Is the diesel backlash about to start?

Is the diesel backlash about to start?

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Discussion

StescoG66

Original Poster:

2,108 posts

142 months

Monday 11th August 2014
quotequote all
I ask this as a diesel driver covering 16k per year who really is hankering for a switch back to petrol. While I have been more than happy with my Giulietta 170 diesel, I really fancy a 170 petrol.

Basically my questions are:-

Is the rebellion against diesel starting now?
Will this cause the previously better resale value of diesels to plummet
Should I hop at this point

I realise on a petrolheaders forum this is the wrong question, but just asking folk to look into the crystal ball for a moment

ORD

18,086 posts

126 months

Monday 11th August 2014
quotequote all
Yep.

Some of us have been calling this for a while:-

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=139...

Taxes will increase; cities will charge for entry.

I don't have a huge deal of sympathy for people who have put mpg ahead of not poisoning the local community, though tongue out

JulianHJ

8,733 posts

261 months

Monday 11th August 2014
quotequote all
I'd imagine it will take a few years of media coverage - or a big shift in taxation policy - to have a real impact on buying habits.

GoodDoc

559 posts

175 months

Monday 11th August 2014
quotequote all
ORD said:
Yep.

I don't have a huge deal of sympathy for people who have put mpg ahead of not poisoning the local community, though tongue out
You know it's not hugs and puppies coming out of the exhaust of petrol cars? Once they've taxed diesels off the roads they'll start looking at petrol again. It's happened before, and it will happen again.

austinsmirk

5,597 posts

122 months

Monday 11th August 2014
quotequote all
I'd run my car on liquidised kittens or puppies if it meant it was cheaper to run.

If you want to get wound up about pollution, you'd be better targeting your opinions and actions in India, China, Pakistan, Africa- you know the countries/continents who really do make an impact......... and not just by car fumes, but by factories and over population.

andy-xr

13,204 posts

203 months

Monday 11th August 2014
quotequote all
I've toyed with going back to a diesel, more for the economy than anything. There's pros and cons, and for balance, I got rid of my last one for a 4.0 V8, because petrol's not going to get cheaper anytime soon and I've never owned a V8 before.

Anyway, diesel:

1) The price of it. Used to be the case that diesel was cheaper than petrol by a good few ppl as well. I dont know how it happened that it started being more expensive, but how it's sat at the moment, it's still cheaper to run a diesel based on fuel price

2) This supposed £20 levy on diesels to enter London. To be honest though, I hate London, and actively avoid going there. When I do, it's on Virgin Trains finest tilting carriages complete with lack of fresh air.

3) The potential of big bills. I've owned a TDCi Mondeo that spat it's DMF and injectors, I p/x'd it back to the dealer when the fuel pump timebomb started ticking. I've owned other diesels since (HDi 8v) that just used a bit of oil, but that was about it.

I think if more charges start coming in to cities for diesels, and the RFL of them goes up, they'll be as undesirable as big petrols are now

heebeegeetee

28,590 posts

247 months

Monday 11th August 2014
quotequote all
ORD said:
Yep.

Some of us have been calling this for a while:-

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=139...

Taxes will increase; cities will charge for entry.

I don't have a huge deal of sympathy for people who have put mpg ahead of not poisoning the local community, though tongue out
Since April? it's been going on for 25 years at best!

For years - decades! I've been reading this stuff. We did a calculation on another thread and concluded that in my lifetime, some 2.5 million people in the UK alone must have 'died of diesel', yet for some strange reason I've never heard of anyone doing so, nor know of anyone who knows somebody who knows of somebody who definitely died of air pollution, diesel related or otherwise.

The backlash has to start sometime, if there's any truth in the stories. Amazed it's taken so long though.

Glosphil

4,337 posts

233 months

Monday 11th August 2014
quotequote all
Is the diesel backlash about to start?

Of course it is. Because after more than 45 years of driving petrol cars a year ago I bought my first (used) diesel.

MC Bodge

21,551 posts

174 months

Monday 11th August 2014
quotequote all
If I can find a used torquey, grunty petrol estate car that doesn't drink like a thirsty fish and doesn't have the same money pit time bomb potential as a modern diesel, I'll have it.

The EU need to change the now beaten CO2 emissions tests for there to be a significant change.

