I've been eyeing a used Peugeot 308 for two years now and there are both diesel and petrol options in the same price range. With all the tax changes and fuel stations closing, I'm not sure which one makes more sense for me in the long run. Has anyone dealt with this recently?
in my area the diesel gas stations disappeared over the last few years and i know people who ended up with diesel cars and couldn't refuel easily, so i'd go with petrol without hesitating! plus diesel maintenance is more expensive when you need to service injectors and stuff like that, and if you only do normal driving you won't make up the price difference in fuel costs
Don't just go by the car's initial price - that's the mistake a lot of people make. What really matters is how much you're going to drive annually and how long you plan to keep the car. If you do less than 15,000 km a year or you're going to sell it in three or four years, gasoline is probably the better choice because diesels need long distances to make up for their higher initial and maintenance costs. Fuel injectors, particulate filters, and diesel engine repairs are more expensive if something goes wrong.
That said, if you drive quite a bit (more than 20,000 km annually) and plan to keep the car for at least five years, diesel is still more economical on fuel, though I'll admit the gap has narrowed compared to a decade ago. The issue of gas stations closing is real in some places, but most major cities still have good diesel coverage. What has changed is that some municipalities have started to discourage diesels with restrictions or higher taxes, so it's worth checking if your area has anything like that.
My advice: look at how many km you typically do in a month and calculate the fuel cost for both options over a five-year period. Add the maintenance (diesel is pricier there) and compare. The 308 is reliable in both versions, so the decision really comes down to your driving pattern, not which one is "better" in general.
Diesel makes sense if you drive a lot on the highway (more than 20,000 km annually) and you're going to keep it for several years, but in 2026 the equation has changed quite a bit: there are fewer and fewer diesel gas stations in several countries, taxes on those engines are going up, and specific spare parts are more expensive. Before you decide, check how many diesel gas stations there actually are in your regular driving area - if you have to make detours to fill up, you're already losing the economic advantage. The 308's gasoline gives you more flexibility, fewer maintenance headaches, and better resale value when you want to switch cars, so unless you're driving significant annual mileage numbers, I'd go with pure gasoline.
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