Rental Car - Should I go with Diesel or Gasoline?
May 7th, 2004, 01:55 PM
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Rental Car - Should I go with Diesel or Gasoline?
Hello Everyone,
Well, another question has just into my mind and rather than try to figure it out myself and risk making the wrong decision, I have again come to a warm and trusted source - all of you!
So, we are renting a car in Seville, driving to the Algarve, spending a week there where we will take day trips here and there, then are driving to the Extremadura area and finally to Madrid airport.
Although Canada has some of the cheapest fuel in the world, it is getting more and more expensive and I understand that it is even worse in Europe. We mostly have gasoline powered vehicles in Canada (and that is all I have ever owned), but I wonder if it would be wiser to request a diesel vehicle from Auto Europe and if I do so, how likely am I to have my request honoured? Or, is diesel pretty much as expensive as gasoline now?
Well, another question has just into my mind and rather than try to figure it out myself and risk making the wrong decision, I have again come to a warm and trusted source - all of you!
So, we are renting a car in Seville, driving to the Algarve, spending a week there where we will take day trips here and there, then are driving to the Extremadura area and finally to Madrid airport.
Although Canada has some of the cheapest fuel in the world, it is getting more and more expensive and I understand that it is even worse in Europe. We mostly have gasoline powered vehicles in Canada (and that is all I have ever owned), but I wonder if it would be wiser to request a diesel vehicle from Auto Europe and if I do so, how likely am I to have my request honoured? Or, is diesel pretty much as expensive as gasoline now?
May 7th, 2004, 02:00 PM
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It may be "request" at best - - in my experience you rarely get a choice, though I have "lucked out" with diesel more often than not. Saves you at least 30%, and I have never had a diesel that was sluggish or insufficiently "peppy" (and dat's da way I likes 'em!)
Best wishes,
Rex
Best wishes,
Rex
May 7th, 2004, 02:40 PM
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Without asking, we were given a Mercedes 280 diesel for the first time last September from Sixt Rental Cars in Munich for 10 days. Drove Munich to Garmisch to St. Wolfgang (outside of Salzburg) and back to Munich with daytrips everyday. I don't recall the exact mileage, but our total expense for diesel fuel was $80, which was much better than our prevous experiences with gas. A very good value, great performance, and no diesel smell! We plan to request diesel again, next time.
May 7th, 2004, 02:59 PM
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I don't recall ever being given the option of diesel or gasoline in a car rental but I have never asked since I always make the booking online. I had a diesel in Spain last year and thought it got good fuel economy for a large (by European standards) car. It performed quite well and was not smelly. My only complaint was that it was easy to stall. This is not a matter of inexperience with standard transmission as both of our vehicles are standard. Make sure that you know what the car takes and the correct Spanish words to look for at filling stations, nothing slows you down like the wrong fuel.
May 7th, 2004, 03:03 PM
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Auto Europe has always honored my request for a diesel, but even when I haevn't asked, they have given me one. The only caveat is that some of the smaller compact models aren't available in diesel.
May 7th, 2004, 05:14 PM
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Whichever you get, just make sure you know what kind you have. We had gasoline in Germany and diesel in France, but husband didn't realize it and put gas in the diesel car.... It gave me the opportunity to see a couple of places I hadn't planned on: the back of a tow truck and the inside of a mechanic's garage 
By the way, he's never lived it down. The kids, somewhat affectionately, now call him "Diesel."
By the way, he's never lived it down. The kids, somewhat affectionately, now call him "Diesel."
May 7th, 2004, 08:33 PM
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Before you make your final choice - You don't mention how big the car is that you are renting. Spain (along with the UK) is one of the few countries where diesel is actually more expensive than unleaded fuel. Check this out on http://www.see-search.com/business/f...iceseurope.htm
As you can see from there, though, Portugal is significantly cheaper. The one thing to think about is that small European cars don't often come as diesel models (i.e. small hatchbacks with 1.0 to 1.6 l engines). Therefore, as long as you need a bigger car, it will be better to go diesel. If you need a smaller car, go unleaded. Fuel economy may not be that significant if you compare, say, a 1.4 Opel Astra to a 2.0 Hdi Citroen C5 (for argument's sake).
