Petrol or diesel?

statto25

I have a baby en-route and as I drive an estate, it makes sense to give it to the wife so I'm on the look out for a new car. Currently have an Avensis Tourer 2.2 diesel. Milage is approx 26000KM/16000M with 30mins/20 mile journey e/w on Primary roads to work. My current MPG is 42MPG so not hectic. I'm a bit shoe happy I have to admit. I've always had a hankering for a GTI with the MK6 being in my price range but I'm afraid my annual milage would stand against a petrol. What do you reckon folks? Diesel again or would a hot hatch (has to be 5 door for the baby) be worth a pop?

Nuw

In the current climate (pun intended), I wouldn't put my money on a diesel as there is a good chance a petrol is going to be easier to sell down the line, especially a GTI. Plus, a GTI is a totally different animal from any diesel out there, give one a test drive and if you like it, do the maths and see if you can afford the juice (you should see somewhere around 30 mpg).

colm_mcm

I would have to disagree with the above! I can't see any retrospective changes to diesel in coming the next few years. Also there is big demand for diesel golfs especially higher spec ones.

Nuw

I don't know tbh, it's just a feeling I have that the diesel will be the new evil and that people may be put off it in the future... but again just me, 

I do not have a crystal ball but certain manufacturers are moving out of diesel, certain cities are looking into banning it... etc... now, running the car is not going to be an issue, as I'm with you Colm that there probably won't be any retrospective changes, but selling it on down the line on the other hand might prove harder than it is right now (again not impossible nor even very hard, just not as easy as it is today).

My point was more in the lines of a GTI will always sell.

Special Circumstances

Any diesel car you buy now will be worthless due to age/mileage well before any significant changes in the multitude of incentives for clean, green low emissions diesel. Damn those dirty hybrids all to hell hahahahaha!

grogi

Nuw wrote: »

I don't know tbh, it's just a feeling I have that the diesel will be the new evil and that people may be put off it in the future... but again just me, 

If the tax regime changes - it will change only for newly registered vehicles - and diesels are charged more under it, a diesel purchased now will actually be extremely desirable...

Special Circumstances

Nuw wrote: »

I don't know tbh, it's just a feeling I have that the diesel will be the new evil and that people may be put off it in the future... but again just me, 

I do not have a crystal ball but certain manufacturers are moving out of diesel, certain cities are looking into banning it... etc... now, running the car is not going to be an issue, as I'm with you Colm that there probably won't be any retrospective changes, but selling it on down the line on the other hand might prove harder than it is right now (again not impossible nor even very hard, just not as easy as it is today).

My point was more in the lines of a GTI will always sell.

Do you have a link to demonstrate these cities with "severe air quality problems"?
What you don't get is cars are cleaner now than they ever have been! Period. Cows cause more particulate matter and nox pollution than diesel engines where a representative model has passed euro6 lab tests much stricter than the euro5 tests that had to be cheated on.

Nuw

grogi wrote: »

If the tax regime changes - it will change only for newly registered vehicles - and diesels are charged more under it, a diesel purchased now will actually be extremely desirable...

That actually makes a good deal of sense... never thought of it that way. As I said, my point was really about selling the car on later on. I have nothing against diesel meself and wasn't trying to start a war here...

Anyway, OP, get a GTD and the best of both world then!

statto25

Thanks for all the replies folks. I have also taken a look at the GTD and while my heart wants a GTI my head says go for the diesel. In the end it's going to be impact on my pocket that will decide ultimately. Im not tied to the VWs either. I suppose I want something that I can enjoy driving until the next kid comes along and a larger car will be a necessity. No VRSs though, I'm falling over them on the roads around here.

bazz26

If you look at used prices of the Golf GTi to a same year, mileage and spec GTD you will see there is very little difference in terms of asking prices and the GTD costs a bit more when new. I certainly think a GTi is manageable fuel wise with doing 16000 miles per year but either way if you have a heavy right foot fuel economy will suffer.

statto25

bazz26 wrote: »

If you look at used prices of the Golf GTi to a same year, mileage and spec GTD you will see there is very little difference in terms of asking prices and the GTD costs a bit more when new. I certainly think a GTi is manageable fuel wise with doing 16000 miles per year but either way if you have a heavy right foot fuel economy will suffer.

The whole point of the GTI would be the fun factor but this kind of goes out the window if you start MPG watching. I'm talking myself out of the GTI here!

bazz26

Totally agree. No point thinking about a GTi if your main aim is fuel economy but in saying that they ain't going to be a pig on juice anyway.

Would the Golf GTE be something that would suite you in the middle?

statto25

bazz26 wrote: »

Totally agree. No point thinking about a GTi if your main aim is fuel economy but in saying that they ain't going to be a pig on juice anyway.

Would the Golf GTE be something that would suite you in the middle?

Fuel economy wouldn't be a deciding factor but there is no point driving a GTI five days a week like a granny to save a few quid. It's a car that's meant to be driven in my opinion. The GTE would be way out of my price range unfortunately.

Cee-Jay-Cee

Is a 2.0GTI really going to be that sore on fuel? I ran a 98spec Integra Type R (DC2) as a daily driver for 2 years doing 12k miles a year in it and was getting 32mpg on longer runs and if I drove very easy it would 36mpg. I would have thought the Golf would be easier to run if your not ragging the bones out of it every turn about?

statto25

Cee-Jay-Cee wrote: »

Is a 2.0GTI really going to be that sore on fuel? I ran a 98spec Integra Type R (DC2) as a daily driver for 2 years doing 12k miles a year in it and was getting 32mpg on longer runs and if I drove very easy it would 36mpg. I would have thought the Golf would be easier to run if your not ragging the bones out of it every turn about?

Doing some rough calculations....it would cost around €1500 more on fuel maintaining my current milage, 35MPG from the GTI and if current fuel prices stay the same.

Sorry I was mad off...It would cost €549 extra in fuel costs

Cee-Jay-Cee

statto25 wrote: »

Doing some rough calculations....it would cost around €1500 more on fuel maintaining my current milage, 35MPG from the GTI and if current fuel prices stay the same.

Sorry I was mad off...It would cost €549 extra in fuel costs

I'd be willing to sacrifice €500 for sake of having the car I want.

Special Circumstances

Would an insignia diesel interest you at all? As a drivers car they are superior to lightweight rwd coupe.

statto25

Special Circumstances wrote: »

Would an insignia diesel interest you at all? As a drivers car they are superior to lightweight rwd coupe.

I'll pass on the insignia I'm afraid. GTI is FWD and I'll be looking for a 5 door for getting a carseat in and out.

Special Circumstances

statto25 wrote: »

I'll pass on the insignia I'm afraid. GTI is FWD and I'll be looking for a 5 door for getting a carseat in and out.

So is insignia
So is insignia

Insignia is serious drivers car.

statto25

Special Circumstances wrote: »

So is insignia
So is insignia

Insignia is serious drivers car.

Comparing an Insignia Diesel against a GTI is apples and oranges.

Special Circumstances

statto25 wrote: »

Comparing an Insignia Diesel against a GTI is apples and oranges.

Insignia serious yoke, beat all challengers, apples or oranges or kumquats
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057737694&page=5

statto25

Special Circumstances wrote: »

Insignia serious yoke, beat all challengers, apples or oranges or kumquats
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057737694&page=5

What has a GT86 to do with a Diesel Insignia? No Insignias!