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What Would It Take for YOU to buy a diesel car?
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Comments
I am pretty sure the previous Golf TDi was built there, can't see a reason this one wouldn't be. The German built Rabbit/Golf seen in NA was unexpected.
I did the math, a base model with the still-available $7500 federal tax credit and the $2000 state credit here in MD would cost me just $20,250.
That's quite a leap of faith, though, to go full EV. It would work for my current situation, but what if my needs change? Li-ion laptop batteries last 5 years max, how will this hold up long-term?
It is tempting, though. Here at work they have 2 charging stations and the first 100 hours of charging are free. After that it's subsidized so it costs 1/3rd my PEPCO rate at home.
Again, tempting...would be nice to never see a gas station again.
That was years ago, though. Some times the rare/specialty ones are only made at home.
That is the biggest question mark for me as well. I think they are warranted for 8 years or 100k miles. Degradation seems to be the biggest complaint on the Leaf. Nissan may be addressing that issue.
http://green.autoblog.com/2012/12/27/nissan-leaf-battery-warranty-upgraded-first- -capacity-loss/
Imagine your car had a 12 gallon gas tank, yet it only started taking 10 gallons. They're saying that's OK? Way to aim low, Nissan.
You can see my concern.
Edit: my best friend's wife works for them, so I should ask if they have S plan pricing or equivalent (she did when she was at Ford).
DC roads suck and that's probably the #1 thing that has me looking elsewhere. #2 is range.
I priced a 16" wheel and tire package, but with the TPMS it ends up costing a small fortune.
I should find another owner who wants to trade for a 17" set.
2. Limited 4X4 - MSRP $37,595 ($36,192) + $995 destination
with 3.0L V6 TURBO DIESEL ENGINE (EXF) + 8-SPD AUTO 8HP70 TRANS (DFD) 22H (Late Availabilty) [MSRP $4,500 / INV. $ 4,005]
By my math that's $43,090 for the cheapest diesel. Boo.
VW plans Golf push in Americas with shift to Mexico
Read more: http://www.autonews.com/article/20130125/OEM/301259868#ixzz2J1fdicFt
Lithium Ion batteries have been my concern for a long time. Several burnt up Prius with the Plugin after market batteries. Sony Li-ion battery recall catching laptops on fire. I wonder how Toyota is making out with their batteries in the Plugin Prius??
Thanks for the pricing on the Jeep GC. I figured it would be close to $50k configured nicely. $4500 over the V6 gasser is a bit much. It looks like Mercedes only dings the buyer $1900 for the diesel over the V6 gas model. The GC will have to be a mighty nice vehicle to compete with the ML350 Bluetec. They are priced very close.
Look at all the Fiskers that burned up.
For Mazda, It’s Diesels at Daytona (NY Times)
VW T:
1. TDI 27.6 mpg (using Fueleconomy.gov) = 543 gals/*= 21 yearly stops
2. TDI 30 mpg (anecdotal real world) = 500 gals/*= 20 yearly stops
3. Hybrid 20 mpg gasser (using Fuelly.com)= 750 gals/*= 29 yearly stops
4. gasser 19 mpg (using Fuelly.com) = 789 gals= 31 yearly stops
(*/26 gals (26.4 gals oem stated capacity) @ 15,000 miles per year, upper average US driver)
Extended fuel ranges would be nice on some of the end of the road trips we've done over the years. You could do the Haul Road nonstop (414 miles), but I'm not passing up Coldfoot in any event.
IF one looks behind the numbers, given the same/same/same fuel CAPACITY (26/26.4 gals oem ratings VW T), basically the gasser HAS to stop a min of 55% (app) more than the TDI.
BTW, has anyone seen the projected MPG of the Mazda6 with the Skyactive D engine yet?
We've been through this before and I don't recall seeing anything showing that passenger diesel engines are any more reliable than gassers. Semis yeah, but not passenger cars and trucks. Not many people drive their cars twenty years either (maybe Gagrice?) or do as many miles in a decade as Ruking appears to do. And lots of other stuff will likely die before then anyway.
"Mazda said users can expect 43 miles per gallon highway" at the Geneva Auto Show almost two years. (thecarsreport.com)
Not sure if that will be the same number in the States or if that quote was for the European market. Maybe someone can find something more recent.
An Edmunds blurb last week on Mazda 6 fuel economy numbers just said "Mazda did not provide fuel economy numbers on the 2014 Mazda 6 with the Skyactiv-D 2.2-liter clean diesel engine that will debut in the second half of the year."
The supercharged V6 may compare more closely to the discontinued V10 diesel. Edit: 17-19 mpg on fuelly.
On a GM car (2001), an extended warranty I purchased (first and last I will buy) paid for a computer chip blowing. The premium was more than the cost to fix the computer chip (integral to the engine and drive trans running) .
Some one else will have to chime in for BMW and MB.
But yeah, any factory drivetrain warranty in the US these days should be 5/60 just to be competitive with everyone else.
Us cheapskates pay attention to that stuff; one factor in deciding to get our '89 Voyager was because Chrysler was offering a 7/70 drivetrain warranty at the time. Probably saved me $3,000 too, after 3 head gasket jobs.
