Credit crunching: diesels

Welcome to the third day of our faintly-attempting-to-be-newsworthy Credit Crunch Week. After Monday’s hot hatch special and yesterday’s sports car something-or-other, today it’s the turn of diesel.

Once only considered suitable for tractors, industrial machinery and Stig’s pre-dinner aperitif, there are now a whole bunch of diesels that you’d actually consider driving… for fun. Well, that and the fact you’ll get 4,000 miles to the gallon and only have to service your car every quarter of a million miles. But mainly the fun.

There’s a whole lot the best diesel around at the moment. Happy oil-burning.

BMW 335d: Perhaps the ultimate performance diesel in one of the best-handling cars around. It’ll do 0-60mph in six seconds and give you over 40mpg, for chrissakes. That’s twin-turbo witchcraft, that is. The sort of witchcraft we like…

Mercedes C320 CDI: Not quite as mind-blowingly quick as the 335d, but a beautifully smooth, refined V6 that’s still got a massive kick if you need it. You can get the same engine in the Chrysler 300C, if you’re a fiscally minded gangster.

Subaru Legacy TD: The world’s first boxer diesel from the independently minded souls over at Subaru. Sounds good, goes well and gives you 55 miles per galloon. And soon to appear in the Impreza with extra power. We approve.

BMW 123d: OK, we mentioned it on Monday in the hot hatch round-up, but don’t forget you can get the 123d in convertible flavour, too. Which is reason enough for us to include it again. It really is that good.

VW Golf Bluemotion: More at the ‘economy’ than the ‘performance’ end of the market, this one. But it’s tough to argue with 63mpg and sub-120g/km of CO2. Feels far less compromised than most of the greened-up brigade, too.

Smart ForTwo diesel: Now we’re way, way down at the ‘economy’ end, but we couldn’t leave out a car (OK, large pram, perhaps) that’ll do 86mpg and emit just 88g/km of CO2. Doesn’t arrive in the UK until next year, mind.

Mini Cooper D Clubman: Another diesel from the BMW stable, but we’re not apologising. Clever stop-start technology means an astonishing 69mph, absurd back-to-front doors means survival of the fittest for your offspring.

Kia Cee’d diesel: Forget about the bigger diesel and petrol versions of this irritatingly competent Korean hatch – if you want economy, bullet-proof build quality and a massive warranty, the 1.6 is the one to go for. A bit boring, though.

But if you need something truly mad and diesel, how about the Audi Q7 V12 TDI? £100,000 gets you six litres and 500bhp of oil-burning lunacy – nearly three tonnes of hippo-shaped SUV that’ll hit 60mph in just over five seconds. So very, very wrong it’s almost right.