up buying a petrol.
Diesels should feel more responsive at lower RPMs as they have more torque. Petrols generally rev higher and encourage you to make more use of the rev range. Diesels are also more efficient, but diesel is more expensive anyway.
Reply 3
Avatar for Nuffles
Nuffles
19
Depends entirely on the diesel. Mine is 130bhp/220lb-ft and pretty quick around town and can overtake most cars that are plodding along below the speed limit. You don't start getting those kinds of torque figures out of a petrol until you get up to the 2-2.5 litre range or above. Most smaller petrols don't start feeling "quick" until you have them up around 4-6krpm, whereas diesels will push you back into the seat from 2-4krpm making them feel much quicker unless you're really laying into it. Turbo petrols are a different story and drive more like (turbo) diesels.
For the same size (in litres) and era in engines, petrol engines offer more horsepower. But there's nothing to stop anyone from selecting a diesel with a larger engine size.
Diesels offer more mpg for as a general statement.

If you are on a starter car then the insurance companies pretty much force you into a slow car.

3 litre BMW 3 series diesels are not slow. 0-60 in 6.1 seconds. 42 real world mpg too. That is a great all round compromise compared to the petrol versions, including the M3.
The Volvo D5 series of engines also offer a great blend of economy, performance and reliability.
Reply 5
Avatar for IWMTom
IWMTom
20
Original post by J0n3zviper
I have a 1.4 Diesel and I'm wondering if there is a performance or even a driving difference between diesel and petrol cars? I was telling my mum that my car feels slow to get going and she said she has found this to be the case with diesel cars she has owned over the years.. Just wanted to know if there's any real performance differences?


One runs on petrol and the other runs on diesel.

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