Jillian Dickens
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Aug 24/05) - The debate continues as to whether diesel is cheaper and dirtier than gasoline in the long run.

On average diesel costs $0.20 less than gasoline. At one Yellowknife Shell station last week, gasoline was $1.10 per litre while diesel was $0.89 per litre.

Most car dealers will tell you buying a diesel- powered vehicle will save hundreds of dollars in fuel costs per year. But how much extra does a diesel vehicle cost in the first place?

"The option for a diesel engine is roughly $6,500 more than a regular engine. And you can buy a lot of gas for that amount of money." said Yellowknife Chrysler sales manager, Myles Longphee.

He said diesels, which have more torque, are overrated unless used for towing or packing heavy loads. The environmental impact of diesel opposed to gasoline is also up for debate.

Gorman Pittman - a mechanic for Northern Metalic Sales - has been repairing diesel engines for more than 20 years. He says gas burns far cleaner than diesel.

"If you are behind a diesel truck you would know it," said Pittman. "You can see the exhaust - fumes and smoke. Plus, they're noisy."

Both environmental and economic efficiency depends on the condition vehicles are in.

But, said Pittman, a well-tuned diesel would still run dirtier than a gasoline engine in the same condition.