Why isn't it recommended to get a diesel...
- Thread starter Buchanan0204
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It's extremely close, where i used to work people used to run their diesels on aircraft fuel with no problems.
Jet a1 is mostly kerosine and diesel is 75% kerosine and added lubricant. Jet has anti microbials.
I think you would be amazed the number of people running diesels on jet a1. Personally I wouldn't take the risk, my job isn't worth it.
My ST never saw 38 MPG trust me. Highest maybe 34mpg on the way to work whereas the Leon gets 42-46 MPG.
The Leon is cheaper to insure as they don't see it as a boy racer car and don't see it as a car that will get things stolen from seem as the STs have been hit hard lately.
the germans used diesel engines in the war i think?
Having owned diesels for the best part of 8 years now, I can offer the following:
8 years ago, there was a positive swing to diesel if you were driving anything over 20k per year. Fuel was cheaper, more reliable, albeit noisy engines were cheaper to maintain but still not without their issues.
Big engined diesel cars do not like being driven around town, period. They like sitting on the motorway in 6th gear at 1500rpm. That's when they behave themselves. Barely ticking over reduces a lot of the modern concerns from modern diesels. However, for them to be cost effective in current times, you need to be ploughing at least 25 -30k miles a year.
Doing exactly as above, sitting on a motorway at 70mph, bored, I achieve around 47mpg from my 530d over a 200 mile journey, all motorway. I pull out around 700 miles to a tank between fills like this, and the car gives me little to worry about (although it is under warranty).
I like the way diesels drive, especially on the motorway. Effortless overtaking if needed, sometimes verging on the surprising at it's ability to get past things that seem very very far away (if on A roads). However, a lot of modern turbo petrol units will do this too.
Would I buy another diesel? Only if the mileage was a concern. Even doing 400 miles a week, I don't deem it necessary for a diesel. I absolutely want to go back to a petrol, however, market forces, and the buying nature of the general public means my chances of getting a petrol car in the spec, colour, trim level I want, are virtually impossible. The difference in tax and efficiency between a modern petrol and diesel is marginal.
8 years ago, there was a positive swing to diesel if you were driving anything over 20k per year. Fuel was cheaper, more reliable, albeit noisy engines were cheaper to maintain but still not without their issues.
Big engined diesel cars do not like being driven around town, period. They like sitting on the motorway in 6th gear at 1500rpm. That's when they behave themselves. Barely ticking over reduces a lot of the modern concerns from modern diesels. However, for them to be cost effective in current times, you need to be ploughing at least 25 -30k miles a year.
Doing exactly as above, sitting on a motorway at 70mph, bored, I achieve around 47mpg from my 530d over a 200 mile journey, all motorway. I pull out around 700 miles to a tank between fills like this, and the car gives me little to worry about (although it is under warranty).
I like the way diesels drive, especially on the motorway. Effortless overtaking if needed, sometimes verging on the surprising at it's ability to get past things that seem very very far away (if on A roads). However, a lot of modern turbo petrol units will do this too.
Would I buy another diesel? Only if the mileage was a concern. Even doing 400 miles a week, I don't deem it necessary for a diesel. I absolutely want to go back to a petrol, however, market forces, and the buying nature of the general public means my chances of getting a petrol car in the spec, colour, trim level I want, are virtually impossible. The difference in tax and efficiency between a modern petrol and diesel is marginal.
As I said earlier our work vehicles on the airport are VW caddys. CR DPF. Last night the emergency regen light came on, that vehicle had done less than 500 miles since new.
Whoever at my work put the purchase order in for those vehicles which do less than 5000 miles in 3 years wants shooting
Get the DPF's removed, I just had mine done by a company called http://www.midlanddpfremoval.com
The DPF was removed from the vehicle, and ecu remapped to tell car it no longer exists. Mine was also the 2.0 CR engine with 90k on clock and had nothing but trouble with DPF until last week
As promised, exhibit A:
To be fair its went down a bit recently as I've been cycling more with the better weather meaning the car does a higher percentage of short trips. Was sitting at something like 48 unril recently. I cant see how you could possibly average this with only town driving.
