Would you still buy a diesel now?

[bristolracer]

hairyben said:

Frustrating for me as I really need a new van but want to fit it out and cost it over ~ten years - but no sensible/practical non-diesel vans are really out there. Any number of supercars, hypercars, suvs, luxury sedans and virtue-signalling mobils etc but nothing people who y'know, have an actual unarguable need for a vehicle in a city centre.

Stop talking sense there.

Sadly as commercial users we are soft tax targets, and won't get any concessions even though we have no alternative.

[tankplanker]

TartanPaint said:

I swore I wouldn't, but for a larger family wagon or 4x4 it seems there is still little choice.

I'm shocked how many models don't even have petrol engines in the range. We've all gone diesel mad until there's no choice any more. The reversal can't come soon enough for me. It is starting to come back... e.g. F-Pace 2.0 petrol option is a very welcome sight. You can't have a petrol Disco Sport though. Doesn't exist. Barstewards...

Mazda, Skoda, Seat, Porsche, Audi, VW, Ford, Volvo all do SUVs and in some cases multiple SUVs with (sensible) petrol engines. Wide range of budgets covered as well between that lot. Estates and saloons are a little harder to find outside of the performance models.

I only bought the diesel version of the XC90 as it was ~£4k cheaper than the T6, coupled with a likely better resale value (in the short term) and use less fuel means a significant saving over my three years of ownership even though my mileage is low. If they had offered the T5 engine, which is similar performance to the D5, close enough to the same price as the D5 (as it is with the new XC60) I would have bought that instead.

I would much rather own a petrol car, but only when it makes financial sense.

[TartanPaint]

VW don't do a petrol Passat, Sharan or Toerag. The biggest car they do with a petrol engine is a Golf estate. (Strangely, you can have a Caravelle with a 2.0 TSI)

[tankplanker]

TartanPaint said:

VW don't do a petrol Passat, Sharan or Toerag. The biggest car they do with a petrol engine is a Golf estate. (Strangely, you can have a Caravelle with a 2.0 TSI)

The Tiguan is available with a 180BHP TSI petrol, granted it isn't massive but it is a SUV.

[TartanPaint]

Correct, Tiguan has a petrol option, but is a lot smaller than a Golf estate.

[Monty Python]

Well, the decision has been made, and petrol it is.

[cib24]

tankplanker said:

azda, Skoda, Seat, Porsche, Audi, VW, Ford, Volvo all do SUVs and in some cases multiple SUVs with (sensible) petrol engines. Wide range of budgets covered as well between that lot. Estates and saloons are a little harder to find outside of the performance models.

I only bought the diesel version of the XC90 as it was ~£4k cheaper than the T6, coupled with a likely better resale value (in the short term) and use less fuel means a significant saving over my three years of ownership even though my mileage is low. If they had offered the T5 engine, which is similar performance to the D5, close enough to the same price as the D5 (as it is with the new XC60) I would have bought that instead.

I would much rather own a petrol car, but only when it makes financial sense.

Man, I remember the days when Ford sold the Excursion in the US. In addition to the standard 5.4L V8 petrol option it had a 6.8L V10 petrol option and so many soccer moms were driving those around when petrol was less than US$1/gallon. A crappy 2-valve V10 making 310hp and 425lb/ft and averaging 5-10 mpg. Haha.

The US still offers petrol V8s with their SUVs of course but those do about 15-25 mpg today despite the cars weighing even more than that Excursion behemoth.

[Richard-390a0]

Monty Python said:

Question is, with all the focus on diesel emissions, would you still buy one today?

Yes I would & yes I have, as in approx 3 yrs time when it ticks over 100k miles it'll be worthless to the average retail punter anyway whether it's running on the devils juice or not.

[JRdrums]

Sorry to boost an old thread but doing 30k miles a year and occasionally needing to park in city centres is a diesel really not worth it now ?

[HannsG]

I would opt for one of the 105bhp Tsi variants

[Benjijames28]

I would avoid an expensive newer diesel, but would be happy to run one that's almost at the bottom of it's depreciation curve.

