British drivers should “think carefully” before securing the keys to a brand new diesel car if they travel under a certain number of miles per year, according to the RAC. Experts at the motoring group stressed that those only travelling “short journeys” were likely paying more to run diesels, with around 12,000 miles per year the cut-off point.
The RAC warned those only behind the wheel for short distances would be better off with “petrol, hybrid or electric cars”. Diesel is still one of the most popular modes of transport in the UK, with more than 10 million models still on the road. However, brand new diesel sales have collapsed in recent years and the RAC questioned those considering buying brand new models.
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The RAC explained: “If a diesel car is used for short journeys and only in town, it might not reach proper operating temperature, which can lead to improper regeneration and soot build up. A clogged DPF can reduce performance, increase fuel consumption and potentially damage your car – and new DPFs can be very expensive.
“For that reason, we recommend thinking about your annual mileage and types of journeys before buying a new diesel car – typically, above 12,000 miles a year is the cut-off point where diesels make more financial sense.
“If you’re typically driving around town or short distances where the engine doesn’t get up to operating temperature, then a petrol, hybrid or electric car is probably a better bet.”
Data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) showed that only 6,175 diesel models were sold in 2025, with numbers down 12.5% on over 7,000 sales the year before.
Earlier this month, experts at New AutoMotive predicted that many of the UK’s petrol stations would have stopped selling the compound completely by 2035. They estimated that some filling stations in London may stop selling the fuel by the 2030s, which could make it more difficult to run cars in just a number of years.
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They also predicted that there may only be around 250,000 diesel cars left on the roads within the next 10 years.
The RAC added: “Secondly, it’s worth thinking about the complexity of the latest diesel engines. The emissions reduction systems used are incredibly clever, but need maintaining.”
