RFCRD wrote:
richardkf wrote:
RFCRD wrote:
kjfishman wrote:
RFCRD wrote:
Maybe a coincidence, my mileage has been clearly better since opening the air intake (and I don't have a computer to tell me). Last 2 tanks were 27.4 and 27.7, before the airbox mod I was seeing @ 25 and never got above 26.
Must be nice, mine keeps going down at 30k miles I get 20-21 no matter how you drive it or if your towing. I begining to think withe the 40 cents difference between gas and diesel I should trade for a full size wouldn't cost much more to operate.
I can tell you that mine hasn't been burning much fuel at all lately because it's been parked while I drive my gassers. With the fuel price differential, this Jeep costs as much to run as my full-size Chevy pick-up (which isn't full of latent design problems). If this continues into the Spring, this Jeep will be gone.
The CRD was not designed to get better mileage than cars. It's purpose is to offer light utility with the same or better mileage as and great hauling/towing capacity than the average car, but still measurably better than other light/heavy utility SUV, pick ups, etc ...
With diesel prices a few cents higher than gas, the CRD still delivers more miles per tank/gallon than almost any other light duty or heavy duty SUV out there.
Want an SUV or car that gives the best mileage for the money? Go for a hybrid. But, save your pennies if you plan to keep it long-term. After the 8 year warranty on the hybrid powertrain is up, you will inevitably be replacing batteries for a huge chunk, or putting a down payment on another car.
I wish I was seeing just a few cents/gal difference, for me it's more like 60-70 cents/gal. This is hopefully a temporary economic irregularity because I do want to keep one alternate fuel vehicle and the CRD is a great fit for that duty in my case.
I do agree, Honda and Toyota dealers have to love hybrids. They sell for a premium and are @ 80K-100K miles and out, forced trade-in specials. I was intrigued by the design but couldn't make the math work for me when I bought my last commuter car. I figured on @ 150K miles to recoup the upfront cost (not counting battery replacement). The only way it may have worked was on a lease (monthly payment) but I run way too many miles to make leasing work for me.
There's more math where the argument for hybrids or diesels yield that the numbers simply don't add up - specifically, it is for highway miles/cruising. A hybrid powertrain uses electic only (w/o a/c or heat running) when traveling at 35mph or less. For hard acceleration from zero, it uses gas/electric. For hard acceleration for any speed above zero, gas/electric. And at any speed above 35mph, gas with occasional electic boost - but mostly the batteries are recharging.
So, for highway driving, a hybrid will not deliver the high mileage that the car companies advertise for them. They are best suited for stop and go city driving if you are looking for maximum miles per tank and not at all better on the highway when you factor in the premium cost of buying one vs. a well engineered fuel efficient gas/diesel, tax credits or not. Remember. tax credits are not dollar for dollar credits for what you spend. They just reduce your taxable income. So you can estimate that you are getting about 25 to 33 cents back for every extra dollar you spend on a hybrid car.
All of that aside, there still remains the issue of longevity. Do you believe that Ford, Honda and Toyota are going to support their customers who keep the cars long-term by steeply discounting new battery packs when it comes time to replace them OR are they going to come up with half-witted gimmicks and numbers games like rebates, trade ins and lease incentives to try to entice you to start a new car loan and buy a new vehicle?
Time will tell - but with new technology like that under the hood, no past history/record of how the technology will be supported post-warranty and even the tax credits going away in two years ... I will gamble with my money in Vegas
As for Diesel prices, they will stabilize once all of this ULSD and EPA business is stable and steady.
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'05 CRD, Midnight Blue. Every option. Nice ride, idles like a garbage truck
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The CRD make a nice complement to this when the weather turns ugly.
