Are diesel cars an option for a low mileage use?

[woof woof]

I still favour the F-Pace, I see less of them and I'm sure reviews have claimed they handle better? I'm not sure how good the AWD system is though, should you be looking to go off-road.

The original and long lasting idea going back decades was to get a LR but in recent times the Jag has come along and I do like the look of them but although Mrs WW is ok with the idea of a 4x4 (she has one back in Thailand) she thinks the Jag looks old fashioned so for peace at home and to stick with he original idea maybe I should come to prefer the LR options

 

[woof woof]

Thanks all for contributing and for reminding me why a diesel may not be a great idea for my low mileage and very mostly sub 50mph use.

For the sake of harmony on the forum I'll end this here. Decision made. Diesel is out of the running due to DPF concerns.

 

[broc]

And electric could well be a planet killer plus I read yesterday that electric car chargers may turn off during peak demand which begs the question of what happens when they're allowed to turn on again? Will the new turn on time be the new peak demand time requiring charging to be stopped again and started at some other and soon to be the new peak demand time?

The answer is obvious. We should live in huts made from sustainably sourced reeds, live on beans, never travel more than 15 miles from our reed hut and have a life expectancy of 25 as we did all those eons ago.

I wonder if this 'feature' of being able to turn off the charger depends upon having a 'smart' meter, or is the charger networked in some way?

 

[Nod]

Ours is wired straight into the distribution board on a 40A breaker.

 

[gman]

Thanks all for contributing and for reminding me why a diesel may not be a great idea for my low mileage and very mostly sub 50mph use.

For the sake of harmony on the forum I'll end this here. Decision made. Diesel is out of the running due to DPF concerns.

I think in the long term you'll be happier with a quieter more refined petrol, especially if doing lower speeds. Good luck with the search!

 

[Cobra]

you asked for "Any advice on the suitability of a diesel 4x4 for low millage use would be welcome!"

I gave it
its an appalling idea, i generally thought better of you mate.

I'm pretty sure he wasn't looking for an XR point of view though.

 

[woof woof]

I wonder if this 'feature' of being able to turn off the charger depends upon having a 'smart' meter, or is the charger networked in some way?

It's not impossible and possibly only a matter of time before smart meters become mandatory. And not to harp on about this too much but I think that although electric can make sense now for some people and even for the likes of me mass adoption of electric vehicles could be very problematic. If it happens. Time will tell.

I think in the long term you'll be happier with a quieter more refined petrol, especially if doing lower speeds. Good luck with the search!

Thanks.

The thing that made me briefly consider diesel is that there's more choice and they're cheaper or even significantly cheaper than the petrol versions but the potential DPF issues could be real issues for me as most of my runs are short or relatively short and mostly at the most 50mph.

It'll take me a while longer to decide what I'm going to do but at least my shortlist is now petrol only.

Thanks again all.

 

[Brentor]

I have had diesel cars for the past 25 years or so, I am a fan but do longer trips than you. They used to be more expensive than petrol, not sure this is the case now with new cars and used ones are often cheaper. You may get a good deal on a used one now but you could lose out in the long term as they become less and less popular. Would I recommend one for your type of trips, no. We have petrol versions for our town cars. I could ask why you want a 4x4 for your travel, but its your choice.

 

[woof woof]

I have had diesel cars for the past 25 years or so, I am a fan but do longer trips than you. They used to be more expensive than petrol, not sure this is the case now with new cars and used ones are often cheaper. You may get a good deal on a used one now but you could lose out in the long term as they become less and less popular. Would I recommend one for your type of trips, no. We have petrol versions for our town cars. I could ask why you want a 4x4 for your travel, but its your choice.

It's just that I've been car mad since I was little. I'd go anywhere to be on a bus or in a car and I watch the driver and couldn't wait to be able to drive. When I was 17 I immediately started lessons and bought my first car (a Mini) before I passed my test. That car was followed by another Mini which was my first new car, my next car was a Midget and I then had a succession of open cars. I had saloons as company cars but bought my first later in life, a Jag S, but then went back to an open car and inherited a hatch back. Being car mad I've always sort of wanted a 4x4 as it's a different sort of car and I wanted to experience them all but to date I haven't had one so I thought it was about time

 

[Neilc28]

I’ve had DPF and EGR issues on my previous BMW, Merc and Audi.

