Diesel cars

[Jonny]

Time will tell since they all copy each other how many other producers have done the same thing as VW/Audi, Skoda, VAG Group.

Depends on mileage and journeys taken as to whats better both have disadvantages.
My general travelling would be slightly in favour of diesels but if had one would have to have a petrol as well.
Diesels take longer to warm up and wont get the benefit until they have, sons lighter ex Fabia VRS took 11 miles from cold thereafter beneficial in one run ave 44mpg to my 38mpg.

Some petrol have dual mass flywheels mine has one. I am constantly checking and hearing for things and aint cheap £1200 in parts. Solid clutch conversion £600+ thereafter just simple clutch replacement quite cheap. All it is is for emissions. Friend had a Kia 4WD thing 66k dual mass packed in £1800, equally as pricey a new front windscreen wiper motor.
Can confirm my old petrol SE22 GM chain driven engine as fitted to 7 other global producers inc Subaru, Fiat, Alfa did not have dual mass as stated above and scrap car at 137k.
New turbo for mine upgraded £284, beats lesser power diesels in excess of £1100.

Tax not an issue cant understand why people make a mountain out of a mole hill, think mines £294 so what divide that by 52 weeks that's only £3.73 or 8 miles travel per week.

Gorgeous sound Loply one on my list the C63 in black of course.

[Arbalist]

We did look at a diesel many years ago but as the salesman explained, unless you drive a lot of miles each year or plan to keep the vehicle for a long time the increase in cost means you'll never get your money back in increased MPG. We did the math and he was quite right. Diesel engines are heavier as well so tyres don't last as long on FWD cars according to the fitter at my local tyre shop. It's time for a rise in duty on diesel fuel I think. 

[DavidA]

Jonny,

..weeks that's only £3.73 or 8 miles travel per week.

That's expensive.

My Citroen Diesel Saxo ( and the 1.9 Diesel ZX) will do 10 miles to the litre around town all day.

That's ten miles for £1.06 at todays local prices.

Dave.

[ieezitin]

Im in the states

I have a 2006 1.9 TDI VW Jetta four door, I get 50MPG up hill or down hill, thats a 13 gallon tank = 650 miles at $2.39 per US gallon.$31.07 per fill up

I have 240,000 miles on it, i have replaced 2 timing belts at $1100 a time, 3 sets of tyres at $650 a time, I change the synthetic oil every 10,000 miles at $70.00.

in its life i have had to replace the electronic key to it at $500, the dash display broke yet i have never replaced I don't care..two batteries at $110.00,  I paid $19,500 for it and its worth now $8500. I am 53 years old I have full comp insurance on it at $70.00 per month

My point is its paid for itself....... and now its paying me.. no petrol car could have made that return, gas prices have been higher in that time but its all relative, I wont sell it i would be a fool too.

i read the posts i would like to know why the European diesels are different, in mileage and repair costs.. I live in Maryland, in the summer it reaches nearly a 100 deg regular and most winters there is a six week period where it regularly hits minus 20 deg and never had a problem starting it in both ex streams, this car was assembled in Mexico but parts are from Germany (I think).. any reasons?


Anthony.

[Arbalist]

I'd like to know what tyres you're using as 80,000 miles per tyre is amazing.

[Swarfing]

Anthony in the uk we salt the roads, in the towns and citys you can average (ish) 15mph if your lucky, the engines are switched off before they have even had a chance to even get warm. our cars breath moist air. Other than those things they work fine 

[ieezitin]

sWARF..

Still all things nearly equal your motors should give you more ... i know your conditions over there i am an ex-pat from South East London been here 25 years.. saying all this "Granted" my 90 mile commute per day is all Freeway (Duel carriageway equivalent) at a steady 75MPH on cruse.. you have the start stop effect agreed but there is still a wide variance.

Over here its only lately the small diesel has just really taken off, that's purely a result of high gas prices and the crash of 2008, people here now drive smaller compact cars and feel comfortable in them and are very gas mileage conscious because of it..

Arbalist..

they are Michelin's....every oil change i rotate its only $2.50 per wheel sometimes its free, they are though very expensive and only one of three that make that tyre for the Jetta of any quality.... they are a great product i don't run anything else.

Anthony.

[Arbalist]

50mpg from a diesel is not very good but I guess it's because yours is ten years old. Modern diesels do much better than that. I think you're missing the point though, diesels are damaging folks health.

[John Stevenson]

[Stilldrillin]

50mpg from a diesel is not very good but I guess it's because yours is ten years old. Modern diesels do much better than that. I think you're missing the point though, diesels are damaging folks health.

Aren't US gallons, smaller than ours? 

David D

(Never owned a diesel car. But following, with interest)....... 

[Arbalist]

Nice one John! 

[DavidA]

..Aren't US gallons, smaller than ours?..

Yes, about 20%.

That makes a 50 mpg car in the USA do 60 mpg in the UK.
That's still pretty good.

The terrain and traffic have a tremendous effect on mpg. You need to do side by side tests with both petrol and Diesel engined vehicles to get a true comparison.

Dave

[DavidA]

Our Diesel works out at $5.82 per US Gallon.

Dave.

[John Stevenson]

Our Diesel works out at $5.82 per US Gallon.

Dave.

On par then with British Rails coffee at £3.84 a slice.   

[DavidA]

Anthony,

I think the key to this is in your long commutes.

Out of interest, what rpm are you getting at 75 mpg ?

A small Diesel is most economic at 1800 -2000 rpm. Mind you, the power isn't so high at that point on the curve.

