OK I'm gonna sound like a total noob here but how is a diesel engine different from a regular one? Does it need more maintenance ? Is it reliable?

Posted by vince OK I'm gonna sound like a total noob here but how is a diesel engine different from a regular one? Does it need more maintenance ? Is it reliable?

More tourqe, less rpms, longer maintenance schedules, more expensive when maintenance is due, excellent mpg's, more fun, you get to know your local truckers.


If you can choose, personally, I would choose diesel all day over any hybrid on the market.

My '02 Civic LX 5 speed got 38-40 mpg all day long. Which was coincidentally the same as my coworker's '04 Civic Hybrid...

Based solely on mileage, TDI is the way to go.

dont get me wrong, id like a diesel too, but the OP didnt ask about diesels.
The issue i have with them is the price too, way over priced for new one, and i personally dont want to own an mk4 jetta again.

If I were to get a diesel next, I would be hoping for more options from other manufacturers. Not a big fan of VW, personally.

Posted by vince OK I'm gonna sound like a total noob here but how is a diesel engine different from a regular one? Does it need more maintenance ? Is it reliable?

No ignition system, just relies on heat and compression to complete the combustion cycle, mechanical injection, longer service intervals, far less maintenance. There's a lot less to go wrong than a gasoline engine.

There is a reason you don't see gas powered tractor trailers. We wouldn't pull 6.7 mpg at 80,000 with gasoline.

Posted by jeepdave There is a reason you don't see gas powered tractor trailers. We wouldn't pull 80,000 with gasoline.

FTFY

Posted by wannabeotaku FTFY

Give me a large enough lever and I will move the world, give me a big enough transmission, I will pull a house off its foundation with a 5hp Briggs & Stratton.

May be able to pull it, but not with the speeds required. I just don't see a gas motor the same-ish size as what trucks run able to pull what trucks pull at the speeds trucks reach on the interstate.

Posted by wannabeotaku May be able to pull it, but not with the speeds required. I just don't see a gas motor the same-ish size as what trucks run able to pull what trucks pull at the speeds trucks reach on the interstate.

Eh, its possible, just not efficiently. Look at the older gas powered motorhomes. Bigblock 1 ton trucks. But then look at the low single digit mpgs. instead of 6.7, think 3.2 mpg.

hybrids are mostly hype.
they are no more efficient than a conventional small gas engine. Also, if you are looking at environmental concerns, a hybrid is more harmful to the environment to manufacture than a gasoline or diesel powered vehicle. Also, they are harder to have serviced, more expensive with regards to part availability and replacement and, at the end of their service life, the cars are harder to recycle due to the amount of exotic materials in their chassis.

i will offer something from my own experience (and this is not a dickwaving thing): my 2005 Cobalt base coupe (2.2L DOHC 4cylinder/5speed manual gearbox) delivered 40-44mpg on a road trip from northern NY (Mineville NY) to Tennessee (McMinnville TN). This was at an average 70-75mph. Around town, the same car delivered an average of 30-34mpg. Not to shabby for a domestically produced engine. Imported cars are even better in real world situations. In the same class as the Cobalt, the Civic, Sentra and Corolla are even better on fuel.

A honda civic, toyota corolla, hyundai accent, nissan sentra, chevrolet cruze and ford focus all deliver mileage greater than your average hybrid. The now-defunct magazine "Sport Compact Car" did a comparison between a hybrid Camry and a normal, gas-powered Camry and found that in a real world comparison, the conventional Camry got better economy than its hybrid sibling. I thought that was kind of interesting myself. Compare the Toyota Prius to the Honda Fit... the Honda gets superior gas mileage.

again, this is your decision and your money, but i feel that purchasing a hybrid is nothing more than throwing your money away on an image.

All Hybrids are is a motor that can dub as alternator along with a regular gas motor and a a transmission that has TWO input shafts. The problem with this system is that it combines the worst functions of both the gas motor and the motor/alternator.

Now, with that said, I know how it could be better.

Instead of taking the WORSE functions and coupling it mechanically, lets just take that oddball transmission, throw it in the smelter, and take that motor/alternator, just make it a alternator, directly couple it to that motor, and then put a plain electric motor on the power axle.

Yes my piston driven friends, I just put a locomotive into a car!

Sam, are you feeling okay?
you just complimented a Toyota and a Honda, in the same post none the less. We're proud of ya buddy.

Posted by oddspot Sam, are you feeling okay? you just complimented a Toyota and a Honda, in the same post none the less. We're proud of ya buddy.

they may be incredibly boring cars, but they do get phenomenal gas mileage. they just aren't something that I would drive.

Posted by vince I told a friend I was considering buying an hybrid car and he told me « Great, I am glad you finally decide to come out of the closet Vince ! » and « You're going to need a little scarf and a moustache to come along with your new car » Seriously I never thought I would buy one but the gas is 5 buck a gallon in Montreal and we expect to reach more this summer.I have my Elantra just for 8 months now so it's for tomorrow either.So what you guys think about hybrid cars ? Are they weak or something ? Will I be able to overtake other cars when I need to ? I wonder also about the reliability and cost of maintenance.Thanks !!

vince im in montreal i say get a regular car and keep it tuned, im getting 6l to a hundred km in my ecotec cavalier

click to view

oh and lookie here, my son of a bitch lemon grand prix gets this!!!!!

Skelly, that car is already made, just not by a major automotive firm.

Posted by Agent Skelly ...take that motor/alternator, just make it a alternator, directly couple it to that motor, and then put a plain electric motor on the power axle. Yes my piston driven friends, I just put a locomotive into a car!

You've pretty much described the Volt.

Posted by atomx You've pretty much described the Volt.

Yeah, but we also need it to not SUCK.

Posted by bandi Yeah, but we also need it to not SUCK.

There was A LOT more they could have done.