Maybe.

depends if you get a small engined one with low emission for cheap tax and high MPG mean it is much cheaper then a Petrol equivalent to run. Generally it comes down to mileage – will this offset the aditional purchase price and insurance costs of a diesel- get out an excel spreadshhet

Can’t see myself getting another petrol car, this side of a lottery win.

Thinking of making my own diesel too, this year.

Doing the mileage I do (30k/yr or so) diesel is definitely worth it and if I’d have plumped for the slower, more frugal version of my car it would have been even more worth it, although probably not quite so much fun.

I prefer the slow revving relaxed driving style of diesel engined cars.

The well know, expensive and often not covered by warranty issue of DPF (diesel particulate filter) failure on cars that do mainly short journeys would put me off if that was my driving need.

Now our annual mileage is very small, full of short journeys (wife’s commute) our car is now a small and silly, high performance petrol car as the difference in fuel price between the two is only a couple of hundred a year. I can’t imagine running our van on petrol though. So horses for courses.

Dibbs – Member
I prefer the slow revving relaxed driving style of diesel engined cars.

hence all the traffic jams in Somerset 😉

My mate had stress related illness due to his diesel pug.. Stress went away when he got a petrol, i’m sure there are other reasons, but im going with this one as the main reason.

I do about 6000 miles a year, if not less, I’m guessing deisel isn’t the way to do, not that I want to sound like a Taxi.

I asked about the DPF with a Volvo dealer over Christmas and he agreed that the 10 mile each way commute I do every day is not long enough to heat up the exhaust sufficiently for the DPF to clean itself and that I would be better off with a petrol.

When I was looking at cars a year ago, the same spec, age and mileage car in diesel was about £1.5k more than the petrol version. It would take a long time to recoup that cost in fuel and tax savings as I only do about 6k a year. Even so, it does feel quite painful only getting 29mpg on average (yes, I have ignored the difference come resale time).

Diesel for more than low mileage I’d say.

It’s also better for the environment in CO2 terms at leats. And when you sell it on you’ll get more for it too.

There are enough used Priuses around now for them to be a good option I reckon if you want low emissions and good economy.

Lowish annual mileage here (5,000 or so) but would stick to Diesel out of strong personal preference. Haven’t done the maths but I hated the petrol cars I’ve had (except one, admittedly). I tend to buy older cars so I suspect the intial cost difference is lower.

I do about 6000 miles a year, if not less, I’m guessing deisel isn’t the way to do, not that I want to sound like a Taxi.

My work here is done. 8)

We run two diesels, both do shortish miles, probably 6k each per year. Wifes car does those miles in 40 mile motorway blasts, 3 times a week. The other car doing mostly short local stuff. We tow a caravan though, & diesels are way better for towing. (Silly sized petrol engines excepted). The threat of a big bill concerns me, almost to the point of wanting to get rid of one of the cars for a petrol engined equivalent.

My mate had stress related illness due to his diesel pug.. Stress went away when he got a petrol,

Was that due to problems running the car?

Double post

Triple post

Not quite an answer, but probs asking the same thing.. I’m looking at grabbing a ford fiesta van 1.4 diesel in around april. It will be used for getting to and from college everyday (around 15-20 miles there and back), work at the weekend (10 miles there and back) and also riding at the weekend (places up and down the country.

Thanks for the adivce, Ryan.

Too many variables really, lots of people seem to buy expensive diesels to save on fuel without ever doing the numbers. Mine cost about the same as the petrol equivalents so it’s worked out well but with my miles if I’d spent even a little more for a diesel, it probably wouldn’t. It also drives a lot nicer than the petrol equivalents to boot.