Petrol still the most popular choice for motorists

With its high economy values, you might think that diesel cars would be taking over from their petrol counterparts in the mind of the modern motorist.

But a new study has shown that when deciding on their next cars, petrol still proves the most popular choice for motorists.

Vehicle hiring website ContractHireAndLeasing asked almost 2000 motorists whether they’d be choosing petrol or diesel for their next cars. 35 percent of those motorists chose to opt for a petrol option, compared to just 25 percent opting for diesel.

The reason for this is believed to be that despite the higher economy values of diesel engines, motorists are unhappy about paying the higher fuel prices that come with it.

The study also revealed that diesel cars are attracting more men than women, with 29 percent of the people opting for diesel fuel being male. A further 4 percent of people in the study said they didn’t care about what fuel their next car took, instead placing other factors like overall cost and looks in higher importance.

Bad news for EV manufacturers too, with just 2 percent of motorists saying they’d be looking to buy an electric vehicle for their next motor.

Richard Lawton, a spokesperson for the website which conducted the research said: “Although diesel took 46.1 per cent of the new car market last year, this figure included registrations from fleet buyers and business car users who favour diesel because of its fuel efficiency over long trips. Private buyers have shown that they still prefer petrol; for its lower pence per litre cost, suitability to smaller cars and the quietness of petrol engines.”