Diesel Cars

Parent Cafe
1

<p>Any Clean Diesel car folks out there? Contemplating the 2013 Passat TDI, actually getting close to buying. My concern is the availabilty of gas stations carrying diesel. Along the highways, no biggie, just follow the trucks. Around town a couple stations carry it, but I am wondering if the hassle is worth it. (at 795 per tankful, it’s great for long stretches of highway driving. City is around 33, or maybe a bit more)</p>

<p>Thoughts? Musings on the diesel vs hybrid varietals?</p>

2

<p>I absolutely LOVE my Jetta tdi, 2011. If I didn’t own one, I’d buy the Passat you are considering. I average 40 mpg, more for long trips. I love how it drives. Diesel is available easily, there are just a few stations that don’t have it. This last gas price spike here in California did not affect diesel at all, the price stayed the same, pretty much. I love the sport transmission, the acceleration and handling are great. I’ll bet the Passat is really comfortable, and handles well. I always thought of cars simply as transportation, never something I enjoyed. Until my Jetta tdi. I say go for the Passat, it’s a much nicer car than a Prius.</p>

3

<p>I also have a 2011 Jetta tdi, which I also absolutely love. I have never had a problem buying diesel fuel and I have traveled to some out in the middle of nowhere places. Prior to purchasing the Jetta I looked long and hard at the hybrids but ended up with the Jetta. It was by far the more comfortable car, and has been a perfect choice for me. It handles well, has loads of pickup and the exhaust does not smell. The only drawback is my tall husband does not have a lot of leg room. Since the Passat is larger, no problem there.</p>

4

<p>Diesel cars are very nice to drive, but in the US, they tend to mainly be offered by brands which tend to be higher cost in maintenance and repair (e.g. VW) than the brands offering hybrids (e.g. Toyota and Ford).</p>

5

<p>As long as the ‘diesel fuel premium’ persists, I would be reluctant to get into a diesel, paying 50+ cents a gallon and higher purchase price for the convenience of higher mpg…</p>

6

<p>Thank you all for the advice. Convinced this is likely the best choice for us, given our driving habits.</p>

<p>Checked the price of diesel on the way home tonight…10 cents above regular. </p>

<p>Happy weekend everyone!</p>