Used diesel cars for sale

Provided you’re doing the mileage that a diesel engine needs, then a used diesel car is a sound purchase. There are still many diesel cars to choose from – like the Peugeot 208 supermini, the Ford Focus, BMW 3 Series, Nissan Qashqai and Range Rover Evoque. You can even get diesel sports cars like the BMW 2 Series.

Find out our top picks in our guide to the best diesel cars to buy.

All diesel cars produced since late 2015 need AdBlue. This is a fluid that reduces NOx emissions, and it’ll be topped up as part of a car’s routine maintenance. If you need to top it up yourself between services, you can buy AdBlue from auto parts stores and petrol stations. The AdBlue cap is usually next to the fuel filler cap and is bright blue so you don’t get the two confused. Your car will let you know if it’s running low on AdBlue. Read more info in our full guide to AdBlue.

The first thing to look at is the car’s MOT history, if it’s at least three years old. Make sure it’s done a decent amount of miles per year – a low-mileage diesel may have predominantly been used for short journeys, which could result in a blocked DPF (diesel particulate filter). Give the engine a visual check and make sure there’s no oil leaking – as you should anyway – and for peace of mind, get the car checked by an independent assessor. Take a test-drive to make sure no issues show up on the move.

Yes, a diesel car will use less fuel than an equivalent petrol car, due to the differences in how the fuel is burnt in each type of engine. Diesel cars typically will go further on a tank of fuel than petrol ones. However, you also need to bear in mind the cost of fuel. If the difference in price between petrol and diesel is only a few pence per litre, a diesel car will cost less in fuel. But if the difference is much larger, then a petrol car may prove more cost-effective.

If you know you’re regularly going to be doing long journeys or lots of motorway miles, then a used diesel car is still worth buying. Diesel engines are more efficient than petrol or hybrid engines at higher speeds. As above, diesel is still a popular choice with caravan owners, too.