Car advertising website Cars.co.za has published a report on the costs of owning and operating a petrol car in South Africa versus a diesel equivalent.
The report looked at the cost of two models within a specific range and compared the cost and fuel consumption for the life of the vehicle’s service/maintenance plan.
The idea was to compare whether or not diesel, which is traditionally more expensive vehicles to purchase, worked out cheaper in the long-term using current fuel prices (R13.72 per litre for petrol vs R11.71 for diesel).
Surprisingly the results were fairly evenly split with both diesel and petrol cars being the cheaper option, depending on the manufacturer and model.
BusinessTech looked at some of the current best selling cars in the country, using the same methodology.
Volkswagen Polo 1.2 turbo petrol vs 1.4 turbo diesel
| Volkswagen Polo 1.2 turbopetrol | Volkswagen Polo 1.4 turbodiesel | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | R276 300 | R286 400 |
| Fuel economy | 5.1L/100km | 4.1L/100km |
| Range | 882km | 1 098 km |
| Service plan | 45 000 km | 45 000 km |
| Fuel cost | R31 500 | R21 596 |
| Cost to run | R307 800 | R307 996 |
| R196 cheaper to run |
Toyota Fortuner 2.7 auto vs 2.4GD-6 auto
| Toyota Fortuner 2.7 auto | Toyota Fortuner 2.4GD-6 auto | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | R438 000 | R474 200 |
| Fuel economy | 10.5L/100km | 7.9L/100km |
| Range | 762 km | 1 013 km |
| Service plan | 90 000 km | 90 000 km |
| Fuel cost | R126 638 | R83 230 |
| Cost to run | R567 638 | R557 430 |
| R10 208 cheaper to run |
Toyota Corolla 1.3 Esteem vs 1.4D-4D Esteem
| Toyota Corolla 1.3 Esteem | Toyota Corolla 1.4D-4D Esteem | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | R263 900 | R297 300 |
| Fuel economy | 6L/100km | 4.5L/100km |
| Range | 917 km | 1 222 km |
| Service plan | 90 000 km | 90 000 km |
| Fuel cost | R74 088 | R47 426 |
| Cost to run | R337 988 | R344 726 |
| R6 738 cheaper to run |
Ford EcoSport 1.5 Ambiente vs 1.5TDCi Trend
| Ford EcoSport 1.5 Ambiente | Ford EcoSport 1.5TDCi Trend | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | R252 900 | R283 900 |
| Fuel economy | 6.5L/100km | 4.6L/100km |
| Range | x | x |
| Service plan | 60 000 km | 60 000 km |
| Fuel cost | R53 508 | R32 320 |
| Cost to run | R306 408 | R316 220 |
| R9 792 cheaper to run |
Ford Fiesta 5-door 1.4 Ambiente vs 1.5TDCi Ambiente
| Ford Fiesta 5-door 1.5TDCi Ambiente | ||
|---|---|---|
| Price | R226 400 | R247 900 |
| Fuel economy | 5.7L/100km | 3.6L/100km |
| Range | x | 1 111 km |
| Service plan | 60 000 | 60 000 |
| Fuel cost | R46 992 | R25 294 |
| Cost to run | R273 392 | R273 194 |
| R198 cheaper to run |
Toyota Hilux 2.7 petrol vs 2.4 turbodiesel
| Toyota Hilux 2.7 petrol | Toyota Hilux 2.4 turbodiesel | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | R385 800 | R442 700 |
| Fuel economy | 10.6L/100km | 7.1L/100km |
| Range | 755 km | 1 127 km |
| Service plan | 90 000 km | 90 000 km |
| Fuel cost | R130 840 | R74 811 |
| Cost to run | R516 640 | R517 511 |
| R871 cheaper to run |
