Are modern diesels just not worth the hassle and expense?

[Ian_Mac]

How come White van man gets the blame again?

 

[hawk20]

IIRC there is a VW engine of only 1.4 but with a Turbo and a S/C to give a good economy / performance ratio. I've not driven it, nor heard much about it so maybe it's not that great.

Our 535d is remarkable in every way but I just hate the process of filling the thing up. You have to stand in all that goo spilt by white van man and you end up stinking all day.

In all the years I have driven diesels I have never had that problem. If there is spillage just report it and the staff will clean it up.

BTW everywhere we go the pumps are all grouped together so we all stand on the same ground, petrol and diesel fans alike. One unleaded pump, one diesel and one super-unleaded.

 

[masher_uk]

Each to their own but it's petrol every time for me. Given the amount of cr@p diesels discharge, I fail to see how they can be considered the more environmentally friendly alternative. All part of the big CO2 taxation con I suspect...

 

[stumpy1]

How come White van man gets the blame again?

Cos I used to be one !

 

[Adam230K]

Give it time, we will start to see loads more FI petrol engines, as you say Audi are using a supercharger and a turbo on their 3.0 V6 petrols to give more power than the 4.2 V8 it is replacing and the consumption is up by around 30% too.

BMW have said they are going back to a straight six with FI on it for the next M cars.

The new C180k is a 1.6 with a supercharger, it gets fairly good results and really good consumption.
I think we will see a 350 with supercharger soon, maybe not from AMG, but I reckon we will see one in one of the cars, maybe the new E Coupe or CLS.


Having said that do we really need FI?? if done right isn't a NA engine even sweeter??
Take the new BMW 330i, it is a NA straight six 3 litre petrol. It has 272bhp and does 0-60mph in 6.1 seconds, so almost identical as the twin turbo diesel 335d, while returning absolutely stunning mpg.
The one I had for two days return 38mpg and did 500 miles on one tank.

But again, I bet we see problems with the direct injection system as they get older, but the tech will evolve and mature no doubt.

I'm sorry but i really dont understand how you get 38mpg from the 3litre bmw unit, my mate actually has one of these and it really really REALLY doesn't do that!

That engine is massively overrated... and lacks low down torque, not an impressive engine in any shape or form!

 

[Ian_Mac]

Cos I used to be one !

I currently drive a White van as well as the Mercedes. From my point of view I don't find re-fuelling without spilling all over the forecourt difficult at all.

Best not judge everyone by your standards.

 

[maddog]

I've had my E320 CDi for almost 8 years now and in that time its not been at all expensive to run , i service it early ie every 14,000 miles or so



First service was £219

Second service £439.02 (including repair to foglamp)

Third service £878.08 (including brake fluid change, front pad change, foglamp repair again, air con regas and new set of mats)

Fourth service £632.75 (included gearbox oil change, drive belt change wheel bearing and parking brake adjustment)

Fifth service £462.64 (Included both front road springs replaced)

I dont see any extra work attributed to the car because its a diesel , in addition to main dealer stuff its had a new exhaust , new brakes all round new battery and tyres occasionally again things a petrol would need also

Ahhhh !!!Hold on....... i've had to fit a set of glowplugs at £60 but then again no spark plugs to change so thats more than cancelled out



Its not just my car my wifes Skoda does 18k in between services as opposed to 10k for the petrol models and again in 40,000 miles it hasnt had any extra cost that a petrol would but had been serviced twice instead of FOUR times on that basis modern petrol engines cost TWICE what modern diesels do

 

[gIzzE]

I'm sorry but i really dont understand how you get 38mpg from the 3litre bmw unit, my mate actually has one of these and it really really REALLY doesn't do that!

That engine is massively overrated... and lacks low down torque, not an impressive engine in any shape or form!

You sure he has the very latest alu block 330i?? Been out about 5 months or so??

Not the old 258bhp version, that will do about 22 round town and 32 at best on a run.
The new one is something else.