Before buying a car, you have to consider your income and environment. Then choosing between a diesel driven car and a petrol driven car can now come to mind having considered your wallet first.
The question of petrol or diesel is nearly as old as the car itself. It’s an important decision that requires a bit of research because there are more factors in play here than you might think.
Petrol and diesel are two types of common fuels that are used to power Engines.
Petrol (Gasoline) is a transparent fuel derived from crude oil and is used as fuel in internal combustion engines.
Diesel is a liquid fuel that is used in diesel engines. It is commonly derived from crude oil.
They both have same source which is Crude Oil.
Formerly Diesel was regarded as the worst of the two but with time and technological advancement, it has become the cheaper and efficient choice of fuel.
However this article is not intended in picking sides with any of the lot, but to create a clear disparity between the both.
The major difference between petrol and diesel engines could be seen in their performance.
Diesel provides better fuel economy than Petrol; whether to purchase petrol or a diesel driven car, depends on the usage of the driver. If the driver has a large vehicle that does heavy duty jobs or runs all the time, diesel is a better choice, while if a person has a small car and only requires it for short distance usage a petrol car works the best. At this point we can all see the reason why most of our commercial buses”Danfo” are Diesel driven buses.
Obvious differences on both products can be seen in;
- COST– In countries like Nigeria, Petrol is subsidized because it is heavily used for transportation. There is a large difference between petrol and diesel prices in Nigeria. In the international markets both are almost equally priced. In the US, petrol was priced at $3/gallon in December 2007; diesel was priced at $3.39/gallon.
- ENERGY -When discussed in terms of motor fuel, diesel is said to be more fuel efficient than Petrol because it burns slowly giving almost 1.5 times the fuel efficiency of petrol.
- MAINTENANCE –Well, Diesels would require frequent change of fuel filters while Petrol need change of spark plugs once in a while especially during the normal monthly or bi-monthly car servicing.
| PETROL | DIESEL | |
| ENGINE ENERGY | LESS ENERGY | MORE ENERGY |
| COST | COSTS LESS | COSTS MORE |
| MAINTENANCE | LOW COST OF MAINTENANCE | HIGH COST OF MAINTENANCE |
| SPEED | LESSER SPEED | BETTER SPEED & MILEAGE |
| CAR PERFORMANCE | BETTER GENERAL PERFORMANCE | LESSER GENERAL PERFORMANCE |
In conclusion, we advise you to buy what your heart wants minding the condition of your wallet. There is always a great satisfaction in moderation.
Lastly, if you’re a lover of speed Diesel cars are best for you while Petrol cars are perfect for in-city drives, cruise and Go-traffic lifestyle (typical Lagos lifestyle).