[RobDickinson]

hairyben said:

Frustrating for me as I really need a new van but want to fit it out and cost it over ~ten years - but no sensible/practical non-diesel vans are really out there. Any number of supercars, hypercars, suvs, luxury sedans and virtue-signalling mobils etc but nothing people who y'know, have an actual unarguable need for a vehicle in a city centre.

How big a van enc200 from nissan and theres some transit sized ones coming soon all ev

[p1stonhead]

Benjijames28 said:

I would avoid an expensive newer diesel, but would be happy to run one that's almost at the bottom of it's depreciation curve.

This is where I am right now.

I have a 6 cylinder E91 touring 3 series. Its worth about £5k perhaps?

Done 90k miles and still feels new.

Wont be changing it until I get an m140i or 340i which will be say a couple of years. Even then assuming it still runs fine, will be going to the missus rather than me giving it away for a few grand.

[Nickbrapp]

RobDickinson said:

hairyben said:

Frustrating for me as I really need a new van but want to fit it out and cost it over ~ten years - but no sensible/practical non-diesel vans are really out there. Any number of supercars, hypercars, suvs, luxury sedans and virtue-signalling mobils etc but nothing people who y'know, have an actual unarguable need for a vehicle in a city centre.

How big a van enc200 from nissan and theres some transit sized ones coming soon all ev

[Nickbrapp]

RobDickinson said:

hairyben said:

Frustrating for me as I really need a new van but want to fit it out and cost it over ~ten years - but no sensible/practical non-diesel vans are really out there. Any number of supercars, hypercars, suvs, luxury sedans and virtue-signalling mobils etc but nothing people who y'know, have an actual unarguable need for a vehicle in a city centre.

How big a van enc200 from nissan and theres some transit sized ones coming soon all ev

Yes the new transit custom will have a hybrid version, and the courier and connect are already avaliable with the 1.0 eco boost engine.

[spaximus]

Nickbrapp said:

RobDickinson said:

hairyben said:

Frustrating for me as I really need a new van but want to fit it out and cost it over ~ten years - but no sensible/practical non-diesel vans are really out there. Any number of supercars, hypercars, suvs, luxury sedans and virtue-signalling mobils etc but nothing people who y'know, have an actual unarguable need for a vehicle in a city centre.

How big a van enc200 from nissan and theres some transit sized ones coming soon all ev

Yes the new transit custom will have a hybrid version, and the courier and connect are already avaliable with the 1.0 eco boost engine.

We have the same problem with our van fleet. We now have a need for nothing smaller than a VW T5 size van and there is nothing but diesel at present although many are promising they will have alternatives soon.

We had a couple of electric vans on test and they were fine if you wanted to do short journeys, but they never delivered the range and were not practical in their current form.

For most none car enthusiasts I would say in future two car homes will have a small electric car and a larger hybrid of petrol engine one. Diesel is finished with all the negative press and local councils seeing them as an easy target to gain more income from by demonising them even further, for our own protection

[verssus]

I only had petrol cars as they seem more fun.

But I would love if diesels depreciated massively just to own one for long autobahn drives.

[tigger1]

verssus said:

I only had petrol cars as they seem more fun.

But I would love if diesels depreciated massively just to own one for long autobahn drives.

This is the kind of thinking which will ensure there's always demand for diesels, and hence prices may not fall as far as some expect.

I bought a diesel in September '17. It's not going to go into city centres often, I'll be keeping it 4+ years, and it'll do 60k miles in that time. Driven hard, the diesel will give 40+mpg, the petrol version nowhere near. Diesel has it's issues, but for me it's still the more suitable option. That won't be true for everyone though (cue 20 people saying "but diesel is st"!)

[culpz]

If i really needed one, yes i would. I wouldn't start to worry until we actually hear from the powers that be exactly what they intend to do with diesels and how they plan to rid/ban them from the roads. Unless i've missed something, that "plan" has not yet officially come to light.

[mat205125]

andy43 said:

I think the 340i still has a six cylinder engine, albeit turbo'd. And it's rwd.
Could either be desirable and rare come sale time, or impossible to shift as easily as a diesel.
I'd still pick petrol, bet it drives and sounds better

This!!!