Diesel or Gasoline

santa110xyz

Active member
Oct 25, 2005
571
0
36
Hi,
i am about to buy a new car and have difficulties to decide if either a Diesel or a Gasoline engine.
A Diesel i would prefer because it is more economic ...but i got told that the Diesel here
is of bad quality and i might get problems with electronic injection of Diesel...
Does anybody has experience in this area and would share it with me please.
 

zoomzx11

Gold
Jan 21, 2006
8,367
842
113
The car body and suspension will not last as long as the engine. Not worth the extra money for diesel engine. Roads and accidents will eat up the car. Diesels reqire very clean fuel. Not much of anything is clean here. I like gasoline/propane conversion. For over the road propane is economic. Around town not so much. Once you are up to speed and switch over to propane the savings begin.
 

william webster

Platinum
Jan 16, 2009
30,247
4,329
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to really benefit from propane savings, you need to have high annual mileage.

something island traffic rarely offers.
 

the gorgon

Platinum
Sep 16, 2010
33,997
83
0
to really benefit from propane savings, you need to have high annual mileage.

something island traffic rarely offers.

thank you!! if you are just farting around town, or taking the odd 100 mile trip a few times a year, forget propane. you will get zero savings. besides, more and more people are now refusing to buy cars that have been run on propane.
 

jimbobo

Member
Feb 9, 2014
170
4
18
diesel

Hi,
i am about to buy a new car and have difficulties to decide if either a Diesel or a Gasoline engine.
A Diesel i would prefer because it is more economic ...but i got told that the Diesel here
is of bad quality and i might get problems with electronic injection of Diesel...
Does anybody has experience in this area and would share it with me please.

Right now, there's ultra low sulphur diesel readily available all over the country; so right now there are three kinds of diesel for sale: normal, premium and UltraLowSulphur.
 

william webster

Platinum
Jan 16, 2009
30,247
4,329
113
thank you!! if you are just farting around town, or taking the odd 100 mile trip a few times a year, forget propane. you will get zero savings. besides, more and more people are now refusing to buy cars that have been run on propane.

plus the cost of the conversion

most people (especially islanders) will not put on enough miles to benefit all these tricks.

In RD, in SD, 22mpg and 30 mpg are meaningless..... and are virtually identical in day to day activity.

In USA/Canada, my drive is 9hrs.... 6 hrs on a tank

My Hemi (385HP) throttles back to 4 cylinders at hiway cruising and I get great mileage.
Same as many econo cars.

Big miles at speed is where you save

A stop light is a stop light..........the great equalizer
 

Mauricio

Gold
Nov 18, 2002
5,607
7
38
The difference in economy is not even that big using diesel instead of gasoline. If I'd travel daily to Bavaro or the north I'd buy a diesel but since my driving is 95% in the city, I'm fine with gasoline. Even driving about 250 miles a week.
 

santa110xyz

Active member
Oct 25, 2005
571
0
36
The daily driving distance is about 80 miles a day; Cabarete -> past Puerto Plata
And once a week from POP to Stgo.
I was interested to get a used Volkwagen Tiguran TSI, 5 years old
 

the gorgon

Platinum
Sep 16, 2010
33,997
83
0
The daily driving distance is about 80 miles a day; Cabarete -> past Puerto Plata
And once a week from POP to Stgo.
I was interested to get a used Volkwagen Tiguran TSI, 5 years old

unless you are dead set on that car, and the price is wonderful, i would reconsider that idea.
 

william webster

Platinum
Jan 16, 2009
30,247
4,329
113
you might benefit somewhat santa.......

good car that VW Tigre.........

still a close call....on the engine

go with the best car you can find, regardless of power plant..... my 2 cents

UH-OH, experto on the job -- listen to him
 

the gorgon

Platinum
Sep 16, 2010
33,997
83
0
you might benefit somewhat santa.......

good car that VW Tigre.........

