471 miles might put me a little below half a tank, lol.
I still remember the funny/deceptive "math" used in Tesla lease calculations, billing out gas/diesel refueling at $100/hr for 15 minutes. Can't make this stuff up.
Over a years mileage, 15,000 miles (NHTSA 11,000 to 14,000 miles) the number of times one HAS to recharge over diesel is TOTALLY inexplicable!!! It is at 85 to 17. When one factors the charging times (40 minutes per versus 10 minutes) it is even totally totally inexplicable! The numbers are 85 hours to 2.87 hrs. If one wants to factor in the HIDDEN time costs @ 65 mph, the raw factors are now 5,525 miles vs 184 miles. So depending upon how one wants to figure it, one could have gonet 5,341 miles MORE/LESS !
These numbers are not adjusted for seasonality, which can further decrease range 20 to 35%! ?
Or the lack of an actual working 40 minute charge - I have no experience, but I suspect in some places that might get you more than in others.
And finding a station. In my several years of diesel driving, I have encountered very few stations in the PNW that don't carry it, likely due to the commercial vehicles and trucks here.
Or the lack of an actual working 40 minute charge - I have no experience, but I suspect in some places that might get you more than in others.
And finding a station. In my several years of diesel driving, I have encountered very few stations in the PNW that don't carry it, likely due to the commercial vehicles and trucks here.
Lack of diesel is just one of the diesel hater barbs. I have NEVER had any trouble finding diesel. I did learn right away that semi truck diesel pumps have bigger nozzles that don't fit. And are generally messier places to fuel. As soon as I sell or give the Nissan away, I will be dRUG free, yippee.
I've also had zero issues finding ULSD ! The numbers of fueling stations & % of diesel cars & need to fuel less often, make it easy to argue there are way too many diesel filling stations. Vs gasoline.
Indeed, I do not want to be responsible for crowding up truck fueling stations that do not wish to be more crowded!
More times than I remember, I've been waved forward by truckers taking on fuel!
Depending on perspectives, one can look at this in a number of ways.
Some of the truck stops I've been sell a host of truck/car related @ pricing slightly more than Walmarts.
Gasolin/hybrids are also NOT posting the required mpg numbers! Hybrids in modern USA market forms have had 15/16 MY's (since 2003) to make & earn their stripes, so to speak. Even Edmunds .com has stated the 2017/2018 hybrid $'s premium will probably not even be recovered on a flag ship example. ((Toyota Highlander hybrid over just gasoline I presume) please keep in mind that Toyota also owns the hybrid rights.
Diesels on the other hand, (sans) diesel haters efforts, can do the B/E EASILY! The 2014 MB GLK 250 BT started off -$500 cheaper than like model gasoline. Another, is that the 250 BT posts 36 mpg versus 21 mpg (for the premium gasoline, like mile).
IF gasoline, gasoline hybrid, EV could even match ULSD, the press would shout that news out & customers would chose those over like models!? This flat out is not happening.
But not to worry? What's new about global gobbledygook ?
Thinking back to the 2005 Passat Wagon TDI I bought in Portland and drove home to San Diego. I wanted to use ULSD to save the environment. At the time BP/ARCO stations were the only ones selling ULSD. The first tank from Portland to Northern CA was a bit shaky. We made it and have never had an issue finding ULSD since. The Passat, 2006 MB Cruiser and the Touareg TDI, and now a GMC Canyon diesel. Looks like GM is taking diesel seriously with the mid sized PU trucks, CUVs and Cruze diesels.
It is true that having a 60% diesel PVF would create way less oil demand. Indeed EIA.gov fiques indicate a 19 gal gasoline &. 13 gal diesel are the normal yields per barrel.
In addition I t would seem that with the large car & CUV/SUV trends, the diesel option actually achieves better mpg than the gasoline, gasoline hybrid, EV, etc! ! o
In addition to praying for those in the affected Texas areas, please add Florida! Right now I've heard estimates of 1M damaged Texas cars. Who knows how many will be added should the Hurricanes Irma hit land.
I hope that those wanting to do the VW buyback in the affected areas were not impacted.
I will be reassessing our vehicle situation after VW gets off their duff and settles with US Touareg TDI gen 2 owners. I was considering a GMC Terrain diesel to replace it for around town vehicle. After spending 10 days and 284 miles of around town driving, I wonder how practical diesel is for 3 mile trips. It looks like I will get only about 20 MPG on short trips around town. I am thinking a Chevy Bolt with the cheap electricity in Pahrump may be the way to go. Still has enough range for a shopping trip to Vegas. Plus sticking it to Uncle Sam for a $7500 tax credit would give me Immense pleasure.
On the highway back to San Diego last night I got to see how the GMC Canyon Diesel performs. The first 84 miles to Baker is limited to 65 MPH. Cruising at that speed the computer showed 31 MPG. When I hit Interstate 15 at 70+ MPH it started dropping at bit. It is showing 28.9 MPG at the end of the 344 mile trip back. I will know exactly when I fill it back up. It looks like the 21 gallon tank should be good for close to 600 miles on the highway.
