How many miles to justify a Diesel?

Nick G

Full Member
I'm still looking for a Leon at the moment and have only been looking at the FR TDI 170 model.

I read another post on here and someone was suggesting the guy goes for the Petrol option as with him only doing a few miles a day there's not really any benefit in a diesel.

This has got me thinking.....

I reckon at the moment the car would do around 200 miles a week on average, which would be about 10k a year.

I'm looking to spend up to £13,500 and was hoping for an 08 plate car with 20k or less.

Obviously there's a premium to pay for a TDI compared to the Petrol but in reality how much is it going to save me?

Tax is £150 on the TDI, and i assume £215 on the Petrol per year?

The TDi should average around 40-45 mpg i'm told, but what about the Petrol? 30-35?

Is the 2.0 FSi T Engine in the FR the same lump as the Skoda VRs, Leon Cupra & Golf GTi? with 200bhp?

I'm really just trying to get my head round this as potentially i could get a really nice new low mileage FR Petrol compared to the TDi version for £13,500 :)
 
Oct 17, 2006
2,141
0
Mid Wales
I bought the FR as I was only doing that sort of mileage - fuel cost was around £20 a week.

Take a look at Blade SEAT's site (Gloucester) - my 08 FR is for sale there with them - on budget for you and only 12k on the clock.

I've just sold it as my mileage is about to go back up to 20k+ a year.

The petrol is faster and (IMO) more fun to drive - the fuel saving was negligible for my sort of mileage, not to mention the petrol is cheaper to service - depends what your priority is really - fun or fuel economy
 

jezyg

Active Member
Feb 21, 2003
2,323
21
Derby
I'm still looking for a Leon at the moment and have only been looking at the FR TDI 170 model.

I read another post on here and someone was suggesting the guy goes for the Petrol option as with him only doing a few miles a day there's not really any benefit in a diesel.

This has got me thinking.....

I reckon at the moment the car would do around 200 miles a week on average, which would be about 10k a year.

I'm looking to spend up to £13,500 and was hoping for an 08 plate car with 20k or less.

Obviously there's a premium to pay for a TDI compared to the Petrol but in reality how much is it going to save me?

Tax is £150 on the TDI, and i assume £215 on the Petrol per year?

The TDi should average around 40-45 mpg i'm told, but what about the Petrol? 30-35?

Is the 2.0 FSi T Engine in the FR the same lump as the Skoda VRs, Leon Cupra & Golf GTi? with 200bhp?

I'm really just trying to get my head round this as potentially i could get a really nice new low mileage FR Petrol compared to the TDi version for £13,500 :)

Petrol is indeed cheaper to buy but depreciates faster but at your price point won't be that large. The 2 litre TSi engine is indded the same eninge as the MKV Golf GTi, Audi TT and Skoda VRS. Cupra is an uprated version of the engine and FL Leon and Golf GTi use a differnt and newer TSi engine.

In real world driving performance wise the petrol is quicker off the mark due to less gear changes but in gear acceleration is pretty much the same. I would say it was more down to a good test drive in both and see which suits your driving style the TSi is much smoother than the PD engine as well. If you millage is low I would go for the TSi.
 
Sep 29, 2009
1,188
1
norwich
A PETROL FR WILL ONLY COST ABOUT £5 TO £10 MORE THAN A TDI ONE IN FUEL A WEEK.
MY LOCAL SEAT DEALER HAS 3 PETROL FRs FOR SALE AND HAVE BEEN ON THE FORECOURT WELL OVER 3 MONTHS, I DON'T THINK THE CARS ARE OVER PRICED, BUT SELLS TDI FRs ALL MOST IN THE SAME WEEK AS HE GETS THEM IN.
WHEN I WAS LOOKING FOR A FR I WENT FOR THE TDI BUT DO LESS THAN 100 MILES A WEEK SO I NOW WISH I HAD GONE FOR A PETROL CUPRA/K1
 

Donnyboy

The Candy Man
Mar 15, 2005
1,558
1
renfrewshire
I had a mk1 Leon FR tdi before I got the Cupra and wasn't getting the best from it as I wasn't doing enough miles. I only do about 2 tanks of fuel per month with the Cupra and about 7-8k per year.

