Yeah but, no but, (Little Britain fan)...I think we are confusing the whys and wherefores here. I bought a tdi for the reasons you mention - power v economy/depreciation. I use my car. To drive to work and back - 40 miles a day. To take touring holidays in France etc. I'm not that wealthy to be able to afford the running costs of a 2.0T or 3.2. My father in law drives a Roller - all 6.5 litres of it. He travels to his shop and back everyday - around 8 miles (and a gallon of petrol I would think). A good many people in these parts have powerful, expensive to run cars, that sit on their driveways all week. Good. If you want an expensive toy - fine. Apart from ideological/ecological arguments, (and yes actually, I would like to save the planet,'cos I've got a 15 year old daughter that's got to inherit it), the roads in the S.E. are so ****** clogged anyway, that imo, a 3.2 lump is an extraordinary waste of money - no matter how good it sounds. I agree that petrol engines are probably more fun - I drove one for 30 years. My wife's 1.6 Focus, is more "fun" around town than my 2.0tdi. But let's be clear about our terms and criteria. On my daily run, my beautifully put together A3 diesel is plainly more sensible. End.