What annual Mileage to you Diesel owners do?

The Pan Man

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Whilst out last evening I was waiting at a bar to be served and two middle aged gents sat on bar stools were talking cars. The conversation went something like this "Yes I've had it 2 years and it's only done 9,000 miles" "Is it a diesel?" "Yes"

So I'm in my second petrol since retiring as I don't do enough miles to benefit in any way from a diesel.

What about you? if you are a high miler diesel makes sense but not at 9,000 miles in 2 years. What are your views and what annual mileage would you consider diesel being the best option?
 

JBell

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W
what annual mileage would you consider diesel being the best option?

12k is the bottom limit these days, 15k is sensible, modern petrol engines are much more efficient and there is little difference in MPG driving short journeys not to mention the DPF problems.

Petrol is also less expensive.
 
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whitenemesis

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It's not just the annual mileage one has to consider but the length of the individual journeys.
When working I did ~25k miles per annum in my 270CDI and no single journey was less than ~30 miles. I stopped work and my trips shrank to 6-9 miles each and I could sense the engine getting clogged up (probably just in my mind) but definitely not as spritely as before. The cabin never really warmed up in the winter, mpg dropped etc..
Switched to my CLS55 and it feel much happier doing the shorter journeys, expect only ~10k per annum mostly around town with occasional long trips.

Diesel for high mileage single journeys, petrols for lower annual/single trip mileages
 

SteveX

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I hope I can answer, as I'm not actually in the diesel club.

From new, it is definitely something for someone to consider (if they are concerned about consumption) But the secondhand market is another story.

Diesels have never made that much sense in the second hand market to me. As an example, if I were in the market for a cheap run-around, I could perhaps buy something like an S-line Audi A4 petrol. Now lets say I went for a car a good few years old, if I compared that car to the equivalent diesel model I would be paying a premium of quite a few thousand just to get the diesel model.

Now I say 'equivalent' but this diesel car may not even have quite as much of a spec as the cheaper petrol.

To make it worthwhile to pay the premium in the second hand market you would have to calculate how long it would take you to rake back the thousands extra on the car, and unless you were going to keep it for a few years to rack up the required mileage to break even then it wouldn't even be worth it.

Of course, if you are talking of cars the exact same value and the miles start making a difference from day 1 then all of this would change.

I do aprox 15k a year at the moment, not quite as much as I used to as I tend to work at home a fair bit, but I think I would have to be doing in excess of 30k a year to want to move to a diesel.

I've never actually owned one yet, maybe I will one day.

Just my 2p
 

JBell

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I stopped work and my trips shrank to 6-9 miles each and I could sense the engine getting clogged up (probably just in my mind) but definitely not as spritely as before.

You are right, mine does feel different, I do journeys of 10 miles each way to work, if I do a run then I can feel the engine "freeing up" and it definitely becomes smoother
 

television

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I share my mileage between 3 cars, but for the first time on yonks I have clocked up 10k miles in the CL500 the main and best car :D
 

Mic

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SteveX

I think your CLK 55 looks the dogs dangly bits......presumably that is the 5.5 litre naturally aspirated M113?

Mic
 

ianstaley

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I have nearly always had petrol cars my current main car is a 2001 ML270 since December when I bought her I have clocked up nearly 4000 miles and before the year is out will probably clock up another 4 or 5000 miles. I rarely go over the speed limit and on my long journeys, ie Scotland and back, Holland and back I can feel the difference but not in cost. I get about 500+ miles out of the ML per tank, and I get the same out of my Toyota Camry 3.0 V6 Automatic over the same journey. But around town I get more out of the ML.
 

SteveX

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SteveX

I think your CLK 55 looks the dogs dangly bits......presumably that is the 5.5 litre naturally aspirated M113?

Mic

Thanks very much! Indeed it is, not quite the same beast as the M113 Kompressors but still a nice sounding pokey lump :)
 

duncanh

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I have a diesel W203. I got it new in 2002, and have now done 302K miles. It averages over 30K miles per year (apart from 18 months when I commuted by train). I reckon to have saved over £15,000 in fuel during this time. I am not aware of any additional costs associated with running a diesel.

