Diesel vehicles now account for 40% of all UK car sales

[television]

So ours cars are the same weight. How come we're getting such differences in range?

The lie of the land where you live, mix this with the length of the journey, add them to the way you drive, multiply that with the time that you travel = many different answers.

 

[glojo]

As I explained, I went into this in quite some depth with my accountant for "Normal cars" and the findings I arrived at were correct.

I did also note that a 320 diesel versus a 320 or 350 petrol are quite a long way from normal and the line becomes blurred.

The results still stand for what is the majority of the car buying public (or business for that matter).

Luxury cars or those with engine in excess of 2 litre are by their very definition uneconomical vehicles, both in depreciation and running costs. So it isn't so much that the difference between the two is less pronounced but that they both cost so much and depreciate to such an amount that you can't separate them.

Also, an S Class diesel is simply not right, in the same way a Jaguar XJ diesel isn't right. You're making a statement buying a top of the range executive car that depreciates at eye watering rates then saving pennies not having a petrol engine in it.

Always struck me as odd.

Of course, all these assumptions are based on leasing a brand new vehicle from a business perspective - buying a second hand vehicle things may be an awful lot different.

Not sure I agree with much of what you have said. the new diesels don't really sond diesely, and definitely do not sound like the older clattery beasts. The 420CDI is a rocket on wheels and would make an excellent choice for the S-class but where is it?

Our E-class 320CDI was £1000 cheaper than the equivalent 320 petrol powered E-class and now we see that completely reversed in the second-hand market. Hopefully your accountant took that into consideration? I'm not convinced the CDI engine is best suited to a sports car, but that is the old fashioned dyed in the wool male ego that enjoys listening to the rumble of a healthy V8 speaking. A 420CDI in the SL would give more than ample performance but in my very personal opinion it would not sound right. Great performance, great economy, superior reliability and an engine that would never wear out.

The Japanese in particular are highly skilled at changing the exhaust note, make the 420CDI sound like a V8 petrol then I would not hesitate to buy one. Whenever my son sneaks his petrol powered car into our garage we quickly know it's been there because of the smell of petrol fumes. The days of smelly old diesels are long gone, so as a good old fashioned petrolhead, I have converted into a fan of the modern CDI diesel

Great engines and the bigger the better.

Regards
John

 

[television]

A 420CDI in the SL would give more than ample performance but in my very personal opinion it would not sound right. Great performance, great economy, superior reliability and an engine that would never wear out.

Strange how the sound of the car is so important to sports cars owners, I cant see why one cant enjoy the sports part of the car with out worrying about the sound, if a diesel can offer a respectful performance , and they do, why cant we have a diesel SL if that is the way to go

 

[mr. shr]

The lie of the land where you live, mix this with the length of the journey, add them to the way you drive, multiply that with the time that you travel = many different answers.

I only use the V8 on longer journeys between cities, but that usually involves alot of dual carriage ways (i.e. lots of round abouts so lots of speeding up and slowing down).

I guess long continuous motorway runs is the key to getting higher milage.

I wonder what kind of long runs MBManInKen does to get such a good fuel return.

 

[Mactech]

Did you even try the S500?

No way I would change it for an oil burner.

Yes, I did try an S500 (and even an S63!) but I like my limo to 'lope' then 'surge'. The S500 was responsive but changed down and had a rev frenzy when asked to 'surge'.
I enjoy the rpm on a bike and when I'm in sports mode, but most of the time the S320 CDI is more restful because it 'surges' without fuss and just pulls. And then it takes over 800miles to pull into a filling station...
Each to their own!

 

[Mudster]

I'm not saying they aren't suitable, but like the other posters you've highlighted extremely high spec engines in £40,000 + vehicles where, if we're honest, economy isn't the number one concern.

Eventually we'll see diesels in sports cars, after all Audi did very well at Le Mans in them.

The other thing is the weight of the engine, a diesel engine of similar power and performance to a petrol engine is generally substantially heavier.

Now in an ML, GL or S class, even an E class this isn't particularly noticeable, but in smaller vehicles it is hugely noticeable.

Anyhow we've kind of gone off at a tangent.

The Audi A8 4.0 TDi is an absolute gem of a car, but if I'm in the market for a vehicle of that value or a 420CDi for that matter, I really don't give a monkeys how much it costs to run. If the running costs are too much, you're probably looking at the wrong vehicle to start with.

