Would you spend £20k on a diesel car today?
Discussion
I'm sure there are other threads covering this but I'm feeling lazy.
I ran an AJ-V8 petrol FFRR for 7 years, then changed it for a Touareg Hybrid, which, with it's 325bhp petrol and 50bhp electric motors should have been fun. And it was. But it developed a recurrent fault and so I've rejected it for a full refund.
I'd like to be back in a FFRR but my budget is about £20k tops. And for that you either get a less-than-new Supercharged, or one of the two V8 diesels. Which everyone says is a fine engine in a fine car.
I'm concerned however about spending that sort of money on a diesel car with the current groundswell of hatred for the devil's juice. And I've not liked any of the diesels I've driven, although that doesn't include a TDV8. I'm worried that the government will do something like making diesel £5 a litre, or making the road tax £3000 p.a. OK, I'm exaggerating, but if they make a push to discourage the use of diesels, then my £20k car becomes an expensive millstone that I may not be able to get shot of when I want to.
What's the consensus?
I ran an AJ-V8 petrol FFRR for 7 years, then changed it for a Touareg Hybrid, which, with it's 325bhp petrol and 50bhp electric motors should have been fun. And it was. But it developed a recurrent fault and so I've rejected it for a full refund.
I'd like to be back in a FFRR but my budget is about £20k tops. And for that you either get a less-than-new Supercharged, or one of the two V8 diesels. Which everyone says is a fine engine in a fine car.
I'm concerned however about spending that sort of money on a diesel car with the current groundswell of hatred for the devil's juice. And I've not liked any of the diesels I've driven, although that doesn't include a TDV8. I'm worried that the government will do something like making diesel £5 a litre, or making the road tax £3000 p.a. OK, I'm exaggerating, but if they make a push to discourage the use of diesels, then my £20k car becomes an expensive millstone that I may not be able to get shot of when I want to.
What's the consensus?
I also fear that once elec cars are more obtainable the government will tax older cars off the road.
Who knows when, but I fear diesel will skyrocket, annual RFL will also.
I can see the £500 RFL price bracket doubling quite soon.
And as always, these higher taxes will hit the lower earners hardest. The people who can't afford to just go out and change their cars.
All extra taxes in the name of the environment. Wouldn't mind so much if they were spent on making public transport better and cheaper.
But no, they privatized the trains so they'll only ever get more expensive, got to keep the shareholders happy.
Rant over.
Sorry, all my ranting I forgot your original question. No I wouldn't personally.
Who knows when, but I fear diesel will skyrocket, annual RFL will also.
I can see the £500 RFL price bracket doubling quite soon.
And as always, these higher taxes will hit the lower earners hardest. The people who can't afford to just go out and change their cars.
All extra taxes in the name of the environment. Wouldn't mind so much if they were spent on making public transport better and cheaper.
But no, they privatized the trains so they'll only ever get more expensive, got to keep the shareholders happy.
Rant over.
Sorry, all my ranting I forgot your original question. No I wouldn't personally.
There’s such a massive gap between diseasel tax and petrol road tax at the moment I think you don’t need to worry. I’ve got a few cars and am spending £500+ on road tax on a few of them when diseasels are £30 or something ridiculous. Even if they moved up to a petrol tax rate ( which they won’t) it isn’t going to be more than £500 pa.
Just bought a new 40mpg car with a low road tax except it was over 40k and so I’m still going to be spending £500+ on it for tax going forwards. I can’t win....
Just bought a new 40mpg car with a low road tax except it was over 40k and so I’m still going to be spending £500+ on it for tax going forwards. I can’t win....
The regulations are set so any council setting out there own ULEZ will mean any diesel will have to be Euro6 not to pay a charge, now if you're outside London you don't need to worry for a good while yet.
I spent 20+k on my diesel this year with no concern, here's the thing people think diesels will disappear they won't Bosch has already sorted the technology that makes current diesel engines pass the Euro7 regs without the need for hybrid which bodes well for the future.
If you're looking for a large SUV I'd say get a diesel.
I spent 20+k on my diesel this year with no concern, here's the thing people think diesels will disappear they won't Bosch has already sorted the technology that makes current diesel engines pass the Euro7 regs without the need for hybrid which bodes well for the future.
