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I have a Dodge CTD.
I have a Jeep Liberty CRD.
If I could afford another diesel, I would go for it.
Yes, there ARE some Americans who like diesels.
I am one of them.
I just bought a 96 Dodge 2500 with the 12v and a veggie kit... However, Wheelsup's figures are right on, the numbers just don't add up in favor of the diesel.
Some of the best diesel engines made were the 1980s Mercedes diesels, as well as the Volkswagons and the VW made diesel I6 placed in some 80s Volvos.
I loved my little Mercedes diesel I had. It was a 1984 Mercedes 190D with a small 2.2L 4-cylinder diesel and was automatic. No power house for sure, but once you got going, it would keep up with anything on the road. It got 33 mpg in town and about 44 mpg on the freeway.
I sold it (to a guy in Asheville North Carolina) because I needed a bigger car, so I bought a big S-Class Mercedes. I wanted another diesel Mercedes, but one of the big S-Class models, but could not find one locally at a reasonable price, so I ended up with a gas Mercedes S-Class 6-cylinder that still gets 20 mpg in town.. impressive for a big 80s extended wheelbase model S-Class Mercedes sedan.
Pics of my little 84' Mercedes diesel... this car was almost like new... even the underside was clean as new!
and the big 72 hp engine!
and the day I bought it... it had dead paint, but wow, it really shined up!
My uncle just bought a 100% rust free, excellent 1983 VW Rabbit LX pickup truck with the diesel engine... runs like a champ!
I would own a diesel in a second if I could find one for sale around here. People hang onto them until there is nothing left of the rest of the vehicle.
I LOVE diesel...Was waiting till the big 3 came out with the smaller ones for the 1/2 ton trucks but now will have to go with the 3/4 ton cause they all put them on hold...
If I can help it I will never own another gasser vehicle, unless it's a muscle car or similar type of "sunday" driver.
I own a 2001 Dodge 2500 with the Cummins and a 2000 Jetta TDI. I love both of these vehicles. They both also have performance mod's done to them, the funny thing with diesels is you can mod them (up to a point) and they actually will increase their MPG. My Jetta is around a 130hp with the mods and drives like a sports car. You wouldn't believe it's a diesel.
I just find it hard to believe it still is more cost effective to own a gasser. We head to our cabin almost every other weekend, it's a 510 mile round trip. We usually alternate between my Jetta, the truck or a 08 Caliber with a 2.4l motor. It takes the Jetta a little over 10 gallons to make the trip, vs 17 for the Caliber. You can go further on oil changes and the vehicles seem to last longer.
And towing with the truck, I get 15-17mpg (#7000) @ 70-75 mph, a gasser would be getting single digits... so again I don't under stand how a gasser is more cost effective.
I wish Harley made a diesel motorcycle. I would buy one. All my newer vehicles are diesel including my lawnmower. My buisness has several pickup trucks and all are diesel but one. Nobody uses the gas truck unless it is the only one still in the yard. But then it is a Toyota so it is not much of a work truck.
And diesel prices are finally getting closer to gas prices again.
It's not that I dislike diesels, I dislike the cars that diesels come in. If Toyota or Honda had a diesel car I'd take a look at it.
What's wrong with Volkswagen or Mercedes or BMW?
Also, the Ford Fiesta is the European version, so it will be good and they've had it over there for a while now. The most reliable car my dad's owned is a 2001 Ford Focus. OK so it had a few recalls at first but after that ... flawless. Never gone wrong.
I just find it hard to believe it still is more cost effective to own a gasser. We head to our cabin almost every other weekend, it's a 510 mile round trip. We usually alternate between my Jetta, the truck or a 08 Caliber with a 2.4l motor. It takes the Jetta a little over 10 gallons to make the trip, vs 17 for the Caliber. You can go further on oil changes and the vehicles seem to last longer.
Here's why they don't make sense.
Retail value of a 2000 GLS TDI w/ 85k is $10600 according to Kelly Blue Book. This car is rated at 48 mpg highway.
Retail value of a 2000 GLS "gasser" is $6900. This car is rated at 31 mpg highway.
Driving 12,000 miles per year, it would take over 18 YEARS to spend the difference ($3700) in gas. Driving 24,000 miles per year it would take over 9 YEARS. In other words, your break even point is a car that is between 18 and 27 YEARS old, and that completely ignores the value of the $3700 earning interest instead of buying a car.
If you factor that in, even at a rate of only 3%, you're now talking a pay back of >41 YEARS break even @ 12000 miles per year and 12 YEARS at 24000 miles per year.
And it's worse for the newer cars, I ran the numbers on the Fiesta and it was a much longer break even point.
So yes, it costs significantly more to operate a diesel when you factor in direct and indirect operating costs.
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