Small diesel cars and vans are often not the bargain they appear to be, says the car review website dogandlemon.com.
Dogandlemon.com editor Clive Matthew-Wilson says:
“Many motorists are looking to diesels as a way of saving money. Sadly, a diesel is false economy for most motorists.”
“Diesel-powered vehicles are generally far more expensive to buy, because they’re more expensive to build at the factory. The higher up-front cost means you’ll be several thousand more dollars out of pocket before you’ve even driven the vehicle.”
“The AA has stated that diesels really only start to make sense for people travelling more than 15,000km per year. Our own studies show that people travelling less than this are likely to actually lose money rather than save money by buying a diesel vehicle.”
Even in England, where petrol prices are ruinously high, diesel vehicles are often false economy. Analysis by car valuation firm Glass’s Guide, showed that buying a second hand diesel only makes sense if you are driving at least 16,000 kilometres per year.
According to Glass’s Guide: “The majority of owners of diesel cars in the UK are throwing money down the drain”.
Matthew-Wilson says that diesels make more sense for commercial drivers, because the extra costs are tax-deductible.
However, Matthew-Wilson warns:
“Many modern diesels have lost the sturdy reliability that you could take for granted on diesels thirty years ago. As a general rule, the smaller and the more high-tech the engine, the more problems it gives.
“My advice to small car and van buyers is to avoid diesels altogether unless you’re a commercial operator and/or unless you’re going to be driving really, really high mileages. Otherwise you’re likely to lose more than you save.”