The handling and ride are not quite as refined as the VW Touareg. However the Bose speakers and sound system are superior on classical music. The Canyon is quiet as can be expected of a PU Truck. Very pleasant 5 hour drive except a few miles of congestion on the I215 around San Bernardino. I will not miss having freeways in Pahrump. 40k people and no traffic jams, and only 3 stop lights.
Absolutel, these are crazy times for approximately 2% to 4 % pof our population.
My guess is VW will want fixes to keep most 3.0 L engines in the PVF! The VW variant Porsche Cayenne is a mainstay ! If they are successfu,l they can bring back the diesel. I would buy mine back in a heartbeat.
Yes, CPMD: (cost per mile driven) is the ultimate arbiter!? Application/s is/are very important also.
If all we did are 7 mile trips, that can easily be done in a golf cart!? But kWh are expensive in South Lake Tahoe, CA.
Your mileage on that GMC Canyon TDI is proof positive that diesel are an absolute killer application of diesels, aka TDI's! 28 to 31 MPG versus 19 to 22 MPG! gasoline! There is no doubt in my mind that if I needed or wanted the ocompact pick up truck, which engine I would choose! BUT we already know diesels are a niche market.
I inadvertently got in touch with my diesel mechanic. After a while catching up with personal things, the subject got around to what he thought of the 2.1 L MB TTDI! He owns them & runs them stock! Without getting TMI, they are well-built, durable and reliable! Outside of the normal stuff like oil and filter change air filter's, injectors might need changing anywhere from 300,000 to 500,000 miles. They are easier to work on vs VW's. It's a definite thumbs up !
I think MB made a huge mistake dropping the 2.1L diesel from their US lineup. Unless they are hiding something they do not want scrutinized to closely. For me MB presents the same problem that VW does. Closest dealers are 50+ miles away in Vegas. Heck not even a Ford dealer out in Pahrump.
A side note, I was asked about the Canyon diesel about 5 times in the 10 days I drove it in Pahrump. No one was ever interested in the Touareg TDI, unless they also had one. You would think it was an exotic sports car with the attention I got.
That's great, Gary! Perhaps you can work as a part-time sales or promotional guy for the GM dealer in Pahrump! Commission only (say, 1% of total monthly sales....!).
2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 2013 Ford F250 Lariat D, 1976 Ford F250, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100
I say yippee yahoo! The GMC brand will lead the American TDI charge! It's great they paired it with the ZF 8 speed A/T!
My mechanic runs 20,000 miles OCI's on his MB 2.1 L TTDI engines! He had no issues with the 30,000 miles interval with Mobil One ESP 5w40. He told me to email the oil analysis results, if I had concerns or wanted an average OCI (based on TMI for this posting) . I do not. So between 300,000 to 500,000 I will have him do the injectors !?
I say yippee yahoo! The GMC brand will lead the American TDI charge! It's great they paired it with the ZF 8 speed A/T!
The diesel still has the 6 speed auto. I was hoping they would go with the 8 speed for 2018. I would have waited and bought the newer one. According to the GMC build & Price it is still the same 6 speed.
The Canyon diesel 6 speed shifting is not nearly as seamless as the 8 speed in the Touareg TDI. Just filled up the Canyon. Calculated is 27.79 MPG. I can live with that. Gives me something to shoot for on every trip over in the moving process. Will be interesting to see how much I lose with a loaded truck going back to NV.
The Canyon diesel 6 speed shifting is not nearly as seamless as the 8 speed in the Touareg TDI. Just filled up the Canyon. Calculated is 27.79 MPG. I can live with that. Gives me something to shoot for on every trip over in the moving process. Will be interesting to see how much I lose with a loaded truck going back to NV.
It's all going to depend on wind resistance. I doubt that weight alone will have a major impact. If you can stack to cab-height, and maybe have a tray on the hitch that gives you a little more real estate, then you should still be 25+.
Trailering will, of course, have the biggest effect. Since your mileage seems to be similar to my Q7, I am going to surmise that, if you trailer, you will likely see 17-19 average pulling 2-4,000#. That's what I showed when I pulled a covered, double-axle 6x12 U-Haul trailer to Anchorage and back last March. I think the trailer is about 2,200# empty, and I only put maybe a half-ton in it on the way home. Other than the bulk, I didn't even notice it was back there!
2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 2013 Ford F250 Lariat D, 1976 Ford F250, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100
On the 6/8 speed issue, I was mistaken. I must have been reading about another 8 speed or future 2018/2019 iteration. Indeed 27/28 mpg are great numbers! I am glad you are having a great experience with it.
Hopefully the mileage improves with break-in. Also I need to kick up the pressure on the tires from 35 lbs. A couple more trips to Pahrump and I will know how well I like it. So far so good. My only complaint is the running boards make getting out harder. The jury is still out with my wife. Getting into the truck is easy. Getting out not so easy. They are slippery with some shoes. And rub the back of my leg. May just remove them as they could be a pain off road. I would not have ordered them on the truck.
Look what Tesla can goose one for? $5,000 if one falls for? 15 kWh extra "software option" lets one go 30 miles more. So what's the cpmd: fuel, @ my .37 kWh penalty rate?
Are 35 psi all around what the placard calls for? I'd start with 3 or 4 psi (10 %) more. This would be 39 psi to 40 psi.
There can be a fair number of variables (TMI) why psi should be more or less.
