Modern 6-cyl diesel or slightly older 6-cyl petrol?

commited

Hi folks,

Given the current uncertainty surround future of diesels, would you spend a reasonably significant sum on a diesel? I was originally considering buying a 11/12-reg 530d or A6 3.0 tdi quattro this year (both auto) but the recent anti-diesel press has made me think twice and consider going back to a 6-cyl petrol. Obvious advantages are that depreciation is nearly non-existent but this is offset somewhat by higher motor tax and higher fuel consumption. Favourite cars in the past were my 2 e39s - 530d/530i (Impossible to find a good one now and getting on a bit) & my 335i (broke my heart in parts cost and the suspension was a bit hard but was an incredible car).

The short list I currently have:
06-08 Lexus IS250 - Look like a bit of a bargain and reliability is attractive and I've read is surprisingly good to drive.
06-08 BMW e60 523i/525i - My love for BMWs forces me to have this on a list but I'm not sure how much I like the e60
06-08 BMW e90/91 325i - Really not a fan of the looks of the saloon/estate 3 series in this generation but I do like how they drive

Outlier choices:
06-08 Mercedes E200 - These are a little too barge-ish for my liking but do appear very well thought of by owners and I think they look great in Avantgarde/Sport
06-08 VW Golf MkV GTI - much smaller than the above but a great all-rounder, albeit with high insurance. Seem expensive for what they are though and I have a mk2 golf gti as a 2nd car..

My typical mileage varies, 1 month I may do <500 miles, but in other months like this month I've done 2.5k miles. On average, 1-2 x 250 mile return motorway trip each a month, commute through traffic 2 days a week and general domestic use, holidays to the continent etc. I also maintain my cars myself and own both the BMW & Lexus OBD systems but obviously more familiar with BMW 6's. Should also mention that I'll be looking to hold onto for 2-3 years to bridge the gap for decent PHEV/Electric cars to become a bit more affordable (330e/530e/i3/Tesla etc).

Thoughts/alternatives welcome!

exaisle

I'd stick to a diesel for now. Any changes which may come about (and that's by no means certain) will do so slowly. Governments won't try and depreciate the entire diesel car fleet overnight. You'll have plenty of warning.
The other possibility is that cleaner, less polluting diesel (eg city diesel) may become more readily available.....and improvements in the DPF's (Diesel Particulate Filters) will result in less noxious emissions...

MarkN

Someone will always buy a nice diesel Audi / BMW with the holy grail of low tax in Ireland.

I've just dropped a significant amount on a 6 cylinder diesel and it crossed my mind but look at the stock levels of the petrol equivalent - even in the U.K.

If you were buying brand new, it might be more of a factor to consider but look at the amount of people taking new 520d cars at the moment.

You're already in the patch where your potential customer is not as common due to a bigger engine, will they be put off by a possible diesel levy?

In your proposed 3 years of ownership, will all these speculative changes be announced?

Buy the car that you feel you want, particularly when it sounds like any further diesel taxes won't be your problem as you'll be in a hybrid by then.

bmwguy

My favourite cars were both my e39s too, 530i and 525i. Recently moved into an e60 525i sport and it's a lovely car. Very comfortable and the colour combination makes it stand out a bit(British Racing Green with tan leather interior). Loads of them out there and you will pick a petrol one up for peanuts more than offsetting the fuel and tax bills

exaisle

exaisle wrote: »

............ Governments won't try and depreciate the entire diesel car fleet overnight. .................

The motor tax switch in 08 more or less depreciated the entire petrol fleet overnight.

exaisle

Augeo wrote: »

The motor tax switch in 08 more or less depreciated the entire petrol fleet overnight.

It depreciated the diesel fleet too...but I think it unlikely they'll shoot themselves in the foot twice

witless_steve

I wouldn't bet against a future government deciding to raise the diesel road tax rate to higher then it is but still lower then petrol.