Diesel vs gas......................
OK folks, there have been a few to many diesel vs gas threads that have shall we say gone to "Hell and a hand basket"! So if all of you would put in you BEST, no flaming reasons for going gas vs diese...
Forum Discussion
I am from Austria, Europe. What does this have to do with gas vs. diesel? Well, in Austria (or Germany or many other European countries) about 80% of every (new) car is a diesel! In the US? Maybe half a percent or less?
Okay, but this is about the higher gas/diesel prices in Europe, right? No, it is not! Cars are bought by emotion and emotion only. It is a religion (for men, at least). What we do is to justify our desires by finding arguments. Okay, not us, the other people. We do not feel cool driving a huge truck, having that many horsepower under the hood. We do not care that other people from the camp ground coming over to us when we drive in with the newest 08 model with the huge chrome grille on the front. Okay, the huge chrome grille is maybe to protect us better than let’s say a steal beam would do, and it is just a coincidence that chrome is shiny and looking cool. We don’t care, because we are only thinking rational and we only bought the XLXSXLTLLL version because of better resell value - but we just hate the CD player, the leather seats, and the special rims which came with this package.
But back to Europe: the diesel boom started when Audi (VW) invented the tdi, the turbo diesel, and showed how cool that torque is. Fleet managers got told to buy that new tdi's, as they will save so much money (if run for 100k+ miles, but who cares). All of a sudden men felt cool having a diesel, and omg, they also started buying BMWs diesels, and even sporty convertibles got diesel engines: can you imagine the nice knocking diesel sound and smell when driving your convertible. But wait, after 100k+ it is cheaper! Most convertibles will never reach 80 (in Europe).
So the catch 22 was taking off. For whom in particular? For the german car makers! US cars did not even have a diesel as an option, and Japanese cars did only start to offer lousy ones because the market (=the men) demanded diesels. Why do you think that Asian car makers spent million of dollars to establish hybrid cars in the US and not diesels which get the same gas mileage, cost less, are much more reliable, and are a proven technology? Reason one is that with their hybrids they have a lead over German car makers diesels and want to claim their territories in the US as a new understanding of oil consumption (and environmental issues) takes place. But two, Americans simply do not buy diesel cars. This is not cool, to be honest, we all want a Corvette Z06 with an V8 (and never with a V6 diesel).
Now trucks are not for men but for real men. It is interesting to see, that despite the car sector, the diesel is the must have engine. As there might be as many arguments for either side, let’s think about it: A truck with a gas engine might cost 30,000 while the same truck with a diesel costs 40,000. Let’s assume that of the 30,000 for the gas truck the motor costs a third or 10,000 of the total price. This means that the manufacturer asks 20,000 for a diesel motor which may or may not be a little bit more complicated to build than the 10,000 dollar gas engine. But twice the price - this for sure is not based on real costs. This is only done because people (men) are willing to pay that upside. If only rational we would indirectly force the manufacturers to offer diesels for the same amount of money (or $500 more for whatever reason) by not buying them until they would reach that goal – but we do buy them at the price as well.
Okay, I was tying to much here, but now I have to go and find me a truck for my fifth wheel I got last Sunday. And I am for sure looking for a cool truck, preferably the new '08 F250 (very impressive) or the new '07 Silverado (very nice dash board, and Dale Earnhardt jnr. also drives Chevys). I will most likely go for a V8 gas. And this, only because for me American cars simply have to have V8s, and they have to sound great as only V8s can - specially coming from a Ford Focus Diesel Hatchback country. Maybe not the most reasonable decision, but one which will give me a smile whenever I start the engine.
Go for whatever you want and like, gas or diesel (or hybrid – aargh) as long as you can convince your wife - this is hard enough, don’t try to convince other men/truck drivers, they will never change their religion (but is at least fun to discuss).
Okay, but this is about the higher gas/diesel prices in Europe, right? No, it is not! Cars are bought by emotion and emotion only. It is a religion (for men, at least). What we do is to justify our desires by finding arguments. Okay, not us, the other people. We do not feel cool driving a huge truck, having that many horsepower under the hood. We do not care that other people from the camp ground coming over to us when we drive in with the newest 08 model with the huge chrome grille on the front. Okay, the huge chrome grille is maybe to protect us better than let’s say a steal beam would do, and it is just a coincidence that chrome is shiny and looking cool. We don’t care, because we are only thinking rational and we only bought the XLXSXLTLLL version because of better resell value - but we just hate the CD player, the leather seats, and the special rims which came with this package.
But back to Europe: the diesel boom started when Audi (VW) invented the tdi, the turbo diesel, and showed how cool that torque is. Fleet managers got told to buy that new tdi's, as they will save so much money (if run for 100k+ miles, but who cares). All of a sudden men felt cool having a diesel, and omg, they also started buying BMWs diesels, and even sporty convertibles got diesel engines: can you imagine the nice knocking diesel sound and smell when driving your convertible. But wait, after 100k+ it is cheaper! Most convertibles will never reach 80 (in Europe).
So the catch 22 was taking off. For whom in particular? For the german car makers! US cars did not even have a diesel as an option, and Japanese cars did only start to offer lousy ones because the market (=the men) demanded diesels. Why do you think that Asian car makers spent million of dollars to establish hybrid cars in the US and not diesels which get the same gas mileage, cost less, are much more reliable, and are a proven technology? Reason one is that with their hybrids they have a lead over German car makers diesels and want to claim their territories in the US as a new understanding of oil consumption (and environmental issues) takes place. But two, Americans simply do not buy diesel cars. This is not cool, to be honest, we all want a Corvette Z06 with an V8 (and never with a V6 diesel).
Now trucks are not for men but for real men. It is interesting to see, that despite the car sector, the diesel is the must have engine. As there might be as many arguments for either side, let’s think about it: A truck with a gas engine might cost 30,000 while the same truck with a diesel costs 40,000. Let’s assume that of the 30,000 for the gas truck the motor costs a third or 10,000 of the total price. This means that the manufacturer asks 20,000 for a diesel motor which may or may not be a little bit more complicated to build than the 10,000 dollar gas engine. But twice the price - this for sure is not based on real costs. This is only done because people (men) are willing to pay that upside. If only rational we would indirectly force the manufacturers to offer diesels for the same amount of money (or $500 more for whatever reason) by not buying them until they would reach that goal – but we do buy them at the price as well.
Okay, I was tying to much here, but now I have to go and find me a truck for my fifth wheel I got last Sunday. And I am for sure looking for a cool truck, preferably the new '08 F250 (very impressive) or the new '07 Silverado (very nice dash board, and Dale Earnhardt jnr. also drives Chevys). I will most likely go for a V8 gas. And this, only because for me American cars simply have to have V8s, and they have to sound great as only V8s can - specially coming from a Ford Focus Diesel Hatchback country. Maybe not the most reasonable decision, but one which will give me a smile whenever I start the engine.
Go for whatever you want and like, gas or diesel (or hybrid – aargh) as long as you can convince your wife - this is hard enough, don’t try to convince other men/truck drivers, they will never change their religion (but is at least fun to discuss).
