Diesel - Would you rather....E70 vs F15

[lordshin808]

Originally Posted by JCL

I am not really attracted to the diesel. I have owned two, not BMW. I recently drove an F15, and if we get one it will likely be a 35i, with the optional BMW performance tune. More revs, more engaging to drive, more fun. I think it sounds better too, but like the last few items, that is personal taste. Diesel model has less horsepower than the 35i, so it's slower, and it just seems a lot less like a BMW to me. Good mileage, but not enough to come out ahead on cost of ownership given diesel fuel prices. Sure it has torque, but that is flywheel torque, and torque to the ground matters more. 35i wins there.

And then there is my wife. She remembers refueling the Landrover Discovery and the Passat, and doesn't want to go back there. I could probably be swayed easier than she could.

so you're saying the higher cost of diesel is offsetting the better mileage? In the end, you're not saving any money driving a diesel vs gasoline?

[JCL]

Originally Posted by lordshin808

so you're saying the higher cost of diesel is offsetting the better mileage? In the end, you're not saving any money driving a diesel vs gasoline?

Correct. At the diesel and gasoline prices we pay locally, there is a slight operating cost savings on diesel. For that saving to add up to $1500, the current price premium for the 35d, will take about 80,000 km (50,000 miles). And that is just to get to break even, not saving anything until then.

Refineries are designed to produce a certain amount of diesel vs gasoline, out of a barrel of oil. They can't easily turn the dial and if there is a cold winter, like the last few, diesel gets sold as heating oil so the price spikes. We saw diesel prices pretty close to premium gasoline through the winter. As diesel becomes more popular, that pressure on prices is likely to increase. And there aren't new refineries being built, at least around here, so I don't see that price pressure lessening.

If your diesel prices are lower than gasoline, and your climate doesn't create a seasonal demand for heating oil, then the above may not apply to you.