Starting to consider a change of car and find that the nearly new ones of the model I fancy are Diesels. (Mercedes B Class)
I have never had a diesel. I have never fancied a diesel. I accept some people are real fans of diesls.
The image has changes a bit recently.
I do a low mileage - short local runs mainly..
should I stick out for finding a Petrol engined one - or bite the bullet and go for a diesel - and why?
Don't buy a modern diesel. The DPF will be f***ed in fairly short order.
Wait for a petrol. I like diesels, and have driven mostly diesels for many years now, but you really don't want a modern diesel for short trips.
+1
Not usually a good usage pattern for diesels I understand. One of my clients was complaining about how his S class merc is always causing problems - most seem to be down to it being a diesel and not doing enough miles. (problems with particulate filters etc)
Unless you also do a longer trip every couple of weeks. That should be enough to keep the DPF clean - seems to work for me.
The other thing - the new charges (e.g. the impending Central London emmissions charge) on diesels are only for pre-Euro 6 vehicles (basically ones with ad-blue). But if you get an older one and keep it a while you might hit such charges. The media keeps implying that all diesels are being / should be banned, but they are still selling Euro-6 vehicles. Also diesel fuel prices / taxes might be increased in coming years.
Simon.
Lots of short trips seem to be OK in my diesel, and it seems that the occasional burn-up on the Motorway keeps the DPF clear. Simon.
If used for short journeys don't they also require a regular Italian tune up - a 50mph+ run for 15 to 30 minutes?
Then, unless you do more than 25,000 miles a year or lots of short trips and live in a hilly area like Edinburgh, or tow a caravan, or regularly drive into or through areas where No2 is a problem, avoid diesel.
Expect some draconian limitations on the time of day, day of week or total bans from entering certain areas. Not just here, all over Europe, and quite soon.
Once the German car industry has got its electric and hybrid production lines in full swing, they will use their economic pressure to make it difficult for existing diesel car owners.
No-one ever wanted or needed a diesel for doing short trips (or low annual mileage).
Modern Diesels are not suitable for that,the antipollution equipment they are fitted with can get clogged up and be expensive to repair/ replace.
Ignoring all the arguments and baggage about being green or not green or becoming a tree hugger you might find that your circumstances might actually suit running a plug in Hybrid.
G.Harman
Won't we be out of the EU by then and beyond any pressure from Europe that the German car industry would have to go through, we will then be in a position to put two fingers up to them and because our market is an important one to them they won't want to upset us. That's what I thought this Brexit business was about, no inteference from those darned continentals G.Harman
Don't buy a diesel. They are going to be increasingly "punished" because of their emissions. And if you indeed only do a few short journeys a week, you won't save any money on fuel.
We have, by today's standards, an old diesel, a Ford Fusion, getting on for twelve years old now, with no particulate filters or cat, bought from new with the idea that it was more economical on fuel than petrol. Annually serviced, and ATM it's still going strong and serves us well, but will need to be replaced in the next few years I guess.
We only do short runs, and I was already thinking of petrol because of the potential particulate filter clogging problem, but with diesels suddenly falling out of favour, and the Govt likely to introduce measures to discourage their use such as higher road or fuel tax, I'd almost certainly get petrol. But I haven't ruled out electric, as sometimes I like to try these technical changes just to see what they're like even though we've not got solar panels or whatever and I'm certainly not 'green', and electric would suit our pattern of use.
Wary of long term battery performance and life. I tend to keep cars a long time.
Just moved from 4 year of Diesel Yeti to new Petrol version, first Petrol for many years. Unless you are doing a significant mileage per year the Petrol is more economical ( I know getting 38mpg rather than 55mpg doesnt feel good). Current opinion is against Diesels and there is over- reaction; I cant see this changing in the new future. So for nearly new car go for Petrol ! Look at any good Personal Contract Hire ( Leasing) deals and see how much it is going to cost you over 2/3 years and compare this with cost of deprecation of a nearly new car and risk of unforeseen drop in value. If you decide to go for a diesel this is the low risk way to do it. PCH is cheaper than PCP and I found no large deposit needed.
Thanks all. Seems I should stick to Petrol.
lot of tractor operators would dispute that :-)
Until tomorrow comes along when it will be petrol.
Whatever.
That hardly constitutes an Italian tune up. Full throttle through all the gears is more like it.
Biggles
Short local runs ain't good for any IC engine. But a diesel is likely to get less engine wear with short journeys than a petrol one.
Neighbour who is a doctor had a large BMW diesel - an auto. As well as being very quick away from rest, he said it never dropped below 30mpg even in his commute in Central London. My similar petrol BMW was lucky to do half that under the same conditions.
Good luck getting anywhere near what you think the car will be worth at the end of the lease.
It is one of the biggest cons going saying leasing works out cheaper than buying. If exactly like for like.
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