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

ruking1

It would sound like a wonderful time to be a landlord where you are. Let's just hope (for your sake) the city where you are does not follow the Detroit model of running municipalities.

gagrice

Just looking at the 2014 Touareg TDI on Edmunds. If I was buying today it would still be the TDI Lux. However the TMV is about $6,000 higher. The selection is far less, only 4 in all of Southern CA. They have dropped the free service down to 24 months or 24k miles. They are not offering $0 down or 0% financing. I have never owned a vehicle I like as much as this one. 7500 miles averaging 26.6 MPG, what's not to like?? It does not collect dust in the garage like the Sequoia did. Busy planning our next cross country route. Yellowstone Park is on the list. Probably late summer so we can take the back roads less traveled through Cody, Sheridan etc.

ruking1

Yee haw !! I am glad to hear both in before and 20/20 hind sight, that you are happy with the (13) VW Touareg TDI.

I fear that VW raised the price of (14 VW T TDI) admission $ 6 k because guys like me were running off at the mouth. (so to speak, actually blogging?) More seriously, I think a fair number of (serious buyers) folks have caught on to the fact the underpinning for the hugely popular Porsche Cayenne, which can cost MORE than double are in fact VW Touareg's and diesels' specifically, TDI's.

Tha price premium and the others points are HUGE corrections ! Still, I swallow a bit hard saying this, the VW T TDI is probably STILL worth the price of admission.

The following is on point for you and off point for diesel. While I liked the poorly rated oem GY LS2 tires (one reason 14,000 miles per 1/32nd wear) , I am having good luck with and am enthused about the better rated (actually #1 on the current bitt parade ) Continental CC LX20's W/ EPT. It also seems to appear the issue I raised with worse mpg between tires could have been a straw man, really due to newness and other variables and changing conditions. They also seem to steer much more precisely, which may take a tad getting used to.

fintail

Maybe not. There's a huge amount of recent construction, so it is as much a renters market as it is a landlord's. If one doesn't like a rent increase, they will find something else. It's not a cheap place, but there's some semblance of balance. A funny thing happened several years ago - rents spiked, then some simply moved out of the neighborhood, and rents then collapsed (mine went down to levels less than 5 years prior). Developers (few buildings here are privately owned) are often poor at managing supply. It happens with condo markets too.

This city is one of the most affluent in the region and shows no signs of slowing down. Hot industries and scarce land helps for a lot, too. The city leadership itself is of course as inefficient as most of the public sector, but relatively speaking, it is one of the better places to live - and population growth supports that.

ruking1

I would agree, once you describe both the area and landscape. Almost all RE is LOCAL, LOCAL, LOCAL.

So for example, rents in SF, CA (even in the crash) continued to spike. Indeed it is still spiking.

Again not to beat a dead horse, contrast that with.... Detroit. Why pay rent when one can literally SQUAT There is probably now a political action group now: Squatter's RIGHTS !!!

More seriously, this might be the bottoming of an old decaying 50 year ending cycle; coming up on a NEW 25/35 year cycle (aka the iconic AMERICAN literally LAND of OPPORTUNITY) for that area, once unions et al, figure out that thug behavior is old in the tooth and not in everyone's, to their best interests. One could probably pick up a sq block with a negotiated deal to get the block on some kind of minimal tax roll.

ruking1

http://www.digitaltrends.com/car-reviews/2014-volkswagen-touareg-tdi-sport-revie- - - - - - w/#/20

I found this, wandering around ! The reviewer is a bit clueless, as he fails to make any number of comparisons, which then slants his conclusions. Here are two examples:

1. gasser gasser/hybrid vs TDI Touareg's (mpg's since this seems to be high on his priority lists)

2. how many vehicles @ sub or @ 5k #'s rate a EPA of 20/29 mpg?

3. by a few of his comments it is clear he didn't know how to optimize the diesel differences, hence "acceptable fuel mileage".

4. Now how many folks would make a vehicle decision based on the CON that a cubby interrupts design lines?

gagrice

The writer is a bit of a dork alright. Thinking a Range Rover or Subaru are in the same class off road as a Touareg. Don't he know they have won the Dakar over all every time they entered? I keep my reading glasses and sun glasses in that handy little cubby.

I also like the Goodyear LS2 tires. It depends on how well they hold up. I am not a big Goodyear fan. Michelin does not offer a lot in that size. Keep us posted on your Continentals.

cski

So.....that's why you guys talk about the Touareg so much! It's Porsche underpinnings. Well, how much $ would I be looking at to drive a 2013 Diesel Touareg (nicely equipped...not stupidly equipped. I don't need driver nannies).

It is snowing here in NOVA, and I miss my Grand Cherokee today!

gagrice

If you liked your Grand Cherokee I would go test drive the new diesel model. I don't think there are many 2013 Touareg TDIs floating around these days. The Sport model is the lowest priced and has the least content. I would think if you find one it would be in the $45k range.

cski

I liked Goodyear Wrangler's on my Grand Cherokee Laredo V8. I had the optional 245/70/16, and let me tell you....I loved the way she "hooked up" in rain/snow. Great driving truck. I Miss the V8 sound and torque. I Don't miss the F/E, or the maintenance. Again, it is snowing and sleeting here so I have SUV on the brain.

