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Is Diesel right for you - 13/06/2012

Is Diesel right for you

Unless you drive more than 10,000 miles a year, you are unlikely to save any money by opting for a second-hand diesel over a petrol-engined vehicle.

That’s according to Glass’s Guide, the industry publisher of used car values. In recent years, says Glass’s, the difference between the price of three-year-old petrol and diesel models has increased noticeably. Rising fuel prices have played a part, but so have advances in diesel engine technology. In many cases, today’s diesels run as quietly and smoothly as their petrol equivalents, which was not the case a decade ago. They also offer some practical advantages over petrol models, such as better torque figures.

The average cost of a new family-sized diesel is now £1,300 more than its petrol equivalent. And due to increased demand, this is magnified in the second hand market where the difference is up to £2,000 for a three-year-old family car. So, if you buy a three-year-old diesel and drive less than 10,000 miles a year, you are unlikely to recover this money over an average three-year length of ownership.

“More used diesels are coming on to the market, and with new diesel car sales surpassing petrol last year we are only going to see an increase in the numbers available on the second-hand market,” Adrian Rushmore ofGlass’s Guide said. “This increased availability should stop used car prices rising too much further.

“The 10,000-mile figure is the ‘magic number’ consumers should use to guide their choice – if you’re driving 5,000 miles for example, you definitely don’t want to buy a diesel on economic grounds.”