Will you buy a diesel car now?

ComicGeek

Mercdriver wrote: »

Since I do 20k+ a year, it's a no-brainer. I've driven the Auris Hybrid but found it about as responsive as a damp squib, so that puts me off the Rav4 - Toyota only automatics in hybrid now and I have an auto licence.

I've had the latest Rav 4 hybrid for 6 months now and love it - the 2.5l petrol engine certainly doesn't have the power of my wife's Rav 4 2.2l diesel, but it still has good acceleration when needed and is a really smooth ride. The hybrid is only slightly more than a gimmick - it does give better mileage overall, but I'm not convinced it works well with AWD and the overall weight of the Rav 4.

My wife still prefers her 2.2l diesel. She does 35 mpg, and I can do 45-50 mpg, but that's partly due to different driving styles - having the hybrid does make you adjust driving style to get the most out of it, so I do wonder what I would get from the diesel driving it the same.

Mercdriver

ComicGeek wrote: »

I've had the latest Rav 4 hybrid for 6 months now and love it - the 2.5l petrol engine certainly doesn't have the power of my wife's Rav 4 2.2l diesel, but it still has good acceleration when needed and is a really smooth ride. The hybrid is only slightly more than a gimmick - it does give better mileage overall, but I'm not convinced it works well with AWD and the overall weight of the Rav 4.

My wife still prefers her 2.2l diesel. She does 35 mpg, and I can do 45-50 mpg, but that's partly due to different driving styles - having the hybrid does make you adjust driving style to get the most out of it, so I do wonder what I would get from the diesel driving it the same.

Thanks for that perspective.

waamo

ComicGeek wrote: »

My wife still prefers her 2.2l diesel. She does 35 mpg, and I can do 45-50 mpg, but that's partly due to different driving styles - having the hybrid does make you adjust driving style to get the most out of it, so I do wonder what I would get from the diesel driving it the same.

Crikey only 35mpg. I can get better than that from my 2.0 petrol car and it's a big heavy thing. Given diesel is dearer than petrol round here that would put me off.

motorguy

waamo wrote: »

Crikey only 35mpg. I can get better than that from my 2.0 petrol car and it's a big heavy thing. Given diesel is dearer than petrol round here that would put me off.

SUVs and softer roaders tend to be a lot hard on fuel because of their weight and they're often pulling around heavy AWD / 4WD systems that they never really use.

A modern 2.0 TD car should easily break 50mpg if you're doing anyway half decent long runs.

AnotherJoe

movilogo wrote: »

In relation to recent news of taxing diesel cars extra to enter many town centers, when you change car next time, will you consider a diesel?

Why not options of hybrid and electric as well as petrol ?

Tammykitty

motorguy wrote: »

SUVs and softer roaders tend to be a lot hard on fuel because of their weight and they're often pulling around heavy AWD / 4WD systems that they never really use.

A modern 2.0 TD car should easily break 50mpg if you're doing anyway half decent long runs.

I have a 1.4 VW polo and got 60mpg from my last tank of fuel

motorguy

Tammykitty wrote: »

I have a 1.4 VW polo and got 60mpg from my last tank of fuel

Yes. I wouldnt doubt it.

I wasnt hailing 2.0TD cars as the "peak" of fuel economy BTW.

Merely saying a comparable 2.0TDI / 2.2TDI in a car will get an awful lot more than the same engine in a SUV / Soft Roader.

System

Tammykitty wrote: »

I have a 1.4 VW polo and got 60mpg from my last tank of fuel

My 2 litre diesel Ford Mondeo just after I bought it. Have had it as high as 70MPG.

motorguy

Tarambor wrote: »

My 2 litre diesel Ford Mondeo just after I bought it. Have had it as high as 70MPG.

2012 Golf 1.6TDI when i had it several years ago - brim to brim fills and averaged out at over 65mpg. Best i saw from memory was 72.3mpg over an entire fill, measured brim to brim.



Once got this on a 39 mile commute in a Passat 2.0TDI Bluemotion...





I would say theres a 5% inaccuracy with trip computers, so probably in reality 92ish mpg on that run. Of course, averaged out over a tankful it was doing 60mpg odd from memory as a lot of my runs were shorter and not as free from traffic as that one was.

The Passat had a bigger tank than the Golf so would have done over 1,000 miles on a tankful of diesel on occasions.

kmb500

I wouldn't ever buy a diesel car, they are so dull and unexciting to drive and they make a horrible noise.