I'm struggling with buying a petrol car...
Hi,
Trying to buy a replacement for my 1999 Avensis and the scarcity of petrols and abundance of diesels on the market baffles me. I don't think it wise to buy diesel for my standard drive of eight miles to work and home and same six days a week with road trip round 300 miles just six times a year.
This is supposedly "economical" and "green driving" even though in London it costs more for a permit going into city with diesel car and trends in London have historically impacted directly on us in three to five years. I would love to know of a diesel car 2008-2011 (for cheap tax) with no necessary DPF that I have to worry about, or will I stick to petrol believing that in five years time petrol is a more saleable/popular engine than diesel is? Then there might be a hybrid to suit. Volkswagen, Japanese or any good 1.4+ hatch or saloon suggestions?
Thanks,
Pauline.
Pauline Anne Connor (Galway)Feb 2016 Filed under: petrol vs. diesel
Expert answer
Hi Pauline,
You're absolutely 100 per cent dead right - diesel is not for everyone and especially not for those with overall low mileages and short commutes. And as the recent emissions scandal has shown us, diesel exhaust can be staggeringly bad for your health.
As for finding a diesel without a DPF filter, I'm not sure you'll be able to. In order to meet the particulate emissions legislation under EuroV and EuroVI regulations you pretty much had to have one. Some people have, of course, removed the DPF to avoid maintenance issues, but then you're just spewing out a plume of highly carcinogenic soot particles as you drive...
So, I think your best bet is to go for a compact turbocharged petrol engine or, just maybe, a hybrid. The Toyota Prius would potentially be ideal for your daily drive, but could be a bit of an over-thirsty pain on that six-time-a-year longer journey. Try instead a car fitted with the Volkswagen Group's excellent 1.2-litre TSI turbo petrol engine (Golf or Skoda Octavia are the best ones), a Ford Focus with the 1.0 EcoBoost engine or maybe an Opel Astra 1.4 Turbo. Here are a few relevant reviews for you to consult:
Ford Focus 1.0 EcoBoost review
Opel Astra GTC 1.4 Turbo review
Neil Briscoe - Complete Car Advisor@neilmbriscoe