One thing I noticed today. The OEM mud guards on my car are a hindrance in the snow. I had to clear it all out with a broomstick after a 15 min drive, and it must have added 20 pounds of weight per wheel. Then I had to clear it again on the way back.

cski

I wish I had kept my Jeep. It was a 99, which was the first year for the best looking model IMHO, the WJ. It never let me down, and felt unstoppable in every condition I put it through. I knew where all the wheels were, and I could feel much grip I had with each one. It had it's share of mechanical gremlins, but they were all fixed under warranty. In the end, none of my family needed it, it was killing me on gas, and I no longer needed car seats for my kids. It was my minivan "alternative".

I do think the new one is the best looking traditional SUV on the market. Then again, I see it through former owners eyes. Anyway, you can see it on my imgur site if you are bored.

http://cski12894.imgur.com/all

If I needed another SUV though it would be diesel. Believe it or not, I saw a BMW X6 on the road yesterday, and I think it looks good to, despite what Jeremy Clarkson said!

ruking1

..."So.....that's why you guys talk about the Touareg so much! It's Porsche underpinnings."...

Would I have bought it if it were NOT a Porsche bro/sis? Absolutely YES !!

There is a long TMI to the over all answer, if you or the board wants me to post.

stever

Why not? It's a diesel, right?

ruking1

I just got in 2 hours ago. Roads were cleared pretty well for what seemed to be the early winter efforts. Lots of cars seemed to be overly cautious. For trying conditions, it was absolutely early winter gorgeous! Seemed to be a pretty massive snow clearing effort on the main drag in SLT, CA. I went to get fuel, but the station was having freezing issues with the pumps. I took on 25 gals/26.4-752 miles @ an alternate station. Snow dumped overnight in the driveway measured 18 in high . I am told @ 9,500 ft snow overnight was more like 36 in.

ruking1

Well,.... Seemed to be the best of the (3 BMW X5 35D, MB GL 350 BlueTec, VW Touareg TDI ) TDI candidates for my wants/needs in the segment, offered @ the time.

gagrice

I like the looks of the JGC also. Plus it shares a platform with the ML Mercedes. To me the only unknown will be the new diesel engine from Italy. Though it has at least a couple years on the road in the EU. I don't think you will get any V6 diesel SUV under $45k. The very capable GLK250 Bluetec can be had under $40k. Those are base models. As powerful and responsive as they are the X5 35D would be my last choice. They are just not as comfortable as the other offerings. Though they tied the Touareg TDI in the 0-60 test at 6.9 Seconds. The Cayenne TDI was only a tenth of a second faster.

ruking1

The Porsche Cayenne TDI also sports some (different) suspension "bits" that make the handling more "Porsche like". The upshot is slightly higher G force numbers in the slalom tests.

TMI: I read an article in passing about the front sway bar that past a certain loading, presses back on the bar to give it a slightly better performance parameter.

Now how this positions itself with the new 14 VW Touareg TDI "R LINE" suspension bits upgrade has been not really DETAILED (written) about.

gagrice

It is hard to tell what the price difference is between the Cayenne and Touareg. I personally like the looks of the T-Reg over the Cayenne egg look. As close as I can tell you would pay about $20k more for a comparable Cayenne TDI to the Lux TDI. One big difference is the NAV in the Touareg is the latest RNS 850 with 8 inch display. The Cayenne still has the older NAV with 7 inch display. No mention of SiriusXM traffic that I could find on the Porsche website. The VW comes with 4 years XM traffic included. That is a handy feature that re-routes you around bad situations and long delays. I am more than pleased with the handling. So that is not a factor for me to think about.

ruking1

No snow overnight. At this writing, the outdoor sensor is indicating 5 degrees with wind chill on the Weather Channel @ MINUS - 10 F degrees (feels like) with a further "BITTERLY COLD indication. Right now no starting issues. I am setting out to shovel a walkway. Other than that all is well !

ruking1

Heat wave here ! I almost had to unlayer ! ? Weather Channel indicated a rise to MINUS - 6 "Bitterly COLD" unchanged. The outdoor sensor showed 7 F degrees !! Man, that VW T TDI is almost dirtier than I can describe.

cski

I can deal with the thought of 18"....but 36" dumped in one night? OMG.

ruking1

Well you know.... GLOBAL warming !!

Not many cars to pass on the way down off the mountain altitude. The fully loaded hay and LOGGING trucks are real pro's. Double tanker (RUG/PUG) trucks deserve mention also. For 106 miles did 34.6 mpg, avg. (I do love that no fuel draw and almost no brake use on way down relatively UNIMPEDED) The roads were at WORST wet, even as the temperatures (25 degrees F ish) could have supported ICE.

ruking1

..."I can deal with the thought of 18"....but 36" dumped in one night? OMG."...

