Short trips - Diesel or Petrol?

ultvict · 10-12-2012, 10:29 PM

So, I have been considering upgrading from my FG Falcon for a while now, and have been looking at a Mondeo for a while. It's overall package is really impressive, especially the economy of the turbo diesel.

I have just moved from the country to the suburbs, where everything I need (uni, shops, gym etc.) is no more than a 5-10 minute drive. The stop start nature of this has seen the Falcon's economy rise to 12+l/100km which is a jump form the standard 8.5l/100km I am used to from highway cruising.

I don't know a lot about turbo diesel engines, other than that they have really impressive economy on paper. I read on a forum that short trips/stop start traffic may not be best for the diesel and in that case a petrol model would be more suited. Is this true?

Given my situation, I am a bit confused as to which fuel would be best for a future Mondeo.

Any suggestions?

Yellow_Festiva · 10-12-2012, 10:39 PM

I think a lot of short trips clog up a filter in the diesel and make it not a good idea. Way to solve this it to take it on a long run where it maintains a good speed and stays at operating temp for a while, giving it the odd squirt as well helps I hear.

If all you were doing was short runs I would get the petrol, and service it under 'extreme' usage conditions (which also covers minimal usage as well I believe).

Franco Cozzo · 10-12-2012, 10:45 PM

Avoid the diesel if you're just going to short trip the thing everywhere, it needs to go on a long run once a week to clear out the DPF and give it a bit of a squirt too.

ultvict · 10-12-2012, 11:09 PM

Okay, thanks for the replies.

What do you define as a long trip? For the next month or so I would imagine I would be travelling back to my parents house for work until I can get a transfer closer to where I live. That trip is a good 60kms each way on the freeway, would that be the kind of length you are talking about?

apstar · 10-12-2012, 11:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ultvict

That trip is a good 60kms each way on the freeway, would that be the kind of length you are talking about?

It would be if you are not stuck in traffic or down to 60km/h!

apstar

Yellow_Festiva · 10-12-2012, 11:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ultvict

Okay, thanks for the replies.

What do you define as a long trip? For the next month or so I would imagine I would be travelling back to my parents house for work until I can get a transfer closer to where I live. That trip is a good 60kms each way on the freeway, would that be the kind of length you are talking about?

Yes, 60km each way should do it. My diesel does mostly short trips but every weekend I visit my parents or the inlaws and they are each 80km away, mostly on the freeway and I haven't had any issues with my diesel thus far.

ultvict · 10-12-2012, 11:23 PM

Alright thats good. It would be at 100/110km/h. Even when I get a job closer to home, my parents want me to visit them quite often as this the first time I have moved out of home.

Now I just have to test drive one, and sell my Falcon.

mik · 11-12-2012, 10:41 PM

ever thought about a falcon on gas?

ultvict · 11-12-2012, 10:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mik

ever thought about a falcon on gas?

I have. I've done the sums if I still lived in the country it would have paid itself off in 2 years, but now in the city it would take much longer for it to pay itself off. Also, I don't have a lot of faith in the 5 speed auto to confidently place that kind of money on it, if it were a 6 speed on the other hand....

My previous Fairmont was on gas, and I do miss that.

mik · 13-12-2012, 12:40 PM

fair enough mate, if i may ask, with the concerns about the auto aside, did the gas not stack up so good in city running?

ultvict · 14-12-2012, 10:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mik

fair enough mate, if i may ask, with the concerns about the auto aside, did the gas not stack up so good in city running?

I just won't be doing the km's here in the city to pay it off anytime soon. I've been here a week, and everything I need (shops, uni etc) is no more than a 5km trip, this week I've probably done no more than 50kms, if that. I worked it out that I needed to travell 40,000 or 50,000km to recover the $4,000 outlay. With these short trips it would take far too long to recover the outlay and then actually save money. If I was still in the country I would have paid it off in 2 years. When I finish my degree in a couple of years I want to head back to the country, then gas becomes much more appealing.

whitelion65 · 14-12-2012, 12:40 PM

Well I guess that's your answer to petrol or diesel.

I went diesel for the nice torqey engine moreso than fuel savings.

All the best

Steve

whitetdci · 14-12-2012, 02:03 PM

I have estimated in the 6 months since we have owned our diesel that we have saved around $1000 in fuel over the petrol vehicle we would have been using. 2k a year? That is money for jam in my books. You do have to do the kms though

nevetsg · 14-12-2012, 03:54 PM

I am with WhiteLion. When downsizing from the Fairlane we test drove a few 4 cylinder petrols and could not cope with the lack of pulling power. The Diesel is closer to the 6 in day to day driving feel, it's just so lazy. But with the economy of a small 4.

Ecoboost owners love those things though if it's in your budget..

edit: on topic, ours seems to be coping well living in the city.

mik · 18-12-2012, 12:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ultvict

I just won't be doing the km's here in the city to pay it off anytime soon. I've been here a week, and everything I need (shops, uni etc) is no more than a 5km trip, this week I've probably done no more than 50kms, if that. I worked it out that I needed to travell 40,000 or 50,000km to recover the $4,000 outlay. With these short trips it would take far too long to recover the outlay and then actually save money. If I was still in the country I would have paid it off in 2 years. When I finish my degree in a couple of years I want to head back to the country, then gas becomes much more appealing.

cheers mate, i would love to hear back in while how you find the mondy diesel Re short trips, if you end up going that way,
good luck.

stuart · 22-12-2012, 11:41 PM

I posted this in another topic but relevant here also:

I drive short trips to work in the cold and so I use sequential to keep the revs up to warm the engine as much as possible prior to parking. I didn't do this for the end of last winter and I had an oil change indicator come up. Ford said it is because the oil doesn't heat up enough to evaporate any absorbed water on short runs which deteriorates the oil/filter.
So I also try to make a longer drive up and down the Autobahn at least once a week if there are no other drives on the menu.
I also think the pleasure of driving long trips with the diesel engine outweighs the issues of short trips.