Should I buy a petrol or diesel Grand C-Max for short commutes with longer weekend drives?

I'm interested in purchasing either a brand-new 1.6 petrol Ecoboost Grand C-Max or a nearly new 1.6 diesel Grand C-Max. Both are the same price at £16,500. I can't decide which one to go for. I know that with my annual mileage of 10,000 a year, the petrol model is the recommended engine. However, even though my daily commute is probably too short for DPF regenerations to occur, I do make longer journeys at the weekend. Therefore as I keep my cars for up to 7-8 years, isn't the diesel going to be the cheaper option in the long run?

Asked on 18 February 2012 by SG, Norwich

Answered by Honest John

I was getting 40 - 43mpg from a huge Mondeo with the 1.6 Ecoboost, so I'd go for that and no worries about DPFs, DMFs, etc. I’ve only been getting 45 – 46 from a Mazda 5 with the same 1.6 115PS diesel engine as fitted to the Grand C-Max. Dan Harrison, my website editor, is running a Focus with the 1.6 Ecoboost. www.honestjohn.co.uk/our-cars/ford-focus-estate/wh.../

Tags: short journeys dpf dual mass flywheel petrol or diesel?

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