I been practising my maths!!

[truckarms]

I was having a chat with a few guys at work and comparing the running costs of our cars with the new price of petrol/diesel.

The shell petrol station I drive past every day is currently charging
130.9 for diesel
115.9 for petrol

As dioesel seems to be increasing in cost faster than petrol I thought it would be interesting to see how much more expensive than petrol diesel would need to be before it actually worked out more expensive than petrol.
So assuming a diesel (3.0ltr) surf does 320miles per tank (65ltr)
A 3.0ltr petrol surf does 250miles per tank (65ltr) and using the above prices it works out that per pount you get:
Diesel: 3.78miles/£
Petrol: 3.35miles/£

With a bit more maths I worked out that if petrol does not increase and diesel did to £1.47/ltr then a petrol and diesel surf would cost the same to run. Thats only a difference of 28%.

I dont know when diesel was cheaper than petrol but i think it was about 5 years ago and now its 13% more expensive than petrol so pretty much in another 5 years it will actuially be cheaper to run a petrol car than a diesel car!!! (that is if we can all still afford to run a car by then)

Some other interesting facts but again these are a bit of guess work:
Chip fat @60p/ltr = 8miles/£ (based on 65ltr and 320miles)
LPG @ 60p/ltr= 5.5miles/£ (based on 75ltr and 250miles takes into account the fact that my lpg is less effiecent than when i am on petrol)

Well there you go. Now I had better do some proper work work

[TonyN]

Its always said, in very general terms, diesel motors are 30% more efficient than petrol for the same power, so if derv is pushing 30% dearer then you might as well have a petrol truck.

[Maverick]

Some more (boring) figures for you, and this is excluding insurance, VED, and running repairs.

The last tank on the surf worked out at a cost of 29p per mile (20.67mpg), and that was softened (slightly) by using 21 litres of purchased veg.

The last tank on the escort (petrol) worked out at a cost of 15p per mile (34.4mpg).

Before anyone asks NO I'M NOT SELLING THE SURF she's just getting a little less use.

[Slugsie]

I was having a chat with a few guys at work and comparing the running costs of our cars with the new price of petrol/diesel.

Those figures are saddening enough. Even more so if you consider that I dream of getting 320miles to a tank. My absolute best is 300miles of nothing but steady motorway. Normally it's more like 220-250 miles to a tank. Not going to work that out on a £/m basis as I'd probably cry.

[The Lovely Boyo]

You should also factor in the cost of changing oil and filters of these old diesels - which happens much more frequently than a petrol engined car.

My truck too is getting less and less use.

At the mo I am driving a friends 10 y.o. Pug 306 tdi - averaging 58mpg - no wonder the Surf is sitting on the drive - sad indeed.

[truckarms]

maybe we all need to get horses!!!!

220 to 250 from a diesel, you should buy the 3.4 petrol 3rd gen (apart from the hair dresser bit) it has better fuel economy that the petrol and my v6 always manages at least 210 miles from a tank even driving like a boy racer!

[jamsironwork]

sadly i have no drive way for the surf to sit on so its going to go, i am peed off though as i,m nowhere near bored with it yet

[Maverick]

I've been thinking about a horse and carrage, but it's the thought of what time I'd need to get up in order to be at work for the early shifts!!