They are supposed to be all at 35 Lbs. I will kick them up just before I take off for Pahrump. The dealer did not have a decent pressure gauge. So they are not all equal.
I would ask all join in prayer for all affected by the recent Hurricanes (TX, FL, & others)!
As it applies to cars, the events might apply to potentially 15 M cars!!?? I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around the car damage, let alone the overall damage!
My brother and wife survived in Orlando. They sold their 56 foot Catamaran in Puerto Rico on the 21st of August. Were in their high rise Condo in Tampa when it looked like they would get a direct hit. So they drove over and are with friends. They did not lose electricity in Orlando. Tampa is dark now. No real damage to their building right on the Marina. Brother said they are many friends in the Virgin Islands that are devastated. Not much word on those places.
Congratulations! Driving back & forth in the new GMC Canyon TDI would be a great break-in route!
On a Friday afternoon/evening going northeast on I15 or on a Sunday going south back to CA it can be pretty dismal driving, but I suppose that is good for break-in.
'18 Porsche Macan Turbo, '16 Audi TTS, Wife's '19 VW Tiguan SEL 4-Motion
Congratulations! Driving back & forth in the new GMC Canyon TDI would be a great break-in route!
On a Friday afternoon/evening going northeast on I15 or on a Sunday going south back to CA it can be pretty dismal driving, but I suppose that is good for break-in.
Indeed! OEM's officially downplay to poh poh "break in" !? To me, individual components logic (some diesel, most other than) poh poh's the OEM's poh poh.
It starts off with way different torque & rpm curves. A few too many expect the diesel should act like a gasoline engine. I've read some gasoline engines are fully broken in by 1,000 miles. I know that some to all PVF diesel engines can take anywhere from 30,000 to 50,000 miles to break in & post app 1/2 mpg more. Anecdotally all 4 of mine seemed to do exactly that. But even I must say I am the common link to all 4 TDI's. But this was a truth WAY before my TDI involvement. .
I will be reassessing our vehicle situation after VW gets off their duff and settles with US Touareg TDI gen 2 owners. I was considering a GMC Terrain diesel to replace it for around town vehicle. After spending 10 days and 284 miles of around town driving, I wonder how practical diesel is for 3 mile trips. It looks like I will get only about 20 MPG on short trips around town. I am thinking a Chevy Bolt with the cheap electricity in Pahrump may be the way to go. Still has enough range for a shopping trip to Vegas. Plus sticking it to Uncle Sam for a $7500 tax credit would give me Immense pleasure.
On the highway back to San Diego last night I got to see how the GMC Canyon Diesel performs. The first 84 miles to Baker is limited to 65 MPH. Cruising at that speed the computer showed 31 MPG. When I hit Interstate 15 at 70+ MPH it started dropping at bit. It is showing 28.9 MPG at the end of the 344 mile trip back. I will know exactly when I fill it back up. It looks like the 21 gallon tank should be good for close to 600 miles on the highway.
The handling and ride are not quite as refined as the VW Touareg. However the Bose speakers and sound system are superior on classical music. The Canyon is quiet as can be expected of a PU Truck. Very pleasant 5 hour drive except a few miles of congestion on the I215 around San Bernardino. I will not miss having freeways in Pahrump. 40k people and no traffic jams, and only 3 stop lights.
LOL @ Limited to 65 MPH in the 84 miles between Baker and Pahrump. I've issued a formal Executive Order that those 84 miles are limitless Autobahn USA style! Traffic is so light, and CHP/NHP presence so light (one at most in the stretch; easily picked up by a radar detector from a mile or 2 away) that us law-breakers are free to riot down the road at whatever speed we wish.
That stretch of 2-lane highway is much faster pace than I15 during normal hours. Without admitting any guilt I'd say cars on their way to Spring Mountain accomplished those 84 miles in under 60 minutes
'18 Porsche Macan Turbo, '16 Audi TTS, Wife's '19 VW Tiguan SEL 4-Motion
Congratulations! Driving back & forth in the new GMC Canyon TDI would be a great break-in route!
On a Friday afternoon/evening going northeast on I15 or on a Sunday going south back to CA it can be pretty dismal driving, but I suppose that is good for break-in.
We try to leave San Diego around 6 AM Sunday mornings. Only traffic we hit is people taking potty breaks in Baker CA. Then the last 84 miles from Baker to Pahrump you may not see another vehicle. Leaving Pahrump about 5 PM to cross the desert before dark. Hit I15 South about 7PM and arrive San Diego 10:30 PM with a stop for an In & Out Burger in Victorville. Only bad traffic is the 215/60 interchange. We did notice the traffic warnings with the GMC NAV are better than the Touareg that uses XM traffic. XM is Rarely accurate, and the Navteq rerouting is outrageous.
I almost always just stay 5 MPH over the limit. I am not interested in paying a huge fine. My last ticket was 1999 going across the desert from Indio to Parker via Rice. No cars on that great stretch. CHP nailed me doing about 85. Wrote it up as 75 MPH. I was not going to drive to Needles for court, so paid it. Just not in a hurry much anymore. Love Cruise control, and the GMC is close to the Touareg for holding the speed. No downshifting on the hills. That 369 ft lbs is the key to keeping your speed without downshifting.
