We recently had to make a decision on one of our big purchases - A CAR. Its neither as daunting nor as expensive as buying a home (in most cases) but it sure is the biggest investment into something that is a liability. I mean, you are always going to lose money on a car.
I have bought cars before but this time around, I was asking myself different questions. Among all the other usual options that we get to pick while buying a car, I was excited by a new one - What fuel does the car use?
We had a few new fuel options that we could try or go with the conventional gas.
Here is how they stacked up for us:
Electric - Tesla looks cool too but we did not want to buy a car that big,
Nissan leaf is too small
Gas - A long list...
But there is another emerging high efficiency fuel that not many people in the US consider (probably because they dont know much about it). Its called DIESEL. Yup, its the same diesel of the 70s making a comeback but this time it powers engines that are vastly improved from the previous generations of Diesel Engines. These turbodiesels are built by the BMWs, Audis and Benzs of the world and come with oodles of low-end torque without compromising on the fuel efficiency.
I wanted a car that would give us everything we wanted from it but I also wanted to try something new. I wanted something luxurious but did not want to go broke. I wanted a fast car but did not want the impending fear of a speeding ticket. I wanted enormous amounts of of 'pulling power' but did not want a gas guzzler. Like with most decisions, I used my tried and tested BALANCE approach. I believe there is a sweet spot in which the pros and the cons balance out. It was hard to find that spot but when I did, I had a clear winner.
The All New BMW328d
After test driving a few cars, it was obvious that BMW had the most advanced technology among its competitors. The Audi was all about its interior apperance and the Mercedes had not much to show expect for its logo. The new Lexus was a little over-the-top aggressive looking for our taste and the Infinity was a gas guzzler.
The diesel version of the 328 has approximately a $3000 premium over its gas counterpart and the skewed tax benefits makes diesel more expensive(approx 10-15%) than gas in the US too. But the EPA estimate of the diesel car (clocked at 45 mpg combined) is about 40% more than the gas versions (clocked at 27 mpg).
It was obvious that the more you drive, the more you were going to save on the 328d and given that this was going to be our car for road trips, it was going to work well for us.
There is more to the diesel fuel/engine and how it can potentially give the electrics and hybrids a run for their money but instead or writing it all here, I will post a few useful links.
References:
The Re-Birth of the Diesel Engine
Why diesel is better
10 reasons you should buy a diesel car
Why diesels are gaining momemtum
I have bought cars before but this time around, I was asking myself different questions. Among all the other usual options that we get to pick while buying a car, I was excited by a new one - What fuel does the car use?
We had a few new fuel options that we could try or go with the conventional gas.
Here is how they stacked up for us:
Electric - Tesla looks cool too but we did not want to buy a car that big,
Nissan leaf is too small
Chevy Volt is ugly (yes, we care about how it looks)
Hybrid - No Toyota. No HondaGas - A long list...
But there is another emerging high efficiency fuel that not many people in the US consider (probably because they dont know much about it). Its called DIESEL. Yup, its the same diesel of the 70s making a comeback but this time it powers engines that are vastly improved from the previous generations of Diesel Engines. These turbodiesels are built by the BMWs, Audis and Benzs of the world and come with oodles of low-end torque without compromising on the fuel efficiency.
I wanted a car that would give us everything we wanted from it but I also wanted to try something new. I wanted something luxurious but did not want to go broke. I wanted a fast car but did not want the impending fear of a speeding ticket. I wanted enormous amounts of of 'pulling power' but did not want a gas guzzler. Like with most decisions, I used my tried and tested BALANCE approach. I believe there is a sweet spot in which the pros and the cons balance out. It was hard to find that spot but when I did, I had a clear winner.
The All New BMW328d
After test driving a few cars, it was obvious that BMW had the most advanced technology among its competitors. The Audi was all about its interior apperance and the Mercedes had not much to show expect for its logo. The new Lexus was a little over-the-top aggressive looking for our taste and the Infinity was a gas guzzler.
The diesel version of the 328 has approximately a $3000 premium over its gas counterpart and the skewed tax benefits makes diesel more expensive(approx 10-15%) than gas in the US too. But the EPA estimate of the diesel car (clocked at 45 mpg combined) is about 40% more than the gas versions (clocked at 27 mpg).
It was obvious that the more you drive, the more you were going to save on the 328d and given that this was going to be our car for road trips, it was going to work well for us.
There is more to the diesel fuel/engine and how it can potentially give the electrics and hybrids a run for their money but instead or writing it all here, I will post a few useful links.
References:
The Re-Birth of the Diesel Engine
Why diesel is better
10 reasons you should buy a diesel car
Why diesels are gaining momemtum
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