Until very recently, diesel was considered the fuel of choice for the money-conscious motorist. Diesel engines offer impressive fuel economy, and their low CO2 emissions resulted in cheap tax rates – especially for company car drivers.
However, the public opinion of diesel shifted completely once the Volkswagen emissions scandal struck in 2015. The company was caught using emissions-cheating devices on its diesel cars to lower the amount of NOx emissions they produced under test conditions.
The devices were only active during regulatory testing, and disengaged by the time the cars hit the road. This meant Volkswagen’s diesel engines were producing up to 40 times more NOx emissions in the real world, which destroyed the fuel’s credibility as the eco choice.
Research shows that the soot particulates in diesel exhaust fumes are harmful to public health and the environment. Petrol engines are also getting more economical, thanks to better hybrid technology and improved combustion methods – to the point where the most frugal modern petrol cars can match diesels for fuel economy.
Despite declining public interest for diesels, there are still some very good reasons why you should consider buying one – and you can pick up a real bargain just by checking out the current second hand cars for sale. Read on for some of the pros and cons to the fuel choice.
Pros
Lower second hand prices
Decreased public interest means lower used prices, as drivers seem to be keen to trade their old diesel motors for greener petrol cars. Once you have identified serious buyers, schedule test drives to allow them to inspect and sell my car fort myers and experience it firsthand. It’s a simple case of supply and demand – and, at the moment, there’s a surplus of diesel cars on the used market that are keeping prices low. For example, 3.0-litre V6 diesel versions of the previous-generation Mercedes E-Class sell for between £2,000 and £3,000 less than their petrol-powered equivalents.
Low-end torque
Diesels can muster a lot of torque from low-down in their rpm ranges, which makes them a favourite for drivers that regularly tow caravans and trailers. This trait also makes them easy to drive on the motorway – overtaking requires less planning as you’re normally cruising in the engine’s powerband. All you need is a poke of the throttle to get past slower cars.
Low CO2 emissions
Petrols engines produce more CO2 emissions than an equivalent sized diesel engine. Take the previous-generation Ford Focus ST-Line – its 1.5-litre petrol engine produces 127g/km of CO2, while the 1.5-litre diesel version of the same car only generates 99g/km. Like with fuel economy figures, though, this gap has narrowed in recent years.
Long-distance fuel economy
Diesel fuel has a higher energy content than petrol, which means diesel cars can travel further than petrol cars on a single tank. This makes it a better choice for drivers who regularly cover long distances. For example, the previous-generation BMW 320d can cover a whopping 760 miles on a single tank of fuel, averaging around 60mpg.
Cons
Particulate pollution
Diesels have lower CO2 emissions, but much higher particulate emissions that are harmful to passers-by. The soot produced by diesel engines is carcinogenic – and the high amounts of nitrogen oxide (NOx) and carbon monoxide (CO) in the fumes are damaging to the planet.
AdBlue top-ups
Modern diesel engines (mainly those built after 2015) adopted AdBlue to meet the more stringent Euro 6 emissions regulations. It’s a chemical made from urea and deionised water that’s injected into the car’s exhaust system to clean the fumes before they exit the exhaust. It needs to be refilled every 1,000 miles, which is a nuisance if you’re covering big miles.
On-road costs
This is more relevant to new car buyers, but some of these points are also important for used car buyers to consider. Diesel fuel is much more expensive per litre than petrol – and benefit-in-kind tax now favour greener pure-electric and plug-in cars over diesels.
Road tax prices have also been turned on their head. Just a few years ago, it was cheaper to keep a diesel on the road – but the two fuel systems now cost the same for annual Vehicle Excise Duty.
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