TMI, 6,225 ft vs @ 9,300 ft.

ruking1

The Wall Street Journal had an interesting "LEFT FIELD" (to normal car boys and girls- my) take on the (late arrival) new Jeep Cherokee.

... "The vehicle is getting rave reviews, but why was its rollout stalled? Chrysler needed time to fine tune the software driving its nine-speed transmission. (fair enough: (my op/ed)

Why a nine speed transmission? Because of fuel mileage overkill driven by Mr. Obama's new rules, which require Chrysler to increase its fleet average to 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025 from 20.6 last year.

Why do we say overkill? Because the technology adds more in cost than it does in value for consumers, given the declining price of gas. At $3.25, the price of gasoline today per mile traveled, in real terms, is lower than it was in the 1950's. By one academic estimate, gas would have to reach $5.00 before consumers would voluntarily buy the 35.5 mpg cars Mr. Obama requires carmakers to sell in 2016."...

pg. A19, Wed, Dec. 11, 2013, Opinion: Business World By Holman W. Jenkins, Jr. WSJ

This is the "GOOD NEW's ! ?" Read the rest of the article for the REAL EYE openers.

Here is a teaser:

..." Chrysler is a tragedy in the full Greek sense"...

stever

Perhaps the increasing mpg is lowering demand and zapping gas prices.

Or maybe it's the speculators, lol. Some of both perhaps, but the real news is the glut of supply. You have to wonder if people have slowed their driving down a bit.

In other news, a VW dealer in the SoCal area told me this morning that diesel penetration is relatively low for his area. Everyone wants a Prius.

ruking1

That logic combined WITH going less AVG yearly miles does have its effects. Normally it is expressed cumulatively ( in total gals used or barrels of oil. In this case, LESS)

So for example if I do 15,000 miles per year (higher avg US driver mileage) @ 15 mpg AND do it going forward on 30 mpg, I am using HALF the gals (1000 before, 500 gals after). What that does tell me are the systems are experiencing real PAIN @ the new Prius mpg, even as the systems tells everyone they should get Pious or better mpg, while they disallow them from the market NOW.

So for example, VW can bring any number of much higher mpg cars to market NOW (with off the shelf technology !!!! ). The really wild thing is they could have done it a minimum of 1 decade AGO !! ??? However, they would have/ will be severely punished for doing so. My 03 Jetta TDI 50 mpg + is a good OLD example.

Pious mpg needed 10 years of constant improvement and redesign to get to 50 mpg.

If you had listened to the SO CAL enviro con mantra all of the So Cal pollution was caused only by a hand full of VW TDI's. Priuss of course would clean up So CA air !! Clearly, those characterizations were and remains preposterous !!!

It would be interesting to know the details as to So CA VW sales and diesel " % laggards". What that also tells me is there is a certain amount of contempt for the enviro con goals and rules. (Hollywood Hypocrisy?)

stever

Those pesky unintended consequences at work again.

The other story I heard this week was how someone (a dealer, not corporate, supposedly), got eight or ten celebs to show up at the Academy or other big-whoop awards show in black Prius limos. Instant "green" cred for the celebs and wonderful advertising for the Prius.

The backstory is that the celebs transfered into the Prii a block away from their armored Tahoes for the short ride to the red carpet.

ruking1

CA and SO CA car markets serve as bellwethers for the US auto industry, and for a myriad of reasons (perhaps the middle english definition is also apropos: or as Fintail is fond of saying: shepple):) . They even are a siren call for smoke and mirrors. While some would take extreme umbrage @ the first sentence; where goes the CA car markets, so goes the US markets.

So yes, those unintended consequences are normally what the systems are solving for. So for two more (CAR) examples, MTBE and ethanol. Both are and continue to be almost unmitigated disasters in dollars and have exacted the complete opposite of environmental cleanliness. We are STILL paying for the mitigation costs and effects of MTBE. The same will probably be true of ethanol ! They really give practical science a bad name. Indeed, if one looks at SO CA the bad air (spare the air days) are more prevalent than in the good ole "disaster days of Environmental Armageddon. "

gagrice

I think DeCaprio started that trend about 10 years ago with the Prius grand entrance. Most of Hollywood are sicko Limo Liberal hypocrites anyway. Supported by those that watch TV and waste money going to the theater. You have the other extreme:

Remember the International CXT pick-up truck we brought you way back when? Well we figured it would be a hit in the industrial market and as a promotional item like we saw last fall. But now it seems the CXT is in the hands of celebrities. Folks like Ashton Kutcher and Jalen Rose actually ponied up and bought one while others like Nick Lachey and Jay Leno just test drove the suckers (and I guess got their photos taken too). West Coast Customs is even working on a tricked out version with monster rims. We're just hoping this is the shortest trend of all time.

stever

DeCaprio's name did come up in that discussion.

The semi-clone should offer even better security than a Tahoe. And you can tow your fifth wheeler dressing room around with you.