Now in retirement, I am in the process of downsizing from a long line of 5 Series BMWs to a more practical, versatile and economical car. I have selected the Golf Plus SE including a few goodies as the car that ticks the most boxes for me. My annual mileage, mainly urban, will be 10,000-13,000 and I expect to keep the car for 6 years or so. My question is: which of the 1.4TSi (122bhp) or the 2.0 TDi (140bhp) engines is the more suitable? In performance terms they are broadly comparable and I believe that total costs over 6 years (allowing for residual value) will also be much the same. Although I have never had a diesel (due to an irrational, historic prejudice), my instinct is to go for the 2.0 TDi because, although it is more expensive upfront, I have a worry about the complex engineering involved in extracting such performance from a 1.4 petrol engine and, as a result, its long term reliability. I am also aware that the diesel has a lower carbon footprint, although I have to confess that is not a major factor.