should i buy a diesel car in 2023 australia

If you tow caravans, boats, or egos, a diesel still makes sense thanks to highway economy and hefty low‑rpm torque.

But for city shuffles and short trips, modern diesels can sulk—think DPF regen dramas, occasional AdBlue, and generally higher servicing costs.

Fuel prices are often neck-and-neck with petrol, so the savings only stack up if you do big kilometres each year.

Resale is strong for utes and large SUVs; small diesel passenger cars, not so much.

No bans loom in Australia yet, but emissions rules aren’t getting looser, so the long game favours hybrids and EVs.

In short: lots of towing or 20,000+ km/year? Diesel. Mostly urban pottering? Get a hybrid or a frugal petrol and enjoy the peace and quiet.