Petrol or Diesel

AdrianHi

jase.2 wrote: »

Im in very similar decision making situation to others :-(

Ive been offered 2 new BMW 318 cars one diesel one petrol, the difference in the cost to change is only £350 not the £1975 difference between the book prices of the two cars.

With the mpg of the diesel at 60 and the petrol at 47 it seems like a no brainer to pay the extra £350 and go for the diesel however im worried that if diesel prices continue to rise faster the bottom may fall out the part ex / used car market and leave me with a car thats now worth less than the petrol version .........

Decisions Decisions.........

I own a November 2005 BMW 320d and the latest 318i 320i 318d and 320d are the first cars I do the sums on.
If it is all down to which is the cheaper total cost of ownership right now the 318i and 320i are already cheaper than the diesel equivalents until you say there is only a £350 premium on the diesel.
When I said above January to June 2009 was when diesel becomes more expensive on fuel alone, it's the efficient dynamics 318i / 318d that crosses that threshold first in January 2009.
The only reason I might pick a 320d over 320i today is for the more torquey power delivery.
For company car drivers the 318i was cheaper before efficient dynamics narrowed the gap further.
According to What Car? real costs for 36 months and 36,000 miles a 318i will be about £500 cheaper over the whole period than 318d, but that does not account for only a £350 diesel purchase price premium.