Originally Posted By: beanoil
One AP site reports 50MPG.. Now that would be impressive.
I'd venture that figure is more 'unrealistic' than anything.
Sure it will get great fuel economy but a sustained, realistic 50 mpg it won't. I got 50 mpg for one entire tank in my Golf TDI - the slowest, most boring tank I've ever driven (807 miles / 16.032 gallons). I'm quite happy with the lifetime 38+ mpg it returns on my regular city commute, even higher on the highway.
Originally Posted By: shrooms
Diesel costs more than gas. Would it be more cost effective or a wash?
I hear this all the time about my TDIs, that diesel is a hojillion dollars and impossible to find and etc... but if you do the math, it's often cheaper per mile.
Cost per mile = [(purchase price + maintenance & repairs) /(life expectancy in miles)] + (fuel price)/(fuel economy). Until we know all of the above about the alleged diesel Cruze, who knows?
Even in winter when diesel is sometimes +$1/gal over RUG, my TDI is still cheaper to drive it than an equivalent gasser:
Gasser - $3.50/gal @ 25 mpg = 14¢/mile
TDI - $4.50/gal @ 38 mpg = 12¢/mile
The cost savings gets even better as fuel goes up in price, as the spread typically stays roughly the same dollar offset. And right here right now, RUG & diesel are about the same price.
FWIW, I got 30 mpg pulling a trailer from Baltimore to Chicago. Hard to beat that in any pickup truck, and those won't get 40 mpg unloaded. My brother was driving the Beetle TDI as a chase car... 49 mpg for the same drive!
Originally Posted By: bepperb
I'm not sure I'd want to take an otherwise fun to drive car and put a diesel in it
Have you ever driven a modern small car with a turbodiesel engine? They're a lot of fun to drive. I really prefer the torque of a diesel, the power available without downshifting or having to rev the nuts off the engine.
People
buy horsepower but
drive torque.
Originally Posted By: LS2JSTS
A Transit Connect that got good mileage is something I would be very interested in.
If Ford got off their oversat blue oval and brought over their diesel offerings - especially in a Transit Connect with a proper transmission - the line to buy one would be out the door, just look at how many with the 4 banger/slushbox are out there and how the Sprinter CRD revolutionized the delivery business. I'd absolutely buy one for my growing family.
Bowtie motors can really do a lot of good with this if it materializes and is done well... I really hope they don't do diesel the massive disservice they did in the 80s.
