# Hybrid Diesel? **URL:** \ **Category:** Power/Fuel\ **Tags:** hybrid-repair, diesel\ **Created:** [January 14, 2008, 6:12pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/hybrid-diesel/9414 "2008-01-14T18:12:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![csharple](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5daacb/32.png) [@csharple](https://community.cartalk.com/u/csharple)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 6:12pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/hybrid-diesel/9414/1 "2008-01-14T18:12:54Z")
Diesel fuel gets great mileage. Hybrid cars don’t use diesel. Why don’t manufacturers offer diesel hybrids? That seems like a way to maximize the mileage. ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 6:38pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/hybrid-diesel/9414/2 "2008-01-14T18:38:20Z")
It’s comming… ---
**Author:** ![Docnick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Docnick](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Docnick)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 7:11pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/hybrid-diesel/9414/3 "2008-01-14T19:11:49Z")
It’s coming. Right now there is the double cost whammy, and only recently has the diesel fuel been up to international quality in the US. A diesel hybrid would get extremely good mileage, a mid size car like the Mercedes E class would get the same mileage as a Prius. Some performance would be sacrificed, however. But we will need $5/gallon gas before Americans will feel the urge to buy one in large numbers, since it will have a hefty premium price. ---
**Author:** ![Craig58](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3da27b/32.png) [@Craig58](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Craig58)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 7:25pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/hybrid-diesel/9414/4 "2008-01-14T19:25:30Z")
I’m not sure the mileage difference between a conventional diesel and a diesel/hybrid is great enough to justify the additional cost/complexity. A diesel e-class only gets about 35 mpg, but it’s a pretty heavy car. If you compare a VW TDI to a Prius, they get similar mileage and have a similar price. i don’t know if there would be a big market for a hybrid version of the TDI if it only got 5-10 mpg more and cost an extra $3-5000. The major difference is that gasoline engines are much less efficient at part-load than diesels, so the hybrid can actually make a significant difference. Personally, if I was looking for the maximum cost/benefit, I would just buy a small conventional diesel. ---
**Author:** ![Docnick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Docnick](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Docnick)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 9:00pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/hybrid-diesel/9414/5 "2008-01-14T21:00:46Z")
Good points. I think the diesel hybrid would excel for those who spend 50,000+ miles per year behind the wheel driving on the Interstate. Such a diesel would be only 4 cyl, using the battery for the push during acceleration. The record-seeting 80 mpg hybrids sponsored by the US government under the PNGV were all 3 cyl diesel hybrids, but they would not be very good daily drivers. ---
**Author:** ![motorstereo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e8c25b/32.png) [@motorstereo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/motorstereo)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 9:27pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/hybrid-diesel/9414/6 "2008-01-14T21:27:13Z")
Subaru is going to do this, aren’t they? I believe they are researching a 4 cyl. boxer diesel hybrid. I would buy one of these-- my neighbor brews his own diesel! -John L. 02 Subaru Outback, 03 Subaru Outback & 72 BMW m/c ---
**Author:** ![hellokit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6a8cbe/32.png) [@hellokit](https://community.cartalk.com/u/hellokit)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 11:52pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/hybrid-diesel/9414/7 "2008-01-14T23:52:04Z")
Somebody is going to ask you, John: Have you been drinking some of that “diesel” with your neighbor?