The eternal question.
As much as electrified cars are already a reality, in the middle of 2023 for many, when buying a vehicle, the question that exists is already a classic: gasoline or diesel? Most people still go for traditional thermal mechanics, but which one is more interesting today?
Taking into account in the medium term (2035) both alternatives have a rather black future (their sale will be directly prohibited) and that in the short term it is possible that even the current cars with the C label will end up being limited in the LEZs (Zones of Low Emissions), you have to focus on the here and now to try to figure out which of the two is the better option.
To do this, we are going to focus on two main factors: the price of fuel and the price of the cars themselves.
Starting with the first, although the trend was reversed for months, now everything is back to the way it was before: diesel is cheaper than gasoline. However, the difference between the two is not nearly as large as it was before, to the point that justifying the cost of use in favor of diesel is somewhat complicated.
And it is that today, February 21, 2023, its average price in Spain is €1.6/l, while gasoline is €1.641/l. Yes, with each refueling you save some money with diesel, but you have to make many visits to the gas station to compensate for the traditional extra cost that a car with this fuel has had compared to an equivalent gasoline variant.
That brings us to the second point, how much do cars with one fuel or the other cost today? It is easy to make the comparison because there are quite a few models that offer mechanics from both sides with identical powers, such as those of the Stellantis Group.
Let’s look, as an example, at the Peugeot 308. With the Active Pack finish and automatic gearbox, the 130 CV gasoline costs 25,800 euros, while the 130 CV diesel starts at 28,250 euros.
It is a difference of more than 2,000 euros that the diesel can later compensate with a consumption 0.7 l/100 km lower and with a fuel price of 4 cts/l.
There are many kilometers to equalize costs and many more to start having “benefits”, so it is logical to go for gasoline and opt only for diesel in the case of those who are going to use the car a lot and who are mainly dedicated to take long trips.
