Almost every person i've driven around asked me "so you got the petrol engine, right?", so i don't think noise would be much of issue. It's certainly far quieter than my previous punto 1.9JTD (aka the tractor) or my dad's sharan TDI (aka broken tractor).
But, as most here say, it's all down to personal taste. I've test driven the petrol, and decided to go with the diesel because of better fuel economy and because somehow i feel that diesel is more... brutal. And i haven't regretted it
