As you might recall from previous correspondence, I bought a new Renault Clio Expression+ 0.9 TCe petrol last year in preference to the diesel model, as I only cover 6,000 miles per annum. However, having owned more diesel than petrol cars over the decades and also being one of your original Diesel Car subscribers, I still believe that oil-burners are a better choice for most people. This has been highlighted by my parents having just bought a brand new Ford Fiesta Zetec ECOnetic 1.6 TDCi last week, in response to my recommendation, which has made me think about reverting to diesel when I buy my next Clio. The Ford, on a brand new engine and with few miles on the clock, is already delivering 57mpg in comparison with the 56mpg that I have gradually built up to with the Clio after 18 months. But, just as important, the Ford diesel engine has far more oomph than the Clio petrol on a cold engine and mine tends to be a bit sluggish until warmed up, which makes entering motorway slip lanes very interesting. I recall that there was a possibility of Diesel Car running a comparison test between the Renault Clio TCe and dCi models and I wonder if this may still be on the cards? The 0.9 TCe does tend to feel like a diesel, once warmed up, which lets me drive it between 1,800 and 3,200rpm most of the time. However I suspect that, if put to the test against its diesel counterpart, the latter will blow it into the weeds in terms of driveability and fuel consumption in identical conditions. Hope to hear from you and thanks to all at Diesel Car for a magazine that keeps getting better and better.
Brian Griffiths, Dunfermline

It’s really good to hear from you again Brian, and Ian Robertson will be very flattered by your favourable remarks regarding Diesel Car. It’s interesting that you should find the TCe somewhat lacking in oomph particularly when cold – I’m really not quite sure why this should be. I’m wondering if there’s some sort of boost restriction applied until it gets well warmed up. And yet it’s diesel engines that generally get accused of being slow to warm up, mostly because there’s a lot more metal to warm, and less waste heat with which to do it.

Diesel cars are getting a fair pasting in the press just now, from “clean air activists” and journalists who know little about the technicalities of the subject, but like to grab some sensational headlines. I’m not at all convinced that the cars circulating in the cities, where the problems mainly exist, are the main contributors, as against dirty taxis and buses – although to be fair a lot of the buses have been cleaned up. Of course the cars that do go into the big cities regularly are quite often big expensive 4x4s whose owners can afford to pay for any congestion charges and the outrageous sums for parking, so they are probably not a fair cross-section of the UK car market anyway. People are getting hold of mortality statistics that blame 40-a-day smokers’ early deaths on diesel particulates and NOx, and now we’re up to figures like 30,000 early deaths a year being attributed to diesel cars. You and I know how much cleaner diesels are now than they were back in the early days of Diesel Car and yet it’s not enough for some people. So I’m really glad that you are apparently ignoring any of this negative stuff, as I’m sure most readers are, and thinking of going back to diesel power. Regarding a petrol versus diesel power shoot-out, I have spoken to Editor Ian, and he says that he’s planning to match our newly arrived Clio dCi 90 up against the TCe in an upcoming issue. I look forward to reading that myself! Best regards, and well done for your getting 56mpg from the Clio.
Doc Diesel