nurkvinny Posted January 8, 2011 Report Share Posted January 8, 2011 I have never DD'ed a diesel-anything before. I know enough to be dangerous. Do the diesels - in general - get the real-life mpg advantage that you always hear about? Can I really see 45+ mpg out of smaller turbo, or even non-turbo diesel cars? Are they a PITA in the winter? Are they a pain to maintain? Feel free to add any personal experience / likes / dislikes. Thanks. PS, looking at DD cars, not trucks, as I am happy with the current Ram (for now) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evolved8 Posted January 8, 2011 Report Share Posted January 8, 2011 Your going to want to ask Sam, and Antwon. they can steer you in the right direction. I know some guys that live breethe and die diesel they are not on the board but i can get you hooked up with them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Bruh Posted January 8, 2011 Report Share Posted January 8, 2011 really you're going to want to look at VW's. or the older mercedes. The older mercedes are pretty bullet proof. The newer vw's ive got 50-55mpg out of a 2006 jetta. They do good in the snow with being fwd. There's not to many options right now in the us with the diesel market unless you go to a 3/4 or 1ton truck. Europe has all the sweet stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Bruh Posted January 8, 2011 Report Share Posted January 8, 2011 http://www.practicalenvironmentalist.com/automobiles/2011-diesel-cars-usa.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhett Posted January 8, 2011 Report Share Posted January 8, 2011 http://www.wallpaperbase.com/wallpapers/celebsm/vindiesel/vin_diesel_2.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Bruh Posted January 8, 2011 Report Share Posted January 8, 2011 also you're probably going to want to stay pre 07. 07 is when the EPA put new regulations on diesel vechiles (idk if the cars were subject to this like the trucks were), but they had a to dpf and egr stuff. Which caused worse gas mileage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc1647545523 Posted January 8, 2011 Report Share Posted January 8, 2011 Since you're asking for personal experiences and not a research paper, I'll volunteer my opinions. I've owned 12 diesel cars and 2 diesel trucks. Diesel cars got a bad reputation during the oil crisis of the late 1970's when GM did a quick and dirty engineering job and produced Oldsmobile diesel engines (the 5.7 L LF9 and 4.3 L LF7 V8s and 4.3 L LT6/LT7/LS2 V6) which were terribly unreliable, noisy, never wanted to start in cold weather, smoked badly, and left owners stranded regularly. I owned one of these. Most got replaced under warranty or because of a class-action lawsuit with the Goodwrench "target" engine, which was much better. I owned diesel Caddies, Olds, GMC K5 Blazer, Chevy truck, Audi, Volvo, Saab, Benz, and VW. It is often the case that the diesel powerplant alternative for any given car is one which produces less horsepower, more torque, and gives better fuel economy than the gasoline alternatives. Even back in 1978, I had a Rabbit 1.5l 4 cylinder diesel with an EPA of 45 mpg city and 57 mpg highway, and it really got that. On the other hand, I currently own a 1981 Mercedes 300SD diesel, which people commonly believe gets 35 mpg. The reality is that these cars are lucky to get 21-24 mpg. I had one tankful that returned 27 mpg. The old Mercedes diesels from the 70's-90's are considered bulletproof, and in a pinch, they pretty much run on anything--vegetable oil, kerosene, waste vegetable oil, transmission fluid, biodiesel, and dino diesel, although there are problems with certain of those fuels used regularly. I would check out biodiesel and waste vegetable oil (fryer grease) forums if you want to know about that stuff. Old diesels used a high-sulfur dino diesel fuel which helped lubricate--the new low-sulfur dino diesel has a lot of its lubricants removed along with the sulfur. Therefore, if you get an older diesel, you're better off running B2 to B20 biodiesel to get the lubricants you need, or else you need to put additives in the tank. Properly cared-for, the old Mercedes diesels are good for 400k miles without much work. In our climate, the major maintainence items are oil changes, filters, valve adjustments (on some models), and replacing glow plugs. The old Mercedes cars are more mechanical than electronic, and replacement parts are cheap and most work simple to perform. In Ohio winters, most older diesels benefit from having plug-in block heaters, although you don't have to have it for a diesel made in the last ten years or so. If you buy a more modern diesel, low-sulfur dino diesel or biodiesel are both fine. Most modern diesels don't have the noise, starting, and smoking problems of the old cars. Bluetech diesels by Mercedes are considered very clean. Diesel in general is going to be more expensive than regular gas. Diesel fuel takes less processing than gasoline, but the way refineries are set up, the laws of supply and demand keep diesel fuel higher than gas in the U.S. In the 1970's, diesel was actually cheaper than gasoline. You can convert a diesel to run on waste vegetable oil, but you still have to obtain, process and filter the oil. Another option that doesn't involve conversions to your car is to collect waste vegetable oil, convert it to biodiesel, and run that. Depending