I want a van - had one before marriage/kids and always regret getting a sensible car.
Now i'm, err.. no longer married i'm going to treat myself.
looks like 20k for a good Euro6 low milleage in the model i want.
lost so much money recently (as you can imagine!) don't want to make anymore mistakes.
My anxiety says.
1) Price of diesel will rise faster than the rate of petrol after ban on new diesel cars.
2) Depreciation will be steeper on diesels after the ban.
3) My parents live in the ULEZ - will diesels be banned totally at some point?
or am i overthinking?
🙄
yes i did, yes you are over thinking
Diesel demand is falling long term, so prices vs petrol won't be a problem. And a lot of people are die hard diesel fans and EV haters so I'm expecting (hoping) that their value will be propped up by them. However I would still not buy a diesel anything because EV is so much better (and I have a drive), and I don't like polluting.
Same here. Bought a Euro6 van (with 7 seats so a car) last year for a large wedge for a 3 year old diesel. Keeping it as a leisure vehicle. I live in an area where we will get ULEZ so had to be Euro6
I love my Dispatch and have no reason or desire to get rid of it, but I did catch myself looking at the e-version of it and the Peugot today. Range will not likely be an issue for me, but the current cost might be (given that I would need to immediately insulate it and add interior power)
Am looking at rhe moment for a car. wouldn't buy a diesel, not even diesel-hybrid. I don't cover long distances often so the greater efficiency over petrol isn't worth it to me. DPF etc problems are a complication I don't need.
What are you wanting to do with the van? If it's covering longer distances then definitely diesel for a van.
Defo not EV for a van. You'll very quickly get very pissed off at the pathetic range.
I wouldn't buy a diesel car, we've just been given a car and I was gutted it was diesel! Not keeping it loong term though, so doesn;t really matter.
A van though, I'd still buy diesel.
What are you wanting to do with the van? If it's covering longer distances then definitely diesel for a van.
Defo not EV for a van. You'll very quickly get very pissed off at the pathetic range.
No it will be a daily driver, so mostly small trips./kids clubs etc I like to think i'd be off to Wales and the Alps on a regular basis but in reality a couple of times a year if lucky if that.
Trouble is my budget is pretty tight and most new EVs are too pricey and the ones i can afford have a 120mile range at best so factor in cold, headlights, heater etc you'd be loooking at nearly 3 charges to get to Wales for me.
Found a suitable petrol hybrid - early version (Toureno) but apparently they are rubbish and its hard to get a good mpg estimate with a depleted battery some sites say 28mpg
yes i did, yes you are over thinking
Not a van but another estate. I like the way they drive, not convinced on an EV if I tow something.
Given the chance, a van as a bike wagon would be on my drive. Tracey has a lot to answer for
Absolutely I would - I probably will be too.
Are EV's great? Course they are. A large part of my career was designing and building electric vehicles working for a UK firm who were pretty cutitng edge and ahead of the curve. My partners next car will probably be electric.
I am also a devout 'petrolhead' and avoided dirty diesels for a long time.
However for my main vehicle, Diesel cannot be beaten. Everytime someone who is an EV evangelist comes out with some nonsense like 'When was the last time you even drove more than 200 miles' then answer would probably be something like "last weekend".
Infrequent, adhoc or long cruising to get to somewhere far away, diesel is currently the best option and will be for some years yet. Its not going anywhere for a while.
Some of the newer Petrol plug in hybrid options (Tourneo 2.5 hybrid, Multivan 1.5 hybrid) are really interesting, better for those doing shorter journeys and town work but generally outside of Taxis or multi drop, the use case of these bigger vehicles still lends itself to Diesel.
Peugeot expert diesel here. That's the van ,not me. I live in the highlands no danger of a ULEZ anywhere near me I would definitely look for a diesel van. However if I was going in and out of a ulez more than once a week I would be looking at alternatives
For the amount of use ,get something your want and enjoy driving.
My view is that good spec diesel vehicles will hold there value for a good while yet. Good spec ones are that bit rarer and my thoughts are that good diesels will be worth a bit as they become a bit rarer.
However the Govt. will increase road tax more and more and town centres are changing fast.
It will be interesting reading others views.
But me I would go diesel for a van.
Price of diesel will rise faster than the rate of petrol after ban on new diesel cars.
Will it though. Most HGVs are going to be diself for a while longer yet !
or am i overthinking?
