Good time to buy a diesel car?

[vwdan]

Diesel engines are far simpler than petrol, no ignition system for a start, they are appreciably tougher by necessity of compression ignition.

Simpler to draw, but modern common rail diesels are very complicated compared to your average petrol engine. The physical block might be stronger, but the tolerances and pressures involved are huge, making the entire fuel delivery system an absolute ticking time bomb. And, when it does eventually go wrong, the bills are eye watering. That, combined with the standard addition of a turbo, if I was looking for 'bulletproof', or at least something that's reasonably easy to diagnose / fix then I'd be going for a petrol car almost any day of the week. Or an old, diesel I guess!

[PurpleGorilla]

Another + for the dirty diesel is their exhausts seem to last much longer than petrol cars. IMHO

[DimPrawn]

Simpler to draw, but modern common rail diesels are very complicated compared to your average petrol engine. The physical block might be stronger, but the tolerances and pressures involved are huge, making the entire fuel delivery system an absolute ticking time bomb. And, when it does eventually go wrong, the bills are eye watering. That, combined with the standard addition of a turbo, if I was looking for 'bulletproof', or at least something that's reasonably easy to diagnose / fix then I'd be going for a petrol car almost any day of the week. Or an old, diesel I guess!

Turbo-charged cost of diesel cars | Money | The Guardian

Petrol or diesel?

Modern diesel cars have become ever more sophisticated – but at the cost of soaring repair bills if things go wrong.

In the past diesel cars had a reputation for dependability – they were slow but economical – and the engines went on seemingly for ever with basic, regular maintenance. High pressure engine systems, dual mass flywheels and diesel particulate filters have all improved their performance or cleanliness, but the technology has also made them much more expensive to fix when they go wrong. Modern diesels appear to be more problematic if servicing is not carried out exactly as specified, with the correct grade of oil, interval etc … and they don't like a diet of short journeys, which can often be a feature of modern life.

The trouble is that it is almost impossible for a the buyer of a used diesel to tell how it was serviced, or driven, prior to the purchase. Even if it comes from a main dealer, there are no guarantees servicing has been done correctly. Once outside the three-year warranty, manufacturers rarely help, leaving drivers to pick up the bill – which can be more than the car's value.

The Mazda 6 is a perfect case in point. The petrol-engined cars are highly praised by owners for their excellent reliability. The 2.0 litre diesel models though have suffered a spate of expensive problems, including engine failures. Mazda are by no means alone in this issue.

If you commute at least 200 miles a day, mostly on motorways, diesel is the car you want.
If your journeys are short, lots of them, mostly in traffic, lots of city/town driving, petrol is the car you want.

[PurpleGorilla]

Turbo-charged cost of diesel cars | Money | The Guardian



If you commute at least 200 miles a day, mostly on motorways, diesel is the car you want.

200 a day! Stay over dude!

[LondonManc]

Less that 12k a year and petrol seems a no-brainer.

Think I'll be looking more closely into a personal lease than a PCP for my next one.

[diseasex]

Less that 12k a year and petrol seems a no-brainer.

Think I'll be looking more closely into a personal lease than a PCP for my next one.

its so much cheaper to buy 2 years old on a loan. I will never understand PCP or lease unless its exclusively for a business

[Ticktock]

If find that if you use PCP you don't really care. You can just run wherever you need to go and you don't even care.