What Are The Benefits Of A Diesel Car?

Everyone in Europe is doing it – so why have Americans largely stayed away from diesel? It might be because they were loud, slow and pretty big polluters to the environment. 

But that’s not necessarily true anymore. Should you consider a diesel car for your next vehicle? Let’s look at some of the upsides to driving a diesel.

Fuel Economy

The main benefit of diesel is better fuel economy over a traditional gasoline powered vehicle. This is important to those who are looking to spend less on gas. And while others don’t increase fuel economy that much, they can offer better gas mileage and acceleration that feels like a larger engine. Of course, hybrid cars also save at the pump — and drivers have to carefully consider which is better for their lifestyle. For instance, hybrids may be better in town, while diesels offer a greater benefit on the highway.

Highway driving

Hybrid cars are more beneficial in a city – so when you go to any city you’ll see a lot more hybrids than you will diesels. The reason is hybrids offer regenerative braking that helps boost gas mileage as you’re slowing down. But for those who spend a lot of time on the highway, there’s nothing like a diesel car.

For example, the Volkswagen Jetta TDI is only rated for about 30 miles per gallon in the city, but on the highway, it gets an exceptional 42 mpg. The same is true for the Chevrolet Cruze Diesel, rated at 27 mpg in the city but a whopping 46 mpg in highway driving. If you do a lot of highway driving, a diesel is highly recommended. 

Low-end power

Unlike gas engines, diesel engines don’t need to be revved high for the best acceleration. As a result, diesels often feel more powerful than they are — especially at lower speeds. For drivers who enjoy being the first away from a traffic light, or for those who just enjoy a jolt of power when the light turns green, a diesel may be worth considering.

Better towing

Compared to gasoline powered vehicles, a diesels capability to tow is much higher. Many heavy-duty trucks use diesel engines, so that they can tow and haul heavier loads. The reason for this is diesel vehicles tend to have more torque than gas vehicles. While horsepower is a measure of how fast a car’s engine can propel it, torque describes how much work it can do. When you’re towing, you want to have more torque since that lets you do more work — and in that case, diesel is the powertrain you’ll want.

Better made?

Diesel drivers believe that Diesel engines are more reliable than gas engines. These days, gas engines are just as reliable as their diesel counterparts, but diesels benefit from a perception of reliability that helps them still find buyers.

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