I love night desert driving! It is relaxing, but for some reason the darkness calls me to attention to giving the subtle reminder: focus!
It's also has seemed pretty easy to blend in like a local, in my case, South Lake Tahoe, CA/NV.
Got to see a Porsche Cayenne diesel. It had two side diesel markings with no rear markings. Two BMW's 3,5 series rounded out this diesel sighting day.
Not diesel related, but I spent my college years in Phoenix, and had relatives who lived in Yuma. I'd take off after school on Friday afternoons and take I-8 to Yuma. Often did the drive at night - in a car without A/C. Agreed, you've got to pay attention when driving those roads at night - never know what might try to cross the road.
Consumers should really be po'd about those fancy & beyond expensive optioned driving lamps! I've read in more that a few articles, precious few rate even adequately !? It would appear that the " new" & xenon optioned lamps are just costly concepts to jack up the prices! While there probably are no data, high price optioned (not to mention "normal") driving lamps may let people drive with a dangerous false sense of security ! It probably makes close to ZERO statistical significance.
I as I'm sure many others, cut their driving teeth on " sealed" beam headlamps (when Mohammad was a foot soldier) . As a result, I've few to no night illusions.
But really the answer has been far simpler & hidden in plain sight & for DECADES! When was the last time the lighting (adjustment) specification were changed? The aim on my ancient 1960 seal beams are the same for those 2017 gee whiz Xenon jobs.
I love night desert driving! It is relaxing, but for some reason the darkness calls me to attention to giving the subtle reminder: focus!
It's also has seemed pretty easy to blend in like a local, in my case, South Lake Tahoe, CA/NV.
Got to see a Porsche Cayenne diesel. It had two side diesel markings with no rear markings. Two BMW's 3,5 series rounded out this diesel sighting day.
Not diesel related, but I spent my college years in Phoenix, and had relatives who lived in Yuma. I'd take off after school on Friday afternoons and take I-8 to Yuma. Often did the drive at night - in a car without A/C. Agreed, you've got to pay attention when driving those roads at night - never know what might try to cross the road.
Interstate 8 is one highway I will not drive at night anymore. It is a drug corridor with lots of horror stories. As much as we like the desert we don't do AZ southern deserts anymore. Hope our old moderator Stever is doing ok. He lived in the heart of that drug cartel mess in Las Cruces.
So what is the posted speed limit? Normally, 10 over + might draw attention, if you did that right in front of him?
65 is the default limit in CA, since anything over that is "maximum speed limit" unless otherwise posted (70 MPH). Anything under 65 is subject to argument as you can use the "reasonable & prudent" standard of the basic speed law. However, I can understand not wanting to waste time in court arguing the facts of "reasonable and prudent speeds."
15+ will get you a ticket. 14 and under and your probably fine. Do slow down from 14 over though when you see them, or they should rightfully give you a ticket for less over since you appear to be situation-ally unaware (more dangerous than speeding itself).
When your out in the middle of nowhere, a radar detector going off is a true alarm, no false alarms in Nowheresville! In the City is a different story. Therefore, advantage driver with radar detector in isolated areas!
You can easily slow down to the speed limit before their radar grabs you.
Oh, driving to Baker from Pahrump is where I convinced myself that speed estimates (visually) by cops from over 1,000 feet away are a complete BS Science that the Court believes is true!!!!! It is a requirement in CA that they first estimate your speeding speed, then turn on the radar to confirm (in that order). For example, I was driving 65 this particular time, the speed limit, and I saw a suspicious looking car on the side of the road that looked like it might be a cop, they turned right onto the road facing me from very far away. A few seconds later my detector gets hit with radar on my car.
Now why would he use his radar on me if he estimated my speed to be the speed limit first (lawful compliance?) The only answer is that he popped his radar on because he had no idea how fast I was going, which I wish the Courts would believe. Thankfully, he didn't pull me over for driving the speed limit. An honest cop.
'18 Porsche Macan Turbo, '16 Audi TTS, Wife's '19 VW Tiguan SEL 4-Motion
I love night desert driving! It is relaxing, but for some reason the darkness calls me to attention to giving the subtle reminder: focus!
It's also has seemed pretty easy to blend in like a local, in my case, South Lake Tahoe, CA/NV.
Got to see a Porsche Cayenne diesel. It had two side diesel markings with no rear markings. Two BMW's 3,5 series rounded out this diesel sighting day.
Not diesel related, but I spent my college years in Phoenix, and had relatives who lived in Yuma. I'd take off after school on Friday afternoons and take I-8 to Yuma. Often did the drive at night - in a car without A/C. Agreed, you've got to pay attention when driving those roads at night - never know what might try to cross the road.
Did/do you use your brights in that situation (since traffic is light or non-existent?)
'18 Porsche Macan Turbo, '16 Audi TTS, Wife's '19 VW Tiguan SEL 4-Motion
Consumers should really be po'd about those fancy & beyond expensive optioned driving lamps! I've read in more that a few articles, precious few rate even adequately !? It would appear that the " new" & xenon optioned lamps are just costly concepts to jack up the prices! While there probably are no data, high price optioned (not to mention "normal") driving lamps may let people drive with a dangerous false sense of security ! It probably makes close to ZERO statistical significance.
