While electric vehicles are constantly trying to become the mainstream choice, petrol, diesel, and CNG continue to be the three most preferred fuel choices in India despite the constant rise in prices. And now with petrol, diesel, and CNG commanding an almost similar price, which one should be your preferred choice? Let’s find out.
Petrol vs. Diesel vs. CNG
Amongst the many decisions you need to make before purchasing a car, the foremost is choosing the fuel type that will suit your driving needs. In fact, fuel type is one of the most important decisions to make before buying a car, as it largely determines your vehicle’s running cost, average, and even maintenance cost.
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Just a couple of years ago, the price was one of the most crucial distinguishing factors that differentiated the three most popular fuel choices; petrol, diesel, and CNG. But now that inflation is on the rise, the prices of all three fuel choices are somewhat similar. Nonetheless, there are several other factors that can help you determine what to choose. Have a look at the table below for a better understanding.
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| Factors To Consider | Petrol car | Diesel car | CNG Car |
| Cost Of Fuel
(Per Litre) |
Highest
(96.72) |
Lower Than Petrol
(89.62) |
Lowest Of The Three
(75.61) |
| Ownership Cost | Most affordable upfront purchase cost, petrol cars are priced cheaper. | Most expensive in terms of upfront purchase cost with an average difference of Rs 2 Lakhs as compared to Petrol Cars. | Upfront purchase cost higher than that of petrol but lowers than that of Diesel. |
| Performance Experience | Great performance, punchy and peppy drive with better initial pickup than Diesel as well as CNG | Initial pickup and acceleration slower than petrol but better top-end performance as compared to Petrol and Diesel | Low power output than diesel as well as petrol. Generally a slight lag in power delivery. |
| Driving Comfort | Most Refined Engines with the lowest NVH (Noise, Vibrations, and Harshness) levels | Less refined than petrol engines with higher NVH levels inside the cabin. | Runs with a petrol engine as a base, thereby delivering similar NVH levels. |
| Boot Space Impact | No Impact | No Impact | Huge Impact with over 80% of the space consumed by CNG cylinder. |
| Mileage | Lowest amongst the three | Higher than petrol cars but lower than CNG | Highest of the three |
| Cost of Running | Highest | Lower than petrol but higher than CNG. | Lowest |
| Cost of Maintenance and Spares | Lower than Diesel and CNG. | Highest of the three | More than Petrol but lesser than Diesel |
| Environmental Concerns | Carbon Monoxide and other carbon emissions are high | Carbon Emissions are High | Cleaner Emission, most environment friendly amongst the three. |
| Availability | Easy Availability | Easily availability | Not Easily available. Not Available in all states. |
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