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What Would It Take for YOU to buy a diesel car?
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I hope that engine ends up in the C-class, maybe my next car.
I personally think the CLA will be popular with the ladies, and anyone else who isn't over 5'11". An online test drive/review had the reviewers head hitting the liner. It would be kind of fun to put the AMG AWD car up against a WRX STI, and the Lancer EVO (is Mitsu even relevant in the U.S. anymore?). Just for sh**s and giggles of course.
I think the new CLA IS the new C class. Right?
CLA vs C is like 1-series vs 3-series or Lexus CT vs IS.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
In terms of market position, CLA could become the C. I think MB wants to move the C up in price and size.
Wouldn't you know the VW dealer called today and dropped another $1,500 on the Passat. Why do they never think you are serious when you are in the dealership. ">Probably would have been near 60 mpg in a Passat.
For as fuel frugal as you say you drive, why should it not be closer to what the Taylor's posted in a 2012 VW Passat TDI @ 84 mpg? They say they drive like more the normal driver, albeit 5 mph under the speed limit.
Since a lot of the diesel discussion is based on products not yet here, it will be interesting to see how the 6 speed manual and DSG does in relation to the new 9/10 speed DSG.
It is also exciting to see that in a scant 11 my's, a 1.9 L TDI went from being able to post 155# ft of torque to a slightly bigger 2.1 L (.2L more) putting out 310 to 350 # ft. or 125% more !!!!
Most gassers that can do that are the graphic equivalent of holding a hand grenade with one hand; with the safety pin like a ring on a pinkie finger on the other running down a stone filled mountain.
Does anyone else here use some form of gas discount program? My family buy's groceries at Giant, and we get anywhere from 10 to 110 cents a gallon off every-other week. (We all have cars that make it two weeks)
It makes a big difference. We all use the same card and converge on one pump and fill all three cars. Today I paid $3.15.
Hope they start showing up soon.
kcram - Pickups/Wagons/Vans+Minivans Host
kcram - Pickups/Wagons/Vans+Minivans Host
My first clue was when I managed to put in over 55 litres in my AWD Matrix which only has a 45 litre (10 Cdn gal) tank if bone dry.
With the new place, I occasionally take a known 4.54609 litre steel (1 Imp gal) can in to see if they are being straight up and while the pump is ALWAYS less, no matter what temp correction you want to go with, at least the worst I've seen is 500 ml in 4.5 litres but is usually about 250 ml. Funny...I have never knowingly gotten more gas than I paid for...odds would suggest it should happen occasionally right?
Anyway, I hope your gvt is far more diligent and honest than the collusive and corrupt dept here that is our only recourse of discrepancies.
It is very bad if you managed to get an indicated 55 l into a Matrix, not going to happen with correctly calibrated pumps. The station I fill up at seems pretty accurate. Is this guy an independent station or is he affiliated with a brand? If affiliated. It may be possible to complain to the head office as well, I am sure they would not appreciate their brand being associated its this sort of practice. Just some thoughts anyway, it may mnot be worth you effort if you have somewhere else to go, but I would want to do something about such obvious crooked practices.
Here is the Wikipedia article. That tranny is really well built, extensively tested and saves fuel while improving performance.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZF_8HP_transmission
What really flipped my lid was that BMW has been using GM transmissions extensively for years, mostly in their more reasonably priced models. My late grandfather was a foreman in the GM transmission plant in Niagara Falls, NY. Also, when we visited Buffalo everyone was filling up in Canada so we got used to liters.
As for the ZF 8 speed transmission, I guess it would pay for folks considering a 2014 JGC TDI to look at the Dodge Ram 1500 for 8 speed A/T reliability and durability.
I actually would agree ! Sooner or later things will revert to "PRE" crisis "UAW rules" and whatever gains GM has managed to carve out will be diluted back to the "good ole days" when the UAW was calling the shots, or perhaps they are STILL calling the shots !! I have read in any number of places is not only do the unions have GM share ownership, they also have any number of seats on the board. So they still want management to take the hits, even as they hire them now.
