Would you buy a diesel car now?

I will probably be looking to change within the next 18 months. Although my annual mileage has reduced somewhat through increased working from home, it's still around 40K km a year.

I currently drive a 3.0 TDI A6 (2010) and I can't afford a brand new version of it. Most of the current EV/hybrid alternatives are frankly shyte by comparison (in my opinion), and not suited to my mileage, budget, or requirements anyway.
I also rent and have no driveway, so don't have the luxury of installing charging infrastructure. There's also nothing at my place of work 80km away.

Come back to me when I can buy the equivalent to what I have now, for the same used car money I paid for it, and will do the same range with the same "refil" time. Alternatively, let me know when I can rent a place closer to work without paying
almost double what I pay now.

As such, yes I'll be buying another diesel.

FFVII wrote: »

They're in for 5 years, you'll forget in a couple days.

Not true.

People are still talking about how the Greens told us diesel cars were the ones to buy in 2008.

I heard Eamon Ryan asked about it leading up to the election on more than one occasion.

PaulRyan97 wrote: »

You're definitely a legitimate use case for a diesel vehicle, sorry if this thread is coming off as an attack against people like you, my main gripe is people buying diesels who have no use for them (i.e for the school run or driving from the suburbs to town etc).

May I ask how much the 2010 A6 cost you?

Few years ago now, but cost about 19k with trade-in from a dealer with 6 month full warranty.

Was a high mileage UK import but I've since put just under another 200k km on it and it's still going strong

I agree with your central point though.. diesels are meant to be driven, and will lead to expensive issues if not (aside from anything else). If you're an urban dweller who only does a few thusand km a year, diesel isn't for you.

Unfortunately Government tax policy from 2008 onwards encouraged a massive shift towards them and with the reality of cars being a lot more reliable nowadays (helped by the NCT requirement in part), so petrols became alnost extinct in most segments, and it's going to take a long time to change that.
Additionally there is the problem of woefully inadequate (or non-existant) public transport alternatives outside of the main towns and cities, necessitating car ownership and generally diesels (20 minutes at 100 km/h in say Cavan is very different to 20 minutes in Dublin City Centre).

Plus, most new cars out there are on finance deals like PCP, and that in itself is a big problem if and indeed when the next financial crash happens as there'll be a glut of "unsellable" diesel cars out there.

They're going nowhere for at least another 20 years I reckon.

2million cars registered on the road , About 4 k of them electric, new car sales between 60 -100 k a year ,even if electric car sales increased ten fold it will take 20 to 30 years before they are the majority
, if ever

Absolutely would. In the market shortly for something to replace our 11 year old Kuga which is starting to become less reliable, and with a 4 week old we need something newer. Can't afford a newer hybrid in most models, and with mileage being quite high, and living in a very rural spot, diesel is our only real choice. Green driving is still a luxury I'm afraid. And Eamon Ryan reckons rural areas should only need one car for every 3 homes... Jesus wept

tuxy wrote: »

Yikes, is that common for that model?

Not hugely, but it has 250,000km on it, and has the bones shaken out of it every day on the lanes where we live.. time to upgrade

I wonder if this same conversation took place over one hundred years ago regardihg the demise of the steam engine?

Steve wrote: »

Hold out till we see what shower of eejits actually get in.

Personally, I'll not be giving up my TDi any time soon.

€280 vs €1200 equivalent road tax for 170 BHP is a no brainer and half the fuel cost.

I'm driving a Lexus IS300H, tax is €190 for the year and 210 BHP

Top_Guy wrote: »

With it looking like the Greens will come into power, I've heard lots of people say that the tax on diesels will become prohibitively expensive in the next few years.

I'm in the market for a new car at the moment and theres a lot of diesels knocking around - however I'm not sure if I should take the plunge or not. Would you buy a diesel still? Interested in hearing peoples opinions on this.

If the Greens come into power I'd advise you to buy a donkey and cart.

adrian92 wrote: »

I wonder if this same conversation took place over one hundred years ago regardihg the demise of the steam engine?

I doubt it because the number of privately owned cars was tiny compared to today. The number of steam cars a fraction of that.

The ICE was seen as a great advance and was well established by 1920 anyway.

elperello wrote: »

E Ryan made a hash of explaining that proposal but it was seized upon as a stick to beat the Greens.

As far as I can see what he meant was a kind of Go Car option for small towns.

The sort of thing that might allow people the option of only owning one car if they wanted.

I'm no trying to beat the greens with any stick.. I'd be happy to drive hybrid if I could afford one, (while I have to keep the landcruiser for heavy towing). But the way we live now is not comparable to a few generations back. Many of the families near us have no choice but communte medium to long distance to work.. and the green ideas need to be workable outside of urban centres if they are to be implemented bacross the board (and I include rural towns in that)