Ultra Low Emission Zones are becoming more commonplace in UK cities and the London ULEZ is expanding in August 2023, so they are something that drivers of diesel cars in particular will have to learn to live with.

Whether or not it is worth choosing a Euro 5 compliant car - one made after January 1st 2011 - will depend on how much money you have to spend, but also how often you plan to travel into larger cities in the UK. Buying a newer car means lower emissions and likely better fuel consumption too, which is a benefit to you and the environment, but to meet the London ULEZ criteria you would need a Euro 6-compliant car built after September 2015.

If you plan to keep the car for the next 10 years it makes sense to buy something as new and as low-emission as possible, but you can't discount that the rules on ULEZs will become even more strict in future.