I am a first time buyer should I get a diesel car or petrol?

Question

And what car would be good for insurance and overall cost. I want the best for overall general every day use the most cost effective.

Answer 1

Not enough Info

New Cars, the Diesel makes a lot of sense, but they have come a long way in the last couple of years, and there are some old designs out there. Diesel is more economical, but less refined than petrol, also the inability to rev out makes overtaking difficult.

Old Cars the diesel makes little sense as the values are higher so the fuel saving is bought by higher costs, not least more frequent services.

It is about what you need, If you have 5 kids to transport a Ford Ka probably is not the optimum equally if it is just you commuting 50 miles a day on Motorways etc a nice turbo diesel 2/3 seat sports car is just the job and do you know what, nobody makes one.

Far more important than generalities is do you like the specific model, can you get in and out, see out, is it comfortable, all things which become apparent on a test drive. As a baseline try a Honda Jazz 5 door, good visibility, easy to get in and out as the seats are high, logical controls, good use of interior space, even Clarkson liked it, they can be expensive but hold their value but it puts other small cars into context.

Answer 2

In my experience a diesel is better.

I've recently changed my car from a 1.6 16v Petrol Astra (1996 N) to a 1.6 8v Diesel C3 (2005 05).

The 0-60 on both cars is supposed to be about the same. The petrol was doing about 35 miles to a gallon and the diesel is doing about 50 miles to a gallon.

Also, the tax for a year on the petrol is £175 and for the diesel it's just £50. My insurance also came down by about £30.

P.S. I nearly s**t myself in the diesel the first time I overtook something it responded a lot better than I thought it would (and no turbo on it!)

Answer 3

diesel have stronger engines a bit sluggish but run well when speed is up a little bit the best car Ive known of is the corsa turbo diesel wow what a great little moter cheap on insurance and reliable . I am more into vans now as boy does the motocross scene but from the pass of having cars that is the way i would go diesel and do yourself a favour go to some local showrooms/garages and take test drives you don't need to buy the first car you try but you can get a fill of all cars and wot u like and then go back and get the best deal you can possibly get hope this helps and good luck for passing your test the freedom you have now with licence and car is great

Answer 4

That depends where you live, in the UK , I would go with Diesel if you are a high milage driver, because your fuel consumption is far better. The down side is when things go wrong service charges are usually higher, as diesel technology improves these cars are getting better .

As far as car tax goes obviously the smaller the engine capacity the better, with under 1000cc being the cheapest and going up, that all depends on your budget and style, a car that small may not suit long drives but be great for town use.

Answer 5

Either a diesel or a 1 litre petrol car. Anything that's economical is normally cheap to tax & insure too. Don't forget to haggle & take a look at parkers.com to make sure you don't pay over the odds for your new car.

Answer 6

Well your first car eh,...with today's technolgy most compact cars are very fuel efficieant now these days. the quality depends on your initial budget! An old petrol car is a second choice if you can bare the sound of a diesel engine!

Answer 7

Diesel fuel is cheaper and you get more mpg/kmpl, but the Road Tax is quite a lot more expensive.

You cannot get a diesel with automatic transmission. One day I'll understand the techical reasons behind that when I need to know, but I'm not a motor mechanic.

Answer 8

about town for work and groceries get a diesel, if your young and have friends get a petrol. ya can't cruise and look cool in a diesel. if you opt for a diesel get a turbo charged version. otherwise you'll have no chance of overtaking a 17 year old in a 1.3 escort with a 1.8 diesel

Answer 9

Both have their advantages, Diesel cars last longer but they are more expensive to run and buy, plus they are harder to stall if you are quite new to driving. Petrol cars are cheaper to insure and cheaper to run. Avoid French cars, and Rovers they are a nightamre to get parts for, I would recommend something smaller like a Corsa, very easy to drive and good fuel consumption and plenty garages can service them

Answer 10

diesel cars are less on fuel but can be more expensive on insurance, but petrol cars are heavier on fuel and less on insurance, overall i have had a petrol car and a diesel and i feel that my diesel is better