Edited by MC Bodge on Monday 11th August 16:10

kambites

67,460 posts

220 months

Monday 11th August 2014
quotequote all
I think in the mainstream, it'll only happen when taxation and legislation forces it to. I think things are starting to move in that direction, but it'll be a while before public opinion turns far enough to have a significant effect on the market.

jamiehamy

360 posts

175 months

Monday 11th August 2014
quotequote all
MC Bodge said:
If I can find a used torquey, grunty petrol estate car that doesn't drink like a thirsty fish and doesn't have the same money pit time bomb potential as a modern diesel, I'll have it.

The EU need to change the now beaten CO2 emissions tests for there to be a significant change.

Edited by MC Bodge on Monday 11th August 16:10
My LPG S4 fits the bill for you then! I bought it and never even paid a premium for the LPG part. Winner.

ORD

18,086 posts

126 months

Monday 11th August 2014
quotequote all
Glosphil said:
Is the diesel backlash about to start?

Of course it is. Because after more than 45 years of driving petrol cars a year ago I bought my first (used) diesel.
laugh

Autocar ran an article recently in which some guy (as specific as I can be bothered to be) said that the real problem with diesel cars is that they are massively more polluting after a few years than when they are first sold, such that the picture is going to get worse before it gets better. The rise in the number of diesel cars has been exponential in the last few years, and a lot of them will start to dirty up soon (if that mystery man is right).

unpc

2,831 posts

212 months

Monday 11th August 2014
quotequote all
I was always of the opinion that diesel is for ships and trucks only. Last year I sold out and joined the oil burning brigade. Yes it's economical but I won't be shedding a tear when they are taxed out of existance. Bring it on....

anonymous-user

53 months

Monday 11th August 2014
quotequote all
A back last by whom?
When a petrol car performs as well as my 170 bhp diesel, and returns 45mpg over tankfuls, I'll buy one.
So not any time soon...
(lots also prefer how they drive and have never experienced the mythical internet frenzy diesel issues)

Dodsy

7,172 posts

226 months

Monday 11th August 2014
quotequote all
GoodDoc said:
You know it's not hugs and puppies coming out of the exhaust of petrol cars? .
I remember an article in the motoring press a few years back where they tested a new Saab 9-3 around London and found that the exhaust gases were cleaner than the air going into the engine.

Ranger 6

7,040 posts

248 months

Monday 11th August 2014
quotequote all
Backlash? Not from me (yet wink )

At the moment I'm happy with my wafting 500nm and 500 miles to a tank. For my next car I'd like to see a petrol car with; 500 mile range, 300+ bhp, 40+ mpg and a sub 6-sec to 60 and £180 VED - then I may be interested.... driving

so called

9,073 posts

208 months

Monday 11th August 2014
quotequote all
Typical flip flop politics.
Similar with smoking and alcohol.
Put a huge amount of money and effort into trying to convince the public that smoking's the cause of all deaths and diseases. Now that smoking has largely been snuffed out and we're all still going to die of the same deseases, they now want to put the same billchit labels on booze.
All driven by people who got a degree in liberal studies !!!!! The great cop out "I've got a degree", scandal of the late 20th century.
Glad I'v got my TVR to go back to now its confirmed my LR & MB diesels are bad boys.

There now that would be a reversal, diesels being the cool evil.

RochdalePioneers

263 posts

118 months

Monday 11th August 2014
quotequote all
Had diesels for 12 years and I've had my last. Sick of the noise, the vibration and the smell. Yes they're economical but expensive to buy and maintain and repair when the extra bits break.

so called

9,073 posts

208 months

Monday 11th August 2014
quotequote all
RochdalePioneers said:
Had diesels for 12 years and I've had my last. Sick of the noise, the vibration and the smell. Yes they're economical but expensive to buy and maintain and repair when the extra bits break.
I'm in my 50's and bought my first diesel 2 years ago and second last year.
Noise? Vibration? Smell? Can't say I've noticed.
On the drive down to Spain this year I had to ask my daughter and friend to turn down their DVD earphones to try and get some engine noise feedback.

so called

9,073 posts

208 months

Monday 11th August 2014
quotequote all
I'm in India this week. 2 stroke TuckTucks were band because of the pollution so 4 strokes PutPuts have taken over but what a stink.
20 minutes to the office and after 5 minutes I've a headache worse than an English beer hangover..
Noise, pollution or both ? I think both but compared to India, Europe is as clean as a whistle pollution free.
One law for the rich nations, another for the poor and then another for the pretend poor (China, India) and another for the mega rich USA, 40 TV's in every pub OTT and Russia can do what they want.

BY THE WAY I FLEW ON A DREAMLINER TO INDIA YESTERDAY so I saved the world.