It's a used van. You'll get 4 - 9 years* more use before new diesel cars and vans are banned from sale. (*varies with EU now considering 2035, UK tends to follow suit)
EU manufacturing countries (and now Mazda) are pushing for hybrid rather than combustion-free options.
EV infrastructure development is still slow, so overall the ban is being watered down.
Ignoring fuel types, watch out for vehicle excise duty rates. A van is currently £345.
Watch out for speed restrictions, some car-derived vans use car restrictions.
Watch out for features that you take for granted in a car not being in a van. Examples include AC, comprehensive air bags, etc
No it will be a daily driver, so mostly small trips
Diesel engines and lots of short trips is asking for dpf problems, I know this from personal experience but petrol vans are like hens teeth (although I recently spotted a very nice modified transporter with a golf gti engine) and electric range limitations rule them out for me. I won't be getting rid of mine any time soon but will eventually replace it with another van when the time comes
Id avoid twin turbo VW’s, anything Ford wet belt and look for something that has been in production for a while so expected DPF / adblue issues are already documented. Not really sure what that leaves for choice!
Price of diesel will rise faster than the rate of petrol after ban on new diesel cars.
There will still be a huge number of diesel vehicles on the road.... Pricing won't change much.
Depreciation will be steeper on diesels after the ban.
It could potentially be the other way round.... There will still be people wanting diesels but can't buy new.
The only fly in your ointment is the short trips.
I would like an EV but would probs still keep my diesel as there's no EV that can tow my boat!
Can someone explain this short trips issue please?
My last van was a diesel T4 about 10 years ago
thanks
No it will be a daily driver, so mostly small trips./kids clubs etc I like to think i'd be off to Wales and the Alps on a regular basis but in reality a couple of times a year if lucky if that.
Controversial opinion (or maybe not) if that's your use case why the hell are you even considering a van? Vans are big, polluting and inappropriate as daily transport. Buy a decent petrol car and hire a van for those occasional trips. People wang on about the evils of SUVs which are generally just tall cars but it's allegedly acceptable to have a lifestyle van as a daily commuter. Do you have off road parking? Can you park it at work without taking 2 spaces. What about at the supermarket?
Can you park it at work without taking 2 spaces.
I get the feeling the OP is looking at Ford Toureno or Transporter sized vans, not XLWB Iveco Daily.
Controversial opinion (or maybe not) if that's your use case why the hell are you even considering a van? Vans are big, polluting and inappropriate as daily transport. Buy a decent petrol car and hire a van for those occasional trips. People wang on about the evils of SUVs which are generally just tall cars but it's allegedly acceptable to have a lifestyle van as a daily commuter. Do you have off road parking? Can you park it at work without taking 2 spaces. What about at the supermarket?
it’s a valid question. big lifestyle change for me recently so planning to get back into all the stuff I’ve mostly had to give up: MTB, kite/windsurfing. Plus weekends away when I don’t have the kids and road trips/camping trips when I do. Tourneo sized van seems like a perfect one vehicle does it all for me.
coupled with the fact that I just really want one 🤣
They are rare beasts but my last van was a Caddy petrol DSG, which was superb to drive compared to my prior diesel versions and pretty frugal averaging 45mpg.
I sold my last diesel Caddy as soon as issues started to arise ( just over 3 years of ownership) when a NOx sensor went, there's 2 of them at £900 a pop to fix. That with DMF and DPF issues scared me away from buying with my own money.
Now in electric (Buzz) and will never go back, 250 miles range, seriously fast and an absolute joy to drive.
Can someone explain this short trips issue please?
My last van was a diesel T4 about 10 years ago
thanks
diesels nowadays have a particulate filter in the exhaust to catch diesel soot. These clog up and undergo a regeneration cycle to burn the soot off. This regen only occurs under certain conditions - my 3.0l diesel has to be over 90degree temperature and over 2k revs for the regen to start which then takes 20 - 30minutes. This equates to a long straight quiet motorway manually locked in 6th gear (8speed auto). If you drop below 2k then the regen fails and the extra fuel being injected to burn the soot off ends up in the sump diluting the engine oil. Short journeys = never regenning and oil filled with diesel.
Euro 5 and 6 also have adblue/Eoly injection which can be troublesome (French stuff especially).
This is coupled with very high diesel injection pressures and common rail engines. High pressure pumps can fail and will destroy the injectors and complete fuel circuit.
The 1.6 VW caddy engines are notorious for failing injectors.
