Hi
Should I buy a diesel or petrol car? I do average mileage and want my running costs to be as low as possible.
Thank you.
Diesel will usually give you more MPG. But it will often be hugely more expensive to buy. Plus, while they are no more likely to break down than petrol, mile for mile, they usually have higher mileages.
So they are more likely to break down and there’s a good chance they’ll whack you for a bigger repair bill too. Even if they don’t many – notably Peugeot and Mitsubishi – have the occasional major service required on diesels which will make your eyes water too.
But don’t forget every engine has it’s own pattern on prices and mileages so if you must buy diesel, buy the right car. If you want a certain car, buy the right engine.
Here are some examples of what I mean:
Ford Fiesta
The 1.4P 5 door Fiesta from 2007 will have average mileage around 21,000 and dealer prices will be around £7,000. The 1.4 TDCI equivalent, which manages 18 MPG more will be £6,600 with less than 10,000 miles more on the clock.
Vauxhall Corsa
The 1.3 CDTI offers 10 mpg more than the 1.2P and has a small mileage difference of 5,000. But a three year old one is at least £600 more – which is 2,500 miles at today’s fuel prices. If you do 10,000 miles in both cars, your saving on fuel through buying diesel is about £200. So your still £400 down.
Peugeot 207
The key point to know about buying a used diesel Peugeot (over 3 years old) is not price or mileage but that at one of the services at some point in the future the PEF (Peugeot Emsission Filter) will need replacing. Which adds £400 to your service bill. Factor that into the purchase price and Petrol become very appealing.