With fuel costs rising exponentially these days, there is a demand for electric vehicles. But that doesn’t mean vehicles that run on diesel fuel or gasoline are forgotten; there is still a market for these vehicles, and dealerships carry them. There is no denying that when it comes to diesel vs. gas vehicles, there are more, like way more, gas engine cars on the road than diesel engines.
If you aren’t fully ready to jump on the zero-emissions train and enter the EV world, the question is whether a gasoline engine or diesel one is the better option.
When it comes to purchasing a vehicle (or any more significant purchase), understanding and having knowledge about the product is crucial. For this sake, it’s best to break down the difference between diesel cars and gas ones and how the engines work.
Gas Engine
Without getting too technical and going all mechanic nerd on you, running a gas engine vehicle uses the combination of gas and air. By that, we mean a mixture of the two is pulled into the engine, and the pistons compress the air to about one-tenth of its size. The mixture is then fired by spark plugs causing the pistons to go up and down to fire exhaust.
Diesel Engine
Same same, but different; well, sort of. Just like its gasoline counterpart, air is drawn into the engine and pistons compress it. The big difference is the air is compressed to about one-twentieth of its size, causing a higher compression rate which generates its own heat, no longer requiring spark plugs.
We want to throw in that buying a vehicle these days can be a pain as inventory is still climbing its way back. That said, you shouldn’t settle for any vehicle; find the best one for you. If the thought of visiting multiple dealerships has you wanting to gauge your eyes out, check out FFUN Cars, where you can enjoy the entire car-buying process at your convenience. That means, you can buy your vehicle online, in-store, or a combination; whatever you want. Don’t believe we have the inventory, see for yourself. Back to diesel vs. gas.
Fuel Economy
Obviously, the issue of fuel efficiency is one of the main reasons people are switching to EVs, but, as we said, if you’re not quite there, you’ll want to understand whether a diesel vehicle or gas one has better fuel savings. Here’s the thing, fuel prices constantly fluctuate, duh. Gasoline has historically had a lower price at the gas station, so we can conclude that fuel cost is cheaper for gas engines. However, although more expensive to fill upfront, diesel engines have better fuel economy. If you are considering the environment, with the advancements in diesel engines, you leave the same carbon footprint whether you drive a gas or diesel vehicle.
Advantages of Gas Engine Vehicles
Let’s get to the nitty-gritty of it. As mentioned above, gas vehicles have lower fuel costs (not better fuel economy), and maintenance costs are also lower as diesel engines are more complex. There are also fewer qualified diesel mechanics out there. One of the top advantages of a gas vehicle is there are more options, as not every brand in the automotive industry makes diesel, whereas they all have a lineup of gas trucks and vehicles.
Advantages of Diesel Vehicles
So, we’ve established that a diesel engine (on average) is more fuel-efficient, but we also realize they are more costly to repair. Diesel trucks are known to be better than gas vehicles for towing capacity. They have low-end torque and loads of horsepower, which cause them to accelerate better, making them the best option for a pickup truck if you want a heavy-duty truck that can pull heavy loads. There are fewer diesel options, but that could be why they have a higher resale value.
In summary, you could argue that diesel is the way to go, but it does come down to personal choice. Even the most modern diesel vehicles are noisier than the gas-powered vehicles, which some car buyers don’t appreciate. The cost of ownership on any vehicle depends on multiple factors beyond the engine type, such as if you do city driving, highway driving, how often you drive, and how you drive the vehicle.
If it’s a diesel you are after, consider a Volkswagen as they are the highest producer of diesel-powered cars. Some other great options are Chevrolet, Ford, and Ram.
We can’t tell you the best option for your lifestyle, but we can make car buying convenient. At FFUN Cars, you never have to go through the typical old school way of buying a car. You can search for vehicles online, in-store, or a combination of the two. Plus, we have super awesome benefits, like 24-hour test drives and 30-day money-back guarantee. Plus, all of our pre-owned vehicles come with a free CARFAX report and a 92-point inspection. To make the experience even better, we are all about ONE. One person, as in you deal with one person from start to finish. One, price because we don’t believe in haggling. Our “salespeople” are non-commissioned so they can focus on finding the perfect vehicle for you and not make money. And finally, one hour - yup, we will have you in and out in one hour or less. Come on over and meet us, or head online; whatever you prefer.