I as I'm sure many others, cut their driving teeth on " sealed" beam headlamps (when Mohammad was a foot soldier) . As a result, I've few to no night illusions.
But really the answer has been far simpler & hidden in plain sight & for DECADES! When was the last time the lighting (adjustment) specification were changed? The aim on my ancient 1960 seal beams are the same for those 2017 gee whiz Xenon jobs.
I must say that quality of lighting has improved dramatically over the last couple of decades. My 2010 forester was the first vehicle I owned where I felt it was not a requirement to add supplemental lighting. Still, the best overall visibility of any vehicle I've owned.
The lighting in the Q7 is pretty darn good, too, but has sharper cut offs than the Forester. I am not sure if it is Xenon or LED. It's 2014 model, so probably not LED? At any rate, the lights don't produce much heat. And, while one might think that is good, I discovered in the Utah blizzard last spring (while coming up I15) that it has its downside, too. I had to stop on four separate occasions to break ice off the front of the vehicle so I could see well enough ahead to continue driving! The first time, we had nearly 4" of ice build up (horizontally) on the front of the car, including over the headlights. I have never experienced ice build up like that before; and never any sort of buildup on the lights.
2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 2013 Ford F250 Lariat D, 1976 Ford F250, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100
This can be an interesting discussion. Actually there are a boat load of good cops out there! The issue is they are hard to pick out when they are in a patrol car! When you are in a traffic stop & they have to procedurally initiate contact, that's always a life-threatening experience until they get a feeling, one way or the other.
So given what you're saying in CA, anecdotal experience has been variable & situational 74/75/76 mph can/will get you that "why aren't you in the slow lane" look? ! Morre times than I can count, in trying to complete a pass @ 85 + mph one had to hot foot the pass for an impatient CHP on the six. Other times 64 mph 65 mph was like whistling past the graveyard.
I really (even after 17 years) enjoy the use of a premium radar detector. So for me early on, the real utility of the radar detector is to learn to adjust your sight, attention patterns, situational awareness & intuition. Most times before the detector goes off, I know the CHP is there. The real interesting thing in CA , the majority of CHP cars do not carry or use radar detectors. So procedurally, that requires them to pace one within 1/8 of a mile to confirm suspicions. So for example I have been gunned by a CHP traveling in the opposite direction. He swung around to close & either gun me again or pace me. By that time, I was at the limit No/ more joy!
On the downside of the radar detector, I got a ticket trying to get out of the way (sooner) of a parked CHP patrol car (partially in the #2 lane) that I could not see, yet knew lane change was the better part of valor. I should have hit him as he was illegally parked on the roadway.
I fought it in court, but the judge was obvious not a radar detector fan. It was pay the full fine or do traffic school/no points/discount fine.
I love night desert driving! It is relaxing, but for some reason the darkness calls me to attention to giving the subtle reminder: focus!
It's also has seemed pretty easy to blend in like a local, in my case, South Lake Tahoe, CA/NV.
Got to see a Porsche Cayenne diesel. It had two side diesel markings with no rear markings. Two BMW's 3,5 series rounded out this diesel sighting day.
Not diesel related, but I spent my college years in Phoenix, and had relatives who lived in Yuma. I'd take off after school on Friday afternoons and take I-8 to Yuma. Often did the drive at night - in a car without A/C. Agreed, you've got to pay attention when driving those roads at night - never know what might try to cross the road.
Interstate 8 is one highway I will not drive at night anymore. It is a drug corridor with lots of horror stories. As much as we like the desert we don't do AZ southern deserts anymore. Hope our old moderator Stever is doing ok. He lived in the heart of that drug cartel mess in Las Cruces.
Funny you should mention that. I was pulled over in I8 east going out of San Diego County towards Phoenix AZ, by a CA Sheriff on the highway! I was only going 10 over, so the CHP would have never pulled me over for 10 over. His excuse for the pull-over, and the ticket he did write, were for the lack of front license plate, not the "speeding."
He also asked to search my trunk (I had my wife and baby/toddler in the car), due to the drug corridor problem. I was in the Red S4. I asked if he would take long before giving an answer, and he said it would be quick, so I gave him permission to look in the trunk. He took all of 1 second to see all our luggage back there, and said OK, and closed the trunk for us. Probably just could of said no, but didn't want to risk escalating the situation and I knew we were clean.
'18 Porsche Macan Turbo, '16 Audi TTS, Wife's '19 VW Tiguan SEL 4-Motion
Consumers should really be po'd about those fancy & beyond expensive optioned driving lamps! I've read in more that a few articles, precious few rate even adequately !? It would appear that the " new" & xenon optioned lamps are just costly concepts to jack up the prices! While there probably are no data, high price optioned (not to mention "normal") driving lamps may let people drive with a dangerous false sense of security ! It probably makes close to ZERO statistical significance.
I as I'm sure many others, cut their driving teeth on " sealed" beam headlamps (when Mohammad was a foot soldier) . As a result, I've few to no night illusions.
But really the answer has been far simpler & hidden in plain sight & for DECADES! When was the last time the lighting (adjustment) specification were changed? The aim on my ancient 1960 seal beams are the same for those 2017 gee whiz Xenon jobs.
