Can diesels save money and oil?[SIZE=-1]
As regular readers know, we?ve been impressed with the latest diesel cars we?ve tested. Both the Mercedes-Benz E320 Bluetec and the latest Volkswagen Jetta TDI have felt as smooth, quiet, and powerful as gasoline counterparts we tested, while returning much better fuel economy.
The Jetta TDI returned 33 mpg, better than any other current non-hybrid car we?ve tested with more than two seats. The E320 Bluetec got 29 mpg, on par with most small gasoline-powered sedans. (In general, diesels are about 30 percent more efficient than equivalent gas cars.) Both diesels were comfortable and well-equipped, unlike some of the other fuel misers we?ve tested recently.
That?s all good news, and we?d love to follow it up by saying diesels are a great way to save money, as well as oil, and put less CO2 into the atmosphere. But those numbers aren?t so clear.
Cars with diesel engines have always cost more to buy than equivalent gas-engined cars. It used to be that by burning cheaper fuel ? and less of it ? diesels would compensate for their extra up-front cost fairly quickly. That doesn?t seem to be so true anymore.
What happened?
The cost of optional diesel engine has gone up, as automakers have been required to install higher-tech emissions controls. New diesels cost $1,000 to $3,000 more to buy than comparable gas models. Still, as a one-time cost, this has a relatively small impact on the cost of ownership.
The price of diesel fuel has risen above gasoline. Today, it costs about as much as premium gas, or about 10 percent more than regular. At this rate, diesels can bring a small savings over five years of ownership, according to Consumer Reports owner cost data. Sometimes, however, diesel fuel costs even more. Last summer, when gas prices peaked, diesel fuel cost more than $5 a gallon, or about 25 percent more than regular. That 25-percent higher fuel cost, added to the higher up-front purchase price for the car, may not be enough to offset diesels? 30-percent advantage in fuel economy.
All told, the overall operating costs have made diesels an unattractive option for consumers. This reduced the incentive for Americans to save fuel by buying diesels at a time when petroleum supplies were as tight as they had ever been.
?Eric Evarts
Learn more about driving green in the Consumer Reports special fuel economy section
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