Diesel and short journeys simply don’t go together anymore. Must’ve spent 6k easily on rectifying these wretched issues.

Petrol all the way for me next

 

[robj20]

I’ve had DPF and EGR issues on my previous BMW, Merc and Audi.

Diesel and short journeys simply don’t go together anymore. Must’ve spent 6k easily on rectifying these wretched issues.

Petrol all the way for me next

Completely depends on the DPF system fitted, don't tar all the same.
The one on mine makes it no different to a petrol car to look after.

 

[Neilc28]

Completely depends on the DPF system fitted, don't tar all the same.
The one on mine makes it no different to a petrol car to look after.

That may be the case but I’ve suffered 100% failure rate of the DPF and EGR components across those 3 brands. Meanwhile the diesels I had pre DPF requirement were pretty flawless.

What car do you have out of curiosity?

 

[robj20]

That may be the case but I’ve suffered 100% failure rate of the DPF and EGR components across those 3 brands. Meanwhile the diesels I had pre DPF requirement were pretty flawless.

What car do you have out of curiosity?

Mk5 Ford Mondeo. Only requirement for a regen is the car up to temp, other than that it will do it regardless. Even sat in traffic or at lights

 

[woof woof]

Mk5 Ford Mondeo. Only requirement for a regen is the car up to temp, other than that it will do it regardless. Even sat in traffic or at lights

I wonder why the Ford is problem free whist others have so many issues and if this can be the case for a car why not the 4x4 class, any ideas?

Unfortunately Ford are on my blacklist as I had years of motoring anarchy with Ford and their miserable dealers back when I had them as company cars. These days the cars may be completely different, probably made in different factories in different countries but those awful cars and hateful dealers soured me for life and I'll not go near them again.

 

[wyx087]

Some petrol cars are also said to be fitted with particulate filters

What is a petrol particulate filter and how does it work?

Diesel cars have been fitted with particulate filters for years, and now petrol cars are getting them as well in order to reduce pollution

www.whatcar.com

But good thing is manufacturers say they are maintenance-free (what did they say when they introduce diesel filters?)

How about a PHEV? If daily miles fit within the EV ranges.

 

[LCPete]

I wonder why the Ford is problem free whist others have so many issues and if this can be the case for a car why not the 4x4 class, any ideas?

Unfortunately Ford are on my blacklist as I had years of motoring anarchy with Ford and their miserable dealers back when I had them as company cars. These days the cars may be completely different, probably made in different factories in different countries but those awful cars and hateful dealers soured me for life and I'll not go near them again.

To be honest I feel the same way about buying a Ford again
I swore never to buy a Ford car again after the way the doors rotted away so quickly on our Mondeo
I’m not sure if it’s accurate but I read that they used substandard steel at the time
I’m probably being irrational but I bought a Pergeot afterwards and even when we sold it years afterwards it didn’t have a spot of rust

 

[woof woof]

Some petrol cars are also said to be fitted with particulate filters

What is a petrol particulate filter and how does it work?

Diesel cars have been fitted with particulate filters for years, and now petrol cars are getting them as well in order to reduce pollution

www.whatcar.com

But good thing is manufacturers say they are maintenance-free (what did they say when they introduce diesel filters?)

How about a PHEV? If daily miles fit within the EV ranges.

There aren't many hybrid 4x4's on the used market and they're expensive, ditto electric and for the reasons above, practicality, lack of infrastructure and worries about the environmental implications if electric really takes off, I don't think I'll be likely to be looking at electric in my driving lifetime. Not in a backwater in the NE of England far from any trendy city and with a 92 YO to care for and ferry about. Good luck to those who have them and I'm sure they don't do any significant harm in the relatively small numbers they currently exist in but if the numbers explode upwards I think we could see real issues.

 

[Peter123]

I test drove a Rav 4 petrol hybrid recently. A "lightweight" 4x4 and the mpg was in the low 50's for the non-motorway route I took.
10 year guarantee with a new one.

 

[wyx087]

There aren't many hybrid 4x4's on the used market and they're expensive, ditto electric and for the reasons above, practicality, lack of infrastructure and worries about the environmental implications if electric really takes off, I don't think I'll be likely to be looking at electric in my driving lifetime. Not in a backwater in the NE of England far from any trendy city and with a 92 YO to care for and ferry about. Good luck to those who have them and I'm sure they don't do any significant harm in the relatively small numbers they currently exist in but if the numbers explode upwards I think we could see real issues.