Fords have the timing belt now running in an oil filled timing chest - these require careful monitoring and correct service. Many of them fail destroying the engines.
VW had a lot of trouble with a twin turbo Transporter engine which is expensive to repair.
The days of simple Bosch mechanical fuel pump T4’s are long gone!
The short trip issue is that the diesel particulate filter will clog. They need a regen to clear. The passive regen is just when the vehicle is up to temp and you have the engine under sufficient load for it to run. Eg 15/20 mins on the motorway once engine is warm. Or it actively regens at preset intervals, eg every 200 miles and then it's best to let it run the cycle of 15mins or so. Neither option works well with short runs only where you might not get the engine up to temp for long enough.
Short trips with a decent run every weekend would be fine though.
No it will be a daily driver, so mostly small trips./kids clubs etc I like to think i'd be off to Wales and the Alps on a regular basis but in reality a couple of times a year if lucky if that.
Controversial opinion (or maybe not) if that's your use case why the hell are you even considering a van? Vans are big, polluting and inappropriate as daily transport. Buy a decent petrol car and hire a van for those occasional trips. People wang on about the evils of SUVs which are generally just tall cars but it's allegedly acceptable to have a lifestyle van as a daily commuter. Do you have off road parking? Can you park it at work without taking 2 spaces. What about at the supermarket?
Electric vans are the worst of all worlds. They are so heavy due to the batteries that load is compromised. Because they have to fit the battery in an existing shell the load volume is also smaller
personally I would go for an ice van. Which fuel it used would be lower down the list of other features on the vehicle
I have a Vauxhall Combo diesel. Think Berlingo, as it is identical. I would love an EV, but we do 2 annual trips to the Alps from Scotland. Easter skiing, and summer camping towing a 750kg trailer. I just can't see that being possible with a similar EV at the moment. It is 2 looooong days, even with a diesel where I can get 600-700 miles from a tank. Stopping every 100-150 miles to charge, let alone towing the trailer, means it isn't an option ATM.
I would love an EV Berlingo or similar capable of 300 miles on a French motorway between charges. How long do we reckon it will be before this level of range is here.
"Defo not EV for a van. You'll very quickly get very pissed off at the pathetic range."
200+ miles in mine, 20 mins for a wee and a coffee and it'll do another 150. That's 350 miles with only a 20 minute 'delay' for the sake of 99% of my other trips being quieter, more comfortable, less polluting and an almost embarrassing amount cheaper 🙂
Mine has the same footprint pretty much as a lwb caddy, but has way more capacity thanks to it's super low floor.
Costs me 270 a month, long range version, fully loaded.
Kia PV5
"Electric vans are the worst of all worlds. They are so heavy due to the batteries that load is compromised. Because they have to fit the battery in an existing shell the load volume is also smaller"
790kg and space for 2 Euro pallets in a pv5 - doesn't sound like the OP has much need for more than that.
As with all vehicles, YMMV, so let's not write everything off in one whole swoop 🙂
Yes. Unless you want new and are happy chucking away that depreciation plus all the pollution involved in new ones. EVs don't yet come with the range for all of us, the convenience for all of us, the price for all of us, the pay load and the features. I acn't see that coming in my life time. I bought a diesel Land Rover 110.
For the OP I am on DPF vehicle 3 now (first Euro6 one). I've never seen the hammer it regen light on any of them but that's because they've all covered 300+ miles a week in mostly 20+ mile journeys week in week out.
Personally I would not choose either a Transit/Transporter sized van or a diesel vehicle for your intended use (YMMV).
Vans don't drive as well, diesel engine has increased potential for emissions based issues on short trips and a van will have poor fuel economy Vs a car
I'd probably be looking at EV, plug in hybrid or petrol ICE and in the case of the EV looking for a good lease/PCP type deal.
At the moment diesel is still the choice for me but I'm bashing out quite a few miles and it's loads better for towing range/convenience. No way Mrs GD would have a diesel (short journeys etc).
Used EV camper build on Pistonheads
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=47&t=2133827
bought a diesel Land Rover 110.
Surely a Renault Kangoo Haas Mitte useable space and it's a nicer place to sit.
Yes. Unless you want new and are happy chucking away that depreciation plus all the pollution involved in new ones. EVs don't yet come with the range for all of us, the convenience for all of us, the price for all of us, the pay load and the features. I acn't see that coming in my life time. I bought a diesel Land Rover 110.