Anymore it is hard to know where your auto parts come from. I was surprised when it took several months to get a replacement NAV for my Sequoia. It came from India. That really turned me off on OEM NAV units. Too expensive and data is out of date before you buy the vehicle. Unless it is tied to the Internet. The new NAV in the Grand Cherokee is from Uconnect. I think it is a better system than offered by BMW or MB. No info on VW Touareg NAV.
http://www.driveuconnect.com/system/2014/jeep/grand_cherokee/8-4an-ra4/
I was able to drive in virtually every possible scenario, from in-town to freeway, to winding back roads in Texas Hill country. Journalists experienced the new Grand Cherokee's off-road prowess at the working Inks Ranch outside Llano, Texas. There was rock crawling in the extreme. One exercise was to climb an incredibly steep Granite outcropping, which at first glance seemed impassable, then to turn around and descend the same steep grade with no driver intervention other than to steer -- no braking at all, with the vehicle's Hill Descent Control taking complete charge. There were a few drivers with white knuckles, but everyone came through unscathed and better for the experience.
Bottom line, the new Grand Cherokee is at home on any turf with its Selec-Terrain system able to pick and choose the appropriate setting for the task at hand. Yes, $50,000 plus is considerably more than pocket change, but these days, you get what you pay for, and with the Grand Cherokee Summit, you get a lot, indeed.
http://www.thereporter.com/news/ci_23163523/jeep-grand-cherokee-offers-diesel-po- wer-2014
History would suggest that any honeymoon you may enjoy could be very short lived, and may be further compromised by much niggling (or worse) till the divorce.
I think my least concerns would be with the actual engine and transmission mechanicals...but that sure leaves a lot of other exposed areas of potential grief..
Oddly, it still has edit capabilities too which usually expire after a while...30 min I think?
And ya..good point about potential issues with the first MY..
Oh yeah, the edit window is fixed at 30 minutes.
History would suggest that any honeymoon you may enjoy could be very short lived, and may be further compromised by much niggling (or worse) till the divorce.
I think my least concerns would be with the actual engine and transmission mechanicals...but that sure leaves a lot of other exposed areas of potential grief.."...
I think most to all would agree !!
How it applies to the (specific) diesel and drivetrain issue/s really remains to be seen. While new cars (across the board) have certainly gotten better, Chrysler has not (say) leapfrogged (in quality) over other oems, say Lexus.
The engine and transmission are all that is really new to the 2014 JGC. The rest of the vehicle is well proven and tested. I don't really consider Jeep as part of Chrysler. Only at the corporate level. Though they do share UAW labor, which is a strike against them. The JGC platform is the same as the Mercedes ML. Not sure what components they share.
We in the north (NORCA) think you in the south (SOCA) are the " nirvana" for the CA car culture !
I ran a 100 miles radius (Bay Area 2016 Superbowl site) of my zip code and ONE (1 SPORT) of 13 units comes to the fore !!! Of the 668 units fully 137 are of the Sport (18 in wheels). Needless to say, "slim" pickings (20.5% are SPORT models).
Knowing what I know (20/20 hind sight AND anecdotal personal information and experiences, but at the time, I in no way would want 19/20 in wheels) I would not consider the models with 19 in and 20 in wheels. Those with 19/20 in tires are reporting much FASTER wear patterns.
I am not sure I understand this, but I am experiencing app 15,000 to 17,333 miles per 1/32nd in wear (- 1.5/ 32nds). All I have done are two tire rotations and run 3 psi above the oem TP recommendations. This happens to be the VWT TDI's oem "highway" TP recommendation !! ???
Plus lots other things I think.
The JGC may be based off an ML, but if that many parts where the same, wouldn't it be better off just buying an ML then? In my experience, there are usually not very many free rides, so I guess we could assume that one compromise would be the VM vs MB own wonderful 3 litre. The ZF 8 sp has its perks, as does the competent 7 sp in the MB, so the tran is a wash, IMO.
Just thinking out loud here..call me skeptical but won't the JGC always be considered a wannabee? But hey...if it really is a raving bargain as the world's best kept ML-wrapped-in-Jeep-clothing secret, then I'm not too proud to take a chance myself if my situation were to allow it in a couple years.
Plus...to be fair..we are discussing reliability between two brands in which neither has a stellar rep..since the price of admission is so much more attainable with the JGC, and the ongoing dealer costs would probably be considerably less than at the 3 pointed star..a good case can be made for going Jeep I guess.
Been happening all w/e. Anyone else find this? Something funky going on there I don't trust.