on how much you spend on the options, it generally cuts your fuel cost by more than half compared to buying diesel at the pump. If fuel prices skyrocket, you'd probably save more like 75-90% by using waste vegetable oil. There's my take on it. I hope it was helpful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crossle Posted January 8, 2011 Report Share Posted January 8, 2011 really you're going to want to look at VW's. or the older mercedes. The older mercedes are pretty bullet proof. The newer vw's ive got 50-55mpg out of a 2006 jetta. They do good in the snow with being fwd. There's not to many options right now in the us with the diesel market unless you go to a 3/4 or 1ton truck. Europe has all the sweet stuff. What about a 2005 Mercedes E320 CDI? We just serviced one last week, forget about those? Or not know about those? None of our customers complain about their NEWER diesels starting in the cold, yes the newer VW owners are seeing 40+ MPG which is equating to about 600+miles per tank. Diesel is more expensive than fuel. The Newer VW diesels with the 1.9 when they first came out had to have the timing belt changed every 30K, it has now been revised to every 60K. Otherwise as with most VAG cars you get the issues with electronic issues, we have seen problems with the intakes getting plugged up due to carbon buildup. So bad that you can barely stick a pencil through the opening when the opening is about 1 1/2 to 2 inches in diameter. Otherwise they are hard to find used with low miles because people love them so much they drive them into the ground. Thats some mechanical knowledge from servicing a fleet of them from very regular customers for about 3-4 years now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Berto Posted January 8, 2011 Report Share Posted January 8, 2011 I <3 diesels. However, the only automotive diesels available in the US are crap german cars with tons of issues. I'll wait till Honda brings a couple over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Jones Posted January 8, 2011 Report Share Posted January 8, 2011 I <3 diesels. However, the only automotive diesels available in the US are crap german cars with tons of issues. I'll wait till Honda brings a couple over. LOL wow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Das Borgen Posted January 8, 2011 Report Share Posted January 8, 2011 I <3 diesels. However, the only automotive diesels available in the US are crap german cars with tons of issues. I'll wait till Honda brings a couple over. the 2010(?) TSX got a V6 out of the blue instead of the rumored 2.2L diesel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Berto Posted January 8, 2011 Report Share Posted January 8, 2011 LOL wow. Do you have anything to prove otherwise? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Berto Posted January 8, 2011 Report Share Posted January 8, 2011 the 2010(?) TSX got a V6 out of the blue instead of the rumored 2.2L diesel Yeah I drove one. Bosch brought a bunch of diesel cars for test drives to work 1 or 2 years ago and it was a blast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Jones Posted January 8, 2011 Report Share Posted January 8, 2011 Do you have anything to prove otherwise? Do you have any empirical data or personal usage to suggest that all german diesel vehicles are "crap" as you so elegantly put it. 90% of Europe drives some short of german diesel "crap". The owners of VW TDI's can attest to their personal usage going 300-400K with timing belts and oil changes. Not to mention the Merc diesels mentioned above. I understand you probably have some personal bias against german cars for whatever reason, but that is no reason to inject it into a thread asking for an education in the matter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Berto Posted January 8, 2011 Report Share Posted January 8, 2011 Do you have any empirical data or personal usage to suggest that all german diesel vehicles are "crap" as you so elegantly put it. 90% of Europe drives some short of german diesel "crap". The owners of VW TDI's can attest to their personal usage going 300-400K with timing belts and oil changes. Not to mention the Merc diesels mentioned above. I understand you probably have some personal bias against german cars for whatever reason, but that is no reason to inject it into a thread asking for an education in the matter. There are plenty of co-workers of mine that have german cars...simply because of the Diesel aspect and some of the crap they have to go through with 'new' cars. They spend time in the shop for things that are just unheard of. One of my buddies is actually a VW gearhead and he is meticulous with his maintance, still his 'nice' car which is a 2.0T Jetta (only has 22k miles after 3 yrs) has had transmission leaks, fuel lines worn through. I can't remember what else. The only thing I've had to do with my Honda was change the battery at 90k, which I consider a wear item, I haven't even changed the brake pads on it. Which doesn't necessarily mean anything (could be dependant on driving habits) I'm not sure who you choose to read for automotive ratings, Consumer reports is pretty rough on german cars for the most part, but I don't feel like scanning everything in just to prove a point. Here is new car info from JD Power: http://www.jdpower.com/autos/ratings/quality-ratings-by-brand/ http://www.jdpower.com/autos/ratings/dependability-ratings-by-brand/ http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/cars/new-cars/cr-recommended/best-worst-in-car-reliability-1005/reliability-findings/reliability-findings.htm Europe's bumpy road BMW had a bad year, with five of 11 models now scoring below average. Although the BMW M3 topped the sporty cars category, the 1, 3, and 5 Series models with the 3.0-liter, turbocharged engine had high problem rates related to the fuel system, among other issues. Mercedes-Benz had the least reliable vehicles in three categories. Six of its 13 models were below average, and the GLK SUV was far below average this year. The redesigned E350 sedan was above average, but the new E-Class coupe, a wholly different car, was a disappointment. Almost three-quarters of the Audi models we analyzed were below average. Volkswagen did better, with its Golf (formerly Rabbit) doing very well and the various Jetta models doing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Jones Posted January 8, 2011 Report Share Posted January 8, 2011 Why, No I don't Fixed. In all seriousness, everyone's experience is different. My A4 2.0T is coming up on 100K miles. Has been flawless, gets driven like a raped ape every day back and forth to work. Several 3-5K mile trips up to the northeast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Berto Posted January 9, 2011 Report Share Posted January 9, 2011 Fixed. In all seriousness, everyone's experience is different. My A4 2.0T is coming up on 100K miles. Has been flawless, gets driven like a raped ape every day back and forth to work. Several 3-5K mile trips up to the northeast. "My" I'm thrilled your car has been reliable. I understand the need for you to justify your allegiance and investment in the cars and brand that you put your endorsement behind. One car doesn't make up for the rest of them. I am still waiting for the references. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Das Borgen Posted January 9, 2011 Report Share Posted January 9, 2011 Do you have any empirical data or personal usage to suggest that all german diesel vehicles are "crap" as you so elegantly put it. 90% of Europe drives some short of german diesel "crap". The owners of VW TDI's can attest to their personal usage going 300-400K with timing belts and oil changes. Not to mention the Merc diesels mentioned above. I understand you probably have some personal bias against german cars for whatever reason, but that is no reason to inject it into a thread asking for an education in the matter. truth my exp with VW A2/A3/A4 diesels (the 1.9L and the 1.9L TDI in jettas and golfs) have shown them to be pretty good motors... good luck finding one with under 200k miles. People drive these things to well over half a million miles yes, those cars do suffer from some electrical failures not commonly found on american and japanese cars but the motors are essentially bulletproof Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Jones Posted January 9, 2011 Report Share Posted January 9, 2011 truth my exp with VW A2/A3/A4 diesels (the 1.9L and the 1.9L TDI in jettas and golfs) have shown them to be pretty good motors... good luck finding one with under 200k miles. People drive these things to well over half a million miles yes, those cars do suffer from some electrical failures not commonly found on american and japanese cars but the motors are essentially bulletproof You must be mistaken, they are crap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Jones Posted January 9, 2011 Report Share Posted January 9, 2011 "My" I'm thrilled your car has been reliable. I understand the need for you to justify your allegiance and investment in the cars and brand that you put your endorsement behind. One car doesn't make up for the rest of them. I am still waiting for the references. References: http://www.tdiclub.com/ Enjoy the read if you have time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Das Borgen Posted January 9, 2011 Report Share Posted January 9, 2011 You must be mistaken, they are crap. i was talking about the durability of the motors Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Jones Posted January 9, 2011 Report Share Posted January 9, 2011 i was talking about the durability of the motors Nope, all crap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Berto Posted January 9, 2011 Report Share Posted January 9, 2011 truth my exp with VW A2/A3/A4 diesels (the 1.9L and the 1.9L TDI in jettas and golfs) have shown them to be pretty good motors... good luck finding one with under 200k miles. People drive these things to well over half a million miles yes, those cars do suffer from some electrical failures not commonly found on american and japanese cars but the motors are essentially bulletproof I don't buy motors, I buy cars. * *LS1/RX7 exception. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Das Borgen Posted January 9, 2011 Report Share Posted January 9, 2011 so how do they go all those miles without a rebuild? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Jones Posted January 9, 2011 Report Share Posted January 9, 2011 so how do they go all those miles without a rebuild? It's apparent now, that my sarcasm has been grossly misplaced with you Rich. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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