To buy a diesel car even though I don't drive much?

[NewCarDilemma12]

I've wanted a new car for a while now, and I've had my eye on Audi A5's to be specific. I currently drive an A3 which I've had for 6 years and it's been a great little car. The problem is that many of the A5's are diesel (well, the ones that I want/like anyway) so there's only limited stock available. It would also need to be a manual. I wfh full time. I would use the car during evenings/weekends obviously but it might only be short journeys close to home with the occasional long trip for work. My partner saids I'd be crazy to buy a diesel car when I don't drive that much, but I know quite a few people who own diesel cars and only drive short journeys and haven't had any issues.
I'd appreciate any advice/opinions as I've only ever owned petrol cars before and I'm not sure if it's a stupid decision.

AIBU?

does it have a dpf?

you’ll need to take it for a half hour burns at 60 once every three months or so to clean the dpf but otherwise it’s ok.

As above. If it has a dpf ,then no I wouldnt get one if you dont drive much. It will clog up due to not regenerating. And you'll have an expensive bill

Don't diesel cars get all bunged up with particles if they do lots of short journeys?

Don't.

Low emission zones and charges will be expanded I am sure to many other cities.

I have a diesel car, but now mainly do short journeys, and I’m pretty sure I’m slowly killing it. Every couple of months the dashboard screams up a warning telling me “KEEP DRIVING!” so I have to go on long detours at higher revs to clean the dpf. Once it finally goes, I’ll buy a petrol.

We tend to run our cars until they start causing us too many problems. We have a 10 year old diesel which is brilliant and we have never had any problems with it. But... It is classed as a Euro 5 and in a couple of months I will no longer be able to drive it in my nearest city (Glasgow).

If I was buying another car, new or used I wouldn't buy a diesel now as there is likely to be more and more restrictions as time goes on. Also Euro 7 is supposed to be coming as a new standard in 2025 meaning resale values of Euro 6 diesel cars may decrease.

Thanks for the replies! Tbh I have no idea if they have a dpf. I've just read the description on one that I've seen and it doesn't actually say, so I'd probably have to check with the dealership on that one.

@LlynTegid this is also a concern of mine as I know new restrictions will be put in place soon.

If its newer that 2008 it will probably have a dpf

As per the above comments. Diesels have higher servicing costs so are more suited to people doing higher mileage. Most modern diesels will have a DPF and you will kill it doing short journeys.

If you do get a diesel, get yourself acquainted with Launch dpf cleaners and learn how to use it. It will save you thousands in servicing costs.

https://www.launchtech.co.uk/technical-fluids/dpf-gun-particulate-filter-cleaning-fluid/

Unless it’s older than 2009 it will have a dpf.

As PP have said you’ll have to regularly take it on longer drives to clean the dpf or it will get blocked which is an expensive fix ( I paid £500 nearly 6 years ago to have one baked and replacing was going to be closer to 2.5k)

If you’re only going to be doing short drives it’s really not advisable to get a diesel.

Don't get a diesel! The resale value will be zero. They cause more pollution. Diesel is rising in costs more than petrol.

I've had diesels forever. But every now and again, it needs a high speed motorway journey (to visit my DM in my case, 210 miles) so three or four times a year. It's enough apparently, because I have never had an issue.

I wouldn’t personally. Many towns/cities will be introducing or expanding their low emission zones so you’ll be limited where you can drive without being charged. And I think a diesels resale value will drop a lot. Electric or hybrid best if you’re doing shorter trips

I have an Audi A6 and my DPF warning light comes on if I do short journeys regularly. DH takes it on a long run up the motorway to work every so often. We had to get it cleared out as it broke down but it took a while for the warning light to go off and we were worried we've need a new one which is a couple of grand. Not worth the hassle tbh.

We had a diesel touran but really only really did short journeys. My husband used to occasionally take it out for a long run on the bypass but unfortunately we did run in to the known problems. It ended up costing us a lot of money.
We got rid and got a petrol.

My car has very little resale value. It has an 08 plate and I paid £3k for it, (high mileage) 10 years ago, so I am just planning to drive it into a scrapyard. But, it passed its MoT a fortnight ago with advisories on the front tyres, which have already been changed.

Good luck with your search @NewCarDilemma12

I don't know much about diesel cars but I would be grateful if you could comment on my thread here https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/site_stuff/4790903-board-for-questions-about-cars about the demand for a chat board for threads like this. I think it would be nice to be able to browse previous car related threads when pondering questions like this, which isn't possible when they are all scattered through AIBU and chat due to not having a home.

I know nothing about cars generally and had never heard of this problem with Diesal cars. I have an 09 Nissan Micra and only do short journeys to work and back. Am I likely to have the problems described?

I swapped from diesel to petrol last time I changed my car & my petrol one is pathetic, I only get 27mpg even though it is a smaller engine, I bitterly regret it.

It depends if your Micra is a K12 or K13 as 2009/2010 is the crossover period on Micra models.

A K13 definitely should as it’s post the Euro 5 roll out that required the dpf to bring emissions down.

The K12 probably not as they wouldn’t have updated the engines for the last year of a model roll out.

If you google K12 and K13 Micra you’ll get some pictures which will help you work out what you have.

But also your vehicle manual should tell you if you have it.

Thank you. I will have a look.