Many will not agree with this, but the more things cost, less of those things get purchased and used…We as a Nation are now importing almost 60% of our petroleum needs…This results in a VAST hemorrhage of U.S. Dollars going overseas twisting the global economy all out of shape…
So you may not like it, but you can expect our government to take steps to make motor fuel more expensive, not less expensive…The "drill, drill, drill solution proposed by some is not a solution as the oil discovered and produced tends to be very expensive to extract and bring to market…These new fields do not take the pressure off global oil prices as the old fields are being depleted faster than new oil is being discovered…
@MPGomatic
There’s only a 2 MPG difference (overall) between the TDI Q7 and the supercharged gas engine. The TDI version is about $5000 more and is signifcantly slower. I don’t really see a compelling reason to go with the diesel in this particular application.
I am a mpg nut. I own a Honda Civic that gets good mpgs 35-40. I own a VW TDi that gets 45-50 mpg. it is cheaper to run the TDI by a few cents per mile, but the down side is the honda is reliable and the VW isn’t as much. Also diesels require more routine mantaince with fuel additives in the winter and regular fuel filter changes. Not to mention, diesels are some what allergic to cold climates.
@FoDaddy - Fast is good! 
I haven’t driven the supercharged Q7 (yet), but I’ve put a bunch of miles on the TDI. The EPA tends to rate diesels harshly. I was able to beat the “official” numbers by a significant margin:
http://www.mpgomatic.com/2009/09/23/audi-q7-tdi-mileage-test/
The TDI is rated at 25 highway, but can easily achieve 30 when driven properly.
The biggest difference will likely be seen with load. Fill the two up with passengers or tow something and the diesel’s torque advantage (406 vs 295 foot pounds) should become apparent.
Difference in gas mileage between Diesel and Gas is different for each vehicle.
Nissan sells a Diesel Pathfinder in Europe and South America. It has almost the same HP as the V6…much more torque…and gets about 50% BETTER gas mileage. Turbo Charged Diesel is a perfect match for a mid-size SUV. I just wish there were more options here in the US. Currently there’s only one (Chryco) which is kinda on the small size.
I agree with “nyeguys”…I don’t have a diesel car but have had diesel equipment for years (trucks and tractors) and generally find that unless there is a compelling economic reason like govt. support in reduced cost like overseas, gas motors serve better in cars that don’t take advantage of the diesel torque and longevity…winter warm up and starting problems are likewise always a concern.
MikeInNH is right too. In heavy use, SUVs show huge gains in economy of operation. So TDI, not so much advantage; plow trucks, SUVs and heavily subsidized areas, sure. As long as initial cost is reasonably close and pay back is short. I agree also that more choices could bring the cost down. I selfishly don’t want it to happen as diesel is too precious to be used by kids texting and mall hopping. Keep them in an Aveo “gaser”.
Yep, less No2 in a barrel of crude.Would like to see diesel allocated for the things that really need it.Noticed in the early 2000’s the creep up in price,think it was around fall 2004 when it became as expensive as regular gasoline,now it always at least matches hi test-Kevin