wahoowad said:She drives about 15 miles each way to work, probably about 15k miles a year. We are not the type to go out and buy a new car every few years so this one will likely be driven for at least 7 years, more if it holds up well.
Highbeam said:I did buy the diesel truck for the good mpg. A similarly capable gas engine will get half the mpg when running empty. Try getting 20 mpg with a 12 year old big block gas truck.
wahoowad said:We are contemplating a new car purchase and the wife is interested in a Volkswagen diesel. I've never owned a diesel and don't have any friends who have had one either. Do they require more frequent maintenance? Is the improved MPG worth the added cost of buying higher priced diesel fuel?
Thanks for any input.
DriveByWire said:I own an 02 Jetta TDI. Bought it in 04 with 23K miles on it and now have 193,xxx miles. Oil is between $5--6 per quart and the car has 10K OC intervals. Using the right oil is critical as is making sure the timing belt is changed properly. These engines are not like truck diesels. Mine is a 90 HP. In all the time I've had it I've never had a fuel gelling issue and only used an additive 1 winter. forums.tdiclub.com is a great source of information however keep in mind that these people are enthusiasts.
If you buy one, be cautious about letting a VW dealer work on it unless it's warranty work. I have consistently gotten 48-50 MPG in the summer and 46 in the winter. I drive 100 miles per day X 5 and around town on weekends.
Lifetime operating costs for me have been 8.5 cents per mile (not including insurance and licensing fees). One of the great benefits (aside from the MPG) is the torque and the turbo. There is no 4 cylinder gas motor that can get going as quickly from 75 MPH when you press the pedal as this diesel.
wahoowad said:We are contemplating a new car purchase and the wife is interested in a Volkswagen diesel. I've never owned a diesel and don't have any friends who have had one either. Do they require more frequent maintenance? Is the improved MPG worth the added cost of buying higher priced diesel fuel?
Thanks for any input.
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