Oh and your not wrong r.e the scratches! Those aren't even visiblewhen actually looking at the display
I miss the drive of a diesel car, but reading about civic diesel clutches I'm glad I didn't go for one of them :
I appreciate its only 23 miles in, but that was my fill up and a typical Cornish road round trip to work and back!
Genuinely if I could find a reliable diesel I'd be all over it. The dagdag doesn't bother me so much as the fact that I genuinely miss the low down torque.
My 15 year old 170bhp petrol rwd sports car recently achieved 40 mpg on a 330 mile run at 70/75mph to Newquay and 33mpg on the run back at 90+ most the way (did the 330 miles in 4 hours flat and in one 45 litre tank of unleaded). It gets 30mpg average with mixed driving.
Don't really see the point in a diesel when this car is so reliable, costs nothing in depreciation or repairs yet is miles more fun than most diesels. I had a 406 diesel which did 40mpg everywhere but I feel the extra costs justified with my mileage (about 15k pa atm)
Don't really see the point in a diesel when this car is so reliable, costs nothing in depreciation or repairs yet is miles more fun than most diesels. I had a 406 diesel which did 40mpg everywhere but I feel the extra costs justified with my mileage (about 15k pa atm)
If I was getting a diesel now I'd probably go for a 2010 Honda Civic. No DPF and the clutch was upgraded compared to earlier versions.
There was no 2011 diesel Civic as there wasn't room for the DPF that was needed to pass emissions regs. The new civic diesels now have a DPF.
According to the RealMPG register at www.honestjohn.co.uk Ford's 1.0 Ecoboost engines aren't actually getting much better real world fuel economy than the naturally aspirated 1.6 engines that preceded them (about 40mpg).
VAG 1.2 and 1.4 TSIs are pulling some impressive figures with fairly large cars like the Octavia and Superb averaging in the mid 40s mpg.
I've been most suprised by Honda's naturally aspirated petrol engines. The 1.4 Civic (last two models) is averaging high 40s mpg and the Jazz 1.2 and 1.4 variants are getting low 50s.
I can concur with the Jazz RealMPG rating, as the courtesy car I'm currently borrowing (see other thread) has averaged over 50mpg for 3 days worth of 18 mile round trip commuting (half suburban, half 70mph dual carriageway). By comparison I would have been lucky to hit the mid 30s for the same journey on my 2000 1.4 8v Skoda Fabia.
With fuel economy like that, why would you bother getting a small diesel car?
There was no 2011 diesel Civic as there wasn't room for the DPF that was needed to pass emissions regs. The new civic diesels now have a DPF.
According to the RealMPG register at www.honestjohn.co.uk Ford's 1.0 Ecoboost engines aren't actually getting much better real world fuel economy than the naturally aspirated 1.6 engines that preceded them (about 40mpg).
VAG 1.2 and 1.4 TSIs are pulling some impressive figures with fairly large cars like the Octavia and Superb averaging in the mid 40s mpg.
I've been most suprised by Honda's naturally aspirated petrol engines. The 1.4 Civic (last two models) is averaging high 40s mpg and the Jazz 1.2 and 1.4 variants are getting low 50s.
I can concur with the Jazz RealMPG rating, as the courtesy car I'm currently borrowing (see other thread) has averaged over 50mpg for 3 days worth of 18 mile round trip commuting (half suburban, half 70mph dual carriageway). By comparison I would have been lucky to hit the mid 30s for the same journey on my 2000 1.4 8v Skoda Fabia.
With fuel economy like that, why would you bother getting a small diesel car?
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Seems most people who buy diesels are completely misinformed.
Until recently you needed quite a strong petrol engine to compete in terms of feel with the turbo diesel. People just seemed to be completely sold by the torquey and deceptive power delivery.
