I Save U Gas

When buying a new vehicle, there are so many things to take into account that we can easily fail to consider a key factor – whether we go with a gasoline or a diesel-engined vehicle. Then again,  you may not have realized that modern diesel cars are almost indistinguishable from their gas-driven counterparts. Diesel gas mileage is almost always better, there is no more smoke like in the old days, and improvements in engine design have lead to higher power and better ride comfort than ever. It is high time to think about a diesel car as your next automobile.

The diesel engine has had an extreme makeover, and, with proper maintenance over the years, a modern car diesel engine will provide you with years of hassle-free service, while also giving you better fuel efficiency than a regular auto.

It’s interesting to note that, on the whole, Europe and Asia are far more fuel-efficient than the United States. So it’s not by coincidence that most European cars are powered by diesel fuel and not by gasoline. In terms of fuel economy, diesel almost always takes the blue ribbon.

Environmentally Friendly Options

One of the main reasons why diesel has not enjoyed mainstream popularity in the US, is that most European-produced models, which certainly offering better fuel economy, do not meet with American emissions requirements.

That’s a pity because diesel certainly returns more mpg than gasoline does.

Advances in alternative fuels have lead to the creation of bio diesel fuel which, in one master stroke, solves many of the environmental and fossil fuel supply problems. Instead of using crude oil to produce this fuel, the process makes use of organic material, such as sugar and corn crops, to produce the fuel.

These plant materials are chemically converted to short-chain methyl or ethyl, and the resulting fuel is blended with conventional diesel in varying grades or mix ratios. You can even use this biodiesel in your diesel car on its own and without any major changes to the vehicle’s engine. Cars and even large, heavy vehicles, like buses and trucks, have successfully run on biodiesel without any ill effects.

A similar process exists for the gasoline market, called gasification. This which uses any carbon-based material to create a synthetic gasoline alternative. However, its application is far less wide spread, and it may take quite a while longer before it reaches mainstream markets.

Just How More Efficient are we Talking?

Well, when we look at energy efficiency, diesel engines clock in at 45%, which 15% better than a gasoline driven engines’ 30%. This is why diesel gas mileage is almost always better, and that is a rather large difference to sweep under the carpet and ignore.

Diesel engines provide up to 40% more miles per gallon than gasoline engines, so, while diesel fuel may be slightly more costly at the pump, in the long run, there are excellent savings on overall fuel expenditure.

While gasoline engine manufacturers rarely produce cars that get 40 mpg or more, diesel engines, such as the diminutive Smart ForFour, offer almost 70 mpg, using a turbo-charged 3-cylinder engine. And this stumpy little car is no slouch in the performance department either! Produced by Daimler Chrysler, it’s managed to break through the stringent emissions laws in the US, and is now sold through a single agent in that country.

However, the ForFour is not the all-time diesel fuel efficiency champion! The Lupo, by a European car manufacturing giant which ceased production in 2005, could squeeze out a very-impressive 78 miles per gallon!

Why Diesel Engines Are More Efficient

Diesel engines that are heavier than their gasoline counterparts, yet they still have better fuel efficiency than gas engines. How can this be?

It is a combination of two critical factors. Firstly, diesel engines produce higher compression than gasoline engines. Secondly, diesel has a 10 – 20% higher energy content per unit than gasoline. It’s this combination of better, more powerful engines, and more energy potential, that creates a more fuel-efficient engine.

Comparing another European model, the Skoda Octavia, in its gasoline and diesel formats, illustrates this point well – this model, gets around 38 miles per gallon from its gasoline engine and 53 miles per gallon from the diesel engine!

With differences like these, it’s easy to wonder why more people aren’t choosing and driving diesel cars!

The Final Verdict

It is clear, from this information, that driving a diesel vehicle almost guarantees more miles per gallon than sticking to the conventional gasoline version. In addition, bear in mind that these are proven, recorded results.

If combined with other ways to save money on fuel, like driving to save fuel, coasting to save fuel, careful route planning, car-pooling and making sure your car is in good repair. Even just checking that your tires are correctly inflated, your mpg savings could be improved even more. It’s like money in the bank.

Diesel gas mileage is better than gasoline. The cars are simply more fuel-efficient. They also offer the potential for using bio diesel fuel instead of fossil-fuel diesel. And diesel automobiles or trucks can do this with little or no modifications to the standard factory-production engines, making them much more environmentally friendly too.

All round, the diesel engine seems to take the prize as the best choice, and so, when you next are in the market for a new car, don’t dismiss the diesel versions as noisy, smoky menaces. They are not. They  had a face-lift, remember, and they’re now on par with their gasoline siblings in terms of performance.

And when it comes round to trying to save money on auto fuel costs, you could not make a better choice than a modern diesel vehicle. They are a most fuel efficient car for today’s motorist.

Diesel fuel problems