Diesel vs. unleaded the truth about fuel economy

Ahh, you remember it, don't you? Sitting in the back of your family's station wagon as a kid, your father pulls up to the gas pump and a station attendant—an occupation about as extinct as the dinosaurs—came running out with a rag in his hand, leaned into the driver's window and said… "Diesel or unleaded?"

Those days are long gone. And I'm not just referring to the attendant. Nowadays, at least in the U. S., you can expect to find three things at a gas pump: self-serve, pay first, and unleaded gasoline only.

Misconceptions about diesel fuel being "dirtier" than unleaded gas several years ago ultimately led to diesel's obsolescence in the more environmentally progressive United States. Car companies began to manufacture cars that, for the most part, ran on traditional gasoline.

In response, however, steps were taken to improve the cleanliness of diesel and now major car companies have begun to sell diesel-powered vehicles to consumers once again.

In the past, especially in the United States, diesel fuel was considerably dirtier than unleaded gasoline. Vehicles in the United States also tended to be built for traditional gasoline, with the exception of large trucks, buses, and semis. In recent years, however, steps have been taken to improve the cleanliness of diesel fuel through regulation, and many companies have begun selling popular consumer cars that run on diesel fuel.

One such company is Isuzu Motors, known for its popular 5-passenger Ascender SUV, and two models of high-performing pick up trucks (the i-290 and i-370). Isuzu's diesel engines have won a laundry list of awards in past years including "Truck of the Year" by Motor Trend Magazine, "Executive Diesel Car of the Year 2002" by Diesel Car Magazine (a publication in the U. K.), "Germany's best small and compact car of the Year 2001" by Mot Magazine (published in Germany), as well as having been named multiple times by Ward's Communications of the U. S. as one of the "10 Best Engines." In addition, Isuzu vehicles were voted the top medium-duty truck brand six times in seven years by truck dealers. Impressive, but not fully convinced that diesel's better? Keep reading…

Diesel fuel actually burns more efficiently than gasoline, thus having a better fuel economy—about 30% more efficient on average. Why?

Diesel is denser than its unleaded competitor. Proponents of gasoline are quick to point out that diesel engines produce more greenhouse emissions, which is true, emissions with diesel are about 15% higher than those of traditional unleaded gas due to higher volumetric energy density. However, the increased fuel efficiency more than offsets the higher percentage, so in the long run, diesels produce less emissions — 15% more per gallon used, but a trip in the good ole family car will use 30% less fuel to get to wherever you're going.

Granted, this wasn't the case with Dad's old wagon. Back then, before the anti-diesel crusade, diesel engines were creating more emissions because they simply weren't efficient. Now, with the modern diesel engine achieving a 20- 40% better fuel economy, it's time to give diesel a second look.

But that's not the only exciting news about diesel. Originally, the diesel engine was created as a way to run vehicles using vegetable oils. While farmers originally couldn't compete with big oil companies, with gas prices soaring, there's been a renewed interest in alternative fuel sources—and food-based diesel fuels can be produced quickly, cheaply, and with the abundance of products grown in our very own country. These "hybrid diesels" also known as "biodiesel" are compatible with existing diesel engines and can also be made from waste oils gathered from restaurants or homes—an alternative that serves several ecological benefits at the same time.

When looking for a second hand honda get advice from a specialist website

When looking for a second hand Honda it is in your best interests to go online with a specialist motoring website to gather as much information on what to look for as possible. While the majority of people who sell used cars online are totally honest there are others that have no ethics whatsoever.

You have two main options when it comes to buying a second hand Honda. The first choice is to make a search with a used car dealership that specializes in the Honda car and the second is to choose to go privately. The good side to searching with private buyers is that you can usually get a used car a lot cheaper than with a car dealership. However there are many factors you have to be aware of such as making sure the seller is who they say they are and the car is legitimate.

Many of the cars that are stolen turn up online as used cars, as do vehicles that have a loan attached which the seller is trying to foist onto the new buyer. A specialist website will be able to tell you how to make a car data check so you can be sure that the second hand Honda you are considering buying is legitimate and it is the only real way of being totally sure.

