Why the petrol? CO2 is higher and going for a 150hp diesel will be in the approx. range as a 200hp petrol with regards to NOx. You are fooled to pick petrol over diesel because of fear of diesel ban? By the way the euro6 is not affected by the ban in most cities. Demonised diesel? Blahh...
I was quite sold on diesel - our first, a new Astra 1.9CDTI 150 wasn't exactly the top of it's game but it was quite nippy. Then the swirl flaps failed at 38k miles and it was a massive hassle to get it sorted (NEVER buy a Vauxhall - products okay at times, customer service is DIRE). So then I spotted the BMW 335d - massive torque, big power, sounded good. Now that was a great car. Not great on fuel but it covered most bases but it got a bit old and a few chassis issues meant we looked around and the M135i caught our eye.
Our second diesel was a Land Rover Defender 110XS (2007); EVERYTHING went wrong with it and I soon tired of paying massive RFL, fuel and servicing on a "fast tractor" with a Ford Transit engine. So off it went. In it's place went a new VW California 180 4motion - the mutts nuts to us and many others. Then the problems started - EGR valves, a new ECU, multiple software updates plus a load of non engine/emissions stuff.
So we finally threw in the towel and that was it - no more diesels. Post 2010(ish) the emissions strangling nonsense just killed reliability. In a race to cut emissions they basically did the same as sticking a gauze over a turd pipe and claiming it reduces "emissions" - yep it does briefly but it soon gets clogged... DPFs, EGR valves, EGR coolers to cool the over hot EGR valves, DMFs to cope with the torque, the list went on. One "solution" to a previously unheard of issue followed another.
So yes, a diesel may have a bit better mpg but that's totally killed by endless issues. Want to nip to the shops? Don't take a diesel. It doesn't "like" it.
Want to drop the kids off on the school run? Again a no no in your delicate diesel.
So we ended up with a pair of trouble free petrol cars.
Realising we really missed a camper, we searched petrol options - there were almost none. So we did our research and the T6 Euro 6 engine had a much less stressed EGR system (initially I thought it didn't have one at all) and was based on the Golf engine - total re-design. So we bit the bullet, got the longest warranty possible and now use the other two cars for any short trips. A short one in the T6 and it complains very loudly.
So that's why people don't like diesels - not only are they far less responsive, sound mostly horrible (unless six or more cylinders) and have a tiny weeny power band, they also like to break down. A lot.