Should I Buy A Petrol, Diesel, Hybrid Or Electric Car?

Chloe Murphy 6 minutes Published: 08/11/2021

It wasn’t long ago that diesel and petrol were the only options, and the gas station was the sole place to refuel cars.

But with the introduction and rising popularity of hybrid and electric vehicles, drivers have a host of new options. With an electric or hybrid car, you can power your vehicle with electricity, and charge it from the convenience of your own home.

However we Brits are creatures of habit. ICE vehicles have held their place, and even the looming 2030 ban on buying diesel has failed to knock petrol or diesel from their reign. 

With so many merits for each, it’s difficult to decide. Should you buy a petrol, diesel, hybrid or electric car? In this guide, we’ll run through all the pros and cons of each to help you work out which is right for you.

Petrol

Despite the rising popularity of EVs, the long serving petrol model remains a default choice for most drivers when buying a new car

Best suited to drivers doing short distances in the city or suburbs, petrol cars have the best responses for pesky start and stop traffic.

They’re the most affordable option, generally coming in cheaper to buy than diesel, hybrid or electric models. With petrol engines generally made up of cheaper parts, they also usually cost less to maintain. 

However, they do need more regular maintenance. If not serviced and maintained properly, petrol engines can quickly cog and begin to deteriorate. 

Pros

  • Easy and cheap to get fuel.

  • Cheaper upfront cost.

  • Less efficient engines.

Cons

  • Poor performance on motorways.

  • Regular maintenance required.

  • Depreciate faster.

Diesel

Diesel cars have been given a bad rep lately - so should you buy a diesel car

In spite of poor reports, diesel cars aren’t quite the big bad guy they’re made out to be. Diesel car manufacturers have made significant improvements to their emissions, so recent models will be much cleaner than older counterparts.

If you’re regularly doing long distance or motorway driving, a diesel car is the best option. You’ll get the most value for money, and won’t feel your car struggling for power. 

Servicing a diesel car can be more expensive, so you could have higher car maintenance costs.

Pros

  • More efficient and higher MPG.

  • Less maintenance required.

  • More powerful engines.

Cons

  • Higher upfront cost.

  • Subject to emission regulations.

  • Servicing can be more expensive.

Hybrid

Is range anxiety putting a bee in your electric bonnet? Hybrid vehicles are one of the best options if you’re not quite ready to go fully electric. You can make a move towards more environmentally friendly driving, but still have the option to fuel up.

Hybrids are great if you aren’t planning to travel long distances, as you’ll get great low car running costs

You can get a decent distance out of a plug-in hybrid, but if you really want to make the most of it, you’ll need to install an electric car charging point or find somewhere to regularly charge.

Pros

  • Reduce running costs.

  • More environmentally friendly.

  • Option to use fuel.

Cons

  • Higher upfront cost.

  • Expensive maintenance.

  • Still produces CO2 emissions.

Electric 

Electric cars are meant to be the best for the environment. So what’s holding drivers back? There are various electric car pros and cons, but it’s not easy to decide whether one is right for you. 

With the reduced environmental impact, and the cost to charge an electric car so low, it seems to be an all around winner.

Unfortunately, the time to charge an electric car, and the upfront cost to buy an electric car are just a few of the factors failing to convince drivers.

Pros

  • Lowest running costs.

  • Environmentally friendly.

  • Low EV company car tax.

Cons

  • High upfront cost.

  • Less convenient than fuel.

  • Time to charge an electric car.

How do they compare?

If you’re still not won over, let’s take a look at how they compare on some of the most important factors like cost of the car, cost of fuel and environmental impact.

We’ll go into more depth in the remainder of the article, but here is a quick overview table:

Petrol DieselHybridElectric
Price of car outright££££££££
Price of fuel/chargingc. 15.8ppmc. 13.4ppm15.8ppm/13.4pppm (or 4-5ppm)c. 4-5ppm
Availability of charging points/fuel stations8,320 stations8,320 stations21,000+ charging points / 8,320 stations21,000+ charging points
Road tax£895£895£0-£105£0
Environmental impact180g of CO2/km173g of CO2/km0-180g CO2/km0g CO2/km
MOT costsMax £54.85Max £54.85Max £54.85Max £54.85

Price of car outright

When it comes to the outright cost of the car, petrol models are the most affordable. They’re made of the cheapest parts, and are the most common car type in the UK.  

Diesel cars are slightly more expensive, and then we have hybrids.  

The least popular type, electric cars, unfortunately cost the most outright. However, there are various government grants that could help you out with the initial cost. This will also eventually be offset by lower running costs, and reduced electric car maintenance costs.

Price of fuel/charging

Potential EV owners may be wary of the cost to charge an electric car, but it actually comes in significantly cheaper than the cost of petrol or diesel. 

With an average cost of 4-5 pence per mile for an electric car, it’s less than half of the cost for diesel or petrol which are 15.8p and 13.4p respectively.

Availability of charging points vs petrol stations 

An early concern for many electric car buyers may be the ease of charging. With 8,380 operating fuel stations in the UK, it seems unlikely that chargers could compare. You see a petrol station on just about every other road, but what about charging points? 

Surprisingly, Statista identified over 21,000 electric car charging points in the UK in 2020. With the government pushing EV sales (and banning diesel sales in 2030), it’s likely this number will only increase. 

Impact on environment - CO2 figures

There’s a lot of focus around that all important question - “Are electric cars better for the environment?”

In 2020, the BBC reported that the average petrol car in the UK produced the equivalent of around 180g of CO2/km and 173g of CO2/km for a diesel car. 

Though EVs produce CO2 in manufacturing, they have zero tailpipe emissions. If you’re looking for the best car for the environment, an electric car is your winner.

MOT costs 

There’s no getting around paying the cost of your MOT, but you can take comfort in the fact that it’s going to cost the same regardless of your engine type.

MOTs have a set maximum cost of £54.85 regardless of whether your car is petrol, diesel, hybrid or electric.

Road tax

Road tax may seem like an inescapable burden. For most cars, it unfortunately is. On average, road tax for a petrol or diesel car will cost around £895, but could go beyond £2,000 for diesel cars that don’t meet the RDE2 standard.  

If you’re concerned about your yearly road tax costs, you pay zero tax on electric cars as a result of zero emissions.

Insurance costs for different fuel types

Looking at insurance costs for the different fuel types, there are a lot of conflicting reports. Some drivers get a higher quote with electric cars, while others get a lower quote.

In this case, the most influential aspect is likely to be the driver themselves. If you’re uncertain over insurance costs, you can easily check through entering your details to sites like Compare The Market.

Conclusion

Choosing a car is a big decision, and it’s important not to jump into any deals you haven’t thought through. 

The fuel type might seem like a minor detail, but can entirely change how you use your car. When your vehicle regularly needs to be charged in advance to work, it’s worth considering how this could affect your lifestyle. 

Will you have the money upfront to install a home charging point, or the time to find charging points elsewhere? If not, the convenience of a petrol or diesel car might suit you better. 

Buying can feel daunting, so if you’re not ready for the commitment, why not try leasing? You’ll have the car for a term of 2-4 years, then you simply hand it back. 

It’s one of the best ways to try out a new car without the obligation to buy it. 

At Lease Fetcher, you can compare some of the best lease deals, whether you decide on a petrol, diesel, hybrid or electric car.