Diesels: Would You Drive One?

I’d love to buy a new diesel pick up truck. My friend has been approaching 20 miles per gallon in his new Chevy Diesel. But holy smokes, Why on earth is Diesel so much higher in price? It’s the only thing holding me back… 20 mpg or not.

all you have to do is compare a diesel to its petrol equivalent

most new generation sdiesels are a lot quicker, have considerable more mpg than the petrol and i have found are usually a lot quiter ( in the cabin) and a smoother ride

irrespective of them costing more to buy new, and a higher fuel cost ( UK ) if you do over 10000 miles a year then the diesel is the better option.

Been driving diesels _since_ the 80’s. I never really minded slow and stinky all that much since I was getting 45+ in my VW’s. Now my diesel gets 45 and goes like stink thanks to modern advances.

And I’d love to be able to afford a new one, a nice 535d if it ever comes to the USA.

Diesel trubo’s don’t make the Psst sound from a blowoff valve. They don’t have them and don’t need them. If you do hear a Psst, I would say something is wrong. A b/o valve is only useful on a gasser.

Hey, how’d you get a picture of one of my bedroom slippers in the blog?????

Looks like a lot of diesel fans on this site. Only one person says “never.” And Highspeedhijinks is a little unenthusiastic. But mostly fans here. Count me among the skeptics.

Europe gets all the good ones, I WISH!!! for an Audi A5 3.2 TDI.. f’in fast

Already do, m’dear!

This isn’t even a question for me, I’d buy one in a heart beat and I’ve already got my eye on a BMW 335d as soon as those come out. It has more horsepower than my current car (which is no slouch at 260hp) and WAY more torque than any other 3 series, even the V8 M3. So it’s fantastic for pure performance, never mind the fuel economy. But it also gets WAY better fuel mileage than my current car.

The only drawbacks of modern diesels, as I understand it, are the sound of the engine, the sluggish throttle response, and a slightly higher price. I can live with all those things for brutish torque at 30 mpg.

Was the Kelley Blue Book survey breaking news or a blinding flash of the obvious? I say the later. It’s no surprise that not many people say they would buy a diesel because not many people know much about diesel — yet. It always amazes me that a conversation about today’s clean diesels conjures up the 1980’s flashbacks. I would venture that the vehicle in question in the original story could very well still be operating. Kind of like comparing a 1980 transistor AM/FM radio cassette tape deck to an IPOD.

A clean diesel for the masses is not far away — VW will be bringing out the New Jetta TDI in a few months. An affordable, high mileage car with great performance and low CO2 footprint that has no visible exhaust, is as quiet as gasoline and can use biodiesel.

In my 3 years driving a diesel, the E320 loves steady state cruise 70-75 on the open road and consistently posts 30+ mpg while doing that– not bad for a heavy 4dr sedan at that speed with some around town mixed in. THe real fun is in the torque — which is irresistible, espcially while passing. The range on the car is typically over 500 miles on a tank which i really like.

Just give the new generation diesels a look along with all the other choices you’ve got. http://www.dieselforum.org

NEVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I see what DAKOTA guy is saying, I just bought a new lexus GS300 about a week ago and got rid of the infiniti. I thought about alot of cars before, and made this decision only cause i can’t see myself in a hybrid or diesel. I realize that gas mileage is an issue but my new lexus gets perfectly fine mileage even with twenty inch wheels.
What I don’t understand why the auto makers design such freaky cars, I’m perfectly happy with whats on the road today, just find a way for us to get mileage out of our current models. The HYBRID escalade, and tahoe Is pure genius for GM. (In my Opinion).
For the record, It’s all about what the girls think LOL, thats really why I bought a LEXUS

I lived in Germany for four years where I was fully exposed to the capabilities of diesel. I was amazed! They are quiet, fuel efficient and peppy. The only downside to the new diesel offerings being brought to the table is that they are all being treated as a novelty which carries a big price tag with it. If the automakers could offer something more competitively priced, like the VW Polo TDI, it would really help even out the playing field. I personally love Diesel and am currently trying to source a motor to swap into my old Volvo 142. The ability for the average Joe to make his/her own bio-diesel, at home, is yet another exciting avenue of the diesel scene. Add to that the recent concept of injecting hydrogen into the diesel engines to increase performance and mileage, and we really start to see a nice option for a “transitional” fuel to break our dependency on foreign oils. That’s just my two cents.

Sure I’d drive/buy one. Now what are my choices? A $65,000 Audi? A $46,000 Mercedes? H*{{ no! How about a Jeep Liberty? Well that would work except they SCREWED it up to where it only gets 23 mpg. When I can get a diesel Jetta Sportwagen, or Honda Accord Sportwagon diesel, or (?????????) that gets 50-60mpg and doesn’t cost a fortune, I’ll buy the dang thing.
The emissions excuses are male-bovine-fecal-matter. OEM’s knew for YEARS that low sulfer diesel was coming. They also knew what the emissions requirements would be in 2010. So why haven’t they been tring to clean up thier diesels for years? Simple procrastionation ? Or something more? I’m sure it had to do with money and thier bottom line. In the end it’s all about $ and power. Who’s got it, who wants it, and what are they willing to do to get it?

I would only drive a Ford F-350 if i had to have a diesel. Cause A diesel fits large trucks, not jetta’s

all I know about diesel…little engine and diesel stoich is very very precise and finnicky. Hence…a v8 would be a masterpiece, not only for more cylinders, and allowance for a mistake in runtime, the crazy shared journal crank in my opinion needs nice low rpms and rather soft explosion of a diesel fire…but with that said, there are engines like the boxer, a small engine attempting diesel in modern times, a piston design we haven’t seen, a complete revamping (not a gas converted hack job) of the engine, and it is sideways, keeping the mystery crap out of a tiny cylinder that needs perfection sustained to run better and longer (another reason I really like the v8 ..all the way to big trucks like an “exotically rare” 550hp mack E9). So. i would attempt a boxer, and a v8. the 6 cyl is a retarded excuse and i have never quite understood, especially after being around rigs my ENTIRE 35 year LONG life and those stupid straight sixxes, and even a diesel rabbit with NO TURBO…why why why. I am glad they are going a bit more real with them now and future, they will return favorably, no doubts about it. And who knows what equivelant will go with them to burn, so cheap and plentiful and renewable resourced.

All you have to do is look at new diesel trucks today. We have a couple at work. You jump in, turn the key and its running. They have great power and are like a whisper compared to diesel trucks of the 1980’s. No smoke out of the tailpipe whatsoever except in heavy towing. My cousin has a VW TDI Jetta and it is quieter inside than my Oldsmobile. If the automakers can convince a 5′3″ soccer mom that she needs a Yukon Denali to drive to the grocery store I don’t know why they can’t sway the same people to buy a fuel efficient diesel car.

Yes, I’d love to have a Jeep GC CRD or maybe a nice Benz G or M Class the GLK would do as well, the new Dodge Ram with whatever, that Audi Q7 TDI looks a little better (not by much though). Oh yeah don’t forget the big badass called the Audi R8 V12 TDI(I think I need a cold shower now, sorry)

It would have to be stick, and it would have to have have a sweet sounding turbo whine with that blow off Pssst. Turbos are the only thing I like about a diesel.

Get real – perhaps it’s time to open your eyes and see what the rest of the world is already doing. The top manufacturer’s diesel versions are faster 0 to 60 than their petrol versions, quiet and vibration free, emission controlled and get great fuel consumption. Would you drive one? Of course I would (and do), I’m not a dinasaur!

I love diesels. Torque and fuel economy. Of course I would drive one, I already do.