Diesel or Petrol

Conqueror2
Conqueror2 Forum Participant Posts: 5
edited December 2019 in Towcars & Towing #1

I have been caravanning for 14 years and have always used a diesel tow car.  Now looking to change car to a Volvo XC60 and an undecided between petrol or diesel.

Has anyone practical knowledge, and experience, of changing to a petrol tow car?

 

 

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Comments

  • EmilysDad
    EmilysDad Forum Participant Posts: 8,973
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    edited December 2019 #2

    get a diseasal again .... it'll be years before they drive (no pun intended) them of the road completely! I towed with petrol for years but they were big 3.0 engined cars which are virtually none existent these days.

  • lornalou1
    lornalou1 Forum Participant Posts: 2,169
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    edited December 2019 #3

    Diesel every time. No brainer.

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited December 2019 #4

    We had for 6weeks a petrol  2 ltr Kia Sportage It was terrible even  though it was okish solo ,once the c/van was on the hook it was so sluggish and although a 6 speed auto  the only time it got any higher than 4th was on the very level and never higher than fifth and 19mpg 

    The  diesel 2ltr auto sportage is far superior iin all aspects and the fuel consumption far better with high 20s low 30s towing 

    Both  vehicles have nearly the same bhp

    Ps we have normally had diesels for towing or very big engines in any petrol tow vehicle

  • EmilysDad
    EmilysDad Forum Participant Posts: 8,973
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    edited December 2019 #5

    Even my 3.0 Omega & Senator used to manage 19mpg when towing but were good for almost 150mph (where permitted) & more than OK when solo

  • Whittakerr
    Whittakerr Club Member Posts: 3,472 ✭✭✭✭
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    edited December 2019 #6

    I went through the same dilemma at the end of last year. I went for diesel in the end (BMW X5) and dont regret it.

  • Lutz
    Lutz Forum Participant Posts: 1,564 ✭✭✭✭
    edited December 2019 #7

    Prejudice against the petrol is based on the past before turbo and twin turbo petrol engines came into being. The latest generation of petrol engines that have recently been brought on to the market can easily match the characteristics of the diesel.

  • EmilysDad
    EmilysDad Forum Participant Posts: 8,973
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    edited December 2019 #8

    but turbo petrol have been around for a while ... 30/40 years ... though they tended to be the sportier versions with turbos that took a while to spool up to speed. SAAB springs to mind

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited December 2019 #9

    That's not the experiance I have had with the petrol version of the identical diesel version we now havesurprised as posted earlier,  both have turbo 

    Petrol may have the same bhp but not the torque of a diesel that a decent tow car requires

  • EmilysDad
    EmilysDad Forum Participant Posts: 8,973
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    edited December 2019 #10

    I don't think you must've been enthusiastic enough with the petrol. Just a quick look at a Vauxhall Insignia,  1800cc forced induction with around 200 horses & a little over 200 lb-ft of torque is not that dissimilar to the naturally aspirated 3.0 Vauxhalls that I had, but that will be at much higher revs than your equivalent diseasal.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GM_Medium_Gasoline_Engine

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited December 2019 #11

    I do not want to have any engine nearly in the red band , just to get any decent forward motion when towing thankyouundecided when we can keep up with most traffic at 60mph at 2000revs and 30mpg with a long life diesel

  • EmilysDad
    EmilysDad Forum Participant Posts: 8,973
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    edited December 2019 #12

    Who mentioned the 'red band'? 🤔

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited December 2019 #13

    I did and "nearly" as that is it seems these days where the power of petrol engines arewink

  • Unknown
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    edited December 2019 #14
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  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited December 2019 #15

    And since the "upsurge" (by the anti diesel) again of petrol engined vehicles the co2 emissions have also surgedundecided

  • EmilysDad
    EmilysDad Forum Participant Posts: 8,973
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    edited December 2019 #16

    2000rpm? As much as that? 🙄 IIRC 60mph equates to around 1500rpm on mine 😉

  • Unknown
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    edited December 2019 #17
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  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited December 2019 #18

    How big are these engines surprised the bigger the engines the less revs required to deliver the power,

    When I was working the engines we used were delivering 2500 hp at 500 revs or less wink

  • Unknown
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    edited December 2019 #19
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  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited December 2019 #20

    So what are your cars revs at 60mph ,ours has a six speed auto but it could be just below 2000

  • EmilysDad
    EmilysDad Forum Participant Posts: 8,973
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    edited December 2019 #21

    but deficient to the tune of two cylinders 😉😉

  • EmilysDad
    EmilysDad Forum Participant Posts: 8,973
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    edited December 2019 #22

    Mine's a 6 pot 3.0 diseasal with the 7g auto box ..... more cylinders than doors 😉😉

  • Unknown
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    edited December 2019 #23
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  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited December 2019 #24

    And still gets 30+ mpg towing? As I said the bigger the engine the less revs needed to generate the the grunt, and the more gears also normally less revs per mph, but all at a higher costsurprised

  • EmilysDad
    EmilysDad Forum Participant Posts: 8,973
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    edited December 2019 #25

    30mpg towing? Not a chance .... I can get 30 solo though 😂 But my tow car was bought with towing in mind, we have other cars for mpg & lower running costs 😉

  • Unknown
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    edited December 2019 #26
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  • EmilysDad
    EmilysDad Forum Participant Posts: 8,973
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    edited December 2019 #27

    this ML350 is actually a little better on fuel than the R320 before it. The permanent 4x4 doesn't help its mpg. An mpg in whole numbers is good enough for me ..... and I've only ever done one rough brim to brim calculation that was obviously less than the display tells me.

  • Lutz
    Lutz Forum Participant Posts: 1,564 ✭✭✭✭
    edited December 2019 #28

    Those were the old turbo petrol engines that were tuned for performance only. Modern ones tuned for economy can easily match the bhp and torque characteristics of a diesel.

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited December 2019 #29

    But it seems at very high revs compaired to diesels and for towing much less mpg

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited December 2019 #30

    But most households with only one driver keep their costs far lower by having less or one  versatile vehicle with the cost savings to matchsurprised

  • Unknown
    Unknown Forum Participant
    edited December 2019 #31
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