Diesel

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Wduaqnug

Diamond Member
Mar 8, 2002
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all of sudden i am looking for diesel car since i commute to another state for work

only car in us is jetta or golf
 
Ziptar

Ziptar

Platinum Member
Jul 7, 2001
2,077
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Yep.

Stay away from the newones though... MPG isn't as good as the pre 2005's

I just posted In this thread

In the same boat as you, been commuting 200 miles a day for years just got a new job, and now it's only 180!!! Woo?

I drive a 2003 VW Jetta TDI Wagon. I bought it in November of 2002. I just turned 120K. The best commuter out there. I get 43-49 MPG on average, usually lower because I do 85 on the interstate. 15 gallons of diesel is good for about 650 miles. My Fuel cost is about $45.00 a week. The only maintinance I do is Oil Changes at Walmart every 10,000 miles (I used Mobil 1 Truck and SUV Synthetic) Air Filters, Tires, and belts.

I paid $19,000 for it when I bought it, I plan to leep it another 2.5 years at least.

I can't reccomend the TDI's enough, this is my second one. My first was a 1998, I bought it back when my commute was only 70 miles one way. When I traded it for the new one it had gone 187,000 miles before the turbo went, probably would have lasted longer but, I hadn't changed the oil in like 100,000 miles.

The New Jetta 5 TDI are heavier and don't get as good MPG. Stay away from an automatic at all costs. Everyone I know with automatic TDIs get 400 miles to a tank.

Find your self a good used Jetta III TDI (97-98), Jetta 4 TDI or Golf 4 TDI, or New Beetle TDI (99-04), or a B3 Passat TDI (96-97). Seen them for sale as cheap as $3,500 (check ebay). Just change the oil at the scheduled intervals using a good synthetic oil (Shell Rotella-T 5-40, Mobil Delvac1 5-40, or Mobil1 Truck and SUV 5-40, the Mobil one is just Delvac1 in a Mobil1 bottle.) and change the timing belt at the specified intervals and it will serve you well for a while.

I even ran current my Jetta on used cooking oil for 30,000 miles until the conversion kit blew up. I am getting a new vegoil kit soon as I miss getting my fuel for free.

For more info check out TDI Club

Oh and do your self a favor and get Sirius Satelite Radio and CB radio. The Sirius makes the drive bearable and the CB is the only way I can get reliable traffic reports crossing 5 counties on the way to work.

The seats are fairly comfortable, and there is plenty of room. I am a 6'4" 275lb guy, the Jetta is plenty comfortable.

The other option might be a Mercedes 123 Body (240D, 300D 81-85) Big and comfy and also run forever. they get around 30 MPG. They can be expensive to fix though.
Click to expand...

Oh and you can still find older VW diesels like a 78-84 Rabbit but they are slow and smokey, they also made Turbo Diesel Jettas and Golfs (non-TDI) in the use from 85-92, again MPG is not as good as the later TDIs.
 
MoPHo

MoPHo

Platinum Member
Dec 16, 2003
2,978
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I was hoping you'd be making fun of Vin Diesel...but good luck w/ the car hunt...
 
D

drnickriviera

Platinum Member
Jan 30, 2001
2,447
257
136
Mercedes still offers the E320 in a diesel, but unless you want a POS expensive luxury car, stick with 95' and older mercs. 95' was the last of the W124 chassis 86' or 87' was the first W124
 
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m2kewl

Diamond Member
Oct 7, 2001
8,263
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diesel IS expensive. in some nyc stations, it costs more then gas.

if you want to get one, wait for next year, when ultra low sulfur is mandated by epa. then you will have more makers bringing out cars.
 
Nohr

Nohr

Diamond Member
Jan 6, 2001
7,302
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101
www.flickr.com
I used to drive an '86 Mercedes 190D, was a 5 cylinder. Was a nice little car and got good mpg but it didn't have any guts. iirc the 0-60 time was something on the order of 15 seconds.
 
Ziptar

Ziptar

Platinum Member
Jul 7, 2001
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Originally posted by: oldsmoboat
Diesel fuel is expensive
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15 gallons of Diesel will get me 650 miles. so at $2.44 a gallon that's $36.60 Unleaded is running $2.36 a gallon, you need almost two 15 gallon tanks to go 650 miles in a Corolla or Civic so which is Cheaper.

Your ID also reminds me... GM made 5.7L V8 Diesels from 77-85 and 4.3L V6 Diesels from 81-85. They were used in FWD and RWD Passenger cars.

They got a bad rap because people didn't know how to care for them and drive them. i have seen people that have rebuilt them and upgraded the head and crank studs and have 200K - 300K on them.
 