With PHEV, as long as you plug in at home, you can do ~30 miles on electric every day without ever firing up the fossil fuel engine worrying about the emission equipment or even consider the public charging infrastructure.

Do any of these PHEV SUV tickle your fancy?

Best hybrid SUVs to buy 2026 | Auto Express

Plenty of SUVs now come with hybrid power, and we’ve picked out the very best buys on today’s market

www.autoexpress.co.uk

There are many second hand ones for less than £10k: (though no Jag)

New & Used Cars for Sale - Autotrader UK

www.autotrader.co.uk

I won't turn this into another EV thread. But do keep in mind that hybrids are not EV. They are prominently still fossil fuel powered. The only difference is that PHEV allows you to plug in at home for your short daily miles.


Although one point to keep in mind is that if your journey pattern is a single 50+ mile usage every other week. You are still classed as low annual mileage, but you can safely buy diesel vehicle because each run is sufficient to not worry about DPF. This is my usage pattern for my diesel. only 4000 miles last MOT. No problem with its DPF.

 

[robj20]

I wonder why the Ford is problem free whist others have so many issues and if this can be the case for a car why not the 4x4 class, any ideas?

Unfortunately Ford are on my blacklist as I had years of motoring anarchy with Ford and their miserable dealers back when I had them as company cars. These days the cars may be completely different, probably made in different factories in different countries but those awful cars and hateful dealers soured me for life and I'll not go near them again.

It's a different system from what I know, a fully active one it doesn't wait for the DPF to be a certain temperature it's capable of heating it up. I think it's also much closer to the engine so again it's hotter all the time.

 

[woof woof]

Thanks guys and I'm sure they're nice cars but the point of this was / is to look at getting a J/LR 4x4 and when looking at those the options are a bit limited and as far as I can see start at mid £40k+ for a used one. That's not impossible as in reality I suppose I can afford any car JLR make apart from the custom built for oil rich oligarchs jobbies but in reality there's going to be a limit to what I'm willing to pay for a car when I could get an acceptable petrol version for £10k-£15k less.

 

[woof woof]

It's a different system from what I know, a fully active one it doesn't wait for the DPF to be a certain temperature it's capable of heating it up. I think it's also much closer to the engine so again it's hotter all the time.

From what I've read siting is one possible issue with the Evoque.

 

[LongLensPhotography]

For low mileage there is little point. Diesel engines like to be running not abused cold for short trips. That's before DPF comes into the equation.

Besides petrol cars get warmer much quicker. It could be something for the winter months.

Or electric. Probably the best one for you.

 

[gman]

It's a different system from what I know, a fully active one it doesn't wait for the DPF to be a certain temperature it's capable of heating it up. I think it's also much closer to the engine so again it's hotter all the time.

I'm sure all cars with a DPF are capable of heating up the DPF via post injection etc to necessary levels, they have to be as it needs to be 600°C to burn off soot but normal operating temps are nowhere near this. I'm wondering if the Ford allows it to operate whilst stationary which would make a big difference? Although that would be some stink coming out of the back unless the adblue is going mental! lol

 

[woof woof]

I had a look at the I-Pace and saw some used examples which seem to show the car drops £20k in the first year!!!! A third of its price? Golly Gosh and WoWza. I think a new one of those is deffo not on the list of possibilities

 

[Neilc28]

It's a different system from what I know, a fully active one it doesn't wait for the DPF to be a certain temperature it's capable of heating it up. I think it's also much closer to the engine so again it's hotter all the time.

However it works, it sounds like you are trouble-free with that one. My Audi regen requirement was around 20-mins of driving and you had to stay within a speed and rev range, if you went above or below that range for even a few seconds the regen would cancel and you would have to start all over again. The BMW won't attempt another regen after a failed attempt and requires the diagnostic tool to initiate another attempt. Neither of those would allow for the simple regen-initiation which allows the engine to simply rev at a standstill to get the DPF up to temperature, no driving required which would have made things easier.

The Merc wasn't too bad tbh, the regen occurred pretty regularly but ultimately was prone to issues.

Maybe DPF's just don't like me.....

