Petrol baby
After the debacle that was trying to buy a car somewhere other than at the Suzuki garage that we’ve come to avoid with some distrust and contempt, we saw no other option but to go back there.
I did some mathematics yesterday and found out that the financial difference between driving a diesel car and a petrol car is very small. Assuming that we’d buy a petrol car in the same weight class as the diesel we have now, we’d spend about 200 euros a year more. Take into account that diesel engines generally require a lot more maintenance than petrol engines, and the difference is nil.
So I went to the Suzuki garage’s website and had a look at some petrol cars. I found one that I absolutely loved. It’s a 2002 Renault Clio 1.2 16V Extreme with only 50,000 km on it. It’s a pretty light green, it’s got lowered suspension and it’s pretty awesome. I sent Rob a text message, he picked me up after work and we went to have a look at the car. We both fell in love with it.
We asked the salesman how much he’d give for our car, expecting to be disappointed again and to have to pay at least 1250 euros for the Clio. Needless to describe our shock when he said we could just trade it in, no additional cost.
And then there was another pleasant surprise: The Clio weighs over 150 kg less than our diesel. Hello lower tax rate. Conclusion: Driving a petrol car is actually cheaper than driving a diesel car, even when you drive 40,000 km a year.
We can pick up our pretty Clio on Saturday or Monday. Pictures will follow.