Even better, Audi is using LED headlights now. I will say they work fantastic.
I actually did perform a twisty mountain pass late at night recently to test them out. On high beams I could see every flying insect for at least 100 yards. They work great. I would not want to go back to halogens.
'18 Porsche Macan Turbo, '16 Audi TTS, Wife's '19 VW Tiguan SEL 4-Motion
Funny you should mention that. I was pulled over in I8 east going out of San Diego County towards Phoenix AZ, by a CA Sheriff on the highway! I was only going 10 over, so the CHP would have never pulled me over for 10 over. His excuse for the pull-over, and the ticket he did write, were for the lack of front license plate, not the "speeding."
I think the risk factor for being pulled over goes up, even for minor things (like ten over!), the lower the traffic density gets.
Like Gary, I tend to stay within five of the limit. But, it takes a LOT to slow me down!
2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 2013 Ford F250 Lariat D, 1976 Ford F250, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100
Funny you should mention that. I was pulled over in I8 east going out of San Diego County towards Phoenix AZ, by a CA Sheriff on the highway! I was only going 10 over, so the CHP would have never pulled me over for 10 over. His excuse for the pull-over, and the ticket he did write, were for the lack of front license plate, not the "speeding."
I think the risk factor for being pulled over goes up, even for minor things (like ten over!), the lower the traffic density gets.
Like Gary, I tend to stay within five of the limit. But, it takes a LOT to slow me down!
Traffic wasn't that light, in fact, the reason I didn't slow down when I passed him was because I'd get caught behind slower moving traffic about to go up a long steady uphill grade! I maintained my 10 over despite seeing him from a mile away, and passed his slow butt using the left lane. He didn't like that.
Didn't think a Sheriff pulled people over on the CHP's territory! Lesson learned. It also caused him to question whether I saw him or not.
'18 Porsche Macan Turbo, '16 Audi TTS, Wife's '19 VW Tiguan SEL 4-Motion
I was stuck in a long line of vehicles on US89 north through southern Utah earlier in the same day we hit that blizzard. I think there were upwards of thirty vehicles piled up ahead of me. We finally hit a long straight, downhill, and I waited a couple seconds to see if folks ahead were going to pull out. Nobody did.
So, tired of going 5-10 under the SL (which, IIRC, was 75), I pulled out and punched it. Ah, that TDI is compliant. I ended up passing all of them, at 85 (ten over the SL), and not a single other vehicle pulled out to pass. With about ten vehicles to go, I was starting to think there might be a LEO in front of this pack or something. Just about that time, a vehicle came around the bend ahead, so I punched it up to about 100 to finish off the last few and get over with plenty of room to spare... hoping that I was wrong about the LEO!
All was well. My wife was annoyed with me. BUT, we did not get stuck in traffic again until we hit I15, which was HOURS later.
2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 2013 Ford F250 Lariat D, 1976 Ford F250, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100
Consumers should really be po'd about those fancy & beyond expensive optioned driving lamps! I've read in more that a few articles, precious few rate even adequately !? It would appear that the " new" & xenon optioned lamps are just costly concepts to jack up the prices! While there probably are no data, high price optioned (not to mention "normal") driving lamps may let people drive with a dangerous false sense of security ! It probably makes close to ZERO statistical significance.
I as I'm sure many others, cut their driving teeth on " sealed" beam headlamps (when Mohammad was a foot soldier) . As a result, I've few to no night illusions.
But really the answer has been far simpler & hidden in plain sight & for DECADES! When was the last time the lighting (adjustment) specification were changed? The aim on my ancient 1960 seal beams are the same for those 2017 gee whiz Xenon jobs.
Even better, Audi is using LED headlights now. I will say they work fantastic.
I actually did perform a twisty mountain pass late at night recently to test them out. On high beams I could see every flying insect for at least 100 yards. They work great. I would not want to go back to halogens.
Two (my) TDI's have/ had LED eyelash liners! The 2012 VW Touareg TDI had halogens on the "swivel". Once upon a time that used to be against the law! That option does not change how the headlamps are adjusted to. Do I like halogen? Qualified yes! Was I ok with sealed beams? A qualified yes.
I love night desert driving! It is relaxing, but for some reason the darkness calls me to attention to giving the subtle reminder: focus!
It's also has seemed pretty easy to blend in like a local, in my case, South Lake Tahoe, CA/NV.
Got to see a Porsche Cayenne diesel. It had two side diesel markings with no rear markings. Two BMW's 3,5 series rounded out this diesel sighting day.
Not diesel related, but I spent my college years in Phoenix, and had relatives who lived in Yuma. I'd take off after school on Friday afternoons and take I-8 to Yuma. Often did the drive at night - in a car without A/C. Agreed, you've got to pay attention when driving those roads at night - never know what might try to cross the road.
Did/do you use your brights in that situation (since traffic is light or non-existent?)
I owned a '79 Pontiac Sunbird with sealed beam headlights. I'm pretty sure I used the high beams when there wasn't oncoming traffic.
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I still remember the funny/deceptive "math" used in Tesla lease calculations, billing out gas/diesel refueling at $100/hr for 15 minutes. Can't make this stuff up.
