Reviewing diesel cars is largely the same as review petrol cars. Our highly experienced team of road testers just diesel cars based on space, versatility, long-range comfort and practicality. Here’s what we assessed…
1. Economy
Diesel cars are often driven by those who travel long distances for work or holidays, so economy and driving range are vital. We compare official WLTP ratings to real-world results across motorways, rural roads and urban traffic.
2. Performance
Having a diesel car doesn’t mean it has to be slow, unrefined or poor to drive. We evaluate ride comfort, body control and steering response on mixed roads and test acceleration with and without full loads (passengers and luggage) to mimic real use. We also examine ride quality, which is important to most buyers.
3. Interior space
We measured head room, leg room and cabin width across all rows, plus boot capacity with seats up and folded flat. Isofix mounting points and ease of child-seat installation were tested.
4. Technology
Infotainment responsiveness, navigation (with live charging route planning) and smartphone integration were assessed. We tested advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) such as adaptive cruise, lane centring, blindspot monitoring and automated parking.
5. Comfort
All the cars in this list have been subjected to thousands of miles of testing. We measured seat comfort in each one and took this into account. We also measured cabin noise at motorway speeds and suspension comfort on rough roads.
