Research by the kind fellows at Auto Express have revealed that some diesel cars have to be driven in excess of  30,000 miles a year before they become more economical than their petrol siblings.  

As expected, motorists are converting to the “derv” side in droves as fuel prices across the UK rocket, with diesel cars now accounting for over half of UK car sales.

Auto Express found that many of the popular diesel models actually cost more to run when taking into account purchase prices and other motoring related expenses.

A diesel Fiat 500 may return a staggering 72MPG, however the £2400 premium over the the equivalent petrol model means that it would need to cover a staggering 32,202 miles a year over three years before it becomes cheaper. When you consider the 500 is a “city car”, covering that kind of yearly mileage is doubtful.

The same does for many other diesel offerings,  all requiring astronomical yearly mileage to actually work out cheaper. Petrol engines have made huge advances in recent years and have closed the “efficiency gap” as emission and air quality regulations tighten.

If you are buying a new car then our advice is to do your sums,  the assumption that opting for a diesel car will save you money may not actually be correct.

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