Plenty of readily available data out there showing EVs have lower lifetime env costs than pretty much any ICE car, let alone a LR 110 😂
I guess you're one of those who drives 350 miles non-stop without a break every day of the week.
OTOH the vast majority of people don't and a 20 min charge is hardly painful - I can refuel my van at home over night - I've only visited a fuel station once this year (saving far more than 20 mins of my life), to top up on a long journey - sounds convenient to me 🙂
A new LR 110 is in the region of £70-£90k haha - a PV5 starts at, like, 28k - 33k for one that's fully loaded with all the tech you need.
The payload of a 110 is IRO 700-850kg, so pretty much the same as a PV5, but the load space is a mere 2277l (PV5 is 4400) - sure the towing capacity is lower, but can't win _everything_ 😉
🙂
If my Trafic had to go to the breakers tomorrow I'd buy another diesel van without even thinking about it.
Plenty of readily available data out there showing EVs have lower lifetime env costs than pretty much any ICE car, let alone a LR 110
Only when comparing new with new. Used LR 110 has no manufacturing env cost v a new EV that has to be built for your order
Im still a staunch believer in Diesel - my next car will probably be one, currently in a Volvo V90 D4 which will plod at 55mpg and upto 63 on a sedate motorway run. Even with the massive difference in cost of petrol/diesel, it's still cheaper - assume petrol @£1.35/L and diesel @ £1.56/L and 36/55mpg respectively the petrol will come out at ~16-17ppm, whereas diesel is 12ppm.
ICE isnt going anywhere soon, 2035 will come and go and there will be changes to legislation.
As for short journeys, petrols have GPF's, these are also susceptible to clogging, but not quite as much. If you're still someone that suits on long journeys/tows cant be bothered to charge then Diesel is still best.
That said if i have a moment and decide to get a petrol, it will be a V90 T8Recharge - rocket ship..
EV's are not saving the world quite the opposite!
Is this DPF clogging thing an issue on all Euro6 engines or is it just the Fords.
And the wet belt thing is it really that bad? I mean there so many transits on the road that they can't all be blowing up on a regular basis?! Or is it not like a standard cam belt where if you leave it till 500 miles before its due you are asking for trouble.
If i was looking in the 25 - 40k mileage 22 plate range would i be overly worried about the wetbelt or should i factor it in to the cost and get it done?
Do all engine versions have it?
Sorry i have more questions than answers at this point 🙂 🙂
Is this DPF clogging thing an issue on all Euro6 engines or is it just the Fords.
Any vehicle with a DPF including most if not all Euro5 diesels.
Unless you're going to do a couple of 1hour+ journeys a week that are on fast/free flowing roads you're increasing your odds of expensive emissions based trouble quite significantly imo.
And the wet belt thing is it really that bad? I mean there so many transits on the road that they can't all be blowing up on a regular basis?! Or is it not like a standard cam belt where if you leave it till 500 miles before its due you are asking for trouble.
As the belt wears it deposits tiny little bits of rubber in the oil. In large volumes those particles can clog the filter on the oil feed pipe to the turbo. Lots of regular oil changes helps.
Incomplete regens which dilute and pollute the oil are bad for any engine but AIUI particularly bad for wet belts as the contaminants attack the belt chemically and contribute to premature failure/wear of the belt.
Lots of short journeys means more failed regens, more dilute, sooty oil and more risk of accelerated wetbelt damage.
This isn't just a wetbelt issue but they are especially prone to it....For example there is an upmarket car manufacturer whose 2.0l diesel has a reputation for cam chain issues caused by oil dilution, which is more prevalent on short journey cars that have not had extra oil changes.
I don't know the stats but I would be less inclined to test my luck on a wetbelt than a dry one in terms of change intervals and I'd definitely be going very early on the changes in a diesel doing short journeys.
We own a wet belt Focus (petrol). It's great (IMO) you just have to accept the cost of a change (about £1000 last time we did it) and get to it well before it fails.
Ford are not the only wetbelt users either. Pretty sure they're in a number of Stellantis and other products as well.
To clarify when I say oil dilution this comes from excess diesel being "dumped" into the sump at the end of an incomplete regen. So the oil volume increases due to the addition of the diesel but it's also "runnier". Think of it like adding thinners to paint.
The Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) is one of a few systems to clean exhaust gases.
It's job is to "catch" exhaust particulates in the form of soot. The soot has to be burnt off or it builds up and fills the DPF.
