Regardless of whether you are looking to purchase a truck for commercial and towing purposes or a daily driver, getting a vehicle with a diesel engine has pros and cons.

First we will go over the negatives.

Noise Level: Diesel engines are usually are louder than gasoline engines but the modern diesel engines in today’s automobiles and trucks are very quiet when compared with diesel engines which were manufactured ten or twenty years ago. In fact today’s modern diesel engine runs almost as quietly as a traditional engine.

Pollution: You don’t want to put out a ton of pollution and soot everywhere you go. Diesel engines are not environmentally friendly and they do put out more particulate matter (the soot) and they have higher levels of the gases that contribute to pollution in the air. You will smell a diesel engine when it is running and you may see more smoke coming out from the tailpipe.

The Accessibility Of Diesel Fuel: If you are out the road it will be more difficult to find gas stations which sell diesel fuel. Make sure your local neighborhood or a station on your commute or near your place of employment sells diesel. Do some research to see how many, if any, gas stations in your neighborhood or city sell diesel. It’s very unpleasant to run out of gas while you’re on the road.

Selection: There is less selection available in terms of the cars that are available. At one time there were about 119 different diesel models to choose from in the United States. Due to strict emission laws there aren’t many diesel vehicles produced anymore.

So now the pros for buying a diesel.

Fuel efficiency: Diesel engines substantially more efficient than gasoline engines. This will lead to less trips to the gas station and will help to save you dough. Some new diesels are approaching the 50-mile per gallon mark on fuel economy. According to Walter McManus, an auto analyst at J.D. Power and Associates you can see significant savings.

McManus compared the price of a Jetta with a gasoline engine to a Jetta with a turbo diesel. The turbo diesel car was about $1,000 more, however, the gasoline engine only had an EPA estimate of 31 MPG and the turbo diesel had a 46-MPG rating. The savings on fuel over approximately three years would have covered the cost of buying a diesel car.

Longevity: f you take good care of it, it is not unusual for diesel engines to last 250k miles and in some cases even much more. Some big rig diesel engines have reportedly hit 700k to 1 mil! That is truly some longevity there.

Performance: Do you like to accelerate and drive fast on the road? Diesel engines have better get up and go than gasoline engines. So you can take off quicker and still have better fuel economy.

Towing Capability: Diesel engines are tough and so durable. If you plan to haul heavy loads, tow a boat, a trailer or a 5th wheel a diesel engine gives you that extra boost of power. Since Diesel’s are so powerful, many trucks and big rigs utilize their engines.

If you want to save money on gas, have a need to tow heavy equipment on a frequent basis and like to drive fast, then a diesel car might be perfect for you. It may be a bit harder to find in the States but it might be worth your while!

About the Author: Written by Jacqueline Star: Ford Dealer Dallas, Dallas Used Cars, Carrollton Used Cars

Source: www.isnare.com

Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=595367&ca=Automotive

You’d be interested to know that there are different types of hybrid vehicles in the market. There are even more different types of hybrid cars being worked upon and they are expected to arrive soon. If you are looking to buy such an automobile, you will have to do a lot of research before you purchase one. Because there are lot of different hybrid automobiles having different technology and the prices too are different. I am writing about the different types of hybrid cars available in the market.

Full hybrids – These are arguably the best amongst the hybrid vehicles available in the market right now. These are based on two separate systems of propulsion – electric motor and internal combustion engine. Both of these work independently of each other. There are some driving conditions where in the cars are powered just by electric motor. These cars use regenerative braking; they charge the battery through the energy that would have been lost otherwise.

Mild hybrids – These types of hybrid vehicles were created in order to capitalize on the high demand for such cars. Examine these vehicles closely and you will realize that the mild hybrids are just like other hybrids but they have a turbocharger. This is why these cars are not regarded as hybrid cars by many. In such vehicles, the power train is not connected to the electric motor like the full hybrid. Internal combustion is assisted in electric motor but it is not capable of propelling the car on its own. These cars are not bad but they can mislead the buyer. Manufacturing process is quite inexpensive and is not that complex either. They also give you better gas mileage. An excellent example of such a car is the Chevrolet Malibu hybrid which gives 2 mpg more than the standard counterpart.

Plug-In Hybrids – These types of hybrid vehicles are not out in the market right now but you can see them in the near future. These cars use internal combustion engine as a back up to electric motor. These cars can be plugged in to your standard household electric outlet for charging and they also have the same charging mechanism as the hybrid automobile. Full hybrids use internal and electric combustion engine but the plug in cars use only the internal combustion engine as backup when batteries of electric motors are empty. The car will run as full hybrid at this time. These cars give you better fuel efficiency as compared to other hybrids and many people consider this technology as the future of such cars.