If that wasn't the case it was the mistaken belief that you will always in any situation save money on fuel (and the planet) by driving a diesel.
You guys can probably imagine why I wanted to throttle my girlfriend for buying a TDI Golf when her commute to work is 2 minutes long. One of those highly tuned 1.4 TSI GTs would have made a much more enjoyable car.
Until recently you needed quite a strong petrol engine to compete in terms of feel with the turbo diesel. People just seemed to be completely sold by the torquey and deceptive power delivery.
If that wasn't the case it was the mistaken belief that you will always in any situation save money on fuel (and the planet) by driving a diesel.
You guys can probably imagine why I wanted to throttle my girlfriend for buying a TDI Golf when her commute to work is 2 minutes long. One of those highly tuned 1.4 TSI GTs would have made a much more enjoyable car.
When I got a diesel estate (Audi A4 Avant - 1998 model), it turned out to be a brilliant decision. Previous car was only a £300 petrol Toyota, but was getting around 32/33mpg. The diesel was getting about 55 to 60 (65mpg on a run) on generally speaking a 10 mile work run (x2). We used the car a fair bit to get out and about with our little girl and the dogs. Slashed the fuel bill in half. I wouldn't particularly recommend an Audi as spare parts have a prestige tax associated with them lol.
The difference in price between petrol and diesel is nothing given how high fuel prices are now compared to a few years ago. The cost will come when you start having to have work done to a diesel engine, as it is significantly higher cost to repair.
Buying new, you would have to make sure you did enough miles to warrant it. As above, buying a diesel for short journey's makes no sense.
If petrol engines (like in the Jazz mentioned above) have come on much further with efficiency, then it is still worth considering those as well. I suspect they make a lot of sacrifices to get that efficiency though to reduce weight?
The difference in price between petrol and diesel is nothing given how high fuel prices are now compared to a few years ago. The cost will come when you start having to have work done to a diesel engine, as it is significantly higher cost to repair.
Buying new, you would have to make sure you did enough miles to warrant it. As above, buying a diesel for short journey's makes no sense.
If petrol engines (like in the Jazz mentioned above) have come on much further with efficiency, then it is still worth considering those as well. I suspect they make a lot of sacrifices to get that efficiency though to reduce weight?
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I've even met people recently who have seen my new car and asked me why I didn't buy a diesel BMW and it makes me want to smack them, pick up a barge pole and smack them some more.
Even if I didn't love my BMW straight six, the fact I do next to zero motorway driving means the efficiency savings by driving a diesel/more efficient petrol car just aren't there and if they are they certainly do not outweigh the personal enjoyment and utility I get of having a real engine under my bonnet.
FYI I did do a motorway trip yesterday and managed 42mpg on a 100 mile round trip in my 6 cylinder 320bhp turbo charged BMW petrol. Again, just cements the fact I'd rather chew glass than drive a diesel unless my financial situation made it impossible not to.
Even if I didn't love my BMW straight six, the fact I do next to zero motorway driving means the efficiency savings by driving a diesel/more efficient petrol car just aren't there and if they are they certainly do not outweigh the personal enjoyment and utility I get of having a real engine under my bonnet.
FYI I did do a motorway trip yesterday and managed 42mpg on a 100 mile round trip in my 6 cylinder 320bhp turbo charged BMW petrol. Again, just cements the fact I'd rather chew glass than drive a diesel unless my financial situation made it impossible not to.
I think it's safe to say that if you are doing the mileage to warrant the increased purchase and servicing costs, and you have a comprehensive warranty on said vehicle, there is nothing wrong with a diesel.
I get better efficiency on A-Roads than I do on motorway.
I get better efficiency on A-Roads than I do on motorway.
However I also said:
What's the point in someone like me (or my girlfriend although she's in the wrong) having a diesel? Low mileage, not much motorway usage and when not used in the context of getting from A-B, used purely to go and tear up some B-roads on a boring Sunday afternoon.
