Diesel Cars - A Comparison _ Consumer Reports

When most people think about Diesel's, they think about big trucks like this one. The problem is, they're really noisy and loud vehicles. They might be good at hauling or towing, but that's not exactly what you want in a passenger car. However, there are other options available now.

Take this BMW 3-series, for example. It's a nice sports sedan, and it just so happens to have a diesel engine. In fact, our test car was running on this very engine, and we were impressed with its performance. The BMW 3-series got 28 miles per gallon in our testing, which is significantly better than the 23 miles per gallon of the gasoline-powered 328 model.

Don't think that just because a car has a diesel engine, it's automatically going to be slower than its gasoline-powered counterpart. That's not necessarily true. In fact, this BMW 3-series was faster from zero to 60 in our testing and even performed well around the track. The handling was still good, and the steering was tight - making it a really fun car to drive.

However, there is a catch. This diesel engine does come with some compromises compared to its gasoline-powered equivalent. For one thing, the car weighed a few hundred pounds more, which made the steering slightly less agile than we would have liked. Additionally, our test car cost nearly $50,000, making it significantly more expensive than the gasoline-powered 335 model.

If you're looking for performance and are willing to pay top dollar, there are certainly cheaper alternatives available. But if you're looking to save money, a diesel engine might be worth considering. BMW's diesel six engine is particularly impressive, with a significant power boost over its gasoline-powered counterpart. In fact, the diesel engine left the base six engine in the X5 slightly behind in our testing.

Despite this, the diesel engine still offers some impressive fuel economy - posting 22 miles per gallon compared to the 17 miles per gallon of the gasoline-powered six engine. While the diesel engine may cost around $4,000 more than its gasoline-powered counterpart, the savings will likely add up over time. However, if you're looking for a value deal, a BMW X5 with a diesel engine might not be the best choice.

That's because the X5 is still an expensive vehicle, regardless of whether it has a diesel or gasoline engine. Mercedes-Benz also offers a six-cylinder diesel engine called the BlueTEC, which we first tested in a luxury sedan. The engine performed impressively well, with good fuel economy and smooth performance.

However, there are some compromises to consider. Other than the diesel engine, the Mercedes-Benz GL offers an impressive array of engines - including V8 options that leave the diesel engine in the dust. However, these more powerful engines come at a significant cost, making them less affordable for most buyers. In contrast, the diesel engine in the BlueTEC model is surprisingly affordable.

The value equation with the BlueTEC engine is a no-brainer: it offers impressive fuel economy and smooth performance at an attractive price point. However, if you're looking to save money on a larger vehicle like an X5 or GL, there are certainly cheaper alternatives available. For example, take the Volkswagen Jetta - which doesn't cost much more than its gasoline-powered counterpart in terms of fuel economy.

The Jetta diesel engine offers impressive performance, with up to 33 miles per gallon on the highway - and an even more impressive 47 miles per gallon recorded by our testers. Additionally, the Jetta has excellent resale value, making it a smart investment for buyers who plan to keep their vehicle for a long time.

One of the biggest advantages of the Jetta diesel engine is its affordability. It can be purchased in the low-to-mid $20,000 range - which makes it an incredibly good deal compared to more expensive diesel engines found in luxury vehicles like the X5 or GL. In return for this affordability, buyers get a car with responsive handling, a nice ride, and a very well-finished interior.

