Diesel is the way forward im afraid or at least it is to me. people keep saying you have to do the miles and its more expensive bla bla............ But you get the mpg with a derv, most modern dervs are great fun to drive and you can thrash all day long and still see at least 35mpg. Try and do that in a petrol.
Ok dervs cost more when they go wrong but its a big IF and to be honest modern day petrols cost just as much in repair bills.