What Would It Take for YOU to buy a diesel car?

crkyolfrt

If it is true, it is back to the drawing board and waiting for a chance to drive the Jeep GC and Touareg TDI.

Thank goodness for the VW T, cuz that one was my first desire before learning of the GLK potential. It's just that the price of admission with that one sorta had me not feeling very excited about the possibilities. It is encouraging tho to have ruking's real life experience so positive with it. I still can't get the timing chain route and all those guides asking it to almost turn itself inside out, outta my head tho..

crkyolfrt

Perhaps if others voiced it too, they very well might have.. I love a full size spare, especially if they don't cheap out and put it on a steel wheel cuz then I integrate a 5 tire rotation right from new. Unfortunately, my present car has it (on cast no less, thank you Honda for not cheaping out) but I bought used and they didn't do it..

crkyolfrt

ya...option$

crickets..

stever

Ah, the light rear end. I got pretty good at parallel parking in the snow using the hand brake.

Our Cars: 2013 Mercedes-Benz GL350 Diesel is Smooooth (Motor Trend)

crkyolfrt

I am looking forward to seeing one in the flesh if I can ever free up enough time to go and do that. I could have sworn I read somewhere that the Adblue tank was up front under the hood..mighta been Edmunds tester I read that?

crkyolfrt

haha..hooligan..

stever

I tried that with the foot operated e-brake in the Quest a couple of times but couldn't get the hang of it.

gagrice

Ah the GL350 Bluetec, is quite a vehicle. And it is not a vehicle you can bargain for. Edmunds has it right, TMV is over MSRP. Figure about $80k for a decent equipped GL.

Overall, the GL’s second- and third-row space was deemed adequate, but the power-folding third-row seats were cool.

Quite frankly the second row in the GL is not as roomy as the ML. Of course the ML is only 5 passengers. Something else I learned from a couple hours with our MB salesman. The R was a very slow seller new. Used you pay a big premium. Especially if it is the diesel model. I think it is uglier than sin. I'm putting the whole business to rest. Tomorrow is another day and I am going to try and find a Touareg TDI to test drive.

gagrice

Good question. I will call my new MB manager friend and ask him where the AdBlue tank is located and the filler.

stever

Surprised to hear that about the R Class; I didn't think they sold well new or used regardless of fuel choice.

That's one thing about car shopping that lots of people forget. It's easy to walk since there's another car hauler dumping new cars off next week.

ruking1

..."I could have sworn I read somewhere that the Adblue tank was up front under the hood..mighta been Edmunds tester I read that?"...

I am guessing the JGC TDI has its tank (Ad Blue) somewhere in the trunk. I would further guess it is a component and area shaped hugging design. But its filler location sharing the access with the fuel tank filler under the fuel tank access door is really very logical. Another reason why it is so logical is that Ad Blue (as the population becomes more "mainstream") is going to being dispensed at ULSD stations. Current prices are like 2.79 per gal Ad Blue. A more practical real world situation is if one has a "piddle" incident, one can dilute it pretty easy with H20 at the fuel station. Currently Ad Blue tank sizes seem to range between 5 gals to almost 8 gals.

ruking1

Everything I am reading and starting to understand about the MB GLK 250 is that it hits important metrics excellently, albeit (at higher price points) relative to other OEMS).

Now for the MB BRAND it is literally a screaming deal. I cite MB spokesperson's saying they are losing monies (grains of salt here), anecdotal information saying invoice and mostly below invoice pricing, MB dealers saying they are DEALING ! Further buzz is created by the limited inventories. I do have a call back to one of the local dealers as they wanted me to arrange a look see AND test drive. The local unit has 10 miles on it.

Not to be a fanboy of Cars.com, but current inventory are listed @ 737 diesel units of the GLK250 (of 1406 total units= 52.4% diesels)

gagrice

I cite MB spokesperson's saying they are losing monies (grains of salt here), anecdotal information saying invoice and mostly below invoice pricing, MB dealers saying they are DEALING !

Another salesman from one of the 5 MB dealerships I sent emails out for quotes called me. They are pretty large and have 10 GLK250 BTs in stock as of yesterday. I told him I was looking for the best price. He asked how low did I expect them to go. I said below invoice. He said you mean like a $1000 under invoice. I said that was a good figure to start with. His comment was NO Problem. The salesman that I have worked with told me they will not lose a sale over money. Most of the dealerships are owned by large corporations. So it pays to not try and play one against the other from the same tent. My dealer is part of Group One. They own several dealerships in So CA.

