Hi Brainstorm.
I'm fortunate enough be driving a 211 bhp petrol SLine. Consumption wise, I've been pleasantly surprised so far. On a couple of long runs earlier this year, I managed around the 37 mpg mark. That was for mainly motorway driving but involved a period on the M25 in rush hour traffic. General running around I'm getting around 33 mpg quite consistently. Unfortunately it's now dropped just below the 30 mark with the colder weather. I've only got about 4.5k miles on the clock, so I'm guessing it may improve a bit with a few more miles. I don't drive like Vicar either, it's very difficult to with 211 bhp on tap.
I bought the petrol mainly because of low annual mileage and a majority of shorter runs, but in general I prefer driving a petrol. I find them smoother and quieter and they have a much longer power band than a diesel. With the average 7p a litre difference at the pumps, the gap in running costs is reduced as well. The DPF issue was also a factor in my decision.
I agree a diesel will probably hold its value a bit better if comparing new cars, but took advantage of that and I bought nearly new (4 months old and 2.5k miles) with such a big reduction on new price, that it took care of the first years depreciation.
See if you can find a dealer with a petrol Q3 and have a drive, might help make your mind up on way or another. Either way, a great car
Edited by: Malph