should i buy a diesel or not

[the shreksta]

as I'm looking at getting another e53 x5 it has crossed my mind that with all that's going on with diesels should I just go for a petrol version?

is it true that any smoke from the exhaust now on a diesel is an mot fail?

don't really want a petrol version as the v8 have timing chain issues which I would like to avoid.

a little stuck on which to go for now

[X5Sport]

Only if it is a car equipped with a DPF.  Smoke on a non-DPF car is fine (and you cannot stop).  It just has to pass the relevant EU smoke test.

I have just ordered another diesel as petrol makes no sense with us doing 18k miles a year.  Some diesel cars are appreciating in value now.

[the shreksta]

[quote="X5Sport"]
Only if it is a car equipped with a DPF.  Smoke on a non-DPF car is fine (and you cannot stop).  It just has to pass the relevant EU smoke test.

I have just ordered another diesel as petrol makes no sense with us doing 18k miles a year.  Some diesel cars are appreciating in value now.
[/quote]

hi and thanks, I will have to have a good think about it, I don't need a diesel as I only do around 5k a year but the timing chain woes on the v8 scare me

[Sky Bear]

For only 5K a year I would go V8. Lovely sound and just accept that at some point in the future you will most likely do the guides. Plan to do them preemptively.

I don’t know if the current worry over diesels will change or not but our local ford dealership has said the only diesels they are selling now are to firms. Private customers have all been buying petrol. He says that most of them are worried that they will end up paying every time they go into a city in the future.

Glad I live in the countryside.

SB