My problem is loads of people buy diesels when they don't need to, even "petrol heads" who love a good petrol engine still seem incapable of making basic economic calculations and decisions. Buying brand new is even worse because as far as I know (or especially with BMW) the diesel engines are more expensive, as is the fuel, which means you have to be doing mega-miles before saving any money. Also even if manufacturers exaggerate MPG claims to the same degree as they do with petrol engines, the mere sight on a bit of paper of massive high value MPG figures is going to win people over without second though.
Hell I didn't want a car that did 16mpg, economy still matters to me, hence the M135i was a reasonable choice as it mixes performance* and economy nicely, as does the diesel engine at the cost of noise, fun and in a loose sense of the word, prestige.
* Performance in this context is slightly different to your average TDI. Most of the Joe Public will drive a 2.0 TDI Golf and be more than happy with the performance as it is perfectly nippy in the 30-70 range. I'm sure a lot of us on here really want to be driving cars which scream towards the 150mph+ mark with minimal effort, if required.
What's the point in someone like me (or my girlfriend although she's in the wrong) having a diesel? Low mileage, not much motorway usage and when not used in the context of getting from A-B, used purely to go and tear up some B-roads on a boring Sunday afternoon.
My problem is loads of people buy diesels when they don't need to, even "petrol heads" who love a good petrol engine still seem incapable of making basic economic calculations and decisions. Buying brand new is even worse because as far as I know (or especially with BMW) the diesel engines are more expensive, as is the fuel, which means you have to be doing mega-miles before saving any money. Also even if manufacturers exaggerate MPG claims to the same degree as they do with petrol engines, the mere sight on a bit of paper of massive high value MPG figures is going to win people over without second though.
Hell I didn't want a car that did 16mpg, economy still matters to me, hence the M135i was a reasonable choice as it mixes performance* and economy nicely, as does the diesel engine at the cost of noise, fun and in a loose sense of the word, prestige.
* Performance in this context is slightly different to your average TDI. Most of the Joe Public will drive a 2.0 TDI Golf and be more than happy with the performance as it is perfectly nippy in the 30-70 range. I'm sure a lot of us on here really want to be driving cars which scream towards the 150mph+ mark with minimal effort, if required.
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Unless it's something that's actualy unique to Audi like bodywork, you'll find many parts are shared with Seats and Skodas.
When I had an Octavia 1.9 SLX TDi (110 BHP pre-PD version) a coupld of years ago, I got quotes for the cambelt and water pump (which was a faff to fit compared to later PD models, hence high labour cost) from different VAG specialist garages. It went something like this
Audi Main Dealer: £600
VW Main Dealer £350 (they were running a fixed price cambelt change offer at the time)
Seat and Skoda Main Dealers: £500
VAG Specialist independents: £300-550.
All were for the exactly the same generic VAG parts. Fitting charges were included though.
One car I will never understand is the Mini Cooper Diesel. Every time I see these it makes me cry inside. Good on BMW for offering them as there's clearly a demand, only the demand is generated by people who don't have a clue. A diesel engine in a car like that just removes everything that makes the car so much fun to drive. Polo TDI, fine. Golf TDI, fine. Mini, just no.
It's like buying tickets to go and see a huge rock concert but opting to wear a blindfold and noise cancelling headphones.
It's like buying tickets to go and see a huge rock concert but opting to wear a blindfold and noise cancelling headphones.
Neighbours who had bought an A4 2.0 TDI a few months back have now gotten rid of it and bought a 13 plate Kia Cee'D (also diesel but probs 1.5CRDI like my rio). They soon had the DPF issues as they only used it for town driving. DPF lights came on, took it to garage, took it for a longer journey as instructed.. lights out.... then a week later it was back on and they could see this was going to happen a lot so got rid of it 
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Audi TT Convertible TDI - everytime I see one, which is often, I can't help but think WTF?!?!?!