 

[woof woof]

Sounds like a nightmare.

 

[robj20]

I'm sure all cars with a DPF are capable of heating up the DPF via post injection etc to necessary levels, they have to be as it needs to be 600°C to burn off soot but normal operating temps are nowhere near this. I'm wondering if the Ford allows it to operate whilst stationary which would make a big difference? Although that would be some stink coming out of the back unless the adblue is going mental! lol

No adblue in mine either. It will operate stationary.
When stationary only sign it's doing it is a slightly different vibration and the instant fuel goes from 0.1gph to 0.2gph. If your driving you don't know it's doing it. Mine does about 1 regen every couple of weeks.

 

[Nod]

Worth a look if a hybrid Jag is an option...

Jaguar Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV) Cars | Jaguar UK

Our luxury performance SUV, Jaguar F-PACE offers an exciting combination of Plug-in Hybrid efficiency, everyday practicality, and sporty handling.

www.jaguar.co.uk

 

[woof woof]

Worth a look if a hybrid Jag is an option...

Jaguar Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV) Cars | Jaguar UK

Our luxury performance SUV, Jaguar F-PACE offers an exciting combination of Plug-in Hybrid efficiency, everyday practicality, and sporty handling.

www.jaguar.co.uk

I had a quick look but believe it or not even though I've posted a lot today I have been busy so I'll have another look later.

See my comment above about the electric I Pace dropping £20k in a year. That'd be hard to take but could make a decent used buy? Maybe.

 

[Nod]

Both my XFs have been 2nd hand. The first one was 3 years old when I bought it and was less than 1/2 the original cost. The current one was 7 years old and under 1/3 its new cost. Depreciation is pretty significant on all "prestige" brands!

 

[gman]

Both my XFs have been 2nd hand. The first one was 3 years old when I bought it and was less than 1/2 the original cost. The current one was 7 years old and under 1/3 its new cost. Depreciation is pretty significant on all "prestige" brands!

Aye, mine depreciated by half over three years as well. People with PCP coming to an end at the moment will be having a good time due to the disparity between the agreed final purchase price and current market value. Mate's wife has a small Kia and the final price is about 1 + 1/2 of the market value. Easy profit, until she goes to buy a replacement lol

 

[woof woof]

Both my XFs have been 2nd hand. The first one was 3 years old when I bought it and was less than 1/2 the original cost. The current one was 7 years old and under 1/3 its new cost. Depreciation is pretty significant on all "prestige" brands!

Yup.

My Elise and Boxster were both I believe worth more than I paid for them for a while as I was one of the first to get them, in my area at least, anything else has just hemorrhaged money. The SLK I had and hated in particular just fell like a stone and if fact no one wanted it.

As I said earlier buying the Jag S was a bit of a wake up call to me as was people whispering in my ear that it was best to let other people suffer the depreciation. I still haven't decided what to do or get as I'm in no rush but I am tending towards a used car now and as the cars I've have are quite old now a 3 or even up to 5 year old car would seem like brand new There is something special and exciting about getting a new one though

But... I went to ASDA in the Getz the other day and then spotted two new rub marks down the drivers side, both over a foot long and this sort of thing does depress me as what's the point in having a nice car as people are just so careless it'll pick up multiple dings in no time. Years ago I used to take my cars in once a year and get any marks fettled but I haven't done that for some time now.

 

[gman]

Yup.

My Elise and Boxster were both I believe worth more than I paid for them for a while as I was one of the first to get them, in my area at least, anything else has just hemorrhaged money. The SLK I had and hated in particular just fell like a stone and if fact no one wanted it.

As I said earlier buying the Jag S was a bit of a wake up call to me as was people whispering in my ear that it was best to let other people suffer the depreciation. I still haven't decided what to do or get as I'm in no rush but I am tending towards a used car now and as the cars I've have are quite old now a 3 or even up to 5 year old car would seem like brand new There is something special and exciting about getting a new one though

But... I went to ASDA in the Getz the other day and then spotted two new rub marks down the drivers side, both over a foot long and this sort of thing does depress me as what's the point in having a nice car as people are just so careless it'll pick up multiple dings in no time. Years ago I used to take my cars in once a year and get any marks fettled but I haven't done that for some time now.

