Any new car buyers considering petrol this time around?

Comhrá

Just wondering if there's anyone here on Boards who's considering a new (as in brand new) car purchase and thinking of reverting to petrol from previous diesel buys.

There's a lot of conjecture about a resurgence of petrol cars but is there any actual evidence it's starting to happen yet?

I'm tentatively planning a new car purchase for 2016 (petrol) but I'm anxious to ascertain if I won't lose my pants on residuals two or three years on.

Atlantic Dawn

I would be of the opinion that as there are so few petrols around that it should hold its value well, particularly as there will be so many people stung buying diesels from 2008 on who will have had the DPF issues because they should have never bought a diesel in the first place and will only want to buy a petrol.

bazz26

Totally depends on the car in question. If it's something like a Golf or Polo size car then it will still have a reasonable desirability to people who do very little driving. If it's something like a Passat, Avensis or bigger then it will be very difficult to sell on assuming a dealer will be able to source you one in the first place.

Henry Ford III

I switched back to petrol this year. Delighted that I did too.

moby2101

My new motor next year is going to be petrol......can't wait!!!

Gael23

With the difference in fuel prices, Diesel is the only way at the moment.

Special Circumstances

Gael23 wrote: »

With the difference in fuel prices, Diesel is the only way at the moment.

I hope the greens who put the extra 10c on petrol are choking on particulates every day.

Stallingrad

Switched from diesel to petrol last time around and delighted I did. So much more refined, suits the car so much better, and consumption is only just short of the diesel (Focus 2.0Tdci v Passat 1.4tsi.)

bazz26

Gael23 wrote: »

With the difference in fuel prices, Diesel is the only way at the moment.

There is more to it than just a headline saving at the pump.

noelf

Volkswagen Ireland won't be bringing in the one litre petrol Golf as demand would be too low .. source www.completecar.ie

umop apisdn

Our family bought nothing but diesel cars since the 80's. (In the days diesel was almost half the price of petrol, and far better value than it is now)
In the last 5 years we've all switched over to petrol.
Diesel cars have gone from being simple, bulletproof, reliable and cheap to maintain, to being unreliable, temperamental and costly to maintain. Diesel cars now require a plethora of bolt on expensive and unreliable technologies to meet environmental requirements etc, and I hate the way they drive compared to petrol cars, and are a pain in the hole in Irish winters. Having said that, if I was ever back doing high miles again, I'd have to buy a diesel, but I wouldn't be too thrilled about it. It's also hard to find a clean, properly maintained and well looked after used diesel in Ireland. Most of them are dog rough.

bazz26

Petrol engines are heading down that route too. Smaller capacity with turbos slapped on them, etc all to meet stricter regulations.

umop apisdn

umop apisdn wrote: »

It's also hard to find a clean, properly maintained and well looked after used diesel in Ireland. Most of them are dog rough.

My diesel - which is on its way out the door to be replaced by a new petrol - is a properly maintained 5 year old 1.9 Octavia with much lower mileage than you'd normally see on a diesel car of that age. It drives really well, and I have no doubt that the dealer who is taking it off me will do OK out of it - but feck it, I'm doing alright on the deal as well.

But in reference to the OP, I wanted something new, and as I'm doing about 14-15 thousand kms a year diesel doesn't make sense for me, so petrol it is.

Lemlin

My wife and I probably do high enough mileage but alot of it is short trips in the local area. I'm assuming a new petrol would suit us better?

We have a diesel that we can use for longer trips when needed.

NIMAN

Seriously considered petrol when I changed at the start of the year, but still diesel for now.

Next time round in 3yrs might well be a petrol if they have squeezed some extra mpg out of them, or might even head down the EV route

bazz26

Lemlin wrote: »

My wife and I probably do high enough mileage but alot of it is short trips in the local area. I'm assuming a new petrol would suit us better?

We have a diesel that we can use for longer trips when needed.

Why not consider a hybrid then?

Lemlin

bazz26 wrote: »

Why not consider a hybrid then?

Hybrids tend to be more expensive. We're on a 15k or so budget. Currently thinking about a Skoda Fabia Combi or a Seat Ibiza 5 door Estate.

PukkaStukka

Someone in this thread commented that diesels are expensively complicated and unreliable. Someone else also commented that modern petrol engines have also gone the same way with turbos, direct injection and a whole host of other mechanical steroids to drag ever increasing levels of power from puny displacements. I agree with these opinions and unfortunately sets out the direction that the technology for both petrol and diesels have gone. We (and in some instances the EU) want cars that go faster, use less fuel, are kinder to the environment, plus are safer with the consequence that the cars become heavier due to the safety / NCAP effect. It for all of the these reasons that we are in the situation we are with the complexity of our power plants, and I don't think there are many new diesels - and even perhaps petrols as well - that don't have some inherent predisposition to one type of problem or another. Hands up those who heard of a dual mass flywheel or diesel particulate filter 10 years ago....?