Will a diesel car with a DPF suit my needs?

I bought a diesel 5 years ago (non DPF) as I was doing 40 miles a day, just commuting for work, 98% of which was motor way speeds. Plus other personal/general mileage. I have changed job since then and now I only do about 20 miles on commute, 60/40 above/below 50 miles an hour. I also do about 40-45 miles round trip for taking the dog to nice places to walk at least four times a week, 98% at national road speeds. I can't afford an electric or hybrid and I live in a first floor flat so I can't charge it either.

I need a car that will easily manage a few long up hills which are on my regular travels without having to crawl up. We are a big family too so there can be a fair amount of weight in the car at times.

I'm not quite ready to change car as my car has a plenty of life left and I'm not a car snob. I don't know if a petrol car will perform how I want, without being a big, inefficient, tax expensive engine. Will a DPF diesel be suitable?

Asked on 17 August 2023 by katie

Answered by David Ross
If your current car is serving you well and there is no immediate need to change, then it makes sense to stick with it for the time being.

When it comes to changing your car for something newer, the fact that you do a 40-mile round trip four times a week at higher speeds should be sufficient to ensure a diesel car with a DPF filter has time to regenerate. If you are still concerned about DPF issues, you could look at cars such as the Skoda Octavia or Superb which are available with TSI turbocharged engines. These have good fuel consumption, if not quite as good as the equivalent diesel, but have good pulling power too and will have no problem tackling big hills.
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