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What Would It Take for YOU to buy a diesel car?
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Comments
Let me reply to your 2nd paragraph.
what a Prius would do under the SAME methodology
Take a hybrid out of its element, and honestly, what sort of results do you expect?
I'm a slow runner, dolphins are fast swimmers. Let's race on land, hey, we're both mammals. LOL
I'll admit, though, that would be interesting. They got 60 something from a Kia or Hyundai hybrid, I forget which, but those are not among the most efficient hybrids. On fueleconomy.gov the Prius is 51% more efficient in real world reports.
Would that be enough to beat the 84mpg? Who knows. Ideally they would drive side by side on the same trip, taking turns leading to cancel any draft advantage.
But then run a 2nd test in the Prius' element.
Run a fleet of taxis, half diesel and half hybrid, then see how the Prius would do. To me that would be just as interesting.
Put it this way, the Prius would have a better shot at competing in the diesel's turf than the diesel would on the hybrid's turf.
At least until the TDI gets start/stop.
It's unnaturally slow. They wanted to measure highway MPG, so then drive at highway speeds.
That's actually above the limit, so it's reasonable to keep it legal and drive a bit slower. But 10 under?
10 under can be dangerous in some places. Seriously.
When you say 84mpg (*) put a nice big asterisk next to it every time.
* - at unnaturally slow speeds that might get you killed, don't try this at home.
They started in TX where they have 80 MPH speed limits. Around here I pass cars all the time going 55 in a 70 MPH zone. I just consider it an obstruction to the flow of traffic, not really cheating. With the little Japanese 4 bangers it is probably because they hate hearing the little engine screaming to keep up with traffic on the long uphill grades where I live.
No one should expect to get 84 MPG as they are professionals. And hold most of the World mileage records. I would love to see them do their cross country mileage run in a Touareg TDI, X5 D and ML350 Bluetec. That would help with my decision.
Well I think that even as you say you commute in DC (yes I too have commuted in DC) you go on to imply you do not recognize defacto speed limits. It would indeed be a blessing if you could get to your destinations @ say the posted speed limits of 65 mpg. So for example my TDI DOES commute under/in defacto speed limits. Posted speed limits are 65 mph 4 lane freeways. Again we have a 14,000 miles yearly requirement for a 27 miles one way daily commute point a to point be. It takes 45 mins to 1.5 hours to do. So again DEFACTO the speed limits range between 36 mph to 18 mph. The 09 Jetta TDI posts 40-43 mpg, 03 Jetta TDI posts 48-52 mpg and a 04 Civic posts 38-42 mpg.
Now since we are talking about the 2012 Passat TDI 6 speed, I would swag I would have no issues getting 43 to 47 mpg. Trust me we would not mind this commute in 27 mins or .... less :shades:
It isn't. I'm sure both of you would agree. Like Gary said, they were pros.
I wouldn't mind having a 26.4 gallon tank (as opposed to 21.5) in our X5d, but I don't think for a small passenger car, I would be topping it off so that I am carting around 215 lbs of diesel just to give me the potential of a 1,000+ range between fill ups. That's an extra 100 lbs of diesel, not to mention the added weight of the tank and supporting structure itself. For a 5,000+ SUV with 425 ft-lbs of torque, it may not be noticeable. But for a small sedan and less powerful engine, I think it would have an impact on efficiency and performance.
The Camry and Fusion hybrids have bigger tanks, but not as big as the Passat's.
I've noticed a lot of shrinking gas tanks lately. Even the next Golf, right?
They're shaving off every ounce. The Hyundai Elantra does without a spare tire.
But really the answer is pretty easy, just put in $6.00 of fuel at a time ! :sick:
Again that is one thing I like about the TDI's. So for example, using the (same) 2012 6 speed manual, Passat TDI, it can clearly hit the 43 mpg H EPA's . Further, controlled testing in the right hands and conditions amply EXCEEDS them. So in the hands of the "Taylor's" exceeded H EPA of 43 by 95% + :shades:
Now, like everybody else, I like a good deal, but the price of Diesel here in PHX needs to stabilize before I jump and get a TDI of some kind. The MB GLK 220 that will come here, has my attention, 190hp- 387lbs of torque high 30's on the freeway and high 20's in the city is what I like to see.
The whole time I have been driving, the price of RUG/PUG/ ULSD has NEVER stabilized. It has always been in flux and since .19 cent per gal has almost always taken an upward trajectory, ala your price per gal examples. They have long since stop giving steak knives as an incentive. :sick: :lemon:
Indeed the Obama Administration, by way of its Cabinet Energy Secretary ( Sec Steven Chu Ph'D) has not only gone on record to having the goal of European pricing and much higher ($10.00 US per gal), but has done EVERYTHING in his and his agency's power to cause it to rise.
