Your engine on the diesel may last longer, may, but the rest of the vehicle components are the same. If your ball joint goes your ball joint goes, no matter what your engine is. Most of the time vehicles are not trusted anymore and scrapped because parts die on it that are not the engine.
My 1994 Camry had 347000km on it and that was still on the original clutch.
My 1998 4Runner had 284000km on it, the radiator went and put coolant into my transmission. I sold the truck and told the guy I sold it that this had happened and that I had replaced everything and flushed it. The truck is still being driven now.
Both vehicles had perfect engines with oil burning, no coolant loss, no problems.
They both had leaking steering racks. One had an iffy transmission. Shocks were going on both. Clutch was unknown on the camry.
The engine was not the reason to get rid of it.
Diesels do get better mileage but with the extra fuel cost, extra vehicle cost and extra maintenance, unless you are going to tow a pile of weight it does not really make sense. If you want a little car with great mileage they exist now and the VW diesel has a poor reputation, the newer ones.
