I need to buy a reliable estate car for 7000 miles per year - should I consider a diesel?

I need an estate car with good reliability, and I want an automatic with reasonable economy. I have about £10,000 plus my trade-in. I am thinking of a used Passat, Mazda 6 or Volvo V70 and I know from reading the motoring press that the diesel versions of these estates are significantly more economical than the petrol versions, but my mileage is only 7000 miles a year and I recall you saying that low mileage does not warrant a diesel. Why is that with diesel prices only a couple of pence more than petrol?

Asked on 18 August 2010 by Hywel

Answered by Honest John
Add a Ford Mondeo estate to your list, but forget about diesel for 7000 miles a year. The diesel particulate filter fitted to EU5 diesels won't like this sort of mileage one bit.
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