Waiting to hear from local VW dealer on getting a test drive in the Touareg TDI.

gagrice

We are not alone in our dislike of RFTs. Here is a good article on the subject. So is having AAA fixing your flat as bad as waiting for days for a replacement tire in podunk Michigan?

That’s not the only complaint though. While the reduced weight of carrying around a spare might seem like an advantage, run flat tires also have an impact on your fuel economy. Thanks to the tires being heavier and thicker they can reduce fuel economy by 1-2%. Also, due to the stiffer and heavier design, the run flat doesn’t quite perform like its price would indicate. They can often be harsh on the road and don’t provide a lot of grip in low temperatures.

Lastly, when you do get a puncture, or lose tire pressure, it’s not quite as easy to get them repaired. While some run flat tires can be repaired, they need to spend some time off the rim, and need to be inspected to ensure they can be fixed. If they can’t, it’s time to buy new tires. Conversely, most punctures on a conventional tire can be fixed with a simple repair kit that costs just a few dollars.

Even with tougher rubber, run flat tires do wear out quicker than regular tires. Many owners on the AutoGuide Forum Network complained that they were replacing their OEM run-flat tires within 20,000 miles. This prompted a lawsuit, which was settled by BMW and Bridgestone. Members of the settlement will receive a full refund for the purchase of replacement tires if they were needed before 10,000 miles. If replacement occurred between 10,000 miles up through 30,000 miles, reimbursement will be 50 percent or less. If buyers are experiencing wear at around 20,000 miles, that’s less than half the life of an ordinary tire.

Customers though, haven’t responded well to these types of tires. Honda has stopped offering the tires on its vehicles after settling a class action lawsuit last year. The owners of Acura’s RL, and Honda Odysseys claimed unreasonable tire life and unexpectedly high replacement costs.

Run flat tires may have their advantages, but it still seems like their many compromises are stopping the equipment from taking off. BMW and MINI vehicles get them as standard equipment, and owners (especially enthusiasts) are not happy with them. Vanessa Terrier from Bridgestone’s Communications team mentioned that “As of today, the run flat tire market is mainly driven by car manufacturers and original equipment.”

Run Flat Tires not in my SUV buying plans

ruking1

GEEZ. It seems the information is almost universally BAD ! As it relates to the diesel thread, it really has nothing directly to do with... TDI's. In regards to the MB GLK and ML 350 Blue Tec's, the tires for the CUV's are a tad persnickety in that they are a serious of WEIRD compromises, already. When one adds in the 17 in, 18 in, and blingers of 19 in, 20 in it really has to be a real circus.

fintail

I was able to get my car to a grand under invoice with almost no negotiation, too.

Either MB has inflated its MSRPs to silly levels, with invoice prices likewise and just kicks back money to dealers when sold - or they are losing money on every sale and making up for it with volume. I vote for the former. Margins have to be big on these cars, especially loaded models.

gagrice

I think the bling wheels are a direct result of NON off roaders buying SUVs. My Sequoia has 17" and that is plenty big enough. It all makes me want to just keep what I got and bite the bullet every time I fill up. My mind was really compromising with the 19"ers on the GLK. Seeing the high MPG fogged my thinking too much. Thankfully the RFTs cleared the fog.

ruking1

To be perfectly honest, the 18 in's on the VW T TDI were pushing it for me. I (in effect) swallowed HARD. BUT, all the stuff about the 19 in and 20 in tire sizes, I have NO experiences (anecdotal) with. The ones that do, ( that I read about in Touareg web sites) almost all, talk of low mileage poor traction as it wears and other faster wear issues.

Now for me, the verdict is still out as to what kind of mileage and over all satisfaction with the 18 in size. As reported, I am getting between 14,000 and 15,000 miles per 1/32nd. The oem tires came with 10/32nd in and legally bald is 2/32nd in. So in theory if I take it down between 2/32nd in and 4/32n in .... 116k to 87 k miles.

I thought 16 in tires on the 96/94 TLC's were starting to get WEIRD (275/70/16 S rated) We just pulled down a set with 83,000 miles @ 8 years ( going on 3rd set) , for one tire started to run with a flat spot. It was hard for me to determine if it was a manufacturers defect or some bad hits in normal operations. Obvious (or may be not so) 3 others were good so we saved the best one ( for the under the rear) full sized spare. So in effect, I am doing what you are doing.

