Petrol, diesel or electric: what do you drive and why?

"What should I buy?" comes up again and again when people choose a used car, and the answer usually ends up being that it depends on how much and how you drive. On the blog we wrote it up in the article Petrol, diesel or electric in 2026?. In short:

• Up to roughly 12,000 km a year, mostly in town: petrol is usually the most sensible choice, cheaper to buy and to maintain. Short trips don't suit diesel because the particulate filter clogs. An electric car makes sense if you can charge at home.
• Over 25,000 km a year, lots of motorway: diesel still comes out well thanks to its fuel economy and range. An electric car can do it too, you just need to plan the charging.
• What to check: on petrol the timing drive and, on turbocharged engines, the turbo; on diesel the DPF, injection and EGR; on a hybrid the traction battery and brakes; on an electric car the battery health (SOH).

Above all, count the total cost, not just the price in the ad: fuel or electricity, servicing, insurance and what you will get for the car in a few years.

Theory is one thing, but we are interested in real life. Please write:

1. What do you drive, how many kilometres a year and what kind of route (town, country roads, motorway)?
2. What is the real consumption and what did the car cost you in servicing over the last year or two?
3. Did you switch from diesel to petrol or electric (or the other way round) and did you regret it?

The more specific the numbers, the more it helps people who are deciding right now.