Does anyone own a diesel vehicle?

[jaysonsmom]

I'm about to plunk some serious $$ on an Audi Q7 TDI, and feel a little nervous about it. I have done a little research on diesels, and know that they tend to be more fuel efficient, but can be noisier, but what other pros and cons are there that I should know about? I test drove the Q7 TDI twice now, and have not found it to be noisier....but is maintenance etc higher?

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Which year are you looking at? Did you look http://www.edmunds.com/ ?

If it's the 2014, there won't be many reviews, but still you might get some ideas of what people have experienced if you look at other recent years. I had picked out a couple SUVs and used that website to decide to not get one that turned out to have expensive maintenance issues.

 

[sonnyjane]

DH has a diesel truck. As far as efficiency, you're right, diesel has definite benefits. Also, a well-maintained diesel engine can run for thousands and thousands and thousands of miles more than a regular engine - more reliable on the whole. Unfortunately DH's truck has been modified to be as loud as possible so, can't help you in that department!

 

[Resonance.Of.Life]

Hubby and I have a 2013 VW Golf TDI and we LOVE it. It can appear "noisier" than a regular gas engine, but honestly, you're not going to notice it much at all. We absolutely love the torque it gets and the MPG it achieves. The maintainence is a little more pricey, but as another PSer stated, the engine (with good care) can outlast any gasoline engine.

 

[marcy]

DH had a 2001 diesel F250 Ford pickup. Pros as mentioned before is they run for a very long time and are very fuel efficient. Cons are diesel tends to be more expensive than even premium unleaded, not all gas stations carry diesel and if you live where it gets cold you will need to plug it in if it is parked outside. Our diesel ran like a champ. We traded it last spring for a smaller truck since he drives back and forth to the airport and had to leave it parked outside for days at a time.

Audi's are awesome.

 

[kenny]

I hate following a diesel.
They stink.
New ones might be cleaner, but plenty of old ones are still on the road.
You can spot them by the by the massive cloud of acrid black smoke billowing behind them.

Many diesels are obnoxiously loud.
They sound like tractors when you are waiting next to them at a red light.
The noise is especially noticeable to me since my hybrid's engine is turns itself off at red lights.

This image problem aka stereotype though perhaps not fair to newer diesels, is why sales of diesels in America are so much lower than in Europe where higher gas prices have made people just overlook diesel's loud stinky downside.

I'm just such a superior saint.
Smug Alert Warning.

 

[amc80]

I hate following a diesel. They stink. New ones might be cleaner, but plenty of old ones are still on the road. You can spot them by the by the massive cloud of acrid black smoke billowing behind them. Many diesels are obnoxiously loud. They sound like tractors when you are waiting next to them at a red light. The noise is especially noticeable to me since my hybrid's engine is turns itself off at red lights. This image problem aka stereotype though perhaps not fair to newer diesels, is why sales of diesels in America are so much lower than in Europe where higher gas prices have made people just overlook diesel's loud stinky downside. I'm just such a superior saint. Smug Alert Warning. screen_shot_2014-03-03_at_7.png

The new diesels aren't like this at all. At least not the cars. My coworker has a TDI Jetta and you would never know it was diesel.

 

[momhappy]

Our work vehicles are all diesel. Yes, they are loud and yes, they smell a bit (but nothing major). The biggest disadvantage is finding gas stations that sell diesel because not all do. We've also had some pretty major repairs associated with the fuel tanks (as in replacements of multiple fuel tanks on the same vehicles and/or major repairs associated with the fuel tank/fuel system). We've not been able to determine if the repairs are related to the these particular vehicles.

 

[davi_el_mejor]

Do you live where it's cold? By cold I mean where it can be below 30 all day. If you do, be sure to get either an engine block heater or store it in an heated garage. Diesel and cold don't mix.

 

[crown1]

I have owned two but it was several years ago. One a Pontiac Gran Prix and the other a Volvo wagon. I would not buy another, although I liked each when I owned them. I got rid of each when problems arose. I agree with others that the fuel sometimes presents an availability problem if you do not plan ahead. I also experienced the black exhaust toward the end of owning one and it was embarassing to blow that out when passing someone. Things may have progressed and those are no longer problems but I will not buy another at this stage in my life. I also have noticed the price of diesel is higher than gasoline. The opposite used to be the case. I will be interested to know if you do go diesel.

 

[blackprophet]

As has been written in this thread, most of the complaints about diesels (smelly, noisy, black smoke, etc.) haven't been true about diesels for 10 years or more.

Re: the price difference: Diesel is more expensive in the winter time (because its value for heating) and less expensive in the winter time, so it evens out. It may be higher than gas now, but it will be lower in the summer (thats the case where I live anyways).

RE: efficency: Diesel engines are more efficent when they can get up to speed and stay there for a period of time. So if your driving pattern in mostly in city environments (lots of stop lights, stop and go, etc.) then you wouldn't be using it in its best scenario and it may not be the right choice for you. But if you drive on the highway or freeway mostly, or take lots of road tirps, you will definately see the benefits. Something to keep in mind.

 

[Harpertoo]

I agree that most of the complaints/drawbacks of deisal vehicles stated are 10 year old perceptions. (at least as far as passenger cars go)
We had a deisal when we lived in EU and it was a perfectly fine experience. If the models are avilable in the US when we are back in the market, we will certainly consider one.
But I also hope some of the hybrids will have improved by then as well.