Whilst Diesel engines have come on immeasurably in the last 5 years, the ones that really matter, that sell in the tens of thousands - those under 2 litre, aren't there yet....

Look back up through this thread, and every argument has been for a 320CDi or larger capacity, all of which are luxury vehicles and cost more than strictly necessary.

Maybe this means the average buyer can afford to get into a car that they wouldn't normally be able to afford to run, in which case that's starting to make more sense.

Personally, If I'm buying a £60,000 or £70,000 S class Mercedes Fuel consumption is pretty low down the list, (if it's on it at all).

 

[BTB 500]

Strange how the sound of the car is so important to sports cars owners, I cant see why one cant enjoy the sports part of the car with out worrying about the sound, if a diesel can offer a respectful performance , and they do, why cant we have a diesel SL if that is the way to go

Funnily enough, after flatly denying it a few months ago:

http://www.topgear.com/content/news/stories/1955/

It seems Audi could be planning a diesel version of their R8 after all:

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/autoexpressnews/214614/audi_r8.html

 

[Mudster]

It will work quite well on an R8 as it's mid engined, however putting a cast Iron lump in the front of anything vaguely sporty completely disturbs the handling.

 

[BTB 500]

It will work quite well on an R8 as it's mid engined, however putting a cast Iron lump in the front of anything vaguely sporty completely disturbs the handling.

Depends how you define 'sporty' of course, but plenty of cars like the SL already have a pretty wide range of engine weights (thinking of the V12 versions in particular)?

 

[MBManInKen]

Averaging 27mpg plus is very impressive

Indeed - I get up to 34mpg on motorways under the right circumstances. Average on motorways is 30-32mpg. Significantly better than my previous S500.

 

[MBManInKen]

You're kidding, right?

I don't even get 400 out of my 4.3 V8.

I'm dead serious. Admittedly I got nowhere near that good a result with my previous S500 (V/W140 chassis). I do have the optional cylinder shut-off on the car though .

 

[robert.saunders]

I'm dead serious. Admittedly I got nowhere near that good a result with my previous S500 (V/W140 chassis). I do have the optional cylinder shut-off on the car though .

And you drive very slowly

 

[television]

I wonder if BlackC55 could weaken the mixture on mine a touch, it does blow very black smuts out the the exhaust

 

[MBManInKen]

I wonder what kind of long runs MBManInKen does to get such a good fuel return.

Doesn't need to be a long run, even on a trip from London to Dover I get 31-32mpg.

On my longer trip to France and Belgium over the Summer, which included a lot of local (non motorway) traffic, I got 29mpg over 1622 miles.

 

[MBManInKen]

Personally, If I'm buying a £60,000 or £70,000 S class Mercedes Fuel consumption is pretty low down the list, (if it's on it at all).

Agreed .

 

[mr. shr]

I'm dead serious. Admittedly I got nowhere near that good a result with my previous S500 (V/W140 chassis). I do have the optional cylinder shut-off on the car though .

You have ZAS?
Is that not only used for around town driving though? (i.e. low speeds)

Or does it also shut down some cylinders if you lock the CC on, say, 70 mph??

 

[MBManInKen]

And you drive very slowly

As if you would know!

I do 70mph in the UK, 130kph in France, 120kph in Belgium and a lot faster in Germany .

 

[mr. shr]

Doesn't need to be a long run, even on a trip from London to Dover I get 31-32mpg.

On my longer trip to France and Belgium over the Summer, which included a lot of local (non motorway) traffic, I got 29mpg over 1622 miles.

That really is very impressive.

So do you think ZAS makes all the difference or could I have a problem with my car?

 

[MBManInKen]

You have ZAS?

Yes.

Is that not only used for around town driving though? (i.e. low speeds)

Or does it also shut down some cylinders if you lock the CC on, say, 70 mph??

The manual is rather vague about when exactly ZAS does its thing, it just says something like "when not needing full power". You don't notice it engaging at all, not the slightest hint, so I have no idea when it is actually in use. Must be doing something looking at my fuel consumption though .

 

[MBManInKen]

The S500 was responsive but changed down and had a rev frenzy when asked to 'surge'.

No "rev frenzies" here, unless you floor it and that is almost never needed. A firm but not too hard push makes it surge without the need to climb high revs.

Each to their own!

That I can fully agree with .