I think they would argue they need another 4 more years to work at getting it higher than $4.69 per gal !! They have actually done rather well considering. I bought ULSD for $1.85. during the Bush admin. So ULSD at $4.69 per gal, the stupid calculator shows 153% in a little under 4 years or 38.4% per year rise (got to PC blame something else) . That calculator was probably made by that republican run HP BAD calculator. :mad:
Ah, no relief on the plug in electrical side either. The nearest I can figure, plug in electric cost per mile driven is actually higher. Again we (CA) get penalized if we go even further higher than the already penalized .296 cents per KWH category.
Ridiculous.
Mazda has confirmed that the 2.2-liter Skyactiv-D (310 lb-ft of torque) will be coming to the U.S. in early 2013, likely in the CX-5. Shortly thereafter, though, it should find its way into the 6 sedan and a few months later, the 3 sedan and hatchback
CX5 first? That would be a surprise.
I drove a 2l SkyActiv and it was pretty gutless. That engine is fine in the lighter 3, but the CX5 is heavier. 3312 lbs per Motor Trend and that's the FWD model. The AWD we tested made noise but basically didn't gain speed.
Would be funny if they got the CX5d to market before the Tiguan got a diesel.
That's kind of disappointing.
I'm sure it's heavy and quattro is standard, but they need to put it on a diet or something. Their gasser ranged from 14 to low 20s, so same ballpark, really, and it was much quicker.
The minivan is twice as big inside and I average about 40% better than that.
Having driven a Q7 on the carrousel at Summit Point I can say it's something else to get one of those big monsters up on a banked turn. :shades:
I agree, and just looked at the specs on the new 2013 ML350 and Mercedes shows a 27.7 gallon tank up from the previous 24.6 gallon. Either way a person should have an easy 700 mile range on the highway. At today's prices you will be going over $100 to fill up.
Nice to see not everyone's tanks are suffering from shrinkage.
http://green.autoblog.com/2012/10/05/running-out-of-gas-stations-in-ca-now-inchi- ng-toward-5-gallon/
FWIW, if I drive my TL strictly around the DC area, I will get as low as 15-17 mpg. My former 911S would be in the 14-16 range. But the TL gets 30 on the highway and the 911S could push 28+. So I don't make judgements based upon what others post for mixed driving, given that the actual driving conditions can vary considerably and lead to the wrong conclusions. When we go to our other home in PA, "city" driving there is practically highway driving, given their limited rush hour and far fewer stoplights and 4 way stops that kill mpg in DC.
What's that - 16% higher?
(Forgot, as usual, to check premium).
..."Last night (October 4 my sic) filled $4.35 RUG/ $4.59 PUG/ $4.35 ULSD, "...
Fuel prices (same corner store as msg # 6745 )
$ RUG 4.59 / $ PUG 4.79 / ULSD $4.39
Seems the over regulation is working very well !! Even the democrats in a democratic state don't like the higher prices.
Average RUG in San Diego went up to $4.65 today. Still lots of stations selling ULSD for $4.25, as if that was cheap.
And they are going to send the gas to Asia.
With so much fracking going on too, we really should have a discussion called "What Would It Take for YOU to buy a CNG car?"
The oil companies hate the Alaska tax structure (they just don't want to be taxed), so I suspect they really want to use this as a negotiating tool to get a more favorable tax environment while they milk the state's resources dry.
Heard people yakking today about heating oil selling for under $3.85. According to this Bloomberg blurb, diesel prices are surging here in the Midwest. The drought sent farmers to the fields early and squeezed supply.
This struck me as odd - W. Virginia law requires all school buses to be powered by diesel. (MSNBC)
And one more for the weekend:
Audi hails GM 'wonder fuel' as green diesel replacement (businessgreen.com)
What's that - 16% higher?
Ouch, I hope you aren't taking the Math SAT with my daughter this morning.
$4.19/$3.84 = 1.091 = 9.1% higher.
the most interesting arithmetic result is that steve's diesel is barely 10% more than gasoline, yet provides anywhere from 20% to 50% more mpg.
the cost divergence will increase as the price per gallon increases such as recently in california - about $6 per gallon lately!? yow. i do miss owning a diesel vehicle.
So here's what the cheap route vs. go for the gusto alternatives look like:
Cheap: Base Model S (40kw) with Tech Package, no sunroof and high power home charger: $54,850. Range: rated 150 miles (probably less); Acceleration 0-60 in 6.5 (probably better / roughly equivalent to BMW 528i). Home recharge rate up to 31 miles per hour of charge.
Gusto: Performance Model S (85kw), Metalic paint, Tech Package, Glass Roof, Twin Chargers/High power home charger: $93,600. Range: rated at 300 miles (tested 250-270); Acceleration rated 0-60 in 4.4 (tested at 3.9 / roughly equivalent to Porsche 911S). Handling roughly equivalent to Porsche Panamera. Home recharge rate up to 62 miles per hour of charge.