Anything that does not let me x out, is never a good or safe thing right?
Question posted to anyone who might know?
5th: BMW X5
4th: Jeep Grand Cherokee
3rd: Mercedes Benz ML
2nd: Porsche Cayenne
1st: VW Touareg
Personal preference? I would buy the Mercedes. Like the article said, they have been bolting diesel engines into cars a lot longer than any other manufacturer. So, if I am going to get a luxury SUV, then I want it to be luxurious and quiet. I want to smell like walnut and leather with comfy seats. Since my commute has me idling helplessly while stuck in traffic, and I have no need for off-road prowess the diesel Mercedes would be perfect.
It installs with other programs. FOr example, if you install AVG anti-virus, it "recommends" that you install the "Ask Toolbar". Anytime a program has a few check marks during the installation, Un-check them!
If you are really stumped, go to "Start", "all programs", "accessories", "system tools", & "system restore". Then select a date prior to when you were having problems (like two weeks ago for example) and Windows will restore your PC to before you were having trouble.
If all else fails you can press F8 during the boot cycle and select "restore to last known good config". ONLY DO THIS IF LAST RESORT.
Good luck
I am a Network Engineer with 10 yrs experience.
Plus, I like to talk stereo with you more, and since it likely won't go down very well in Mid-size sedans 2.0 forum, I thought maybe here? The reason is, Steve says that usually stereos are talked about within the brand/model of car forum, so maybe if we let on we were discussing the potential of upgrading a base JGC with a sub etc, that might work here? This forum seems to be a bit more laid back than that other one. Or I could ask you stuff maybe within an Optima forum assuming you frequent one here? Or maybe we could talk about them in the Honda Modifications forum...that (any modification type forum) is where I was hoping to find stereo chat. That one is dead..only two posts since 2008 or 11? are Steve's and mine.
I have to say that with some diligence the Mac has been nothing less than spectacular and I would NEVER EVER NEVER NEVER NEVER go back to PC and all their daily update crap and viruses etc etc etc. Talk about being a slave to your computer. Maybe they are better now, but I doubt it. Been on a Mac for years now.
@ the time I selected & bought the VW T TDI, I did not have access to the C&D rankings, but selected the VWT TDI according to my own criteria. Needless to say, VW still suffers from (earned) bad press.
So far (app 26,000 miles) it has had ZERO defects & issues. The Castrol oil the dealers use is now the european specification "EDGE" in a 5w30 VW 507.00 specification.
NONE of those 5 that I test drove, stood out as any more quiet/ louder for that matter.
As for "LUXURY", aka trim options, ALL have multiple trim options. The Cayenne is literally semi customizable. The VWT and P Cay are production scheduling plus a 6 week boat ride for factory orders. Edmunds.com indicates the PC is a (waiting list and I would assume over MSRP) HIT in the China market.
The ML is a good choice for sure. Probably $4k more comparably equipped. The closest decent MB dealer is about 45 miles from home. And I don't like the looks of the ML as well as the JGC or the Touareg. I am not a fan of the MB 7 speed that I test drove. When you let off the accelerator it would downshift and slow you rapidly rather than freewheel. And finding an MLBluetec around here is not easy. I wish C&D had included the X5D and ML in their comparo between the Touareg TDI and the JGC diesel.
Oh, I know what you mean..that bugs me too, it is such a needless fuel waster and if you find yourself on super glare ice, that bit of extra engine braking will trigger ABS and no matter how many high tech processors they have controlling things..nothing is a forgiving as a coast. I think they refer to that type of operation as a linear throttle input or something.
I'd prefer a freewheel ability too. I wonder if that can be programmed out of the tranny? Should ask fintail, cuz I think his new E350 does that too..
I have to say, I too really like the looks of the JGC. But I like the looks of all three. As for dealers, I never really consider that unless they were more than 3 hr away. Actually 2 hours is a stretch. For here, MB is 90 minutes, Porsche would be 3 hr. VW is an hour. The JGC is in my usual shopping town, so about 30 minutes, but don't like the dealer really. So could go north for same thing about 45 min but that dealer is a new owner of a Jeep/Chryco dlrship. Might be great, don't know. The VW dealer has a pretty good reputation. I suspect the MB dealer might be a bit full of themselves since they are the next closest to the big city where many commuters commute daily 55 miles one way.