New petrol vs. diesel prices

Diesel were traditionally more expensive but once tax and vrt was based on co2, diiesel cars became cheaper.

Of course they were then massively in favour - cheaper to buy, cheaper to tax and cheaper to run.

Diesel is now no longer the environmental choice and petrol hybrids and EV are more in favour and even though vrt and nox is tiny on those, they are still working out expensive.

At the end of the day its demand in my opinion.

Petrol won't be sold beyond 2030 either if the lofty claims are to be believed so that's not the reason.

Some of the reasons I can think of why diesel cars might be cheaper now are that diesel has been demonised over the last few years as the devil's juice responsible for all the world's climate change problems so demand has dropped. Another reason is that since the pandemic people have changed their driving habits and many no longer do long commutes so petrol/hybrids and electric are more viable options that would not have been. So increased demand attracts higher prices.

Cheapest Octavia is a 110bhp 1.0tsi that's almost 3k less than the 116bhp 2.0tdi.

If you're doing low miles the diesel wouldn't suit so in this particular case the petrol is cheaper.

Equivalent is very subjective of course.

With wfh etc I reckon lots of diesels have rarely gotten to operating temp over the last 2 years.

Petrol RS was always dearer new than the diesel one.

I'd consider the golf GTD being priced prohibitively high TBH. The Octavia diesel is great value in comparison.