Diesel engines and mileage?

I'm due to pass my driving test in the next 3-4 weeks and because of the car I've been learning in I'd really like a diesel as opposed to a petrol engine, I've seen a few cars 55 plate Ford Mondeo, 55 plate Renault Laguna and a 04 Mazda 6… They have mileages ranging from 100,000 miles to 124,000 miles and all have a 2.0 turbo diesel engine… Do these mileages seem normal for a car this age? And what are the signs to look out for?

Unless you plan to do high mileage yourself (More than 30,000 per year) go for a petrol engine.

Also as a new driver you may find the mentioned cars are beyond your price range insurance wise. Before you buy any car check out it's insurance group (2 second job on google) in reality you are looking for something in group 1 or 2, these diesels are likely to be in double figures. Then enter the car of your choice into a comparison web site to get a rough idea of insurance costs. Once you've recovered your breath, yes that is the correct price.

Yes, thats normal mileage for these cars. Piece of advice thou - do not buy that. All turbodiesels with this kind of mileage are near death and need major investment in engine service - like half the price of the car. Usually new turbo, fuel pump, injectors and exhaust system. Do the research how much these parts cost - you will be surprised (not in the good way).

Be aware that modern turbo Diesels can get VERY expensive at around the 100k mile 7 year mark as all the expensive Diesel-specific parts wear out. Turbos, injectors, DMFs, DPFs will all be on their last legs at this age & mileage and will cost the best part of a grand a pop to replace.

You really need to be doing mega miles (20k p.a.) for an old Diesel to work out cheaper than a petrol, don't be conned by the mpg figures if you're not doing that kind of mileage.

Don't. All these cars are getting to the point where they will need some work. Also, if you are below 20 years old the insurance will be high, if available. It will be cheaper to run a small petrol. You may like the fact that a deisel is difficult to stall ect but you will easily learn the slightly different characteristics of a petrol.