Now I'll just sit back and wait for the howls of disagreement, but unlike many of the above, I actually live in Europe and drive a European Diesel car.
As you can see from there, though, Portugal is significantly cheaper. The one thing to think about is that small European cars don't often come as diesel models (i.e. small hatchbacks with 1.0 to 1.6 l engines). Therefore, as long as you need a bigger car, it will be better to go diesel. If you need a smaller car, go unleaded. Fuel economy may not be that significant if you compare, say, a 1.4 Opel Astra to a 2.0 Hdi Citroen C5 (for argument's sake).
Now I'll just sit back and wait for the howls of disagreement, but unlike many of the above, I actually live in Europe and drive a European Diesel car.
May 8th, 2004, 03:46 AM
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Diesel is significantly CHEAPER in Spain than gas (petrol). Unleaded gas as of May 8 is selling between 0.82 and 0.96 euro/litre (average 0.87)in the Seville province, while diesel is retailing between 0.68 and 0.80 euro/litre (average 0.73).
Source: http://registrotelematico.mineco.es/...ntes/index.asp
(Spanish government fuel price guide)
On average, diesel engined cars give 30% more miles per gallon. With a price differential of 20%, you are looking to nearly halving your fuel bill by driving diesel.
Only UK and Switzerland have more expensive diesel than gas, by a small margin in UK (around 1-1.5p). But in case of Switzerland you can always fill up in a neighbouring country with cheaper diesel (esp Austria).
Source: http://registrotelematico.mineco.es/...ntes/index.asp
(Spanish government fuel price guide)
On average, diesel engined cars give 30% more miles per gallon. With a price differential of 20%, you are looking to nearly halving your fuel bill by driving diesel.
Only UK and Switzerland have more expensive diesel than gas, by a small margin in UK (around 1-1.5p). But in case of Switzerland you can always fill up in a neighbouring country with cheaper diesel (esp Austria).
May 8th, 2004, 03:58 AM
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Hi,
we had a diesel car in Italy. It even had a great big sign "diesel" on the side of the car....unfortunately the lovely old man at the Petrol station in Perugia put Gasoline in the tank.
Very sad and sorry car when I started her up! I drove the smoking and belching car about 4km to the hertz depot at the station. With hindsight, I should have rung for help...
Moral of this story....watch what is happening or fill yourself.
we had a diesel car in Italy. It even had a great big sign "diesel" on the side of the car....unfortunately the lovely old man at the Petrol station in Perugia put Gasoline in the tank.
Very sad and sorry car when I started her up! I drove the smoking and belching car about 4km to the hertz depot at the station. With hindsight, I should have rung for help...
Moral of this story....watch what is happening or fill yourself.
May 8th, 2004, 05:06 AM
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I knew someone would bite!
I'm not going to argue about current fuel prices, but I repeat my point in that it depends on what car is being rented. My 2.0 diesel has poorer fuel economy than a smaller petrol engine car (I get 40.9MPG according to my trip computer). Therefore whilst on AVERAGE you may get 30% better fuel economy on like for like cars, you can't compare large diesels with smaller petrol cars. The original poster has not specified the size of the car wanted, therefore an informed comparison cannot be made. If they say they want a compact or economy car, it has to be unleaded - if they want a larger car, then it has to be diesel.
I'm not going to argue about current fuel prices, but I repeat my point in that it depends on what car is being rented. My 2.0 diesel has poorer fuel economy than a smaller petrol engine car (I get 40.9MPG according to my trip computer). Therefore whilst on AVERAGE you may get 30% better fuel economy on like for like cars, you can't compare large diesels with smaller petrol cars. The original poster has not specified the size of the car wanted, therefore an informed comparison cannot be made. If they say they want a compact or economy car, it has to be unleaded - if they want a larger car, then it has to be diesel.
May 8th, 2004, 07:12 AM
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As you choose rental car by size (compact, intermediate, full size etc), you can make direct comparison between diesel and gas. In every category, diesel car wins hands down. Some small gasoline-engined cars give good fuel economy, but 30% model-by-model difference still stands. BTW diesel fuel is called gasolio in Italy, gasoleo in Spain and gazole in France, and this is how it's labeled on pumps.
