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I'm considering purchasing a single cab ute from around 1995. I see that a high percentage of those advertised are diesel powered. What are the pros and cons of buying a diesel powered ute? Maybe less than half have power steering, is power steering really necessary? Len S.

Hi there,
Diesels are good because they have good torque at low revs, and they are generally good at fuel consumption and so you can travel further on a tank of fuel.
However a high mileage older diesel may require a lot more maintenance to keep on the road. Things like the turbo, injectors and pump may need overhauling in order to stop excessive black exhaust smoke. Utes can be quite light in the front so you could get away without power steering in older models.