Diesel cars have gone on to become quite the rage in the past decade or so in India. Better fuel economy, robust performance and better driving response have all contributed to the changing sales mix. But nothing has swung the pitch in their favour than the fact that diesel fuel is cheaper at the pump than petrol.
You’ll often see the people at the petrol station asking you whether to tank up with premium fuels when you drive in. Enthusiast owners who want nothing but the best for their cars, often fall prey to such sales pitches and end up paying a higher price per tank, than they should. Yes, that’s right. They fall prey to it, and here’s why you should avoid premium diesel:
All cars manufactured in India come with engines that have been naturalized. Car companies are aware of the varying fuel quality levels across this vast country. They therefore down-tune their engines, equip them with stronger filters & carry out other tweaks in a bid to make them more robust and immune to the harsh conditions.
So much so, that all the major car manufacturers in the country, recommend using only regular diesel in their cars. So, if the manufacturer themselves are saying that you shouldn’t, then you know why you should avoid premium diesel.
Diesel car owners (and even petrol ones, for that matter) can be a stubborn lot. But then, they realize that others before them have used premium diesel and have reported heavier smoking from the exhaust, and premature wear-and-tear on engine components. So, they eventually wean away, having realized that expensive isn’t always better.
The best bet then is to find a reputable pump that fills up the right quantity and quality of the regular stuff. Now, that’s an exercise that’s fraught with great risk and is only resolved by speaking to others and experimenting on you own. Once you find one, stick to fuelling up from them. Period.
Lastly, it is simply cheaper to tank up on regular fuel for diesel cars, on account of the fact that they cover greater distances over the petrol counterparts for a given duration of time. Thus, any money saved can easily buy a litre or two more, on every tankful – which means, one goes farther down the road. Now you know why you should avoid premium diesel!
