Newbie - Struggle To Choose Between Diesel And Petrol (Verso)

[Will-I-Am2015]

Hi there,

I am new to the forum and would like to change my honda Jazz to Toyota verso as i am having a second baby. so it makes sense that we need a 7 seat car ( when in-laws are here)

but i am Struggle to choose between diesel and petrol can anyone advise?

the car will use:

dropping the kids off to school and supermarket trip with occuation travel long trip (once or twice a month)

it will be mainly 4 ppl 2 adult and 2 kids but occuation with in laws so 4 audult and 2 child.

we will use around 5000 - 7000 miles a year

i am looking for verso 09 on so just wonder should i buy a diesel or petrol one?

some ppl said that i need to drive 10000 miles plus a year to be saving on a diesel car but the road tax are £150 more a year on the petrol v 1.6 diesel

anyone got any advice?

thanks

[FROSTYBALLS]

Hello William - welcome to Toyota Owners Club.

Given the short school trips and the low annual mileage - it has to be petrol. Diesel, especially if it has a diesel particulate filter (DPF), will cause issues with the short trips - and this applies to any make/model.

I would say around 12-15,000 miles per annum plus is where diesel makes most sense.

Aside from that the Verso didn't have a 1.6 diesel until 2014 - the earlier diesels from around 2009 will be either a 2.0 litre or a 2.2 litre. Whereas the petrols will be either a 1.6 or a 1.8.

[Heidfirst]

for that mileage I'm going to back up Frosty's call of petrol.

[Cyker]

If the school run is quite short, and through small slow roads, I'd get the petrol; Diesels can get hilariously bad mileage for short distance trips, esp. in the morning as the engine is stone cold and most of the energy is going into heating the engine block rather than moving the car

You can get away with it if there is some dual-carriage way action as that'll warm the engine up pretty quickly, but even with that you'd need to do a decent motorway run at least every couple of weeks or risk the EGR and DPF getting clogged up.

I agree the tax does feel pretty steep on the petrols - This is partly why so many people buy diesel cars, but the petrols usually cost a good chunk less than the diesels which kinda makes up for it, at least in the short term.

[Mike169]

Hi William

I can only agree with all the comments so far and for all the reasons said.

I have a diesel Rav 4 myself but now realise a petrol one would of been more suitable as i do less miles than you intend doing. The system is gradually strangling the neck on diesels and favouring petrol powered vehicles and of course petrol is cheaper per litre so in my head there is only one answer, get a petrol but not a 1 litre 3 cylinder one, i'd choose one with a larger engine and if you want an automatic the bigger the petrol engine the better.

Regards Mike.

[Will-I-Am2015]

Thanks for all the reply.

one more question please what is the difference between 1.6 and 1.8 petrol engine?

the are on the same road tax bracket and similar mpg on the paper (3-5 mpg difference) so 1.8 make more sense?

also what is the auto gearbox like as might go for auto as my misses use the car a lot.

many thanks