The other issue with getting a brand new car, especially if even reasonably desirable, is the risk of theft and your house being broken in for the keys. My car isn't brand new but unfortunately it's desirable to thieves to use for crimes, so it's always at the back of my mind. It's annoying to have to think of that if you want something nice.

I guess one issue with a 4x4 is the theft of the CAT?

 

[woof woof]

I don't know if theft is a major worry for me as thieves seem to be pretty low tech here and the main worries for me have usually been vandalism and carelessness. There is the worry of people breaking in to get keys but I'm not sure the cars I'm looking at are all that valuable, attractive or rare to be worth bothering with. I could be wrong. Car alarm blipper cloning is a thing these days but I'm pretty sure JLR came near the top for preventing this. It's all stuff to think about and I suppose the smart thing to do is to just have a non descript worth next to nothing hatch back and get on with life, but I sort of want a 4x4 and it may just be my next to last car as I suppose at some point I'll go back to a cheap non descript hatch back as my last car.

This reminds me... back when I had a Lotus Elan SE I had a hight tech and rather expensive alarm and immobiliser system fitted and the company proclaimed that the only way the car could be stolen was on the back of a trailer. That all sounds well and good I thought with a tinge of "oh yeah" niggling at me. However whilst fitting the alarm they inadvertently created a fault which they didn't notice, I did notice and in fixing the fault I saw what they'd done and could then totally bypass the alarm and immobiliser in seconds once getting into the car. OK my expertise was in electronics and not everyone could work out and do what I could but that little episode convinced me that given enough time and expertise to work it out there's probably a way around every anti theft device. I could even get those steering wheel / handbrake locking things off in seconds but I've never had a go at wheel clamps. Maybe they're an idea.

That Elan SE was never stolen but the roof was slashed and it was otherwise vandalised on multiple occasions. My Boxster was vandalised too multiple times and strangely and unexpectedly so was my Jag S, twice, someone gouged the Jag badge off the bonnet and another time someone gouged the alloys.

 

[Brentor]

That Elan SE was never stolen but the roof was slashed and it was otherwise vandalised on multiple occasions. My Boxster was vandalised too multiple times and strangely and unexpectedly so was my Jag S, twice, someone gouged the Jag badge off the bonnet and another time someone gouged the alloys.

How dreadful. Were the cars at home at the time?

 

[Nod]

Both my XFs have been 2nd hand. The first one was 3 years old when I bought it and was less than 1/2 the original cost. The current one was 7 years old and under 1/3 its new cost. Depreciation is pretty significant on all "prestige" brands!

Since posting this, I've seen an article about some 2nd hand cars actually increasing significantly in value over the past 6 months or so. The XF has gained around 25% in value! Unfortunately, it's the newer 2nd facelift models that have put on the pounds, not a '13 Sportbrake!!!

 

[woof woof]

How dreadful. Were the cars at home at the time?

My Elan roof was slashed in a multi story car park in Luton, paint not keyed but gouged in the NE several times, rear quarter kicked in Middlesbrough, the Boxster roof was slashed in the drive at home in the NE, wing kicked in outside my GF's house in Co. Durham, SLK rear quarter kicked (I think) in when parked in the NE, Jag S badge gouged off the bonnet outside home and alloys gouged when parked somewhere in NE. I don't think you can safely park or use any car which is likely to attract attention anywhere without running risks.

It's interesting that my Elan SE was attacked multiple times whereas my Elise wasn't vandalised once. Funny that. Also none of my MX5's have been attacked I suppose because they are so common and maybe regarded by those who don't know better as hairdressers cars and therefore not worth attacking.

 

[woof woof]

Since posting this, I've seen an article about some 2nd hand cars actually increasing significantly in value over the past 6 months or so. The XF has gained around 25% in value! Unfortunately, it's the newer 2nd facelift models that have put on the pounds, not a '13 Sportbrake!!!

Might be worth waiting a while before buying to let things settle down.

 

[Nod]

Apparently the shortage of chips has all but stopped car production so with few new cars available, 2nd hand ones are worth more. FWIW, the XF seems to be the only "prestige" model in the top 10.

Used cars: Models that sell for 60% more than six months ago

EXCLUSIVE: Using exclusive data provided by cap hpi, we reveal the 20 older cars that have risen in value most in six months, with used Toyota Auris hybrids and Vauxhall Zafiras up by almost 60%.

www.thisismoney.co.uk