8 common mistakes to avoid when selling your car
The 8 most common mistakes when selling your car privately in Australia — from overpricing to the Notice of Disposal most sellers forget to lodge.
Should you buy a diesel car in Australia?
Whether you should buy a diesel car in Australia is a genuinely contested question, and anyone giving you a flat yes or no is probably leaving something important out. The honest answer is: it depends almost entirely on how you drive.
The case that used to be simple
For a long time, the diesel argument was easy. Diesel fuel was cheaper at the bowser, diesel engines returned better fuel economy at highway speeds, and the torque on offer made them the obvious choice for towing or long-haul driving. Buyers who covered serious kilometres got their money back on running costs before the higher purchase price became a problem.
In recent years, that economics case has weakened. The fuel cost advantage has narrowed considerably, and the extra purchase cost of a diesel vehicle takes longer to claw back through savings at the pump. The question of whether diesel is worth it in Australia now depends less on a simple spreadsheet and more on what the car actually needs to do.
The DPF problem: city driving and diesel don't mix
The biggest practical issue with diesel in 2026 is one that doesn't show up in a fuel economy figure: the Diesel Particulate Filter, or DPF.
The DPF captures soot from the exhaust to reduce emissions. Over time it builds up and needs to clear itself through a process called regeneration, which requires sustained high-temperature driving, typically at highway speeds for a period of time. When a diesel vehicle spends its life doing short suburban trips, school runs, and stop-start city commutes, the DPF never gets the chance to regenerate properly. Soot accumulates, and eventually the filter blocks. DPF repairs and replacements are among the more expensive diesel-specific jobs, often running into thousands of dollars.
