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What Would It Take for YOU to buy a diesel car?
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To boot, something like this MB ML350 can loaf its way to Tahoe 7,250 ft (from sea level, 200 to 400 miles depending on where you start) @ 90 mph. AH, ...don't try this in the real world.
or idling. When cruising on the highway, I would not know that they are diesels. They are
quiet...I love the torque! Even with the Jetta, it can cruise up mountain passes in 6th gear
at 120km/hr and never have to down shift to maintain speed, and that fully loaded with
driver, 3 passengers and luggage. I would like to see any 2L gasoline engine do that with
only 140hp.
On the subject of turbocharging vs supercharging for diesel engines; I like the immediate boost
that turbo charging gives. I own a supercharged gasoline vehicle and the turbo charged diesels
seem to have more immediate umph when you press on the accelerator. I also like the fact
that there isn't the "whine" that comes from the supercharger. Just my 2 cents worth.
This is why Cummins makes their own turbos (through their Holset subsidiary) - they're properly matched to the engine and its rev range.
kcram - Pickups/Wagons/Vans+Minivans Host
21% of VW sales were diesel
46% of Audi A3 diesel
34% of Audi Q7 diesel
Mercedes has to be happy with these numbers:
Sales of Mercedes-Benz diesel models were up 128.4% for the month (1,231 versus 539) and up 188.3 % for the year (5,953 versus 2,727).
BMW does not break out the diesel sales, so not sure how they are doing. Looks like MB has retaken the Luxury sales title. I am sure they would not have done it without their diesel sales.
The DSG offers (EPA ratings anyway) near 6 speed manual MPG ratings. In the real world the 6 speed manual still demonstrated greater mpg range.
So any oem that offers a diesel and automatic combination will have to come to grips with it, and/or provide a superior offering. This can effect a delay to market for a good competitive solution.
Making it a wagon would be even cooler, but as of yet we don't get an E-class diesel wagon.
'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
I assume you mean as a wagon, right? Cause certainly loaded diesel sedans exist.
'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
That's sort of how it went with my Subaru, although I knew the owner so hinting was easy without accosting her in a parking lot. That could weird some people out.
It's hard to think about buying anything else with a nice paid off car sitting in the garage, anyway :shades:
http://www.sdge.com/environment/cleantransportation/evRates.shtml
'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 the north (Ca) electrical and gas rates are tiered and there is no provision for different peak ratings or draw except for larger accounts and up front fees to convert. Another is it is impossible to get an off line/grid solar recharging station even as the city has been featured in Bank of America commercials for doing solar projects on public school lands. As you would expect a load of permits are required for even on line/grid installation. Even when you can, the cost is prohibitive. So that "CHEAP" $2,000 charger can go NORTH a lot and very very quickly. Keep in mind also that this is not a universal charger. If you get on the plug in electric bandwagon, you will need a oem specific charger, aka more fees, more chargers, more permits, etc .... Right now that $2k @ current prices and 48-50 mpg will buy 26,000 miles of commuting, which is app 2 years of commuting.
Turbine engines make a lot of power in a small package, but there's no way they have competitive fuel mileage. It's necessary to compress and blow a lot of air through the engine just to keep it cool enough to not melt. The only way to come even close to being competitive is to add a recuperator to harvest some of the exhaust heat that would have otherwise been shot down the exhaust pipe, and those are neither cheap nor compact.
There's a reason there are very few (I can only think of one--the M1A1 Abrahams tank) land vehicles driven by turbine engines. Unless you're willing to pay for the exotic materials it takes to endure the temperatures involved and take the fuel mileage hit, they lose every time.
I build these things for a living.
101-130% of baseline is .13907 cents Kwh
Taxes where calculated off the bill @ .076398
So really the Kwh costs are really .1316757 cents Kwh and .1496946 Kwh.
It is really not hard to deduce why the franchisor and franchisee do not want anyone to go "OFF LINE"
CA also has THE highest per gal taxation for diesel of the US @ 85.2 cents per gal. AS OF May 2011
If it were not for this bias, the price difference is only app 16 cents higher for diesel. So for example on like 2003 MY Jetta's 46.5 mpg/27.5mpg = .0675268 cents, .1185454 cents per mile driven. PUG is app 76% more than diesel per mile driven. (taxes removed to show baseline)
So when you do the calculation taxation per mile driven @ 85.2 cents/46.5mpg vs 68.9/27.5 mpg the numbers come out more like
.0183225/.0250545 cents per mile driven taxation. respectively. This shows that gassers (like models) are taxed 37% more.