Ziptar

Ziptar

Platinum Member
Jul 7, 2001
2,077
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86
Originally posted by: Krk3561
Why dont you get a hybrid?
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I am not convined Hybrids are good over the long haul. They get great MPG the Civic gets 64 City 51 Highway and the Prius gets 60 City / 51 Highway, under perfect 55MPH conditions. They are gas engines though, along with all the Hybrid stuff, they probably won't be good for more than 100K miles. I could be wrong time will tell.

The Hybids are pretty small too, and in the case of the Prius looks like a pocket protector on wheels. For heavy interstate driving a Diesel would be better it will last longer. my car also has way more power than a Civic (yes, I drove one.) The TDI can go all day at 85MPH and still has plenty of pedal left for passing. On my case I like having a wagon too. It's hard to cram 4" x 4" fence posts in a Prius.



 
K

Krk3561

Diamond Member
Jun 12, 2002
3,242
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Originally posted by: Ziptar
Originally posted by: Krk3561
Why dont you get a hybrid?
Click to expand...

I am not convined Hybrids are good over the long haul. They get great MPG the Civic gets 64 City 51 Highway and the Prius gets 60 City / 51 Highway, under perfect 55MPH conditions. They are gas engines though, along with all the Hybrid stuff, they probably won't be good for more than 100K miles. I could be wrong time will tell.

The Hybids are pretty small too, and in the case of the Prius looks like a pocket protector on wheels. For heavy interstate driving a Diesel would be better it will last longer. my car also has way more power than a Civic (yes, I drove one.) The TDI can go all day at 85MPH and still has plenty of pedal left for passing. On my case I like having a wagon too. It's hard to cram 4" x 4" fence posts in a Prius.
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Accord Hybrid:

http://automobiles.honda.com/models/mod...ord+Hybrid&bhcp=1&BrowserDetected=True

Something a little bigger, and has 255hp too!
 
M

m2kewl

Diamond Member
Oct 7, 2001
8,263
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Originally posted by: Ziptar
Originally posted by: Krk3561
Why dont you get a hybrid?
Click to expand...

I am not convined Hybrids are good over the long haul. They get great MPG the Civic gets 64 City 51 Highway and the Prius gets 60 City / 51 Highway, under perfect 55MPH conditions.
...
The Hybids are pretty small too, and in the case of the Prius looks like a pocket protector on wheels. For heavy interstate driving a Diesel would be better it will last longer.
Click to expand...

while diesels are better now, hybrids need more time to mature. honda's next generation civic hybrid has new IMA motor that's 1.5x the improvement over the existing civic (while maintaining the same size). in 5-6 years, i see both systems coexisting.
 
Ziptar

Ziptar

Platinum Member
Jul 7, 2001
2,077
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86
Originally posted by: Krk3561


Accord Hybrid:

http://automobiles.honda.com/models/mod...ord+Hybrid&bhcp=1&BrowserDetected=True

Something a little bigger, and has 255hp too!
Click to expand...
Shows in the MPG too.... 29 / 37 only hybrid I have seen that gets worse city MPG than Highway. The MPG on an Accord DX non hybrid is 26/34 and costs $14K Less than the hybrid. For $26K you can get the Fully loded EX and still get 21/30. The cost of the hybrid compared to the fuel savings makes no sense $$ wise.

Originally posted by: m2kewl

while diesels are better now, hybrids need more time to mature. honda's next generation civic hybrid has new IMA motor that's 1.5x the improvement over the existing civic (while maintaining the same size). in 5-6 years, i see both systems coexisting.
Click to expand...

I agree, I am eager to see what's down the line for Hybrids, a Turbo Diesel based Hybrid would be the best combo You'd be seeing MPG like 85/00, perhaps when Low Sulphur fuel comes on line we will see some. They heavy truck industry has begun to show some Diesel Electric trucks, same principal as a Diesel/ Electric Locomotive. A diesel engine is used to generate A/C Current for motors that drive the wheels. Very efficient. Oshkosh is currently building such trucks for the military.
 
Nebor

Nebor

Lifer
Jun 24, 2003
29,582
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76
Mercedes E320D is also a diesel car available in America. Much more comfortable on long drives than the VW too.
 
Z

zoiks

Lifer
Jan 13, 2000
11,787
3
81
I think the Passat also comes in diesel. A client of mine had one and he told me it went 700 miles to the tank.
 
9

91TTZ

Lifer
Jan 31, 2005
14,374
1
0
Originally posted by: Wduaqnug
all of sudden i am looking for diesel car since i commute to another state for work

only car in us is jetta or golf
Click to expand...


The problem is that in the US, diesel fuel is much more expensive than regular gasoline. It's as expensive as premium, which negates all your fuel savings due to higher fuel economy.
 
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