Dynamic 5 door, Sumatra Black, Pimento & Black interior.

What gets a car moving is actually the torque on the driven wheel axle which translates to a force from the tyres onto the road surface. That torque comes from the engine through the gear train, so that a lower torque petrol engine running at higher rpm can easily compensate for a higher torque diesel engine running at lower rpm by simply using a lower gear.

If you want to accelerate from 50 to 80, the instantaneous acceleration depends on the torque on those driven wheels but the ability to get there depends on the engine power. You are primarily adding kinetic energy to the car and to do that needs power. Therefore, the petrol will out run the diesel in any speed increment, PROVIDING you are in the right gear to put the engine in the upper RPM range.

As an extreme example, I have a Ferrari which has less torque than the diesel Evoque and if I am in the wrong gear, the F-car flounders - I need to stir the cogs to get it to perform. If I did, the F-car would leave the Evoque far behind.

The petrol is the right car for me because I realise I need to rev the nuts off it and use the paddles to put it in the right gear to get the best performance out of it.

By the way, what's the red line rev limit of the diesel?

Welcome back, I knew there was a Petrolhead in there somewhere. You do need to rev the nuts off the Si4 to get anything from it, however, you still have the turbo lag to contend with from start off or on 1st prod of the loud pedal when overtaking for example, so the 'right gear' is irrelevant given these scenarios, however, I believe it is a 355 you have so you'll be used to the Si4 engines power delivery style

Now before you spit your dummy out I am only jesting with you, my absolute passion is the Prancing Horse, no other marque holds the same appeal for me, as no doubt you will have gathered if you have read other threads of mine!

Irrespective which engine you opt for the paddles are a blast to use as they are quite responsive & hold onto the gear even when at max revs, as opposed to upshifting automatically like they do in say an Aston Martin or Ferrari California!

Mark, red line in the SD4 is at 4600. Max power is felt right up to 3800 & then it's best to change gear to keep the momentum flowing seamlessly.

In S mode it is also very very easy to get up to 4600rpm too!

It sure is and it's hugely enjoyable too Tim

Yup, been there!

You gentlemen are running your cars in gently too though, right?!

Mine now has more than 2700miles under the wheels and oil consumption has stopped, time to start enjoying it! For a diesel it is amazingly smooth and quite refined, even it is a bit vocal, at high revs not that you are going to be up there for more than a few seconds as it still hits the typical turbo diesel power/torque brick wall above 3500 rpm, so little point in going beyond those revs as you ain't going to get anything extra anyway.

I'm now at 854 miles and mine is not partial to any supping of oil....which on a new car is quite unusual.

Of course I am being gentle with it, just every now and again it asks me to press the loud pedal to exercise it's lungs properly....and it'll be all the better for it too!

One thing about this car - while the dipstick isn't perfect it's miles better than the silly one that was on my TDv6 RRS - a piece of thin wire that had no oil retention properties (it wouldn't even stain with dirty diesel engine oil!) with a yellow plastic bead on it it to mark the Max and Min levels! It was useless