When it finally wears out I will buy another diesel car (unless this one lasts me until I retire, in which case I will get a petrol).
 

PeterCLK

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We do 12 - 15k in the diesel. Most are 50 mile +.
I use the Toyota (petrol) for short runs.
 

davemercedes

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Well I think you pays yer money and takes yer choice...

Since I retired, my annual mileage has also dropped dramatically but we're not averse to popping up north to my sister's (280 miles round trip) and our children live approx 75 miles away (in opposite directions... good planning, huh?).

So in February when the time came to replace my car, I searched for a C Class diesel estate and bought a 2007 Avantgarde Auto with 66K on the clock and it came complete with Mercedes Approved warranty from a Mercedes dealer. The Assyst service indicator currently says I won't need a service for over 15K miles so at that time I will have the choice of going down the franchise route to hang on to Mobilo or using an indie (and I'm pleased to say it should be easy to find a good 'un through this excellent forum).

So today as a retiree, I drive a £30K car that is comfortable and quiet, economical on long runs and has the kudos of that three-pointed star. So far, I love it to bits.

Oh - and it cost me less than a Ford Ka! I know which one I'd rather drive... ;)
 

Mic

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Thanks very much! Indeed it is, not quite the same beast as the M113 Kompressors but still a nice sounding pokey lump :)

Better than the Kompressors in my opinion for general every day public road use.......I ask because MrsB keeps telling me that the C140 is too big for super market car parks and although I keep telling her that its only the doors and that any and all two door coupes would present the same issues I do have a fondness for the late C209 55s......I might have to find one to add to the fleet in the next couple of years.

Mic
 

turbopete

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ive had about 50/50 petrol and diesel cars. when i have a job, i cover 15-20k per year but lately 7k is nearer the mark. and although i LOVE petrol performance, until im considerably better suited financially to fuelling a 55 or similar, its diesel for me
 

c15htn

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Always had diesels for work.... I do around 1k a week and suspect a petrol may not take the pounding.... they seem somehow more fragile?
Certainly the fuel economy difference would be crippling!

However, the CLK is good old gas guzzler through and through. Sarah only does about 6k a year and any kind of diesel would be more expensive to run due to the amount of stop / start in Milton Keynes, and of course the difference in the price of the fuel - she only puts it in by the £20 load, claims it stops me using it all up :shock:
 

travis

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I was always under the impression that even on short runs a diesel was better as, putting it simply, the fuel lubricates the cylinders whereas a petrol engine tends to wash away the lubrication.
A friend of mine did a daily commute of less than 4 miles in an XJ6 and the engine was completed knackered in a very short time.
However, that aside, I suppose the merit or otherwise of a diesel depends on where you do the mileage.
We do about 20,000 miles a year of which at least 75% is done driving through France, Spain & Portugal where diesel is considerably cheaper than petrol.
Hence the popularity of diesel vehicles in Europe.
 

Ricardo_e220

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35k miles in the s211, which is needless to say a diesel.
7k miles in the lotus
Wife's a class only does 7k miles and is a diesel, but she wouldn't listen to me when I said the petrol would be cheaper...

I/ we also travel a lot in France, diesel is £1.09 a litre there.....it's a no brainer......
 

robparker

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Anyone using a car for a 3-4 mile commute daily must have a very good excuse to drive (ie loads of work luggage), or they should be cycling!!
 

ampwhu

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having always driven petrol for 20 years........ now I have an oil burner, no chance of a reverse.

these Mercedes diesel cars are incredible!
 

MBDevotee

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Dreaming of a CL55k - one day maybe....
Parts for a diesel are a lot more
DPF's clog up on low mileage cars
Maintenance on diesels much higher

My preference is LPG

I have done about 400,000 miles in the last 10 years in LPG cars (4 of them) and never (and I mean NEVER) had a single maintainence issue with the LPG system or the petrol engine. (I'm ignoring tyres etc as the engine type is irrelevant there)

I have done 15k miles in the CLK Diesel and have had nothing but problems - fuel pump, injectors etc etc

Would be reluctant to go diesel again
 

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