So as a ULSD consumer, I wish fuel taxation was FAR lower.
I also have a 2003 MY TDI Jetta. My spreadsheet over 130,000+ miles shows slightly higher numbers than yours.
As of today's fillup at 130744 miles the overall average numbers are
Average MPG= 52
Average cost/mile = $0.05/mile
On highway trips, I get more like 55-60 MPG.
I am leaving tomorrow morning to drive from Vermont to Prince Edward Island Canada. I know I can do the ~700 miles on a single tank.
... I am looking forward to see what numbers I realize when I get back to VT.
@ 75 mph with bursts of 80-85 mph, it will normally post 59 mpg. Normally I am just fine with 48 mpg.
I don't track costs per tank, but figuring $2.50 a gallon overall, I've spent $18,157 on gas the last twelve years. That's kind of a scary number.
Overall TCO is running about .32 cents a mile (including insurance, tags, maintenance and depreciation).
The Outback is running .11 a mile for gas and about .35 cents a mile overall (not up to date on all the TCO costs for it).
Probably no good reason to buy a diesel other than just want one and maybe we will start taking long trips. Then again who knows.
Did I mention that I'm down to two gas cars and one gas vacuum thing? Got rid of the old gas mower, snowblower and chainsaw a couple of days ago.
Guess that's another reason why diesel doesn't appeal to me. Rather have an EV if I'm going to try to get over 50 mpg.
And hopefully my next house will be all electric again. Not too happy with the gas stove and really just don't like combustion appliances in my house. At least if the car catches on fire, the garage is sufficiently detached that shouldn't be an issue.
And don't tell me diesel doesn't burn - had some boozy hillbilly pour a half gallon on my campfire back in the 70s to "help" me get it started. I was into one match fires back in those days, but he was turkey hunting and was well armed as well as well lubed. :shades:
(the fire did catch...)
Good point, Gary.
Looking at a "Compare Side-By-Side" at fueleconomy.gov website, the 2012 Passat TDI bests the 2011 Jetta TDI by 1 mpg overall in each category.
Nice trick.....larger car, same engine size, but they squeaked one more MPG out of it......those tricky Germans !!!
Wondering how they did that myself..... :shades:
FWIW, the new Mazda SkyActiv-D engine will meet all current and future emmission standards without the use of Urea or a DPF; not too shabby.
I have also read the Passat is up to 6,000 cheaper than similar (European) Passat diesels.
I normally ask the insurance company BEFORE a purchase, a number of questions: 1. In the category I am considering, WHICH cars have the lowest insurance costs 2. of these (the top 5 I am considering) what are the actual insurance costs.
They usually express puzzlement, as if I am the first person to ever ask this question ???
Corner store pricing is 4.09 today.
PO comes to visit
It would make a good object lesson !! (fantasy is more like it) aka domestic S/P manufacturer supports energy self sufficiency, at low cost, etc, etc.
And you can pay extra to buy "green" electricity that was made with natural gas or hydro or renewable sources.
True, in places like Texas, most power plants are driven by natural gas, but in other areas of the country, it's going to be coal and it's going to be expensive.
So EV depends a great deal on where you live, as to whether it makes any sense.
As for "concentrating dirty energy production" isn't that just a polite way of saying "in your back yard and not in mine?"
Or am I being too cynical here?
I'm sure a lot of people would buy SUNPWR vanity plates for their Volts to advertise the fact that they are buying green power and not adding extra carbon to the air.
Calling an EV "sun powered" is pretty slack, unless you want to claim that the sun grew the ancient plants that eventually became the coal that is now burning to charge up your EV---I'd buy that, I guess. :P
Really, "nuke-powered", "coal powered" or "natural gas powered" would be much more accurate, and even true.
Now, "algae-powered"----THAT'S sexy! :shades:
Now I am with you on that. The Feds need to mandate 10% algae based biodiesel for all diesel sold.