Assuming that the various sensors and the engine is working well, then you drive normally and it'll burn the soot off just leaving behind a smaller volume of ash.
Once hot, 40mph for half an hour will sort the burn.
Give the engine the best chance with servicing, quality oil, quality fuel and an occasional run to complete a full burn.
I only do a few thousand miles pa now but, touch wood, it's fine.
DPFs are designed to last for the vehicle's lifetime and aren't as fragile as many think. You don't need a burn every trip
Stellantis 2.0 diesels are an external (dry) cam belt, the 1.5 has an internal chain which can be problematic if its the older 7mm chain (now 8mm) but there is a recall.
Some of the Stellantis petrols are wet belt.
Any vehicle with a DPF including most if not all Euro5 diesels.
Is that a typo for Euro6?
I've got a Euro 5 ford and it doesn't have one, Im.oretty sure the Euro6 did, plus Adblu and all that
Also, wet belt change on work's MK8 Transit was £1,700😳
Any vehicle with a DPF including most if not all Euro5 diesels.
Is that a typo for Euro6?
I've got a Euro 5 ford and it doesn't have one, Im.oretty sure the Euro6 did, plus Adblu and all that
Not all Euro6 have ad-blu. There are 4 sub-categories within E6 and all are okay in ULEZ cities.
Newer E6 vehicles are more likely to have ad-blu, SCR, etc.
Is that a typo for Euro6?
Nope.
Both my Euro5 diesels (2012 Passat and 2011 Smax had a DPF but not an ad blue system).
According to RAC a DPF is mandatory for Euro 5.
https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/advice/emissions/euro-emissions-standards/#euro-5
I've got a Euro 5 ford and it doesn't have one,
I'd be wondering if it had been deleted/removed if the car was registered after 2011.
Plenty of readily available data out there showing EVs have lower lifetime env costs than pretty much any ICE car, let alone a LR 110
Only when comparing new with new. Used LR 110 has no manufacturing env cost v a new EV that has to be built for your order
And it’s pretty easy to get the payload on an older 110 up to 1 tonne.
Unless you're going to do a couple of 1hour+ journeys a week that are on fast/free flowing roads you're increasing your odds of expensive emissions based trouble quite significantly imo.
I think that’s an exaggeration. I’ve had several dpf diesels that do regular 30-40min runs that have had no issues with regens or clogging.
@garage-dweller and @RustyNissanPrairie have covered modern diesels / DPFs / Ford wet belts well. We've owned a 67-plate Transit Custom from new with the 2.0 euro6 engine with wet belt, DPF, AdBlue etc. All good in 40k miles and 9 years. No issues whatsoever. Oil/filter change annually so every 5-6k miles, fuel filter every second year. Had a wet belt recall inspection at around 3 years old and was deemed to be fine. Wet belt changed at 6.5 years / 30k miles and was in perfect condition - £850 via a specialist (All Things Transit in Cumbernauld).
Mixed use for ours - a good amount of urban driving but at least an hour of motorway most weeks. No issues with regens etc that I'm aware of. Usage likely to have more urban use in a few years time which concerns me admittedly - as per @garage-dweller's most recent post above.
Basically, don't get scared off them if you're considering one. There's loads out there and the vast majority have no issues. Difficultly is - as with any used vehicle - knowing how it's been looked after before you.
Bear in mind, just how many Transits, Transporters and Stellantis vehicles are on the road - you will see issues, especially from the abused ones. Look after it, it will do you well.
I've had my Vivaro a year and I couldn't tell you when a regen happens, but the van does get regular long runs on a motorway. It's been perfect so far. It will be having annual oil changes - mileages only about 5k pa. The only thing I do is add Wynns ad-blue anti-crystallisation fluid to it when I put in a bottle of ad-blue. At the service, the main dealer asked if I wanted an engine/dpf cleaner in the fuel tank, and considering it was same price as a 'shop' I said yes. I'll get them to do the fuel filter next service. I also intend to get the auto transmission fluid changed by a specialist at around 50k miles.
Re DPF/Ad Blue I’m not convinced about the short journey thing . My journeys tend to be quite long but there are numerous times the car has been mid re gen and I’ve stopped. I don’t see how it can complete the cycle if you have switched it off
Mines currently in the garage with an engine warning light . I’m guessing the answer will be DPF/Ad Blue related
Have got two diesels in daily use - a T5 van (190k miles) and a 330d (90k miles).
