Diesel

I've been impressed with the Diesel engine in mine (3.0 V6). It's my first Diesel engined car and I did seriously consider the petrol version, but as that was a 5L it wasn't really comparative. Much higher performance but hugely more expensive on fuel, and as I have to drive Leeds - Luton once a week it makes s difference. I get 28mpg mixed driving, which is actually better than than the 1.6 petrol Focus I used to have.

I also like the charcuterie tics of the diesel though. It suits the car well, where instant torque is more beneficial than bhp on such a heavy car. No issues with DPF or injectors, probably because it rarely does short journeys.
 
Bensons said:
"Although diesel emits less carbon dioxide, it gives off more nitrogen dioxide which causes local pollution and has been linked to thousands of premature deaths every year in the UK."
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Exactly and the idiotic government have known this for years so why are some new diesels still like £20 a year tax or something when my ST220 is £280 and something like a Mazda MPs would be £480 to tax when every diesel emits 5x more emissions that cause cancers, strokes and heart problems in humans than they do:eek: just think of a populated city like London in 10yrs time it was bad enough with the fumes from taxi's and Buses but now about 90% of all the new cars are spitting out the same crap straight into our lungs :(
 
George Hincapie said:
Are DPFs a requirement on all new diesel cars, or does it vary?
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They aren't a legal requirement on any cars, just a means to an end to meet the emissions limits. If they found another way that was better, they would stop using DPFs.
It is hard to imagine now, that only 21 years ago, there was no European emissions legislation. It was in 1993 that the Euro I levels were introduced, and these standards were achieved with small incremental changes. Between Euro I and Euro VI, particulate matter (PM) levels have fallen 97%, and NOx has fallen 95%, but what comes next? Euro VI was tough, but will the next round of CV emissions regulation – referred to for now as Euro VII – be impossible?
 
They won't be impossible, though they may well be extremely impractical or expensive, requiring ever more complex tech to manage the emissions. The sort of stuff that's fine when you're Mr Company Car for three years but will cause horrendous bills for Mr Second Hand at 5 years onwards
 
George Hincapie said:
Thanks for clearing that up. I mistakenly thought all new diesel engined cars had to have them fitted. I've read mixed reviews about living with a car fitted with one.
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They're not legally required, but they're the main technology used to allow the car to meet the regulation. As TFC said though, I think you'll struggle to find a car without one new now.

We'll start seeing gasoline particulate filters becoming a common feature on direct injection cars in the near future too!

There's a silly amount of things added to most modern high tech diesel engines now, you've got DPF, SCR, LNT, High and Low pressure EGR.

snapdragon69 said:
They aren't a legal requirement on any cars, just a means to an end to meet the emissions limits. If they found another way that was better, they would stop using DPFs.
It is hard to imagine now, that only 21 years ago, there was no European emissions legislation. It was in 1993 that the Euro I levels were introduced, and these standards were achieved with small incremental changes. Between Euro I and Euro VI, particulate matter (PM) levels have fallen 97%, and NOx has fallen 95%, but what comes next? Euro VI was tough, but will the next round of CV emissions regulation – referred to for now as Euro VII – be impossible?
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The big issue is, that 'on cycle', diesels are perfectly clean and happily meet their legal requirements. But you take that car out in the real world, what comes out of the tailpipe is anybody's guess, and is the exact reason why we see such terrible air quality in cities. The next phases of EU regulations start pushing OEMs to testing with random drive cycles and portable emissions measuring equipment. It's always a big challenge, which usually means more and more technologies thrown at the cars to make them meet the rules, but will just make buying second hand in the future without a warranty a rather silly thing to do!
 
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This is somthing i try getting over to friends any family now, I have a 2 year old passat diesel, I have had it from new and its now on 88k miles. Hence why i have a diesel as without a shadow of a doubt at the mileage i do diesel saves me money. However Below 25k miles a year petrol all the way. the additional servicing costs of a diesel and when something goes wrong with a modern diesel your looking at mega bucks to fix it.

the wife has a Mini John cooper works and down the motor way she is only 5-7mpg behind me and with an extra 80bhp being a turbo petrol. i really dont see why people buy diesels unless they do mega miles as they cost more in the first place too.
 
If you want a large capacity or reasonably powerful petrol produced within circa the last ten years there isn't exactly a massive difference in anything (price wise) other than choice tbh
 
Bensons said:
"Although diesel emits less carbon dioxide, it gives off more nitrogen dioxide which causes local pollution and has been linked to thousands of premature deaths every year in the UK."
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I heard a chap talking about this on the radio a few weeks back.

The interviewer said didn't the government encourage people to buy diesel cars to cut emission?

The chap replied that the government had made a mistake!!!

Do we have a new diesel tax looming?

Islington council are already gearing up to charge residence £100 - an extra £8 a year to park their cars.:confused:
 
rapid64k said:
I heard a chap talking about this on the radio a few weeks back.

The interviewer said didn't the government encourage people to buy diesel cars to cut emission?

The chap replied that the government had made a mistake!!!

Do we have a new diesel tax looming?

Islington council are already gearing up to charge residence £100 - an extra £8 a year to park their cars.:confused:
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Yes I think there is.
 
i have no idea why people would buy a diesel, they are much over hyped, the only reason why i have one is because my insurance is £2000 cheaper on a diesel, but that isn't a problem for most people.
 
Robbo said:
Same here, or well it certainly wouldn't put me off, put it that way. I think diesels get a very raw deal on here.
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I think they get a very fair deal but are hyped up unfairly by those who seem to think the only way to get a lazy torquey power delivery is to choose diesel. It isn't diesel that does this it's turbocharging. A big petrol turbo is relaxing and wafty too.

Diesel is a compromise, its chosen for running cost purposes. Otherwise we would all have twin turbo petrol V8s.
 
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