These numbers are not adjusted for seasonality, which can further decrease range 20 to 35%! ?
Meanwhile gasoline prices slump!? https://finance.yahoo.com/news/brent-oil-falls-north-korea-085250646.html
So if normal "Gulf of Mexico" 's production is 5% of USA GoM @ 400,000 bbls * 13 gal ULSD = 5.2 M gal of ULSD. ( pre Hurriacane Harvey)
And finding a station. In my several years of diesel driving, I have encountered very few stations in the PNW that don't carry it, likely due to the commercial vehicles and trucks here.
I've also had zero issues finding ULSD ! The numbers of fueling stations & % of diesel cars & need to fuel less often, make it easy to argue there are way too many diesel filling stations. Vs gasoline.
Indeed, I do not want to be responsible for crowding up truck fueling stations that do not wish to be more crowded!
More times than I remember, I've been waved forward by truckers taking on fuel!
Depending on perspectives, one can look at this in a number of ways.
Some of the truck stops I've been sell a host of truck/car related @ pricing slightly more than Walmarts.
Diesels on the other hand, (sans) diesel haters efforts, can do the B/E EASILY! The 2014 MB GLK 250 BT started off -$500 cheaper than like model gasoline. Another, is that the 250 BT posts 36 mpg versus 21 mpg (for the premium gasoline, like mile).
IF gasoline, gasoline hybrid, EV could even match ULSD, the press would shout that news out & customers would chose those over like models!? This flat out is not happening.
But not to worry? What's new about global gobbledygook ?
In addition I t would seem that with the large car & CUV/SUV trends, the diesel option actually achieves better mpg than the gasoline, gasoline hybrid, EV, etc! ! o
I hope that those wanting to do the VW buyback in the affected areas were not impacted.
On the highway back to San Diego last night I got to see how the GMC Canyon Diesel performs. The first 84 miles to Baker is limited to 65 MPH. Cruising at that speed the computer showed 31 MPG. When I hit Interstate 15 at 70+ MPH it started dropping at bit. It is showing 28.9 MPG at the end of the 344 mile trip back. I will know exactly when I fill it back up. It looks like the 21 gallon tank should be good for close to 600 miles on the highway.
The handling and ride are not quite as refined as the VW Touareg. However the Bose speakers and sound system are superior on classical music. The Canyon is quiet as can be expected of a PU Truck. Very pleasant 5 hour drive except a few miles of congestion on the I215 around San Bernardino. I will not miss having freeways in Pahrump. 40k people and no traffic jams, and only 3 stop lights.
My guess is VW will want fixes to keep most 3.0 L engines in the PVF! The VW variant Porsche Cayenne is a mainstay ! If they are successfu,l they can bring back the diesel. I would buy mine back in a heartbeat.
Yes, CPMD: (cost per mile driven) is the ultimate arbiter!? Application/s is/are very important also.
If all we did are 7 mile trips, that can easily be done in a golf cart!? But kWh are expensive in South Lake Tahoe, CA.
Your mileage on that GMC Canyon TDI is proof positive that diesel are an absolute killer application of diesels, aka TDI's! 28 to 31 MPG versus 19 to 22 MPG! gasoline! There is no doubt in my mind that if I needed or wanted the ocompact pick up truck, which engine I would choose! BUT we already know diesels are a niche market.
I inadvertently got in touch with my diesel mechanic. After a while catching up with personal things, the subject got around to what he thought of the 2.1 L MB TTDI! He owns them & runs them stock! Without getting TMI, they are well-built, durable and reliable! Outside of the normal stuff like oil and filter change air filter's, injectors might need changing anywhere from 300,000 to 500,000 miles. They are easier to work on vs VW's. It's a definite thumbs up !
A side note, I was asked about the Canyon diesel about 5 times in the 10 days I drove it in Pahrump. No one was ever interested in the Touareg TDI, unless they also had one. You would think it was an exotic sports car with the attention I got.
My mechanic runs 20,000 miles OCI's on his MB 2.1 L TTDI engines! He had no issues with the 30,000 miles interval with Mobil One ESP 5w40. He told me to email the oil analysis results, if I had concerns or wanted an average OCI (based on TMI for this posting) . I do not. So between 300,000 to 500,000 I will have him do the injectors !?
http://www.gmc.com/trucks/canyon-small-pickup-truck/build-and-price.html#/exterior
Trailering will, of course, have the biggest effect. Since your mileage seems to be similar to my Q7, I am going to surmise that, if you trailer, you will likely see 17-19 average pulling 2-4,000#. That's what I showed when I pulled a covered, double-axle 6x12 U-Haul trailer to Anchorage and back last March. I think the trailer is about 2,200# empty, and I only put maybe a half-ton in it on the way home. Other than the bulk, I didn't even notice it was back there!
There can be a fair number of variables (TMI) why psi should be more or less.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/tesla-flips-switch-increase-range-232915375.html
As it applies to cars, the events might apply to potentially 15 M cars!!?? I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around the car damage, let alone the overall damage!
It starts off with way different torque & rpm curves. A few too many expect the diesel should act like a gasoline engine. I've read some gasoline engines are fully broken in by 1,000 miles. I know that some to all PVF diesel engines can take anywhere from 30,000 to 50,000 miles to break in & post app 1/2 mpg more. Anecdotally all 4 of mine seemed to do exactly that. But even I must say I am the common link to all 4 TDI's. But this was a truth WAY before my TDI involvement. .
