Hi, just wondering if my experience of the second hand market in northern Ireland is typical or whether things are different in Britain. I'm in no hurry to buy but I've been keeping an eye on local dealers for a 2-3 year old petrol engined Mondeo sized car. I've almost decided I'm wasting my time because all the local dealers' stock is almost exclusively diesels in that bracket. In fact most of the dealers near me don't even bother stocking petrols in any bracket except performance models or very small cars.

Has it really reached the stage where the average second hand buyer isn't interested in petrols any more?

I know my personal situation is skewed by living in a rural area near the Irish border (diesel is significantly cheaper in Ireland compared to the UK). But I know that's not the only factor e.g. tax legislation and percieved fuel economy. I was wondering if the situation is similar elsewhere in the UK?

On the plus side, whenever they do have a petrol in stock the saving vs the diesel tends to be pretty significant, so as long as I plan to drive it until it's worthless I should be able to get a good deal.