I'm glad I've got one of the very last run of Cee'd SW 1.6 CRDi's without a DPF ('59 reg) if I'd purchased a '60 that looks the same it would've had one.

Thing is what do I do when I want to change?

All Eribas and my current van are within the towing ability of petrol cars, albeit with a lower mpg and a substantially lower initial purchase price than diesels.

Your post makes for interesting reading, Aaron, even though it only effects you lot over the pond. Until first being made aware of this DPF issue somewhere else I wasn't even aware there was an issue, and even if I had known, there's absolutely nothing that I could have done about it.

Quite a few years ago, whilst still owning a VW Golf without a DPF, I received a letter from the vehicle taxation office that in future years the road tax due on the Golf would increase by approximately 3€ a month. To avoid this increase it was further advised that I have the vehicle retro fitted with such a filter which led me to contact my local dealer. They of course were able to fit a DPF at a cost of some 530€. Simple maths shows that I would have had to retained the car for a further 177 Months (>14 years) just to break even. As the Golf already met the then, and now, emission standards I was already entitled to a 'green' windshield sticker allowing me full access into Germany's emission control zones. Needless to say, I shelved the idea.

My current VW Touran, like all models sold over the past few years, comes with a DPF as a standard fitting which is shown in the vehicles registration documents and is taxed accordingly. There is absolutely no question of removing the filter, legally that is, as this would effect the road tax classification so for good or bad, we're stuck with them.

All that said, probably a good 90% of my annual mileage could be called 'low'. There are times that I only use the car one day in the week and that is for the local tip run of roughly 4km there and back. At other times, when I have need of visiting the dentist in the neighbouring town some 10km away, the temperature gauge has only just began to lift off the zero mark. In all the time that I've owned the Touran I have yet to experience any performance issues as a result of the DPF or the car itself having gone into limp home mode and neither have I observed black smoke issuing from my, or any other vehicles exhaust, for that matter.

I am in no way being sceptical of the issues that I read about but I cannot help wondering if there are other factors involved and not simply the fact of having a DPF fitted - for example, congestion with the resultant slow crawling traffic.

The other DPF issue that wasn't mentioned is the situation that can occur where high fuelling to burn off gunk on the filter can cause unburned fuel to find its way into the sump oil. If the level of lubricant reaches a critical point the oil/derv mixture starts burning and the engine won't switch off, leading to eventual self destruction and the cost of a new engine. These issues tend only to happen in isolated circumstances but if you habitually drive in slow moving traffic for very short trips then a petrol driven car is advisable.
If also using it to tow, then you'd best get a bigger engine than 'normal' for the extra oomph. The lower mpg and lower purchase price will probably balance out anyway compared to a diesel. Mind you don't all have to go as far as Piccolo with his BMW760

In the link that, Randa, posted you'll notice there are 3 different coloured stickers - Red, Yellow and Green. The first one, Red, has now been removed from most, if not all, German cities. In other words, if the emission classification of your vehicles exhaust only qualifies for a Red sticker you will not be allowed (legally) to enter a so-called Umwelt Zones that ring German towns and villages.

Yellow is now well on the way to being removed also leaving only Green and most vehicles built in the last 5 or so years will qualify for a Green sticker. Don't count on it though - I regularly see Mercedes parked up outside of zones due to only having a Yellow sticker.

We expect to be changing our zafira in the near future probably for the same only we did think of getting a diesel so that we would have more umph tugging uphill. Reading all this about new diesels I'm thinking maybe we should get a petrol. Our car only travels about 3 miles round trip to work daily so the only long journeys are when we go away with doo dah. Looks like we have to rethink our new car. Ellen

remember the catalytic converter (fitted to the petrol engines about k reg 1991 1992?) my point is that when this was added to the MOT test, it caused some who ha, new cats prices were through the roof ect..
now prices are much lower the feared issue has reduce over the years.
(we can all enjoy listening to the lamba again)

Reading the info above, it sounds like the test method is about the same as the catalytic converter i.e make sure its there by visual inspection, and the smoke emissions test..

There's just no substitute for petrol and for as many litres as you can squeeze under the bonnet.

Grace, space and pace - who needs diesel.

Because the last V12 Jaguar I had only had single overhead camshafts per bank and the current 760 has two. I know that I pinched their strap-line but, because it is so good and so in accord with what I require from a car, I thought that was permissable.

I know I'm a bit of an engine-freak and the BM certainly delivers in that regard. However, I much prefer the personality of a Jag. Soon, however, all these will be but a distant memory because I shall be seriously downsizing in the not too distant future . . .watch this space.

Ellen, I use the expensive diesel and it seems to burn more completely.
In fact the emissions on my 1.8 TDCi have come down at the M.O.T test for
the last 4-5 M.O.T's. Its the cetane's that make the difference.
I really only use the car to tow nowadays, with the occasional 15 mile run to
and from Bath or Bristol You do need to get up around 60mph for at least
half an hour regularly, say a run to a different supermarket for the weekly shop .

I always liked the big Citroen DS's like the Safari or
the Morgan+4

Morgan . . . yes!

+4 . . . no!

Has to be the +8 - and, the largest variety there is!

Citroen Pallas also v. good!