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rv1103

How good is the mazda 3 (hatch) 2.2diesel version compared to the 2.5petrol version in terms of driving performance(quick acceleration), handling & ofcourse a final thought on
maintenance given the diesel-petrol tug? Appreciate an expert opinion.
( my cousin is possibly looking at doing around 16-17K's an year, diesel is being considered for its economy )
Thanks in advance.

ABayliss

The nice thing about diesel is the extra torque (in this case 420Nm for the 2.2 diesel and 200Nm or 250Nm for 2.0 and 2.5 litre petrol respectively - so diesel has quite a big advantage).
Generally speaking, the overall running cost is not much different between small petrol and small diesel cars unless they are doing a much bigger mileage than this.
Therefore, given the relatively similar running costs it really comes down to personal preference and your cousin's desire for that added torque.