Bear in mind that on short trips in the winter the TDI won't get warm enough for you to get good heat from heaters!! Thats another reason I got rid of mine.
 

Nick G

Full Member
Thanks guys!

How many miles a year do you think you'd have to do for the TDI to be cheaper to run??

These are some of the things i've been working out, please tell me if i'm wrong!

Diesel:
Tax is only £65 a year cheaper (£5.40 a month)
Fuel is more expensive to buy
Servicing is every 10k miles and more expensive then the Petrol

Is tyre wear heavier on the TDi due to the heavy engine?

I still don't mind the idea of a TDi at all, but realistically i don't see that there's actually any benefit over the TFSI unless we did significantly more miles per year?
 

Craig Senior

I've been Tango'd
May 24, 2004
1,099
0
Yorkshire
I average around 10K a year and am on my second TDI.

Most of my weekly driving is just local stuff to and from work but I do tend to go off abit on the weekends.

I prefer the way the TDI drives as I never seemed to get the most out of rev happy petrol engines. Sometimes it's better to ignore all the other factors and just go with what you like best.
 
i left the world of TDi and went for the cupra, I would say that the point at which diesel becomes more viable is around 15k, much less and its petrol all the way. DOn't forget diesel is more expensive than unleaded and the changes that are going to have to be made to TDis - new ones that is is going to make them much more expensive in future and i think you will see an increase in petrol cars being available. Also take into how you use the car, motorways and the diesel is great anything else and its a win for the petrol.
 

NickyJam

FR - gone, not forgotten
Mar 17, 2008
1,669
0
SW LONDON
Don't forget diesel is more expensive than unleaded and the changes that are going to have to be made to TDis

in my area diesel is either the same or cheaper than petrol :thumbup: at 113.9p

changes to TDi's? There will be more changes to petrols as these are the least green engines of the present times (such as the introduction of hybrids where they have a petrol engine and battery to reduce in-town emissions). Diesels will always be more efficient than petrol engines for day-to-day out of town driving and will only be surpassed, in terms of efficiency, by completely electric-powered motors (obviously not for 10 min journeys).

At 10k miles a year you will begin saving money on your TDi over a petrol after roughly 2 years I believe...this would take into account lower insurance group, lower road tax band and lower annual fuel costs. You also get the added bonus of TDi's having a much healthier resale value after a few years

but obviously, if you don't put in the mileage and prefer performance over the rest then petrol's the way :D however, the future is ever better for diesels in the performance category and one day there will be diesel supercars (i think there is one already...will do research...)
 
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NickyJam

FR - gone, not forgotten
Mar 17, 2008
1,669
0
SW LONDON
from what i've read the DPF is monitored electronically and basically heated up if necessary...so obviously if you're constantly doing 10 minute trips everywhere (which anyone would question why you'd have a diesel) then yes the DPF wouldn't be able to adapt quickly enough

however, if you're doing a general 1/2hr continuous drive a day this should be sufficient for the DPF to activate the regeneration cycle (clear the filter). DPF's do need to be maintained regularly though as they clog up over time
 
in my area diesel is either the same or cheaper than petrol :thumbup: at 113.9p

changes to TDi's? There will be more changes to petrols as these are the least green engines of the present times (such as the introduction of hybrids where they have a petrol engine and battery to reduce in-town emissions). Diesels will always be more efficient than petrol engines for day-to-day out of town driving and will only be surpassed, in terms of efficiency, by completely electric-powered motors (obviously not for 10 min journeys).

At 10k miles a year you will begin saving money on your TDi over a petrol after roughly 2 years I believe...this would take into account lower insurance group, lower road tax band and lower annual fuel costs. You also get the added bonus of TDi's having a much healthier resale value after a few years

but obviously, if you don't put in the mileage and prefer performance over the rest then petrol's the way :D however, the future is ever better for diesels in the performance category and one day there will be diesel supercars (i think there is one already...will do research...)


nope, diesel put out more harmfull emissions over petrol, they appear cleaner C02 wise but they put out more nitrogen oxides and itsa been decided that these are more harmful. Diesels will struggle to meet the Euro 6 standards and are only just starting to comply with Euro 5, this is why you are seeing more and more small petrol units being introduced, VW have the super/turbocharged 1.4s and Vauxhall have just launched the 1.4's in the Astra, Ford are pushing ahead with there ecoboost engines, the whole world will downsize and go for 2/3 cylinder petrol engines.

