| 777 | Date: Thursday, 28 Oct 2010, 19.35 | Message # 1 |
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User ID: 777
Joined: 18 Oct 2010
Messages: 1035
| Diesels can work great in small-scale cars, as any fan of VW’s Golf and Jetta diesels will tell you -- and then tell you again. But to me, the killer app for diesels is still in larger crossovers and SUVs, where diesel engines can deliver more dramatic savings in fuel and money.
Case in point: the new, mildly restyled 2011 Mercedes R350 BlueTec 4Matic, along with diesel versions of Mercedes’ ML-Class crossover and deluxe GL-Class SUV. It’s the same story with the Audi Q7, BMW X5 xDrive 35d and VW Touareg TDI diesel, the other luxury crossovers that offer diesel engines. Especially when these diesels step in for a thirsty V8 version, buyers can save anywhere from $1,000 to $17,000 on sticker price alone, not to mention enjoy continued savings at the pump with almost no drop-off in performance.
Here’s the thing: The diesel-powered Golf, Jetta and Jetta SportWagen cost about $1,200 to $2,000 more than their gasoline versions, even after a federal diesel tax credit. Based on calculations from the Environmental Protection Agency, the diesel VWs will save you only about $300 a year in fuel. This means you’d have to drive these cars for four to seven years before breaking even on the extra cash you forked over. Now, if you’re buying the V-dubs primarily for diesel performance, you might be happy to kick in more cash - -but as an argument for saving money, the numbers can look shaky, especially in states where diesel fuel costs vastly more than gasoline.
For people ogling a V8 luxury crossover -- and in some cases even a V6 -- on the other hand, diesels are a financial slam-dunk. Starting at $52,615, the diesel R350 BlueTec 4Matic costs just $1,500 more than the gasoline V6 version, and a tax credit puts their sticker prices on a par. With the R350 BlueTec’s fuel savings estimated at $600 a year, you’ll start pocketing money the very first time you fill up; after five years, you’re $3,000 ahead of the game. The EPA estimates the R350 BlueTec’s fuel economy at 18 mpg city/24 mpg highway, and I managed an effortless 26 mpg highway during my recent test.
As noted, the economic calculations are even kinder when you compare diesels to available V8s. The diesel GL 350 BlueTec, at $61,825 to start, costs about $2,800 less than the standard GL450 with its 4.7-liter V8 when you count the federal tax credit. And the diesel version costs about $15,000 less than the deluxe GL550 and its fuel-thirsty, 5.5-liter V8 -- not to mention it then saves a whopping $900 per year in fuel costs on top of that. The picture is similar for the Audi Q7 and BMW X5: Choosing the diesel over a V8 model is a no-brainer, requiring none of the head-scratching financial calculations on your payback period.
When you throw in the muscular, satisfying torque of the diesel -- a ham-and-eggs combination with hefty, people-moving SUVs -- and buyers will never miss their old V8.
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