Dave.

[Fergus OMore]

Really, running constant revs  on a fixed throttle is not what happens in the UK.  I do this on French Autoroutes and German autobahnen is no longer applicable. You CAN get some amazing figures on a 2 litre Audi and I can see my fuel consumption on my little 1.6 Skoda on the dash.


However, these are not in the real world of UK driving with miles and miles of roadworks, traffic holdups and accidents and ice and snow and congestion. London is - and I have recently come back from a do in Great Queen Street( Yes, I am) and the traffic was slower than Victorian Times. The dinner-for 3 sausages and mash potatoes was £32. It's a bit different to when we went out in the Edgeware Road for a huge mixed grill for a dollar and a half(7/6) and the best seats in the Odeon for 9 pence( in my RAF blue)

See what you are missing?

Norman

[ieezitin]

As to the rpm i am thinking its around 2000rpm tomorrow i will take note and post it... I believe this thing has six gears through the chain its an automatic but it has a manual selector too i will count them as well. I agree the constant speed and no start stops add in to my favor for all ware and tare of the vehicle.

Arbalist..don't get me wrong, i am not missing the point I agree they are polluting the planet something awful especially when we don't have to do it but business prevails and it aint exhausted the profit out of this economic Behemoth yet.

Its comforting to know British Rail coffee is still 10W30 at equivalent price.

Anthony.

[Fergus OMore]

Anthony, I've got a very light foot and I suspect a near but more modern version of your common rail engine- and my son had one- yonks ago. Neither of us could emulate your figures. My daughter had one- and it blew up

Obviously, there is no relationship in your conditions and ours- either in Europe or the UK. Perhaps others have similar findings.

Interesting though

Regards

Norman

[Jonny]

..weeks that's only £3.73 or 8 miles travel per week.

That's expensive.

My Citroen Diesel Saxo ( and the 1.9 Diesel ZX) will do 10 miles to the litre around town all day.

That's ten miles for £1.06 at todays local prices.

Dave.

That's what the gov allows .45p/mile
Use approx. 22p/mile petrol taking it easy A and motorway, some what 25% better than figures quote, the rest don't cover wear and tare.
You don't get very far standing still in traffic, my figures you would have to doing 76 to 78mpg.
Nippers 1900 VW he couldn't attain 27mpg around town, stop, start, stop start, standstill for 3 mile then A road. Mine would be very close in petrol.

[Jonny]

Used to use Michellin Pilots at one time on last car, they last ages got 36k on rears and from 6 to 12k fronts on 68 mile A, B and M way.
That was before the polybush upgrade where was getting 6k on fronts went to 17k on FWD.

Fill up tomorrow price drop £1.08/ltr maybe less at local BP on a Saturday. Far cry when petrol was £1.37/ltr 6 years ago.

[DavidA]

Jonny,

Today's Morrison fuel.

Petrol £1.05 Litre
Diesel £1.05 Litre.

First time they have been the same for long time.

Must fill up tomorrow.
Well, half full. No point in lugging the extra weight around as it only decreases the mpg.

Dave

[John Stevenson]

in some cases there is no choice.
My van is not available in petrol at any cost.

[ieezitin]

As i said yesterday i would check my rpm here it is, I was cruising at 75 mph this morning and the rpm were 2500, my Jetta has 6 speed Tipronic transmission, two selections are Drive or sport.  Its also equipped with a "Economy Mode" button which when its activated will shut down or limit power drawing services, so if you have the ac pounding ten to the dozen it will diminish some what, the computer read out is instant showing MPG when this button is activated.

in the last 2 years on TV here in the Northeast they have been advertising this vehicle getting 650 miles per tank, they dont state its 50 MPG, all 1.9 Ltr TDI Jettas are 13 gallon.

Fergus Read this:   http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1019256_volkswagen-jetta-tdi-much-more-mileage-than-epa-admits

I am one of three people who own Jettas TDI and get regularly 50 MPG.

By reading all posted comments there are distinct differences Between European diesels to US, I wonder why? 

[Fergus OMore]

Passed my bedtime- yawns a little.-as one does at 85years.

I've just given an Audi A4 Avant S Line 1.9 or 2.00 litre TDI away with a Mercedes 240 SLK Kompressor.

I'm 85 and am going to trade in a perfectly good Skoda Fabia 1-6 TDI Monte Carlo as I am being crippled with  rising -exorbitant car insurance. Nowt wrong with me- merely a touch of age and now a widower.

So having passed my driving test on a Morris 8 1935. I was there -before Tee Shirts. Good night, folks

Norman

[AdeV]

Thank goodness I'm here to redress the balance - 4 litre supercharged V8 barely getting double-digit MPGs around town, it will get high 20s on a cruise down the motorway - at least it would do, if I could keep from repeatedly booting it to get that lovely supercharger noise 

It replaced a 4.0 Lexus V8, normally aspirated, that was too economical. That, in turn, replaced a 3 litre Vauxhall Senator that just wasn't powerful enough, which replaced the 2800cc Ford Granada which just about matched the Jag on efficiency (and running full-fat 4-star as well) but nowhere near the power.

Currently building a 5.3 litre V12 race engine which I expect to have single-digit MPGs at all speeds... and when that's ready I'll embark on the rather more expensive 8 litre version of the same engine.

I do have one diseasel vehicle - a van, which gets caned whenever it goes anywhere.

So, all you high-MPG diesel-sippers, be grateful I'm here making up for your woefully small CO2 emissions