The debate over diesel cars against petrol powered cars has been raging for years. For many people buying a used car, the question of drivability and efficiency are very important. As technology improves, the differences between diesel and petrol in terms of performance and comfort are becoming less and less defined.

Remarkable improvements in diesel technology have removed many traditional obstacles against buying a diesel car such as engine noise and performance. Petrol cars are traditionally faster, quieter and cheaper than diesel cars, so why choose a diesel car at all?

Diesel cars inherently use less fuel than petrol cars, and in the long run this can add up to significant savings on fuel costs. Added to this are the prices of fuel with petrol being significantly more expensive than diesel, so not only will you be saving on the cost of purchasing fuel, but also using less of it. Added to this is the fact that diesel produces less C02 than petrol engines.

The differences in efficiency are even more marked when it comes to city driving, so the choice between petrol and diesel could come down to the type of driving you are doing. There is also a commonly held belief that diesel cars will have a longer life span than petrol which could reduce maintenance costs during the life of the car. A diesel engine can be expected to last twice as long as a petrol engine. This could also mean that your diesel car will be far easier to sell on with higher mileage than its petrol counterpart.

There is one other major reason for choosing diesel over petrol. VAT can be reclaimed on diesel costs once the vehicle is used for commercial purposes and exceeds a minimum yearly kilometre usage as set by the Government.

Benefits of a diesel engine include:
	Much longer engine life
	Lower C02 emission
	Ideal for city driving
	Less gear changes needed
	Highly Reliable
	More efficient than petrol engines
If you are going to be doing more open road driving than city driving, and a more responsive and quieter engine is important to you, a petrol engine would be more suited. Petrol engines allow for faster revs, better performance and are generally cheaper to repair. High performance car producers are only produced in petrol which will give you a greater choice of car.
Advantages of a petrol engine include: Less engine noise Faster revving Petrol engines are more responsive than diesel engines Petrol engines are cheaper to repair