Hybrid cars, anyone got down that route?

[Hobbit]

Wouldn't the Sportage vs. Optima decision come down to how much and what type of space you need?
Was it the Optima saloon or sportswagon?

Good luck with your choice.
For smaller vehicles, petrol only and petrol/hybrid look the clear choices but for larger vehicles it isn't clear at the moment IMO.

Optima SW, and it does come down to whether or not an SUV or traditional car is preferred choice.

All the reviews say the 1.7 diesel is more punchy and a better choice but as I intend to keep the car for at least the length of its warranty, this brings the drive to tax diesels more heavily into the equation. And its not just the higher tax, what will the resale value be if diesels are more heavily taxed.

The petrol powered Sportage 2, with the current discounts in Spain comes out at just over £15k. Its £21.5k in the UK.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

Optima SW, and it does come down to whether or not an SUV or traditional car is preferred choice.

All the reviews say the 1.7 diesel is more punchy and a better choice but as I intend to keep the car for at least the length of its warranty, this brings the drive to tax diesels more heavily into the equation. And its not just the higher tax, what will the resale value be if diesels are more heavily taxed.

The petrol powered Sportage 2, with the current discounts in Spain comes out at just over £15k. Its £21.5k in the UK.

Most SUV's are diesel because the running costs for them with just a petrol engine would be so prohibitive they wouldnt sell. For that reason, I wouldnt be looking at something that big with a petrol engine. As far as the Nero goes, all I can say is I couldnt get my clubs and trolley in the boot whereas the Ioniq (which is the same apart from bodyshell) I could.

 

[BubbaP]

Quite like the look of the Optima SW, am finding this a useful thread!

You have probably already seen this, from What Car:

[h=2]Should I avoid buying a diesel?[/h][FONT=&quot]Despite the negative headlines, the impressive fuel economy of diesel cars means they still make more sense than petrol and hybrid models if you have a high annual mileage of do a lot of motorway driving.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]In addition, the recent slump in demand means discounts on new diesel cars are now 25.6% higher on average than for their petrol counterparts; enough to offset the planned increases in tax on diesels.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Just bear in mind that if your driving is mainly town-based, diesels really are best avoided. A diet of constant low-speed urban motoring will clog a DPF filter, and the manufacturer's suggested regimen for unclogging them may not always work, leaving you with an expensive repair bill.[/FONT]

 

[Golfmmad]

Optima SW, and it does come down to whether or not an SUV or traditional car is preferred choice.

All the reviews say the 1.7 diesel is more punchy and a better choice but as I intend to keep the car for at least the length of its warranty, this brings the drive to tax diesels more heavily into the equation. And its not just the higher tax, what will the resale value be if diesels are more heavily taxed.

The petrol powered Sportage 2, with the current discounts in Spain comes out at just over £15k. Its £21.5k in the UK.

Here's some facts regarding the current debate about Diesels and taxation.

Cars made after 2015 are built to Euro 6 standards.This requires them to emit around a third of the NOx and a fith of the particulates of a car built before 2009.

Deisel cars are still more efficient than their petrol equilavents. They use less fuel and emit on average 20% less CO2.

There are currently no Government plans to change diesel taxation in a way that will retrospectively punish motorists.

The strictest Clean Air Zones will not charge new diesel cars. Only cars older than 2015 (pre-Euro 6) will face penalties.

New diesel cars are cleaner then ever. By September 2018, all new cars will have passed a strict emissiom test carried out under real driving conditions, before being sold.