So for example as a "projection" (given I have gotten 30 mpg average over 18,000 miles on a VW T) I can expect to use 3,333.3 gals over 100,000 miles with 30 mpg. Similarly, I can expect to use 4,348 gal for a gasser (VWT, aka, like model) In this like model example, the gasser uses 1,015 gals more over= 30.4% more fuel @ 23 mpg.
My spreadsheet got goofy and I have to re-enter the last two years one of these days, but I think I'm around 7,000 gallons now (182k).
The new Monroney stickers will give you an estimate of annual fuel costs, so that's pretty handy. The EPA assumes $3.70 a gallon for gas and $3.90 for diesel.
Diesel owners simply don't have to think outside the box in this regard..
I imagine that very very very few people realize this, and maybe even more won't believe it unless they check it out for themselves..
The proof works best for someone who doesn't drive much in the summer..at least not using 4 wheels, but 2..that's me. Took me literally years before I came to this realization (the evaporation levels being way more significant than I ever imagined) so just another feather in the cap for owning a diesel..Too bad they will probably charge a huge premium for the engine upgrade. Makes the financial stretch that much harder to justify for those who drive few miles a year...evaporation and torque notwithstanding...
Something to chew on.. I'm mentioning mainly to share my findings and offer a head's-up to those who can park under a carport or in the shade...or even park more in the east than the west..
Here's the Wikipedia blurb:
"Since 1971, all U.S. vehicles have had fully sealed fuel systems that do not vent directly to the atmosphere; mandates for systems of this type appeared contemporaneously in other jurisdictions. In a typical system, vapors from the fuel tank and carburetor bowl vent (on carbureted vehicles) are ducted to canisters containing activated carbon. The vapors are adsorbed within the canister, and during certain engine operational modes fresh air is drawn through the canister, pulling the vapor into the engine, where it burns."
Can't test your theory here (even it wasn't ~20 degrees ) since I park in a garage.
Diesel will not evaporate, but will go bad sitting a long time. I put Power Service in my diesel for the tractor. Never have any starting or other issues.
Seems like the amount lost from evaporation in hot weather or hot soak would be a lot less than that lost from loose gas caps or a clogged charcoal cannister.
Out of curiosity, just how long can diesel sit and go bad to the point it contaminates the system? I have a storage bus (diesel) that I start a few times per year (non winter months tho) and I don't really want to pull in bad diesel into the the injection pump and injectors. Last fall it's been sitting 2 years and that fuel tank fuel was probably new a few months earlier. Do I need to address this prior to another 5 years from now do you think? If I had to I could syphon and refill. Actually I had considered rerouting to a small 2 gallon tank and maybe I should put that on my priority list as I had heard of plant growth in really old diesel. I imagine in that case it would have to have water and light tho?
Great project if you think it's a keeper for many more years...since you don't drive it much it sounds like it could last a long long time. Probably get about 26-28 with it? Maybe more..
270 ftlbs is enough to keep that big slug lively isn't it?
I looked into the Cummins 4BT for my old Ranger PU truck. IT was kind of heavy for the frame of that small truck.
Yes, given your few miles you do you would never get it back...only reward from being a project. And you'd sure get a look of admiration from me as I pulled up beside you at a light and heard it.
For a long time I have had a hankering to do a conversion in some form of 4WD P/U. Knowing my luck though I'd just nicely get it all together and some idiot would T-bone me going through the first intersection.. Mr Insurance...."You say you have how much tied up in the engine??"
Good question - sounds like old fuel can be reconditioned. But you have to watch out for excess water that may overwhelm any filter and there could be some bacterial mess growing in there - the plant growth you mentioned. They make anti-fungal additives for that too.
Seems like it would be cheaper in the long run to drain the old stuff than risk causing injector or other issues by trying to burn it.
2. I like the idea of diesel, but every time I look at the pros and cons for my particular situation, a regular gasser still comes out on top financially. If I drove 50,000 miles per year a diesel might work.
3. A natural gas conversion might make more sense than a diesel conversion.
4. My lawnmower, which I seldom use, just an occasional start up and short run, has sat for years with no measurable gas loss from evaporation. No sealed system of course.
2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
Natural gas makes a lot of sense - I think we'll see a lot more "day" truckers using that fuel in the next decade. If you have the fuel set-up at the terminal, and the trucks return every night, it's pretty cost effective to fuel 'em overnight.
On the way up, kept it @ a "higher" steady, for all but the last 23 miles (10% of the trip where it was snowing cats and dogs (figuratively) and two chain control point were in effect. The mountain passes peak out @ app 7,300 ft. Literally almost white out conditions and stop and go for roughly 23 miles and an hour. To add to the chaos, I saw a CHP SUV advancing very fast @ my six, so I thought I was in his predator gun sights, with full light codes on, so STAYED right as close to the ice solid snow berms as I dared and tried to set him up to PASS. He took the cue and shot past only to have a couple of cars ahead of me literally ignore his lights. Some miles ahead we came upon the accident scene he was rushing to , an over turned and almost totally wrecked car. (this probably belongs in the topic "Inconsiderate Drivers")
On the way out of Tahoe, we caught the Sunday go home early crowd from Heavenly Valley, SLT, CA ski resort with a 24 mile back up and chain control @ two points. This took app 1.5 hours. The rest of the trip was rolling traffic. I fueled in the flats for 31 (.4) mpg.