Would replace them like for like in a heart beat - - the van is the same footprint as a passat, wife's daily driver and let's us do outdoor stuff that we want to do. Non-ULEZ, I don't take it into the city centre. BMW is Euro6 and one of the best cars we've ever had - super all rounder - we like the engine (N57) - would definitely get another.
Got my new diesel delivered last week, been thinking of getting one for a while and wanted an open top for summer fun! Very pleased with it so far, no ulez or dpf to worry about either.
https://www.rippa.com/product/mini-excavator-r319/
Yes...going to do just that in about a month. Our petrol car went today...4 weeks on two wheels before a house move then a new to us car.
BMW is Euro6 and one of the best cars we've ever had - super all rounder - we like the engine (N57) - would definitely get another.
I definitely wouldn't, but then I'm biased https://fleetworld.co.uk/bmw-stops-specialist-sales-to-police-forces/
I’ve had diesels in the past and really liked them. The fact that they’re now being excluded from city centres and having all kids of weird mechanisms in them to prevent pollution tells me that unless I had a really specific need for diesel the benefits don’t outweigh the impact they have on others.
We replaced our old non-ULEZ diesel CRV with …. Another diesel (Macan S). I thought I’d get a petrol estate, till I drove it. The Macan needs AdBlue, but its no big deal, is ULEX compliant (which I needed) and the 40 mpg for a sporty V6 is nice. In fact I hardly notice that it is a diesel. Next car will be electric, but I have no regrets.
We just recently bought an older diesel Honda as a long term runabout - Euro 5 so can’t go through Glasgow city centre, but we generally avoid it like the plague anyway. We sold our 18 plate Ford Tourneo as it was becoming troublesome after the wet belt was replaced. EVs might well be the future, but they’ve got their fair share of horror stories already; overly complicated systems that fail and cost thousands to repair or replace, ‘software as a service’ issues and so on.
On the Transit/Tourneo - we had an older 14 2.2 diesel Tourneo which we traded in for an 18 2.0 Tourneo with the DPF/wet belt/Ad Blue system. Former was a cracking van and gave us very few problems, the latter was fine for the first half of its life when it was manly doing longer 30-40 mile runs. My job changed post-covid, and I ended up commuting in the van, doing shorted drives in and out of Glasgow, which is what has killed it. Now I’ve retired, we’re planning on getting another van as a day van/camper, which may or may not be ICE, but I absolutely wouldn’t buy another wet belt diesel for ‘short hop’ driving, and I’d be wary about buying a second hand wet belt van unless I could be fairly certain that it’s journey profile was predominantly long haul trips.
For most van uses, diesel is still king, and it will still likely be that way for a while yet.
EV van options are generally not that great, unless your usage suits them.
My current employer has some, but they're only used locally for non-critical stuff.
Car fleet is now mostly electric with some hybrids, where they work well.
Still a few diesels kicking around though.
Anything above a Custom/Transporter/Vivaro size EV is only really any good for local delivery work.
Current employer also has the UKs first EV of it's kind, and all I'll say it's still not done a single active shift in the year since being delivered, and has gained the nick name of the Electric Elephant. On paper has a range of 120miles, in reality it struggles to make 80miles.
However I was talking to a trainer who had a new Custom hybrid, and he loved it. From Birmingham to Edinburgh and he averaged 70mpg starting with a full charge, as that was the first longer drive he'd done in it, and that was with his kayak on the roof (he had another course to deliver in Dundee, then he was taking a few days of to explore!), although he had taken the scenic route up the A7 rather than the M74/A702.
Wet belts are fine, provided you change the oil when it's supposed to be.
I'm on my second diesel Custom, and have maintained many different major fleets.
I've only ever seen one wet belt failure that wasn't caused by lack of oil changes (the belt in that case was a result of something else failing), and you'd be surprised at the fleets with the biggest percentage of failures, as they actively told their drivers to reset the oil warning as it was "just a software issue showing the oil warning early".
DPFs aren't as problematic as they used to be. Regen algorithms have been well tweaked, and unless you're doing lots of stop/start journeys with no longer runs, then you likely won't have any issues. Most diesels now only need 15 minutes of running to do a normal regen, and they'll do it as soon as the exhaust system is warm enough to start the catalyst process. It's only when doing a forced regen, that there are many more pre-requisites that need met to ensure the optimum conditions for the regen.