Decisions, decisions. Part of me wants to put my money where my mouth is and support Telsa. But, for the gusto version, that's a lot of money for a car that, although as quick as a $100,000+ 911S, does not have the range to make it to our home in PA that is 375 miles away, without a partial recharge somewhere in-between.
Sorry, nothing to do with diesel, but with all the electric hybrid vs. diesel discussions here, the Tesla, at an energy equivalent of 110 mpg and 0 tailpipe emissions is the only alternative that I would consider putting in our garage next to the X5d.
Come on, ellie, you sound like a smart person. You should know there is nothing "lucky" about my arithmetic. You can calculate the percentage increase (or decrease) between two numbers "a" and "b" by dividing b by a to get the ratio, subtracting 1 and multiplying by 100 to get percent. That works to an infinite number of significant digits. And for any numbers, a and b. There are many correct ways to solve most math problems, no luck involved.
So here's a fun test for you. Solve the following three problems as fast as you can, and I will bet that I can show your (or somebody's) 8 year old how to do it in their head faster. Give me your method and answers and I'll post my "lucky" trick.
(1) 63 x 77 =
(2) 36 x 44 =
(3) 79 x 101 =
(Sorry for the digression to the rest of the forum, but you can use my answer for some fun with you kids, spouse or drinking buddies to win some bets. Maybe enough to fill your diesel or gas tank)
Recall from algebra the formula: (a+b) x (a-b) = a^2 - b^2. Now just put the problems into a's and b's and do the relatively simple math in your head, rather than the longhand method.
(1) 63 x 77 = (70-7) x (70+7) = 70^2 - 7^2 = 4900 - 49 = 4,851
(2) 36 x 44 = (40-4) x (40+4) = 40^2 - 4^2 = 1600 - 16 = 1,584
(3) 79 x 101 = (90-11) x (90+11) = 90^2 - 11^2 = 8100-121 = 7,979
actually, the last one is easier by just adding 79 to 7,900, so here' a little tougher one...
(4) 82 x 58 = (70+12) x (70-12) = 70^2 - 12^2 = 4900 - 144 = 4,756
Hope this helps somebody on the forum win some beers. Cheers.
Tesla took an approach with the Model S that they were going after the 5-series, E-class, Panamera type buyers. They have produced a great looking, luxurious, high performance EV. While that market is certainly smaller than that of a mass market hybrid Prius, it seems like the logical place to start given the high current cost of the battery technology.
Steve Jobs was passionate about Apple. Ferdinand Porsche was passionate about Porsche. Elon Musk is passionate about Tesla. I don't think there is any real risk-taking visionary at the helm of any other major American or Japanese car company. That's not to say that Musk is going to be successful, but I'm not holding my breath on Toyota to go beyond the Prius or Camry hybrids to give me something to consider as an exciting alternative to the Model S.
The point was already CLEARLY made.
Legislative and regulative bodies refused to do the correct thing for passenger car diesels, when they took the lead out of RUG/PUG in the Late 70's earlier 80's, even as " just diesel" is not correct LSD (500 to 140 CA ppm sulfur) was indeed the product (the product I used on a 2003 TDI designed for ULSD (15 ppm and less). ULSD was mandated July 2006 (delayed till Oct) , now going on 7 years. ULSD has been cleaner than RUG/PUG .
You got your normal population, normal 24/7 tourists, normal 24/7 business traffic, normal cultural events. Fleet week with the Blue Angels on both days (125,000 to 250,000 per day) (another day of practice). The A's (42,000) and the Giants (42,000) are both in the baseball playoffs. There are America's Cup boat racing (125,000). The 49 ers host a team on Sun (45,000) !!!!!!! A Bluegrass Festival will be in full pickings . North Beach (Italian town) will be jammed with street festivals link title
Premium at some stations on the way to the Golden Gate Bridge are @ 4.79. ULSD $4.49.
It will be interesting to hear the summary of the day on the LATE evening news. All they need is ex VW Al Gore to come by and pronounce that SF will be in danger of dipping into the Pacific Ocean due to all this partying. Maybe Obama and Romney should have had their debate @ or below sea level and in SF this weekend
Speaking of which. Wasn't the first diesel engine run on peanut oil???
Yes, circa 1900
..."Biodiesel
At the 1900 Paris Exhibition, the Otto Company, at the request of the French government, demonstrated that peanut oil could be used as a source of fuel for the diesel engine; this was one of the earliest demonstrations of biodiesel technology.[14]"...
Peanut Oil Wiki
Currently @
$4.63 RUG / $ 4.83 PUG ?GeeWhiz ! ULSD stays the same @ 4.39.
MSG # 6771
..."Last night (October 4 my sic) filled $4.35 RUG/ $4.59 PUG/ $4.35 ULSD, "...
Fuel prices (same corner store as msg # 6745 )
$ RUG 4.59 / $ PUG 4.79 / ULSD $4.39
Normal? Is there such a thing in SF?
I did fail to mention the Castro Street Faire.