Petrol cars are making a strong come back in the used market as buyers realise they do not cover enough miles to justify the extra purchase price and higher fuel prices connected with a diesel model, says Autorola.

Petrol cars such as the Peugeot 107 and 308 and Toyota Aygo and Yaris are now being preferred to diesel models, particularly in urban areas. Smaller cars from Ford, Kia, Mazda, Toyota and Suzuki are also in high demand.

Five door models are in particularly strong demand from Autorola’s buyer base as consumers look to run a petrol as their main family car.

“Smaller cars like the Peugeot 207 and Toyota Aygo have always sold well in petrol format, but more recently larger cars are now being purchased with petrol engines,” explained Neil Frost, Autorola’s operations director.

“Demand for diesels remains strong but as the recession continues to bite so demand for petrol models is likely to grow further,” he added.
 
“If a household can save money on the family transport budget then they will consider petrol. Too many consumers have been sucked into the diesel bubble and while it is slowly changing, diesel cars are still performing well and in high demand in the current used market,” said Frost.