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[OM] Re: Diesel, wasFirst newbie question

Subject: [OM] Re: Diesel, wasFirst newbie question
From: "Bill Pearce" <bs.pearce@xxxxxxx>
Date: Mon, 2 Jul 2007 11:15:39 -0500
 In this Car and Driver comparison
> the VW diesel had worse urban driving mileage than the Toyota Echo
> and there was only one MPG difference in their actual highway
> mileage.
The autoweek test was done before the Echo was available. The VW diesel in 
their test wiped up after all costs, including initial purchase were 
totaled.

The two hybrids in the test did better than either.
True, but not if you include the premium paid at purchase.

> Considering that you pay extra for a diesel engine just like you pay
> a hybrid premium it is hard  to see savings there.
The premium for a diesel is 2-4,000USD, whereas the premium for the hybrid 
is more like $10,000. The diesel will outlast the hybrid's batteries, too.

You are not going
> to save money with a Mercedes diesel either.
That's for people for whom cost isn't a factor.

:-) Diesel fuel here is
> more expensive than premium gasoline and oil company spokesmen say it
> is going to stay that way because diesel takes more of that precious
> oil to produce. So there are no fuel purchase price savings either.
That certainly isn't the case here. At the recent peak, there was almost a 
50 cent difference in favor of diesel. The cost of crude is only a small 
part of the cost of fuel.

> Since the low sulfur oil needed to produce cleaner diesel emissions
> is always going to be in short supply it will probably get worse as
> more people buy diesel cars.
Absolutely not true. All diesel fuel sold in the US  in the US is low sulfur 
by regulation, and has been so since late last year.

Engineering schemes to clean diesel
> emissions by injecting urea will add complexity and cost to the
> diesel engine as well as providing another tank on the car you will
> have to pay to fill.
Probably, if no other means of dealing with NOx is found.
>
more expensive diesel in 2008 from VW(forget the
> $60K Mercedes) which corporation has shown itself content with
> letting their cars eat you alive with repair costs.
I  hear that on car talk, but the VW owners I know don't have any problems 
that we don't have as well. My mechanic says he doesn't see that many.
>
You should visit Europe and see what you're missing. Try the cars, too.

Bill Pearce 


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