Overall, diesel engines offer a viable alternative to hybrid technology for those who want to save fuel without breaking the bank. While there aren't as many affordable diesel options available as we would like, the Volkswagen Jetta is certainly one of them - making it an excellent choice for buyers on a budget.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enwhen most people think about Diesel's they think about big trucks like this one the problem is they're really noisy loud vehicles and it might be good at hauling or towing but this is a little powertrain you really want in the passenger car but now there's other options take this BMW 3-series this is a nice sports sedan and it is a diesel and it's actually running this BMW 3-series got 28 miles per gallon in our testing compared to the 23 miles per gallon the 328 gasoline model and don't think just because it has a diesel it's gonna be slower than the gasoline equivalent in fact this was faster from zero to 60 in our testing and around the track the handling was still good the steering's really tight made a really fun car to push to the limits however don't think that the diesel doesn't come without compromise compared to the gasoline equivalent this car weighed a few hundred pounds more and that did make the steering a little bit different wasn't quite as agile as the gasoline model our test car cost nearly fifty thousand dollars this makes it even more expensive than BMWs 335 the gasoline model with its wind turbo engine so if you're looking for performance there's cheaper ways to go and ask for a payback there isn't one you're not going to recoup the extra cost that you paid unless gasoline goes to about five dollars per gallon BMWs diesel six it's so powerful that they actually put that same motor in the x5 sport utility and like the 3-series in the x5 the diesel left a little bit quicker than the base six on your engine in our testing the diesel posted a commendable 22 miles per gallon compared to only 17 miles per gallon in the gasoline six that actually adds up and even though the diesel cost about $4,000 more you are going to realize that savings and actually the diesel x5 it does pay off but let's face it you're looking to save money you're probably not going to look at a bmw x5 this is a very pricy vehicle whether or not you get the gasoline model or the diesel it's not to say that it's not without its assets it's a very sporty to drive vehicle and it's roomy it's very nicely detailed inside however the ride is fairly stiff mercedes-benz also offers a six-cylinder diesel that they call the blue and we first met the BlueTEC when we tested a diesel II class that luxury sedan what was very nice very good fuel efficiency and it was smooth and refined now they offer that blue tech engine and other models including the mercedes-benz GL the other engines that the GL offers are v8 which means that the diesel doesn't offer the same performance and acceleration but it actually is the cheapest GL you could buy fuel economy goes from 15 miles per gallon and the GL 450 that we tested up to 19 miles per gallon in the blue attack that's a substantial savings in fuel so as for the value equation it's a no brainer but again like that bmw x5 if you're looking to save money you really shouldn't be considering mercedes-benz GL and all this is a very expensive car whether or not you get the gas or you get the diesel and well it offers a nice driving experience luxurious interior and ruby's seating for seven there are many less expensive options out there but by far the most popular diesel car is the Volkswagen Jetta first of all it doesn't cost that much more than a gasoline-powered Jetta in fuel economy well it goes way up we got 23 miles per gallon from the base 2.5 liter engine that goes all the way up to 33 miles per gallon with the diesel that's really good and that does even tell the whole story on the highway we recorded 47 miles per gallon that's the kind of fuel economy you would expect from a hybrid Volkswagens diesels I've had excellent resale value so between that and the fuel savings you'll easily recoup the additional upfront costs but the big difference between the Volkswagen Jetta diesel and other diesel options is this is an affordable car you could buy a Volkswagen Jetta diesel in the low-to-mid $20,000 range and that buys you a car with responsive handling a nice ride and a very well finished interior so Diesel's offer a viable alternative to hybrid technology for those who want to save fuel the problem is there aren't that many applications like the Jetta diesel that are affordable most diesels are installed in high-priced luxury vehicleswhen most people think about Diesel's they think about big trucks like this one the problem is they're really noisy loud vehicles and it might be good at hauling or towing but this is a little powertrain you really want in the passenger car but now there's other options take this BMW 3-series this is a nice sports sedan and it is a diesel and it's actually running this BMW 3-series got 28 miles per gallon in our testing compared to the 23 miles per gallon the 328 gasoline model and don't think just because it has a diesel it's gonna be slower than the gasoline equivalent in fact this was faster from zero to 60 in our testing and around the track the handling was still good the steering's really tight made a really fun car to push to the limits however don't think that the diesel doesn't come without compromise compared to the gasoline equivalent this car weighed a few hundred pounds more and that did make the steering a little bit different wasn't quite as agile as the gasoline model our test car cost nearly fifty thousand dollars this makes it even more expensive than BMWs 335 the gasoline model with its wind turbo engine so if you're looking for performance there's cheaper ways to go and ask for a payback there isn't one you're not going to recoup the extra cost that you paid unless gasoline goes to about five dollars per gallon BMWs diesel six it's so powerful that they actually put that same motor in the x5 sport utility and like the 3-series in the x5 the diesel left a little bit quicker than the base six on your engine in our testing the diesel posted a commendable 22 miles per gallon compared to only 17 miles per gallon in the gasoline six that actually adds up and even though the diesel cost about $4,000 more you are going to realize that savings and actually the diesel x5 it does pay off but let's face it you're looking to save money you're probably not going to look at a bmw x5 this is a very pricy vehicle whether or not you get the gasoline model or the diesel it's not to say that it's not without its assets it's a very sporty to drive vehicle and it's roomy it's very nicely detailed inside however the ride is fairly stiff mercedes-benz also offers a six-cylinder diesel that they call the blue and we first met the BlueTEC when we tested a diesel II class that luxury sedan what was very nice very good fuel efficiency and it was smooth and refined now they offer that blue tech engine and other models including the mercedes-benz GL the other engines that the GL offers are v8 which means that the diesel doesn't offer the same performance and acceleration but it actually is the cheapest GL you could buy fuel economy goes from 15 miles per gallon and the GL 450 that we tested up to 19 miles per gallon in the blue attack that's a substantial savings in fuel so as for the value equation it's a no brainer but again like that bmw x5 if you're looking to save money you really shouldn't be considering mercedes-benz GL and all this is a very expensive car whether or not you get the gas or you get the diesel and well it offers a nice driving experience luxurious interior and ruby's seating for seven there are many less expensive options out there but by far the most popular diesel car is the Volkswagen Jetta first of all it doesn't cost that much more than a gasoline-powered Jetta in fuel economy well it goes way up we got 23 miles per gallon from the base 2.5 liter engine that goes all the way up to 33 miles per gallon with the diesel that's really good and that does even tell the whole story on the highway we recorded 47 miles per gallon that's the kind of fuel economy you would expect from a hybrid Volkswagens diesels I've had excellent resale value so between that and the fuel savings you'll easily recoup the additional upfront costs but the big difference between the Volkswagen Jetta diesel and other diesel options is this is an affordable car you could buy a Volkswagen Jetta diesel in the low-to-mid $20,000 range and that buys you a car with responsive handling a nice ride and a very well finished interior so Diesel's offer a viable alternative to hybrid technology for those who want to save fuel the problem is there aren't that many applications like the Jetta diesel that are affordable most diesels are installed in high-priced luxury vehicles\n"