If you choose to conduct a search with a second hand Honda dealer then you stand a better chance of being safe in the knowledge that the car has had a car data check. A dealer will almost certainly do this before listing any car and the choices of used Honda will be larger than if you choose to go privately.

Whichever choice you make you can conduct a search a lot easier if you go with a specialist motoring website as they will have all the tools to make your search quicker. One of the best tools when it comes to searching for a specific model and make in the second hand Honda range is the search tool, this is very similar to some of the popular search engines but more specialized. A specialist’s search engine will allow you to tailor your search to specific criteria. This can narrow down the time spent searching and allows you to concentrate on cars within your price range for example. You should be able to search based on how much you wish to spend, the area you want to travel, the make and model, any extras and even down to the color.

A used car website will not only be able to offer the tools for you to make your search for a second hand Honda but will also offer advice, hints, tips and articles on all aspects of used cars. You should make good use of this information when it comes to researching the make and model of Honda you are considering buying. By doing so you can get a rough idea of what the asking price is for the car and what the good and bad points of the particular model are.

How to find used cars at the bargain prices

No matter what you’re planning to buy the key to shopping for the best deal is to do your research first, especially for cars. With the amount of cash you’re going to shell out you have to be sure you get what you want without regrets. Buying new cars can be a little easier, but both new and used vehicles have their difficulties.

The first thing that you should do is get an idea of what kind of vehicle you want and be realistic. I know you want the Hummer but is it within your means? Is there only you to please or do you have a family that this car purchase will impact? You will definitely be happier with a little less car and money left to do things with; bottoming out the wallet is not worth the big ticket vehicle. You can get a decent car that’s affordable and practical.

Once you get through that reality try to narrow it down to a couple of different models to make your research easier and more focused. Once you have done this you can start by keeping an eye on your local classifieds and see what kind of prices the models you picked are going for.

Quite often you can find great deals in your local classifieds and depending on the seller’s situation you may be able to get a quality vehicle at a price well below retail. More often than not people get a big surprise when they try to trade their car and want to get more than the dealer will give them. These people will usually try to sell privately to get a price a little closer to what they had in mind, which in many cases is still a bargain.

There are also some great sites that help you understand the real book value of a used car. I really like Edmunds. com not only do they have used car values, but they really do a great job reviewing cars. You can also do some checking online at other great sites like Kelley Blue Book at kbb. com and NADA. com.

One of my favorite methods is to use eBay. With eBay not only can you open a free account but then you can go to eBay Motors and pick out vehicles of your choice that are being auctioned and put them in a watch list. I have done this many times not only to buy a vehicle, but also to get a good idea what I should get if I sell mine. Online Auctions like this can be a great way to find good deals. You get to check out the vehicles, which usually have pictures and shop right from the comfort of your own home. Try to find auctions with no reserve, these types of auctions don’t have a minimum price before they will sell and you may well be able to buy a vehicle at a great discount.

I know several people that once they realized how easy and cheap it is to buy cars on eBay, they made a very profitable career out of buying and selling cars. Public Car Auctions are held in many areas and you don’t have to be a dealer to attend. Many times these auctions have cars that have been repossessed from local banks, credit unions and Government seized car auctions and they have no desire to keep them.

It’s not uncommon to find very expensive cars in great shape that go for ridiculous prices if you spend a little time shopping. You’ll find that some people will go nuts on new cars and expensive houses but once their fortunes change and they can’t keep up the payments, they’re property is seized and auctioned off. Many of these auctions have no reserve and can start at 95% off retail prices. Two really good online Government auction sites are SeizeCars. com and ICarFinder. com.

Another key recommendation I have is to make use of a great system known as CarFax. com. The information they offer is crucial in that they have information on all major repairs done on vehicles through information compiled from insurance claims and repair facilities. Once you see a car you like you can run it through CarFax. com and find out if you’re getting a lemon or a gem.