If you're looking for a large SUV I'd say get a diesel.
I’d highly doubt the govt increase tax for existing vehicles (excl congestion charges) instead let them die out over time.
Sooner than people think we will be EVs everywhere & rolling out old car stock ICE but then also the classic cars and special super cars. No doubt the EVs will become massively faster than anything that an ICE can or has achieved performance wise but I’m a fan of the suck and blow (induction and exhaust)
Sooner than people think we will be EVs everywhere & rolling out old car stock ICE but then also the classic cars and special super cars. No doubt the EVs will become massively faster than anything that an ICE can or has achieved performance wise but I’m a fan of the suck and blow (induction and exhaust)
3 major (European) cities are allowed to ban Euro 6 diesels if they want. Car manufacturers all over removing them from their line up, reducing forecasts for diesel engines.
It's all downhill for diesel. NoX will quite clearly be the next tool to bash diesel.
If you want an SUV just wait for more PHEV petrols to roll out.
...in my opinion
It's all downhill for diesel. NoX will quite clearly be the next tool to bash diesel.
If you want an SUV just wait for more PHEV petrols to roll out.
...in my opinion
No, I wouldn't spend £20k on a diesel of any description now.
Not because I'm worried about ULEZ, fuel prices or RFL shooting through the roof. I would be worried about how horrendous the depreciation is going to be on a car that runs on fuel that has a very active hate campaign running against it. if you plan on keeping it forever then fair enough but I think in 4 or 5 years time dealers will be refusing to take diesels on trade in as Joe public just won't buy them.
Not because I'm worried about ULEZ, fuel prices or RFL shooting through the roof. I would be worried about how horrendous the depreciation is going to be on a car that runs on fuel that has a very active hate campaign running against it. if you plan on keeping it forever then fair enough but I think in 4 or 5 years time dealers will be refusing to take diesels on trade in as Joe public just won't buy them.
nunpuncher said:
No, I wouldn't spend £20k on a diesel of any description now.
Not because I'm worried about ULEZ, fuel prices or RFL shooting through the roof. I would be worried about how horrendous the depreciation is going to be on a car that runs on fuel that has a very active hate campaign running against it. if you plan on keeping it forever then fair enough but I think in 4 or 5 years time dealers will be refusing to take diesels on trade in as Joe public just won't buy them.
I agree with this; these were my thoughts when making the post in the first place, although I'd still be concerned about the RFL, ULEZ, etc.. Just wanted to see whether others felt the same.Not because I'm worried about ULEZ, fuel prices or RFL shooting through the roof. I would be worried about how horrendous the depreciation is going to be on a car that runs on fuel that has a very active hate campaign running against it. if you plan on keeping it forever then fair enough but I think in 4 or 5 years time dealers will be refusing to take diesels on trade in as Joe public just won't buy them.
On the upside, I now have a shortlist of 5 supercharged FFRRs to look at over the holiday period
Unfortunately it does mean going a couple of years older than the equivalent-price TDV8 (not to mention 12mpg 
) but hey, we only live once.CAPP0 said:
On the upside, I now have a shortlist of 5 supercharged FFRRs to look at over the holiday period Unfortunately it does mean going a couple of years older than the equivalent-price TDV8 (not to mention 12mpg ) but hey, we only live once.
I like your thinking. I'm in a similar boat but my "poison" is big Mercs. I have been eying-up a few GL63s for replacement of my GL350CDI. Obscene cars but you only live once. Also, we might be the last generation who can afford to run such beasts. Put like that, I feel it's an obligation. Unfortunately it does mean going a couple of years older than the equivalent-price TDV8 (not to mention 12mpg ) but hey, we only live once.Richard-390a0 said:
I'd still happily buy a £20k diesel until a petrol or EV can match it for range & fuel efficiency. It's a no brainer for me as it's still the most cost effictive option.
At the moment, doing 12k a year in a diesel doing say 42mpg (what my colleagues 520d does) with fuel at say roughly £1.30 a litre will cost you £1688 or so. A 35mpg petrol doing the same mileage but with petrol at £1.21 or so a litre costs about £1885 or so. That's a difference of about £200 a year...Buy a £19k petrol and you'd get 5 years of fuel to run it and you don't have to drive a diesel - profit!
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