I'm looking for a used car and I don't know whether to go for diesel or petrol. I do about 15,000 km a year, mostly city driving and some motorway trips. A friend tells me that diesels aren't worth it anymore because of taxes, but I still see plenty of offers at low prices.
I'm honestly just a stay-at-home dad who plays video games when the kids are asleep, but I had to deal with this problem too when I was looking for a car for my daily drives. With 15,000 km a year mostly in the city, diesel is basically not recommended, sorry for being so blunt about it but that's just how it is. Diesel makes sense when you do a lot of driving, like 20-25,000 km a year minimum, because fuel consumption is lower but you've got higher maintenance costs (particulate filter, injectors, all that stuff that costs money) and taxes have gone up. If you're in the city, modern petrol cars these days work great, even small turbocharged engines don't use much fuel.
What you're seeing are low prices because the market is shifting and a lot of sellers are trying to get rid of their diesel cars. The low price is tempting, sure, but think about the real costs: insurance, road tax, maintenance and fuel. Petrol makes more sense for your mileage. If you really want to save on the purchase, look at used LPG cars if you find something decent, or a small hybrid petrol if your budget allows it. It also depends on the year of the car and its general condition, but based just on the engine type and how you're using it, diesel isn't the right choice.
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