Quote:
Originally Posted by dragonglance
i have very strong thoughts on deisel and no one has managed to come up with any better answer than "it is more economic on fuel"
They are noisy engines
You have to rapidly change gear all the time to maintain torque
You have to wear gloves when you top up at the petrol station
it will corrode the paintwork if it dribbles
i can keep going.....
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Frankly I can't agree with anything but the paintwork issue, but that's the same with petrol. You have to change gear quickly if you have a lame donkey without a turbo, yes, but if you have a weak petrol (to compare like with like) you get the same. Some raise the issue that you need a bigger engine to get the same HP out of a diesel, even that isn't valid any more, proof the latest BMW and Audi engines. The gloves: if the guy before you was too stupid to fill up without smearing diesel on the grip, gloves are a good idea, just as with petrol (it doesn't evaporate that quickly).
A diesel will also be better at towing loads (that's one of the reasons 99% heavy lorries are diesels), and a diesel will actually be quieter at high speed than a petrol of equal HP - because of the lower rpm at high speed. For the same reason, the diesel will be unsuitable for the ones who prefer "racing-like" engine sound or high-rev driving, this is simply not possible with a diesel (maybe with a small exception for the latest biturbos). Oh, and a diesel engine is generally heavier.
I think that the argument between diesel and petrol fans is becoming increasingly "doctrinal", and therefore the main rationale behind the diesel remains the same: better fuel economy (which is however diminished by unfair taxes)