You can also check with local rental car companies that may be reducing last year’s fleet. Be careful with this as there seems to be a 50% chance to get that car that others have been kicking around without care. No having said that, the other half of the time you can get a good deal on a fairly new car with low mileage.

Some might suggest going to check out some dealer auctions, but it has been my experience that in many cases the vehicles end up going higher than they should. Dealers will pay the higher price because they know they can mark it up and hard sell someone to buy it.

Is a bugatti veyron is better than a pagani zonda

Is a Bugatti Veyron better than a Pagani Zonda? It depends what you mean by better. Sure it is faster and more expensive. In theory it is more exclusive, but in practice any of these exotic cars is so exclusive it does not matter. What about the Ferrari FXX - now that is so exclusive you can't drive it on the road.

If you want to accelerate faster than anyone else you don't need a Bugatti. There are other cheaper cars that do the job. The Ultima GTR is one, and the Caparo T1 will be another. Maybe the SSC Ultimate Aero TT is another.

The Bugatti Veyron gets to 100 mph in about 5.5 seconds – the actual figure varies according to who timed it. However, the Ultima GTR can reach 10 mph in 5.3 seconds which is blisteringly quick – that was timed independently.

The Pagani Zonda is not as quick as that, taking 2 seconds more than the Veyron to get to 124 mph (200 km/h).But believe me, for practical purposes there is very little difference between the performance of these cars. In real life, the difference is smaller because neither the Zonda nor Ultima have turbochargers, so when you press the accelerator you get instant response; with the Bugatti you will wait an instant for the turbos to cut in.

Sure, the Veyron looks and sounds different from other cars, and if you like the looks. well, go for it.

On the other hand if you want a car that accelerates, handles, is very fast, beautifully finished, and causes excitement wherever it goes you might go for a Pagani Zonda or another exotic car, like the Ascari KZ1 or Saleen S7. The Ultima is the world champion for out-and-out acceleration and braking.

All depends what you want it for. Me, I fancy a Pagani, although it is not the prettiest of cars, but it sure has fantastic presence on the road.

Benefits of leasing

Despite aggressive low-interest financing, cash-back offers and other purchasing incentives offered by leading auto-makers to buyers, leasing numbers keep increasing steadily over the years. Leasing is not only an attractive financial proposition to most auto-consumers, but also a lifestyle and preference choice.

Benefit Number 1: Keeping up with the latest trends

Leasing is sometimes more of a personal and lifestyle choice than a financial one. Many people are not comfortable with the idea of owning a vehicle over a long period of time. They’d rather keep up with the latest trends of the industry and drive the latest models every two to three years.

Leasing a car gives you the convenience of having the latest technology and safety innovation, such as an electronic stability system, DVD entertainment systems and advanced stereo equipment. If you are willing to forego ownership for the latest set of wheels, than leasing is your best option.

Benefit Number 2: Purchasing Flexibility

Leasing also offers purchasing flexibility: it allows you to defer the purchasing decision while using the car. You don’t have to haggle with your mechanic over repair expenses, deal with hefty maintenance bills or worry about a depreciating asset. Provided you can keep the vehicle in good condition and stay within the contracted mileage allowance, you’re effectively getting a test drive for the length of your lease. At the end of your lease, you can purchase the vehicle or simply turn in the keys and walk away. No questions asked.

Benefit Number 3: Cash Flow

Leasing offers many short-term benefits. It reduces your initial cash outlay as you do not have to pay the large down payment required for car ownership. You only pay for the depreciation on the car - only the part you will use during your lease, not the entire vehicle. This results in lower monthly payments and frees even more cash. This cash can be put to use more intelligently elsewhere than the questionable investment of owning a depreciating asset. If you are self-employed or use your car for your job, then you can write off your leasing payment as a business expense.

Benefit Number 4: Negotiating Leverage

Although it may seem a little unorthodox in this industry, almost everything about leasing is negotiable. If you know all the fees involved, you can lower your monthly payments, negotiate the purchase price of the vehicle at the end of the lease and contract additional miles on top of your mileage limit. You can also do some shopping around and compare deals from different auto-insurers to get the cheapest GAP insurance for your lease.