GP. Diesel or gasoline? This is a hard decision to make when buying a new vehicle, especially with the fluctuating fuel prices. Which type of engine would be cheaper to run? At what sort of annual mileage does it pay off to own a diesel vehicle? You can find all this out via the recently updated online tool www.fuel-pilot.com.

Using the Fuel Pilot designed by Bosch, car buyers can compare around 1400 current models from 35 international car manufacturers and see which engine would suit their needs best. The system calculates both the yearly mileage from which diesel would prove more cost-effective and the amount of money that could be saved using diesel as of this yearly mileage. Alongside a particular model of car, type of engine and annual mileage, current fuel prices or the fuel prices at local filling stations can also be entered into the system. The preset fuel prices correspond to the national German average.

For a large number of car owners, a diesel engine is more cost-effective than a gasoline engine because fuel consumption is over 30% lower with diesel than with gasoline. The benefits of diesel also include around 25% lower CO2 emissions as well as an approx. 50% higher torque.

The calculations performed by “Fuel Pilot” are based on current statistics provided by Bosch and the ADAC (The German Automotive Society) car price databases. The cost comparisons are based on a four-year period and take account of manufacturer’s price/catalog price, the cost of an oil change and servicing, common wear parts and the cost of replacing a set of tires, vehicle tax, and fully comprehensive insurance with a 50% no-claims bonus. Also included in the calculations are the estimated depreciation and the average costs for fuel and oil changes. The Fuel Pilot is updated every 6 months and was last updated in April 2009.