 

[momhappy]

^Our work vehicles are less than 10 years old and as I said before, they do smell a bit and they are slightly louder. It's certainly nothing major, but compared to our non-diesle vehicles, I do notice a slight difference in smell & sound.

 

[chemgirl]

We have a diesel golf and there really aren't any negatives that I can think of. There is a savings in fuel cost, but that is offset by the higher purchase price. It's nice to be able to go a few weeks without filling up.

I don't notice any noise or smell at all with the TDI. DH used to have an older diesel about 10 years ago and that was noisy.

I can't see having an issue with an Audi TDI.

ETA: I have never pulled into a gas station that didn't have diesel. Maybe it's a regional thing. I don't use off brand gas stations because some of them around here have been known to use farm grade diesel and that is a warranty issue.

DH is from the UK and diesel has been normal there for ages. I want an Audi Q3 when thry come out in Canada this year, but so far no diesel announced so DH is trying to talk me out of it.

 

[jaysonsmom]

Thanks for all the responses so far, as I mentioned, I have test-driven the Q7 twice, and have not noticed any increased noise, or smell.

This past weekend, I also test-drove the BMW X5 Diesel, and I did notice it was loud and noisy at first, but got quieter as the engine warmed up.

As for gas stations without diesel pumps, so far out of the 4 that I frequent, I've only come across 1 without a diesel pump.

I like the fact that many of you stated that a well-maintained engine can last forever, because I do tend to love things forever!

I mainly want a diesel for the fuel economy, which leads to fueling less frequently, and getting more bang for the buck so to speak. Also, although diesel vehicles are pricier upfront, I do tend to keep cars well maintained and keep them for a long time. I love my current Lexus RX330, have had it going on 10 years! My fuel is paid for by my company, so my husband doesn't understand why I want a diesel...I think it's just the convenience factor, not having to gas up every 4-5 days!

 

[TooPatient]

If your main interest is in fuel economy, have you looked at some of the new electric options that are coming soon? Tesla has some new models that look like they may be worth considering. (I've heard they will even be in "normal" car price range!)

I think noise and smell will depend on the car itself. One of our neighbors has a new diesel truck that is super quiet and not smelly. Another has a new-ish diesel truck that wakes me up every time he works the late shift and comes rumbling in at 2am.


ETA: Sorry if that came across as suggesting something totally different than you're interested in. Diesel can be great and I know people who are happy with their diesel cars. I just wanted to toss out something that may be interesting based on your comment about fuel efficiency.
Hope you find the car you love and it does everything you want!

 

[lovebug1031]

I drive a 2013 Jetta TDI - it's pretty new to me, I owned a Toyota Yaris prior to purchasing this in Nov. Fuel efficiency is the most important thing to me - so that's why I went for it. The Yaris got pretty good gas mileage (34 city) but I filled up more often bc of the size tank (11.1). I do get much better "gas" mileage on the highway - I filled up 3x from VA to TX in my Jetta. EDIT: I get about 500-600 miles on a tank (14.1 gal) as opposed to the Yaris that got about 350 on a tank.

It doesn't smell at all to me and isn't any dirtier than a gas car - I can't say the same for most diesel trucks, but they're not usually made to run clean!

Also, not sure if its just my experience, but it does take a bit more pressure on the gas pedal to "go" and you can't just put it in reverse and have it roll like in a gas car, you have to actually press the gas to get it to go anywhere!

 

[Confection10]

I have Volvo xc90, petrol, and Jaguar XF, diesel. Volvo is more noisy although petrol engine. And drinks fuel like mad . I can drive double amount miles with diesel Jaguar...so, definately diesel

 

[msop04]

DH had a 2001 diesel F250 Ford pickup. Pros as mentioned before is they run for a very long time and are very fuel efficient. Cons are diesel tends to be more expensive than even premium unleaded, not all gas stations carry diesel and if you live where it gets cold you will need to plug it in if it is parked outside. Our diesel ran like a champ. We traded it last spring for a smaller truck since he drives back and forth to the airport and had to leave it parked outside for days at a time.

Audi's are awesome.

My DH also has a diesel Ford F250 pickup (2001) and I agree with all the points marcy has made... I think it's funny that DH has to "plug in" his truck on cold days to get it to start (his truck won't fit in our garage)! My only experience driving a diesel is when I was looking for a fun car right out of college and thought I wanted the new VW beetle. I test drove a gas version and the diesel. The main difference I noticed was that the gas version had much more "get up and go" than the diesel -- it just wasn't as peppy as I wanted. But for work trucks (DH runs a landscape company) where you have to pull heavy equipment, diesel the way to go!!

DH mentioned that there is a particular diesel engine that was total crap -- it was used for a certain number of years (like 2002-2006, but certainly don't quote me on that!!) in order to comply with pollution standards, but I don't remember the name or what model years were involved. I just know that when he was shopping, the crappy engines (with fewer miles) were always priced way lower than the older "good diesel engines" with more miles. He was very careful not to get the "crappy" one. LOL **can you tell I don't know what this is all about??

 

[luv2sparkle]

We dont yet but our next truck will be diesel.

 

[misskittycat]

We have a Volvo XC70. We love it! 700kms to a tank city driving and almost 1100kms to a tank on the open road. It's mid range on noise - there are plenty of other diesels that are noisier but there are others that are quieter. The Volkswagen diesel was quieter when we were test driving but the Passat wagon was not comfortable. Not like the Volvo. I don't notice any additional cost to service etc.


We wouldn't hesitate to buy another diesel.