All else being equal, a diesel car scores over its petrol cousin in the same category. Diesel cars give about 50 per cent better mileage at 30 per cent lower fuel cost. Also, owing to their popularity with taxiwallahs, diesel cars have higher resale values.

Warnings on maintenance, and wear and tear scare away many. But those perceptions are wrong; wear and tear as well as maintenance on diesel cars are comparable with petrol cars. Most diesel carmakers now specify a 10,000km interval between services and engine oil replacement, with minimal checks in the interim. One manufacturer claims that the new-generation engine oils work very well for a good distance in city conditions, but that in towns, factors like dust, weather, and frequent gear changes necessitate earlier oil changes. What about the smoke? Tip: wait for the glow plug to go off before starting the car. It takes only a few seconds. You could also keep the filters and mufflers in good shape–wonderful for fuel economy too–and get the injector nozzles checked for dribbles during servicing.

Now for the noise. While not quite a myth, it should not restrain you from going diesel. This is because refinements in cabin acoustics, anti-vibration dampers and suspension components mean that once the car has run for a few minutes, you can hardly tell from the inside whether it is diesel or petrol. In fact, when cruising the highways, a diesel engine sounds positively better than a straining petrol one.

Fuel quality, that old diesel car owner’s bugbear, has improved to a large extent. I could point to the range of premium fuels available, but their quality, on which I have held forth often enough, remains debatable. What I am talking about is the fact that diesel comes from new, privately owned, and increasingly sophisticated refineries making for visibly better performance. There are a string of these new private-sector filling stations on the highways, which truckers say sell decent-quality diesel.

Easy does it

In India, car and two-wheeler engines have been optimised for better fuel economy. Which is why, when starting the engine, you should turn off all accessories, AC, fan, stereo, lights etc. Switching off the AC compressor a few minutes before you reach your destination is a good habit. Also, modern-day, MPFI engines do away with any need to rev the vehicle or ‘pump’ the throttle before starting or when parking.

Burglars and Bunglers

Car theft is making news again. And the news reports reveal that the thieves are getting increasingly choosy about their brands. This means we need to worry a tad more if we own certain brands, especially those favoured by pirate taxi or maxi-cab operators.

Why manufacturers still haven’t come out with a system of Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) beats me. VINs, which can be checked at every point–at the time of service, resale or at traffic checkposts–would solve a whole lot of problems. As for the chaotic registration ‘system’, the less said the better.