The Great Diesel Vs Petrol Car Argument

So you are presently considering buying a new car, with the current economic climate all the signs are that you should consider a diesel engine for its fuel cost. What about the price of buying them, aren't petrol driven cars are so much cheaper in the long run? There seems to be a lot of confusion on the subject with many arguments both for and against both types. At the end of the day it comes down to what you are looking to gain when considering your next engine.Technological developments, especially with diesel engines mean that they are nowadays just as powerful and explosive out of the blocks and as powerful as most of their petrol cousins. Performance should not, therefore, be a real issue unless you are looking at very speedy models.Where diesel engines are more beneficial is in relation to green issues, fuel consumption and economy. They have a higher compression ratio and burn fuel more efficiently and diesel is still cheaper to purchase. The additional high cost of purchasing a diesel car however, may deter many customers though. Although the fuel savings are a bonus it will take several years before you see any realistic savings when you purchase a diesel car.If you have environmental concerns, then diesel cars make more sense. They produce less CO2 and their greater efficiency mean they use about 25% less fuel than conventional petrol cars, as well as generating less exhaust heat too.If you start buying diesel engines and continue to do so, then ultimately over a lifetime you will save money but the economics of the two engines mean that petrol is a better buy in the short term but over a longer period diesel will prove more economical.