Performance Hybrid – Electric motors have the ability to offer instant torque unlike conventional combustion engine. There are a few companies which figured out that you can pair an small gasoline motor with electric motor and get the performance of a larger engine along with better fuel efficiency. Lexus GS450h is an excellent example of such hybrid vehicles; it is capable of achieving 0-60 in 5.2 seconds. However, it also gives 25mpg city / 28mpg freeway which is quite respectable.

Get more quality information on here from Hybrid Vehicles

About the Author

Tom Strauss is a freelancer writer, who is an avid writer about travel, travel destination, old classic cars as well as green-autos etc.

(ArticlesBase SC #3198072)

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/ – Hybrid Vehicles

Craneway Pavilion

Every major global automaker, without exception, is making a shift to hybrids, electric cars, and alternative fuels. Not because it was their idea. They were forced in that direction by a growing group of passionate consumers fed up with the status quo of petroleum dependence. When carmakers didn’t move fast enough, these consumer-activists converted their cars to run on batteries or alternative fuels.

Green Drive Expo, the Bay Area’s first eco-car expo, will provide an unprecedented opportunity for owners of unique green car creations to show off their work and express their desire for change. The event will take place at the waterfront Craneway Pavilion in Richmond—a renovated 1931 Ford Motor Company assembly plant, sporting a 1-megawatt solar array and stunning views of the San Francisco skyline.

The event will take place on Oct. 9 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $10 at the door, or you can register for free admission by using this discount code: HYBRIDCARS on this page:
http://greendriveexpo.com/greendriveexpocoupon

Attendees will be offered free public test drives of prototypes of Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid and other hybrid and electric cars. Ford, Mitsubishi, Nissan, and Think will display their latest green vehicles. Auto company representatives will be on hand to discuss future products. But in many ways, the most exciting part of the show will be owners showing off their vehicles and discussing the issues with one another.

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Lexus has released details about the four driving modes that will be included in its forthcoming CT 200h hybrid. The sporty compact is the second dedicated hybrid offering from the carmaker and is intended to boost the fun factor for luxury hybrid drivers—while still being capable of delivering fuel economy approaching the Toyota Prius’s 50 MPGs.

For the CT 200h, Lexus will essentially replace the Power mode found in its other dedicated hybrid, the HS 250h, with a new Sport mode which will be tooled towards maximum performance and handling. In Sport mode throttle is cranked up considerably, power control from the battery increases by about 15 percent, and the CT’s Electronic Power Steering is adjusted to be more responsive. Lexus will also make its Vehicle Stability and Traction Control systems more passive, allowing for more driver control.

These adjustments obviously cut into fuel economy, but much of the joy of owning a car like this isn’t so much the extra performance it provides in all driving situations but the knowledge that it’s there if you’re in the mood for it.

The three more efficient driving modes are called Normal, Eco, and EV. EV mode allows drivers to go all-electric for up to a mile—so long as the car is kept below 25 mph. Normal mode utilizes Toyota’s Electronically Controlled Continuously Variable Transmission, allowing the car to respond to changing driving conditions by instantaneously adjusting its gear ratios. Eco mode alters that formula to provide maximized fuel economy for gas-electric driving—slowing cabin cooling, limiting throttle and accelerating battery charging.

The CT 200h will essentially be smaller, more aerodynamic, 5-door hatchback version of the HS 250h—which had the same sized wheelbase as the Toyota Prius but dialed-down aerodynamics for the sake of a roomier, more luxurious interior—at the expense of about 15 MPGs of fuel economy. Lexus has essentially reversed that process for the CT 200h, with the result being a smaller, more efficient luxury small car that can still pack a punch when needed.

The car will hit dealerships in the United States early next year.

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The very first Tesla/Mercedes Benz electric A-Class, at Tesla headquarters in Palo Alto, California. (Jim Motavalli photo)

PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA–I got an unexpected treat during a recent visit to Tesla Motors’ headquarters near San Francisco: They let me be the first journalist, ever, to drive the electric version of the Mercedes A-Class.

Let me say up front, I was totally captivated by this car, a product of the growing collaboration between Tesla and Daimler. Some 500 will be built, likely for delivery to “hand raisers,” probably mostly in Europe. From behind the wheel, it seemed like an ideal mix of functionality and fun in a battery-powered vehicle. Unlike many of the EVs coming out later this year and early next, it’s a four-seater, and approximately the size and utility of one of my favorite cars, the Honda Fit. (I own a 2007 Fit.) If you’ve never heard of the long-running Mercedes A-Class, it’s because it has never been imported into the U.S. But I think America is ready for it. Here’s what the car looks like on video: