Apple of discord. Duster with LPG or diesel

In the case of the Renault Duster, the situation is a bit simpler - the importer offers both a diesel modification and a version with factory LPG. True, the latter has one drawback - in our country it is available exclusively in a two-wheel drive version and in the Laureate trim with a manual 5-speed gearbox and without an on-board computer. The price is - UAH 170,700.

Main equipment:

ABS
Driver's airbag
Front passenger's airbag
Air conditioning
Fog lights
Height-adjustable driver's seat
Steering wheel audio controls
Bumpers and molding in body color

As for the diesel Duster, it can also be purchased without an all-wheel drive system, but in the simplest Ambiance trim - for UAH 160,700. If you add the above-mentioned equipment, available in the LPG modification by default, the total will be UAH 177,600. Not a very attractive price, considering that for UAH 190,700 you can buy an all-wheel drive diesel version with a 6-speed manual (in the two-wheel drive version - 5-speed), with all the mentioned benefits of civilization and various bonuses in the form of a height-adjustable driver's seat, decorative wheel caps, and electric mirrors.

Apparently, for this reason, the Renault importer provided us with exactly this modification for a comparative test, although, based on the calculation of operating costs, it would still be more logical to compare two two-wheel drive cars. But as Leonid Kravchuk said, «we have what we have». And you can simply not engage the all-wheel drive.

Justifying the goal

As it turned out during the test, our editorial team has ardent fans of diesel cars and owners of gasoline cars with LPG. For this reason, we planned our test so that everyone could drive each car for at least a day, form their own opinion, and provide the most objective picture of average fuel consumption. And it, as is known, depends not only on the driving mode but also on the driving style - everyone has a different one.



Since the Duster is not a new car, and «AutoPortal» has already tested it, we decided to leave aside the ergonomics of the interior, comfort of movement, and so on. Those who are looking at the Duster can, without outside help, sign up for a test drive at any of the dealerships. Therefore, the primary goal of our comparative test was to determine the cost of ownership of one or the other car, taking into account the initial price and the cost of maintenance.

The cost of maintenance for the Duster model at official Renault stations depends on the presence of air conditioning, the all-wheel drive system, and, of course, the type of engine. The presence of LPG also makes maintenance a bit more expensive, which is quite logical - gas equipment requires additional maintenance. What surprised us a lot was the same cost of scheduled maintenance for diesel versions without air conditioning. Whether it is a two-wheel drive or all-wheel drive version, the price is practically the same. In the case of the all-wheel drive version, but with air conditioning (like ours), the difference is about UAH 100-200 for one maintenance service.

So, let's compare the cost of maintenance and its frequency (for 6 years or 120,000 km of mileage):

Data provided by Renault Ukraine

As can be seen from the calculations, the cost of scheduled maintenance for the Duster with LPG and with a diesel engine (even with all-wheel drive) is practically the same, despite the difference in maintenance frequency (for a gasoline car - every 15 thousand km, for a diesel - every 10 thousand).

Fuel costs

During a week of comparative test drive, almost all employees of our editorial team drove the Dusters - one day on one version, another day on the other. Everyone recorded the obtained fuel consumption and mileage. The experiment was complicated by the lack of an on-board computer on the LPG version - it was impossible to see the average and instantaneous consumption of either gasoline or gas. Therefore, for the purity of the experiment, we fully filled the cylinder and left a little gasoline in the tank - for warming up.

When the gas supply ran out, the distance covered and average consumption were calculated based on the cylinder volume (42 liters according to the passport). For maximum objectivity, the fact of how much gas was possible to fill after it ran out was also taken into account.

Here is the fuel consumption data provided by the manufacturer.

Duster with LPG:

Extra-urban cycle (l/100km) 7.7 (gas) / 6.0 (gasoline)
Urban cycle (l/100km) 11.8 (gas) / 9.7 (gasoline)
Combined cycle (l/100km) 9.1 (gas) / 7.2 (gasoline)

According to the results of the weekly test drive, our average gas consumption was about 11 liters.

Duster diesel:

Extra-urban cycle (l/100km) 4.9
Urban cycle (l/100km) 6.2
Combined cycle (l/100km) 5.3

According to the results of the weekly test drive, our average diesel consumption was about 7 liters according to the on-board computer (7.3 - calculated). By «calculated» one should understand the results obtained when calculating the mileage covered during the test and refueling to a full tank with subsequent refueling after the fuel in the tank ran out (average consumption was determined based on the amount of fuel filled and the distance covered).



The obtained results showed that 100 km of travel on the Duster with LPG costs UAH 71* (not counting the cost of gasoline, which should always be in the tank!). 100 km of travel on the Duster with a diesel engine costs approximately the same amount - UAH 70.60-71.**

* - according to the average fuel price of UAH 6.45/l as of 22.11.2012
** - according to the average fuel price of UAH 10.08/l as of 22.11.2012

It should be noted that during the test drive, both cars were used in the city, on the highway, and off-road. Therefore, the average fuel consumption calculated from the test drive results is informative and may differ in one direction or another, depending on operating conditions and driving style.

Looking for the benefit

In terms of maintenance costs and fuel expenses, the Duster with diesel and the Duster with LPG cost practically the same amount. But to understand where the benefit is still hidden, let's calculate the total cost of ownership for 6 years (without taking into account the cost of tires, registration, and insurance).

The Renault Duster with LPG (Laureate trim) in total will cost almost UAH 280,000 (with a slight adjustment for the increase in fuel prices).

Renault Duster diesel 4x2 with the same options as the LPG version will cost a total of 285,000 UAH (with a small margin for fuel price increases).

As for the all-wheel-drive diesel Duster, over 6 years of driving it will cost 300,000 UAH (with a small margin for fuel price increases).

For those interested in the cost of operating the base diesel Duster, we note: almost 270,000 UAH (with a small margin for fuel price increases).

Savings and rationality

If we judge solely by the numbers, the LPG car actually turns out to be slightly cheaper than the diesel version. But here it is important to make an adjustment. Firstly, 5 or even 20 thousand hryvnias over 6 years of driving is not such a big saving. Secondly, a certain amount of time the LPG car still consumes gasoline - in particular, during warm-up. Thirdly, the diesel is torquey and allows you to drive on not very serious off-road even with front-wheel drive.

We were convinced of this after testing two Dusters on the sandy bank of the Dnieper. Here they had to first drive almost to the water, and then get out of there. The result was predictable. The monodrive version with LPG managed to get out only on the 15th try! And even then, a shovel was needed.

The diesel, thanks to good torque, even in front-wheel drive mode managed to return to its original position on the second try. When activating the automatic mode - on the first try, in "4WD Lock" mode we even tried to bury it (both in sand and mud), but it still coped and performed very difficult tasks that not even all modern SUVs can handle. Not to mention crossovers.

If you want a Duster, then most likely you need an inexpensive but practical helper. Is there any point in taking the LPG modification, on which you can only overcome curbs and drive on rough terrain? After all, for a slightly larger amount you can buy a version that will allow you to go fishing and plow fields... besides, as our analysis of the used car market showed, diesel Dusters are valued slightly higher than gasoline versions. True, it must be admitted - a car with LPG can be sold more expensive and easier than just a gasoline modification. Our verdict on the cost of ownership/rationality ratio is 3:2 in favor of the diesel Renault Duster.

And it doesn't matter whether it's a mono- or all-wheel-drive version. In any case, diesel gives more freedom of movement. And what else does the owner of such a car need?