My father drives an Auris HSD. Loves it. Averages 52mpg on relatively short runs, usually of seven miles or so. I got 63mpg on the 300 mile delivery run.

That feature on diesel vs petrol was not complete because it avoided the question of the high number of expensive failures on diesels 3 - 6 years old. A failed DMF, DPF, EGR and turbo can set an owner back £5,000. As it often does with 80,000 mile ex-fleet diesels sold to poor, unsuspecting private motorists when they are about to expire.

In contrast, hybrids like the Prius II have been turning in mileages of 400,000 or more with little or no trouble, due to their simplified and completely unstressed drivetrains. I actually achieved the 80.7mpg the new Toyota Yaris hybrid is supposed to do in a mix of Amsterdam rush hour traffic and driving on Holland’s flat roads.