In your opinion, if you are in the market for a used vechile, would it be better to get diseal vs. gas?
Your selection is very limited unless you want a larger pickup truck or a European car.
It depends on your goals. For example in the case of fuel economy for saving money, I think a used Corolla/Civic is a better value overall costs than a Jetta/Golf diesel.
I have owned both. Personally I like diesels. Frankly they are not much different for the average driver, assuming all the possible drivers remember not to put gasoline in the diesel (or the other way around).
Diesels will get better mileage, all else being equal, but it never is. Currently in the US diesel tends to be higher cost that gasoline. This is not related to the automotive fuel markets, but more a matter on international oil markets. It has been that way for like five years and does not look like the oil industry is going to allow cheaper fuel in the US. (prior to the changes, diesel was generally cheaper then gasoline in the summer and more expensive in the winter (heating oil).
If all vehicles were available either way this would be simpler to answer. Since there aren’t that many diesels available I’m sticking with gasoline for now.
The new clean diesels are intriguing, but there aren’t enough of them yet to make a difference.
Newer diesels are better than old smokey ones, and getting better with each new model. Yet, the choices in diesel cars is very limited. I would only consider diesel if I put a lot of commuting miles on a car daily. And, if I needed a truck to pull a heavy trailer long distances daily. In general, I’d stick with gas.
Used diesel motore are not more trouble than used gas. The issue is less mechanics are comfortable with diesels so you need to make sure you have service and parts available in your local area.
The high cost of diseal is partly due to improvements in cracking plants that now can extract more gasoline from crude oil than in the past. Another part of it is the competition between rail and trucks, and between large trucking firms that can buy diseal fuel by bulk contract, and independent truckers who must buy on the spot market.
The term independent trucker is fast becomming a synonym for family farmer or say buggy whip. On the bright side, anyone with time and effort can buid a vegetable oil purefier, and run a diseal on hamburger stand deep fry oil very cheeply.
I can’t honestly see any advantages of diesel over gas.
They run much cleaner than they used to, but still cannot fully meet gas engine emissions requirements. Well, maybe the Mercedes does, but if you were buying the Mercedes you probably would not be asking us the question.
The fuel isn’t cheaper (it used to be).
They run quiet and smooth now with good power curves…but so do gas engines.
Mileage in hybrids is better than diesels.
Modern gasoline engines last as long as automotive diesels. Buy one with a good reputation, maintain it properly, and either will last the life of the car.
Modern diesels are fine, but the advantages have disappeared.
They run much cleaner than they used to, but still cannot fully meet gas engine emissions requirements
I suspect gasoline engines don’t meet diesel standards. It is apples and oranges as they produce different mixes of pollutants and it is not really any way of comparing them.
Incorrect. If there is a criterion of the Clean Air Act that diesels meet that gas engines do not, I’d be interesting in learning about it.
With the exception of NOx, I do however readily acknowledge that modern diesels meet gas engine requirements.
I’ll grant you that they’re different engines, apples and oranges. But the emissions requirements criteria do not include one for diesels that gas engines don’t meet.
Postscript: Joseph, do I correctly recall that you’re in England? If so, we may be dealing with regulations that are totally different.
Diesel fuel became more expensive than gasoline when the U S government required all diesel fuel to be ultra low sulfur. In Europe diesel fuel is given tax advantages that make it cheaper than gasoline there. In heavy trucks, diesels routinely go a million miles with proper maintenance, but who is going to drive a car a million miles.
I did’nt expect that, thanks all.
Don’t write us off yet ! There are still a lot of us independents out here. We’re getting crucified by every facet of government, but we’re still here.
Car or truck? Towing or not?