SCR systems are probably the bigger issue, but again, newer systems have had a lot of the earlier issues addressed, however there are some quite expensive parts involved, which do fail with age. NOx sensors are probably the biggest issue, and although aftermarket options are available, reliability is very hit or miss, and why many garages will only fit genuine.
Don't forget, most vans are on a 2 year, 30k mile oil change. If you've got your own, and plan to keep it, you'll get it done each year (or more if high miles). Bought mine at 3 years old and 35k miles. It had it's first change at 2 years and 30k miles. Next change was 4 years and 40k when I had it serviced. It will now be on 12 month (6k max) changes. I plan keeping it a long time.
Yeah, this. I get a service every year and the Dispatch keeps working. DPF fluid got changed as part of this year's service and the chap advised me that now was the time for the brakes to have some love, but that has been it for a year.
Given my use case (the commute to town once/twice a week and the weekly 100km trip to the DZ) an EV with 300km range would actually work well. If I have to go further, I'll find a charger, take a break. If the PV5 is anything like the Niro I had, I'd consider one as a lease if I really needed to switch out the Citroen.
1) Price of diesel will rise faster than the rate of petrol after ban on new diesel cars.
why? less demand, although still enough vehicles on the road that availablity wont be an issue for proabbly at least a decade after the ban. Plus commercial vehicles will still be using it long after that most likely.
2) Depreciation will be steeper on diesels after the ban.
no new supply should keep prices of used ones up at least in the short term.
3) My parents live in the ULEZ - will diesels be banned totally at some point?
possibly. however, it was first introduced in 2019 and applied to diesels pre-2015. Now in 2026, it hasn't been updated yet...
and of course, its not a ban, its a charge. while its terrible if you live there, for an occasional visit to the folks, doesnt seem like its worth buying a new car for.
I've had a 2 litre turbo-diesel Euro 6 (no add-blu) Kuga for a tad over 4 years. 8 years old now. 70k miles (first 3.75 years put 19k on it before I bought it - 2 Covid years kept that low).
My travels are a mix of short local, 10 miles to work once or twice a week, and longer stuff.
Zero problems so far with it. (OK the clutch + flywheel will need replacing sooner rather than later, as a result of general wear + was used towing originally). But that's mostly not a diesel thing, just a wear and use thing.
I held my nose when I bought it, as my previous turbo diesel was a hateful unreliable Euro 5 bag of shite from Vauxhall. That probably reflects on Vauxhall though not diesels.
Would I buy another? If the body was a foot to 18" longer to give more cargo space, then absolutely.
Oil and filter changes regularly (every 6-7k miles for me) seems key. The 12k+ intervals from manufacturers is a recipe for longer term problems in all car types. (They only care about low fleet costs for the first 3-4 years til out of warranty, not long term durability or reliability).
As for fuel, don't forget the majority or diesel is used by trucks / haulage, so even if car demand reduces, the fuel demand from hauliers will keep it necessary (and the road haulage lobby will keep pressure on the Government if prices per litre get out of hand).
In my musings over what to buy next and when, one of my concerns is that petrol engines are still so much less economic than diesel. That plus the inevitable 'luxury' car extra car tax (a bigish Ford or Skoda is now in the luxury bracket FFS) makes it less appealing to get another cars - add £1k a year more on tax + fuel vs what I currently run. So I may stick with this diesel until it is dead.
Interestingly the WBAC 1st price offer for my car has gone UP in the last 6 months, not down ! Maybe the effects of people avoiding EVs unless they're on a company tax-dodge scheme meaning more demand for stuff like mine ?
I've just bought a 23 plate Transit, mostly to be used as a weekend van. MrsReady looking to get a EV as our daily to offset
"Defo not EV for a van. You'll very quickly get very pissed off at the pathetic range."
200+ miles in mine, 20 mins for a wee and a coffee and it'll do another 150. That's 350 miles with only a 20 minute 'delay' for the sake of 99% of my other trips being quieter, more comfortable, less polluting and an almost embarrassing amount cheaper 🙂
Mine has the same footprint pretty much as a lwb caddy, but has way more capacity thanks to it's super low floor.
Costs me 270 a month, long range version, fully loaded.
Kia PV5
Can you get a bike in the back wheels on? Remarkably difficult to get pics/video of the interior!
Do the rear seats fold individually or as one unit?
Cheers!
Talking to Mrs dB last night about replacing her car, thought she might want to go EV but no she's wanting a diesel Audi 😞