SHOULD I BUY A DIESEL

el_prez

Hello
Another car buying question.

 Looking to buy a used automatic car 2 to 4 years old. Have noticed at local Lookers dealers have a couple of diesels with good spec, average mileage well within my budget

I haven't got a car at the moment but when I have one only do about 6000 miles a year mainly urban driving. I also intend to trade in every two years. So my question is it a good idea to buy a diesel would I take a big hit at trade in. Thanks

oh_really

Due to potential DPF issues a diesel may not be for you.

daveyjp

None of the opening post gives any good reason to buy a diesel.

Lots of petrol autos will be in budget with good spec and average mileage.  Unless you buy a shed you will generally lose money when trading in.

forgotmyname

I do lots of short journeys and have a diesel. No issues at all.  I chose wisely and picked a diesel that can regen
at any speed not something that requires higher revs. My car will happily regen whilst sitting in traffic.

Grumpy_chap

el_prez said:

I haven't got a car at the moment but when I have one only do about 6000 miles a year mainly urban driving.
So my question is it a good idea to buy a diesel

No.  It is not a good idea given a low mileage and urban use profile - you may experience DPF issues and/or find you need to do long runs just to activate the regeneration cycle.

DrEskimo

If the diesel is more expensive, and diesel prices are more expensive than petrol, it's unlikely you will get any economic advantage over the petrol at that mileage. Moreover I I would anticipate higher depreciation.

Have you considered an EV? 

Explorer87

If you’re changing every 2 years, what does it matter? 

I got a diesel and love it. Cheap on tax, decent fuel consumption on long journeys, I’m doing 80mile a day. 

angrycrow

Explorer87 said:

I got a diesel and love it. Cheap on tax, decent fuel consumption on long journeys, I’m doing 80mile a day. 

And this is exactly the correct usage profile for diesel ownership, 20k miles a year will keep it running well and you are unlikely to have dpf issues.

The op however only intends to do 6k miles a year in stop start traffic so will almost certainly end up with issues due to the dpf not being able to regenerate and becoming blocked.

OP usage would much better suit a petrol engine. 

mobileron

Just sold my 7 year old skoda superb diesel,never had a single problem with it,only 60k on the clock.
I ensured it got a monthly motorway thrash, a couple of bottles of Forte and a carbon clean.
Dealer resold it in 24 hours,yes i bought another one.
Just make sure u drive in the right gears keep the revs high.

Username03725

forgotmyname said:

I do lots of short journeys and have a diesel. No issues at all.  I chose wisely and picked a diesel that can regen
at any speed not something that requires higher revs. My car will happily regen whilst sitting in traffic.

Virtually all DPF regen is done at speeds that include low speeds; it's time that matters not speed, which is why I cringe when I see advice to clear a DPF by going for a burn-up on a dual c/way or m/way in a lower gear. No - just drive somewhere that allows continuous speeds at running temp for 30 minutes or more, to give it time to burn the soot off. 

OP - if you fancy this diesel buy it and enjoy, but recognise that once in a while every few months you'll do it a favour by going for a longish drive to keep things in order if your normal usage doesn't include that, and do the same if or when the DPF light comes on. Time not speed is the key.

el_prez

Thanks everyone