diesel v/s petrol

since long it was a notion that diesel engines make lot of vibrations and hence leads to lot of wear and tear leading to increased mainenence cost. what is the truth in the present scenario when almost all companies are coming with diesel cars.is it only because diesel is cheaper in india or they have better performance too

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-the 'truth' is a mix of both,

-the economy aspect still holds true but the performance and moreso the refinement of modern diesel engines have taken several strides to that of the petrol engines.

-now today's diesels are considered refined enough to be considered as family runabout.

Speaking in general...

• Petrol engines have better power to weight ratio - giving better pick-up & quick getaways in city traffic.
• Diesel engines have higher torque - giving better roll-on accelaration & enabling overtakings easier on highway.
• Diesel engines are very refined, have better longevity & resale value (are stronger & sturdier).
• Petrol engines are very silent while Diesel engines are noisy - though not as much as it used to be earlier.  The noise level is felt more while idling but the same is felt quite less while in motion/high speed.
• Total maintenance cost (spares/repairs included) of Diesel cars are a little higher than petrol, say by 10% over a period to time.
• As we all know, Diesel cars are more fuel efficient & economical - running cost is almost 50% than it is in Petrol cars.
• Petrol cars are generally preferred if the usage is less & restricted more in city - else, Diesel cars are preferred.