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Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
34,712 posts, read 58,054,000 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by yowps3
...Besides Diesels generally have less performance, are noisier and you have to deal with the diesel odor at the pumps..
ick, and don't forget the smell and soot pouring from the exhaust If you hate diesel, you will REALLY hate it on a cold morning when it totally saturates your new suit while you are scraping the ice from windows.
While I love a good diesel, America isn't ready for them. First off, the diesel infrastructure in the US is not as big as the petrol infrastructure. There's stations that outright don't offer diesel, and most stations that do have much smaller diesel tanks than petrol tanks. Next, diesel is more expensive. Yes, I know, you actually wind up SAVING money because diesel cars get better MPG. But that's not how the average person sees things. They see that low-grade petrol is $0.50 cheaper than diesel. The human brain likes instant gratification. Seeing a $10 savings at the pump makes people think it's cheaper to run petrol.
Next, while modern diesels are a LOT cleaner than their 80's counterparts, they still release some gasses in the atmosphere that the US Government has strict regulations on. Europe monitors different emissions (different gas particles) than we do, which is why they pass there, but will only pass here with extensive modification. Go try convincing "greenies" to relax their air quality laws.
Safety is another issue, someone here brought up. These small diesels in Europe don't have to compete with the big trucks and SUVs we have over here. Even semi-trucks in Europe are a lot smaller. When the Smart ForTwo was brought State-side, fuel economy tanked because of all the extra steel (read: added weight) they had to put in in order to make it safer. As StealthRabbit could probably tell you, weight and aerodynamics are two of the biggest factors in fuel economy. With all the safety regulations in the states, cars have become severely overweight. New materials (things like carbon fibre) allow for lighter vehicles, however they dramatically increase price.
Power is another concern. Have you driven those 2 cylinder diesel Fiats? While they're plenty good for putting around a city, they're completely gutless on the highway. They simply wouldn't be fast enough for the American mindset. Try selling someone on a new car that goes 0-60 in 16 seconds. They'll get in, try to merge onto the freeway, and ask you what's wrong with it. Americans like power, and a majority of those baby diesels just don't have any.
Space is another deal breaker. While I love small cars, and especially hatchbacks, I'm not a very average American. Look around. People here love their SUVs, and their mid-sized crossovers. Try telling them to climb into a small, diesel hatchback. They'll complain about not having enough seats, or enough trunk space. Forget that 99.9% of the time, it's one person and a cup of coffee along for the ride -- they're still too small.
As much as it pains me to say it (because personally, I agree with you, and would LOVE to see some more diesel offerings in the States), small European diesels have no business here.
Note: It was brought up earlier, but don't forget the conversion factor for MPG! The British gallon is bigger than ours, so their fuel economy figures are "inflated". Even so, those little diesels do get some pretty impressive MPG!
Diesel cars are more expensive to start with and have much higher maintenance cost.
Most diesels nowadays have DPF (Diesel Particle Filters) and these could cost anywhere between $8000-$10,000 and need to be replaced.
Besides Diesels generally have less performance, are noisier and you have to deal with the diesel odor at the pumps..
I see you bought into the propaganda. Exactly ONE of the above statements is true. Only one though.
Who was it on page 2 that said injectors were $800 per? I just replaced the four in my vehicle, grand total was $460.... They still Functioned, but my economy was dropping below 45mpg in town.
At 236k miles, the only diesel-specific things I've replaced are the glow-plugs and glow-plug harness... I think I have ~$80 into those. How much would that be in spark plugs by 240k? I had to replace the alternator, thermostat, and a couple vacuum lines as non-maintenance items and I have replaced the suspension, belts/water pump/rollers (3 times), battery (twice), and tires (3 times), filters (lots of times) though normal maintenance/preventative. Still on the original clutch, brakes, fuel pump, axles, transmission, engine, seats, etc.... hardly a financial burden or maintenance nightmare. Not like I baby this thing either.
I have a 2012 Passat TDI. It is my first diesel and I was a little aprhensive when buying it because of what I remember diesels to be years ago. This car is the complete opposite. It is a really big car, great interior, not a cookie cutter on the outside like Hondas, zero emissions, really fast off the line, no wait till you have the glow plug light to start, quiet, etc..I have gotten 53.4 MPG on the highway with it. I do not baby it but with driving around 75-80 on the highway I usually average around 46 mpg. WIth all this I still spent under 30K and with the amount I am saving on fuel costs it unbelievable.
I could have easily gone out and bought a little Yaris, Corolla, Fit, or something like that but for the size car and the with the performance it gives me there are zero regrets. WHy buy a bland, boring, tiny car without any character just to save mpg when you can get a diesel and get the mpgs and a whole lot more?
Your math is off Frank...... The gas car won't get the same 50 mpg so you will need more gas than diesel, offsetting the $.50 difference.
1000 miles at 50mpg with diesel at $4 a gallon is $80 (20 gallons)
1000 miles at 35 mpg with gas at 3.50 a gallon is $99 (28.57 gallons)
Same trip saved you $19 a month/$228 a year if you drive 12K miles. Crank up the miles and the savings will add up but the diesel car won't be tired at 200K miles like the gas one will be.
I like VW TDI cars but just don't have the need for it. Now take a soccer mom out of a Suburban that gets 14 mpg and put her in a Jetta TDI Sportwagen getting 45 mpg and the money really starts snowballing!
actually my math is correct using 40 mpg for the gas engine I left out my accident
actually my math is correct using 40 mpg for the gas engine I left out my accident
Usually the spread is greater than 10 but I get your point anyway.....
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If you hate diesel, you will REALLY hate it on a cold morning when it totally saturates your new suit while you are scraping the ice from windows.
