Kim,

Deisel Engines are not as fast per engine size as a petrol version and are nosier but they are more economical and seem to have a history of greater reliability. In the UK, they have always (in my memory) been the choice for lorries and other commercial vehicles where these matters have been of greatest concern but their increase in popularity in family cars is more recent. Apart from economy becoming increasingly important, the turbo diesel, mentioned by Grab, problably helped their popularity by increasing their performance. I would guess that as these cars have increased in popularity, more (non-commercial vehicle) garages have learned how to work on them.

Vans, I had thought about them a few times in this thread but haven't got round to looking any information up. I wonder how some of the Ford Transits for example would compare to some SUVs in terms of fuel consumption. I'd quite like one... Could sleep me in the back - great for festivals, carry logs (yes my parents do have a wood burner - but get the wood delivered)...

Jon