As far back as I can remember I have always been a diesel fan and promoter. As time marches on, gas engines have improved to be much more efficient and deliver diesel-like fuel milage, more so when paired with large batteries in complicated hybrid drivetrains. Diesel technology while impressive today, hasn't had the attention from as many automakers as gasoline power has. Afterall, when was the last time you remember seeing a diesel hybrid car or truck for sale? The answer is never. Diesel owners benefit from a lower cost of ownership, with no spark plugs to worry about, longer intervals between oil changes and most importantly longer engine life and no hybrid batteries to replace. Also, diesel fuel has a much longer shelf life, especially when ethanol additives are considered. Diesel isn't as corrosive to the fuel system components and won't need stablizers for longer durations sitting in your tank, as gasoline/ethanol will. Diesel is naturally a safer fuel to use compared to gasoline and ethanol with a very high flashpoint. This translates to worry free refueling and less chance of fire or explosion in an accident involving diesel vehicles. Diesel naturally contains more energy than gasoline, so whatever technological improvements that can be done with gasoline engines, diesel has the potential to always be better. Unfortunately, Americans are largely ignorant to the advantages of diesel. We Americans haven't had the history with the diesel engine as most other parts of Europe, Asia, Africa and the rest of the world has. While most of the world has access to diesel cars and trucks aplenty, the USA hasn't seen widespread availability since the early and mid 1980's. Diesels of the 80's were a totally different animal from the clean, quiet diesels of todays cars. (In fact, thanks in large part to GM and the diesel engines they offered in 1980's Oldsmobiles and Buicks, many still have a negative connection that still lingers. GM proved that it was possible to take a great idea and execute it so poorly that decades later people would still attatch GM to arguably the worst diesel engine ever created on a mass scale. I still remember the 3 diesel engines my father went through in a rapid sequence in our 82' Buick Regal wagon, before he gave up and finally had a V-8 gas engine installed when he sold it.) The less (diesel) knowledgeable consumer these days rejects the thought of buying a diesel over the thought of paying more money at the pump. While diesel does cost more than a gallon of gasoline/ethanol fuel at the pump, per gallon it still costs less than gasoline when considering the typical diesel engine goes 30% farther per gallon. When you include the other mentioned benefits, the savings are even better. I know, some people are going to say that I am fogetting to account for the extra premium when buying a new diesel over gasoline engines, however this isn't so. When you pay more for a diesel vehicle in the beginning you get more return when you sell it, they retain their value much better over their gasoline counterparts. On the other hand, should you vow "death do you part" to your new vehicle, a diesel will typically pay for itself several times over before they die, providing you maintain it in a decent fashion. Lastly, I should mention Turbo power, because I love efficiency and everyone knows turbo power makes everything better. Turbos increase power output and increase efficiency. Turbos and diesel power go together like ice cream and cone. It's hard for me to imagine one without the other. Now with all this said, we just sit and wait for Subaru, Honda, Mazda and others to follow through with introducing their new diesels to the US market....C'mon already!
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AuthorNathan has researched vehicles and vehicle pricing for over 30 years and has visited and talked with hundreds of dealerships nationwide. He is a former Oregon vehicle broker, who specialized in commercial vehicles. Nathan also operated an independent insurance business for twelve years, until exiting in 2024 to serve as a full-time caregiver for his youngest son. Categories
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