still a close call....on the engine

go with the best car you can find, regardless of power plant..... my 2 cents

UH-OH, experto on the job -- listen to him

solid chassis...iffy motor
 

the gorgon

Platinum
Sep 16, 2010
33,997
83
0
My daughter-in-law now has to replace her 3 yr old Volkswagen Diesel Wagon (paid-for, naturally) due to failure of the timing chain which fouled-up the timing and jammed the intake and exhaust valves and probably blew some holes in the pistons/cylinders. The dealer in Minneapolis has offered her $1000 US for her car...should be worth a LOT MORE than that, but it is totally BROKEN and the only fix is probably a NEW ENGINE. I would avoid the Volkswagen Diesel engines, if I could....

actually, the solution to what befell your daughter is to periodically check the condition of your timing belt. the maintenance schedule tells you when to change it. just about every overhead cam engine these days uses a timing belt. the last timing chain i saw was on an old Cosworth FVA motor we used to run in a rally car. the belt has to be changed when it begins to deteriorate, or it will break, and there will be no relationship between camshaft, crankshaft, and valves. things will break, explosively.
 

wrecksum

Bronze
Sep 27, 2010
2,063
96
48
The daily driving distance is about 80 miles a day; Cabarete -> past Puerto Plata
And once a week from POP to Stgo.
I was interested to get a used Volkwagen Tiguran TSI, 5 years old

Great vehicle but Japanese or the newer Korean vehicles seem to be more reliable in developing countries.
I have a both a diesel and gas vehicles. The diesel Mitsubishi has been such a great car that I even put in a rebuilt engine although it's an old car.. The Nissan is often having computer glitches.
Economy is equivalent but for reliability it would be difficult to beat a Toyota diesel in my opinion.(Prado etc.) but you pay a premium for the brand.

Premium diesel is fine but choose a newish gas station with newish tanks and lots of customers.Less muck and water that way.
Change the fuel filters regularly and you'll have no problem.
 

the gorgon

Platinum
Sep 16, 2010
33,997
83
0
My daughter-in-law now has to replace her 3 yr old Volkswagen Diesel Wagon (paid-for, naturally) due to failure of the timing chain which fouled-up the timing and jammed the intake and exhaust valves and probably blew some holes in the pistons/cylinders. The dealer in Minneapolis has offered her $1000 US for her car...should be worth a LOT MORE than that, but it is totally BROKEN and the only fix is probably a NEW ENGINE. I would avoid the Volkswagen Diesel engines, if I could....

the guy is trying to skin you. you can get a 2012 motor for under 4 grand, even a turbodiesel.
 

the gorgon

Platinum
Sep 16, 2010
33,997
83
0
Great vehicle but Japanese or the newer Korean vehicles seem to be more reliable in developing countries.
I have a both a diesel and gas vehicles. The diesel Mitsubishi has been such a great car that I even put in a rebuilt engine although it's an old car.. The Nissan is often having computer glitches.
Economy is equivalent but for reliability it would be difficult to beat a Toyota diesel in my opinion.(Prado etc.) but you pay a premium for the brand.

Premium diesel is fine but choose a newish gas station with newish tanks and lots of customers.Less muck and water that way.
Change the fuel filters regularly and you'll have no problem.

wrecksum, i have always said that for this country, nothing beats a Prado. i have gotten 3 for customers of mine, and they have been old models, yet they just run like clockwork. they cannot be beat. as you say, they are pricey, but you get what you pay for.
 
May 5, 2007
9,246
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always thought the ideal car for DR would be the old (1960-83 or so) Land Cruiser j40 I think it was
around 1979-80 you could get the 4.0 6cyl, tough vehicle with more room than the CJ
 

melphis

Living my Dream
Apr 18, 2013
3,489
1,676
113
Weather you decide on gas or diesel just make sure whatever you buy is a model that is sold in North America or you will never get parts for it. I have a VW that was built in Brazil and I am getting quite good at manufacturing my own parts as nothing is available.
I didn't even think to ask at the time but I now know how important that is.
 

Luperon

Who empowered China's crime against humanity?
Jun 28, 2004
4,510
294
83
What are the chances of getting the fuel quality that you pay for?