[Vwdiesel] Diesel vs hybrid battle heats up

[Erik Lane]

While I agree with you on some things - I also have an old 81 Jetta
and will keep driving it as long as I can. Though my engine is getting
a little tired and my mileage isn't what it used to be. I'm only
getting 44-47 these days. But for what I have in it and how reliable
it is, I'm not really complaining... but it would be nice to back up
to 50. :)

I think you're overlooking a little of the value of the TDI. They are
worth far more used than most other vehicles - most likely because of
their longevity, I think.

No, I'm not counting the crazy high prices they've been going for the
past few years, with used almost as much as new sometimes. They always
used to hold their value better than the gas counterparts also. So if
someone was buying a new car and was thinking of reselling it in a few
years that might account for some of it. (But Toyotas in general also
hold their value very well, so that would even it out a little.) But
then again, anyone who buys a car and plans to get another one as soon
as the car payments are done is kinda crazy, in my book. That does
seem like just throwing away your money.

Erik

On Tue, Dec 2, 2008 at 1:14 PM,  <decker at toledotel.com> wrote:
> Hi Folks;
>    This debate pitting the new TDI diesel vs the Pruis Hybrid seems  to me
> to be for people who wouldn't mind using new 100 dollar bills to start their
> bar-be-que fire. I do think the consensus is that  it is probably a push for
> fuel cost between the two but it seems to me to be a stupid move cost wise.
> If one believes they must have a brand new car instead of a used one they
> should perhaps consider say the Toyota Yaris. Either your Prius or the VW
> TDI will cost 10 grand more than the Yaris. If you were to drive each
> 100,000 miles you will save about 2000 dollars in fuel costs at today's
> prices and even if you figure fuel will double soon that is still 6 grand
> you burned for the privilege of driving a new TDI diesel or a Prius. There
> are other added costs to the TDI/Prius options but I haven't bothered to
> figure them out . I'm sure there are other conventional gas engine new cars
> out there that will get 30+ miles per gallon and cost even less than a
> Toyota Yaris.
>    In the present day economy and taxation climate a dollar not spent is
> much more than a dollar earned. For this reason I will keep driving my 1981
> Dasher diesel station wagon with it's 1.6 N/A diesel and a 5 speed. It is
> I'm absolutely positively certain more reliable than either a new TDI or
> Prius. It will get 45 miles per gallon if I drive it at 70 mph and 50 mpg if
> I drive it at 60 mph. I have about 2000 dollars in it including completely
> rebuilding the engine. I have driven it about 50,000 miles now and figure It
> will run another 100,000 miles without spending more than a grand or so even
> if I have to rebuild much of the running gear. I don't keep collision
> insurance on it , only liability, uninsured motorist and hospitalization.
>    Being as much as possible a  non-consumer or at least a consumer of used
> merchandise seems to me to be the best way to keep one's head above water in
> these trying times.
> Brian Decker
> Western Washington
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "William J Toensing" <toensing at wildblue.net>
> To: <vwdiesel at vwfans.com>
> Sent: Tuesday, December 02, 2008 2:06 AM
> Subject: [Vwdiesel] Diesel vs hybrid battle heats up
>
>
>> 1) Thanks for the link to the auto section of the Toronto newspaper.
> Locally here in the Sacramento area you can buy a Prius for $1,000 off of
> MSRP & get immediate delivery. However the nearest VW dealer in Roseville,
> CA is getting a $4,000 pack above MSRP on a new TDI. Salesman at that VW
> dealer says most of the Mexican VW  TDI production is going to Europe as VW
> can get more money in the European market than in the US market. Don't know
> if this salesman is just pulling my leg or is serious. If he is serious, I
> then don't think VW is serious about the diesel market, at least in Calif.
> Can't afford a new car now, anyway, but if I could, I wouldn't pay over MSRP
> for any car! Although I prefer diesels (wouldn't be contributing to this
> discussion group if I wasn't) I think owning a Prius would be cheaper to own
> in the long run although a TDI would be more fun to drive. Here in the Grass
> Valley/Nevada City, CA the Prius appears the most common single model car on
> our local roads
>>  & the next most common are older Mercedes diesels. Many more of each than
> my Ford Focus ZX3. I haven't seen any other Quantums or Dashers around,
> other than my own.
>> I heard somewhere that Ford plans to bring the diesel Fiesta over here a
> year after they introduce the gas Fiesta & that a new Honda Insight hybrid
> will be here in a year that will sell for less than a Prius. Lets hope the
> gas/diesel prices will stay down long enough for this to happen. However, I
> don't think they will & suggest $5 a gallon gas/diesel be factored into any
> future automobile purchase.
>>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Vwdiesel mailing list
> Vwdiesel at vwfans.com
> http://www.audifans.com/mailman/listinfo/vwdiesel
>