Interesting VW strategic news? https://www.cnbc.com/2017/09/12/volkswagen-emissions-scandal-ceo-says-diesel-has-a-great-future.html?ref=yfp
That stretch of 2-lane highway is much faster pace than I15 during normal hours. Without admitting any guilt I'd say cars on their way to Spring Mountain accomplished those 84 miles in under 60 minutes
It's also has seemed pretty easy to blend in like a local, in my case, South Lake Tahoe, CA/NV.
Got to see a Porsche Cayenne diesel. It had two side diesel markings with no rear markings. Two BMW's 3,5 series rounded out this diesel sighting day.
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I as I'm sure many others, cut their driving teeth on " sealed" beam headlamps (when Mohammad was a foot soldier) . As a result, I've few to no night illusions.
But really the answer has been far simpler & hidden in plain sight & for DECADES! When was the last time the lighting (adjustment) specification were changed? The aim on my ancient 1960 seal beams are the same for those 2017 gee whiz Xenon jobs.
15+ will get you a ticket. 14 and under and your probably fine. Do slow down from 14 over though when you see them, or they should rightfully give you a ticket for less over since you appear to be situation-ally unaware (more dangerous than speeding itself).
When your out in the middle of nowhere, a radar detector going off is a true alarm, no false alarms in Nowheresville! In the City is a different story. Therefore, advantage driver with radar detector in isolated areas!
You can easily slow down to the speed limit before their radar grabs you.
Oh, driving to Baker from Pahrump is where I convinced myself that speed estimates (visually) by cops from over 1,000 feet away are a complete BS Science that the Court believes is true!!!!! It is a requirement in CA that they first estimate your speeding speed, then turn on the radar to confirm (in that order). For example, I was driving 65 this particular time, the speed limit, and I saw a suspicious looking car on the side of the road that looked like it might be a cop, they turned right onto the road facing me from very far away. A few seconds later my detector gets hit with radar on my car.
Now why would he use his radar on me if he estimated my speed to be the speed limit first (lawful compliance?) The only answer is that he popped his radar on because he had no idea how fast I was going, which I wish the Courts would believe. Thankfully, he didn't pull me over for driving the speed limit.
The lighting in the Q7 is pretty darn good, too, but has sharper cut offs than the Forester. I am not sure if it is Xenon or LED. It's 2014 model, so probably not LED? At any rate, the lights don't produce much heat. And, while one might think that is good, I discovered in the Utah blizzard last spring (while coming up I15) that it has its downside, too. I had to stop on four separate occasions to break ice off the front of the vehicle so I could see well enough ahead to continue driving! The first time, we had nearly 4" of ice build up (horizontally) on the front of the car, including over the headlights. I have never experienced ice build up like that before; and never any sort of buildup on the lights.
So given what you're saying in CA, anecdotal experience has been variable & situational 74/75/76 mph can/will get you that "why aren't you in the slow lane" look? ! Morre times than I can count, in trying to complete a pass @ 85 + mph one had to hot foot the pass for an impatient CHP on the six. Other times 64 mph 65 mph was like whistling past the graveyard.
I really (even after 17 years) enjoy the use of a premium radar detector. So for me early on, the real utility of the radar detector is to learn to adjust your sight, attention patterns, situational awareness & intuition. Most times before the detector goes off, I know the CHP is there. The real interesting thing in CA , the majority of CHP cars do not carry or use radar detectors. So procedurally, that requires them to pace one within 1/8 of a mile to confirm suspicions. So for example I have been gunned by a CHP traveling in the opposite direction. He swung around to close & either gun me again or pace me. By that time, I was at the limit No/ more joy!
On the downside of the radar detector, I got a ticket trying to get out of the way (sooner) of a parked CHP patrol car (partially in the #2 lane) that I could not see, yet knew lane change was the better part of valor. I should have hit him as he was illegally parked on the roadway.
I fought it in court, but the judge was obvious not a radar detector fan. It was pay the full fine or do traffic school/no points/discount fine.
He also asked to search my trunk (I had my wife and baby/toddler in the car), due to the drug corridor problem. I was in the Red S4. I asked if he would take long before giving an answer, and he said it would be quick, so I gave him permission to look in the trunk. He took all of 1 second to see all our luggage back there, and said OK, and closed the trunk for us. Probably just could of said no, but didn't want to risk escalating the situation and I knew we were clean.
I actually did perform a twisty mountain pass late at night recently to test them out. On high beams I could see every flying insect for at least 100 yards. They work great. I would not want to go back to halogens.
So, tired of going 5-10 under the SL (which, IIRC, was 75), I pulled out and punched it. Ah, that TDI is compliant. I ended up passing all of them, at 85 (ten over the SL), and not a single other vehicle pulled out to pass. With about ten vehicles to go, I was starting to think there might be a LEO in front of this pack or something. Just about that time, a vehicle came around the bend ahead, so I punched it up to about 100 to finish off the last few and get over with plenty of room to spare... hoping that I was wrong about the LEO!
All was well. My wife was annoyed with me.
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