If this is of interest, these are Yokohama Geolander HT/S G051. I would have liked to have gotten the Michelin LTX's, still the gold standard after 2 decades, but we have had two to three good sets and a set is a minimum of $304 more. Great bang for the buck.

gagrice

What really makes me wonder is why the automakers especially BMW, think no one goes off road with their SUVs. To end up 100 miles from no where without a spare or the chance of a dealer that has those odd ball tires, is insane. At the very least they should be offered as an option for those of US that do like to take the roads less traveled. I know first hand just how hard it is to get parts for some vehicles in Canada. And the RF tires are not going to be stocked at most Discount tire places. My banker has a cool little BMW coupe. First week he hit something and destroyed a tire. It took the dealer 2 days to get a replacement and $380 bill. He was totally unaware of what RFTs were until that happened. And he is not happy about them. They can put them on foo foo gas vehicles, leave our diesel SUVs alone.

ruking1

I am very inclined to agree with you. The (literal) Rubicon Trail is app 80 miles away from the two/three tire places where I would task to do an R/R should the need arise. They have told me they have the TLC tires, but 19 in and 20 in (and run flats) they do not stock and would have to order. Now you will not find me on the Rubicon Trail, but going off road is a normal gig in the Tahoe, CA area. So for me forewarned is forearmed .

stever

I replaced the space saver early on in the minivan and put the full size one to good use, having ruined two tires over the years, both in the boonies (5 flats in 14 years). Neither Fix-a-Flat nor an auto club would have worked in either instance.

gagrice

I also have intimate experience in Lake Tahoe. You have to go to either Sac or Reno to find anything. Would I like driving down that hill with a RFT getting beat up? Not even a chance. A couple miles to a freeway exit is one thing. Although if you are in a big city you would be risking your life getting off the freeway. Give me a spare tire and my 39 years with AAA.

Still waiting on the VW dealers to call or email. By this time after sending an email to 5 Mercedes dealers, all had contacted me by phone and email. If VW is going to overtake GM by 2018 they better get off their fat behinds and follow up on leads.

ruking1

Speaking about LONG in the tooth!!!! ??? TDI? Almost a no brainer.

Since 1974

Too bad NO 73.5 (US aka 128 oz) mpg ( 3.2 l/100km) blue motion for the US markets ! What are the US legislative and regulatory branches afraid of? That we might ACTUALLY USE less fuel ? :lemon:

ruking1

On the replacement tire sizes for the MB GLK 250 ( for OE run flats) these came up: 235/50/19 and 235/45/20. Tirerack.com does not list run flat replacements. tire replacements for both sizes are pricey. On the whole they are more expensive than the VW Touareg TDI's tires (18 in)

ruking1

TOUGH TOUGH sell !

Can I get one free if you get tax credits?

ruking1

Natural Gas passenger cars?

yankabilly

They are already here
Not only commercial trucks but passenger cars which eliminates the truck space
And very expansive

You can also get the truck from fleet service which coast $15000 they send it to Canada to do the add on for Ford.

For the house we have natural gas so all I would need run pipe and have external unit put in

gagrice

What is crazy is the fact that MB is not putting them on all the GLKs. That makes it hard to determine the right vehicle. I have a Touareg TDI to test drive tomorrow, if I can get away to do it. If I really like the Touareg I would get the LUX with saddle brown leather and make them exchange the 19" wheels and tires for the Sport 18". All for under invoice. I think the next biggest negative of the GLK is the small tank. That kind of defeats the long range aspect of a diesel. I test drove the ML350 Bluetec also and it was very nice. So that is back on the list. The seats are plusher than the GLK.

gagrice

Carbon Credits is the only thing keeping Tesla going. What a scam. Start a company, sell a few over priced cars to the uber rich and let the competition keep you afloat.

(They can buy credits from other companies, such as electric-only Tesla Motors (TSLA), that sell too few cars to be subject to regulation yet still earn credits which they are allowed to sell. Tesla made $85 million selling California and federal credits in the first quarter of 2013.)

gagrice

For the house we have natural gas so all I would need run pipe and have external unit put in

Last I read PHILL went bankrupt. The home unit was about $4000. Not everyone has enough gas flow to their home to handle a CNG system. And the CNG tanks have a fixed life span and are expensive.

Most countries have adopted similar CNG cylinder standards. Tanks cannot be recertified after reaching the expiration date set at time of manufacture and must be taken out of service. That leaves vehicle owners two options: retire the vehicle or replace the cylinders.