As for a diesel paying for itself at 10k, I doubt it out of all the calcuations i did last year comparing manufactures before deciding on a manufcture to our fleet diesel really does only start to make sense above 15k. Motorway work and a diesel is in its eliment, stop start and short work and it doesn't get chance to start earning its keep. My last diesel average 36mpg compared to my cupra which averages 29mpg over the same route, compare this to a long run and the diesel would hit 49mpg where the cupra makes 35mpg.

Oh and the 170 version, VW don't reccomend this for short journeys or the use on the channel islands.
 

MikeShaw100

Leon FR - White Lightning
Aug 7, 2007
297
0
Wakefield
TDI changed my life

My Leon FR is the first TDi have had and wont be going back to petrol, well at least until all the kids have left home.........(Cupra Mk4 perhaps)

FR TDI has the fun factor, but when you do take it steady, the economy is great - M1 J29 to J36 the other day saw me hit 52mpg average, tootling at 65-70mpg. Then got to my local bypass and thrashed the knackers off it for the last 12 miles, with quicker pace than most cars, ending my trip at £46.2mpg - brilliant.

In summary,

Cheaper to tax
Cheaper to insure
Just as cheap to service
30-35% more miles for the same value of fuel.

Had mine 30 months now and 'still' get excited when I have to go for a drive, which is great given I do around 22k per year.

Happy Hunting
Mike
FRTDI, Crono, Cupra Front Bump n Grille, Alu Pack, BT, Armrest, 18", Muddies n mats
 

rudgey

Mk2 Leon TFSI Sport '06
Jul 2, 2008
286
0
near Midland VW ;)
Don't forget you'll want nothing less than shell v-power to put in ya tfsi! I'd get the petrol unless i'd be doing silly miles, my 2p worth!
 

FAZ

Member
Feb 6, 2002
77
1
Rossendale
Visit site
Go to www.fuel-economy.co.uk it will give you an idea of what you might save eg: 200 miles (diesel) @ 50mpg @ £1.15 = £20.91 / (petrol) @ 30mpg @ £115 = £34.85. Over 52 weeks you will save aprox £725 per year.

I have just made the difficult decision to buy a car that runs on the fuel of satan but I can no longer justify 24mpg with the miles I do[:@]
 

/dev/null

Active Member
Nov 12, 2008
1,649
101
I do about 25K miles a year in my TDi - I get around 500 miles a tank which means about £60 a week. Not sure what mileage you can expect from a tank in the TFSI?
 

beeko85

Active Member
Apr 27, 2009
322
0
Bangor, N.I
I do about 25K miles a year in my TDi - I get around 500 miles a tank which means about £60 a week. Not sure what mileage you can expect from a tank in the TFSI?

i average around 330-350 miles per tank in my fr tfsi, at around 58pounds per tank with the current price of super unleaded. on a long motorway trip ive seen 35/36mpg- on a 100 mile journey, usually i get around the 27-29mpg mark with trips of around 6-15 miles, obviously the longer the drive the better the mpg. thats with a good mix of 'enthusiastic' driving thrown in too and the aircon on 17degrees. my dad insisted on the petrol as he said the diesel woudlnt pay for itself with my annual milage of around 10,000, and he has a diesel himself. he also plans on a petrol when he changes next, says its the cheaper option for our kind of miles. personally i prefered the drive of the tfsi to the tdi, and im more worried about that than the running costs at the minute, its down to what you want really. i honestly think youll be happy with either, both offer a very enjoyable drive, and both have reasonable tunning options if you injto that too. i have to say, i do sometimes get my miser head on at the pumps and wish id gotten the tdi, until i get back in and start the engine again
 
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