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10-12-2012, 11:29 PM | #1 | ||
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So, I have been considering upgrading from my FG Falcon for a while now, and have been looking at a Mondeo for a while. It's overall package is really impressive, especially the economy of the turbo diesel.
I have just moved from the country to the suburbs, where everything I need (uni, shops, gym etc.) is no more than a 5-10 minute drive. The stop start nature of this has seen the Falcon's economy rise to 12+l/100km which is a jump form the standard 8.5l/100km I am used to from highway cruising. I don't know a lot about turbo diesel engines, other than that they have really impressive economy on paper. I read on a forum that short trips/stop start traffic may not be best for the diesel and in that case a petrol model would be more suited. Is this true? Given my situation, I am a bit confused as to which fuel would be best for a future Mondeo. Any suggestions? |
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10-12-2012, 11:39 PM | #2 | ||
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I think a lot of short trips clog up a filter in the diesel and make it not a good idea. Way to solve this it to take it on a long run where it maintains a good speed and stays at operating temp for a while, giving it the odd squirt as well helps I hear.
If all you were doing was short runs I would get the petrol, and service it under 'extreme' usage conditions (which also covers minimal usage as well I believe).
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10-12-2012, 11:45 PM | #3 | ||
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Avoid the diesel if you're just going to short trip the thing everywhere, it needs to go on a long run once a week to clear out the DPF and give it a bit of a squirt too.
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11-12-2012, 12:09 AM | #4 | ||
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Okay, thanks for the replies.
What do you define as a long trip? For the next month or so I would imagine I would be travelling back to my parents house for work until I can get a transfer closer to where I live. That trip is a good 60kms each way on the freeway, would that be the kind of length you are talking about? |
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11-12-2012, 12:14 AM | #5 | ||
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11-12-2012, 12:16 AM | #6 | |||
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Quote:
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11-12-2012, 12:23 AM | #7 | ||
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Alright thats good. It would be at 100/110km/h. Even when I get a job closer to home, my parents want me to visit them quite often as this the first time I have moved out of home.
Now I just have to test drive one, and sell my Falcon. |
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11-12-2012, 11:41 PM | #8 | ||
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ever thought about a falcon on gas?
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11-12-2012, 11:53 PM | #9 | ||
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I have. I've done the sums if I still lived in the country it would have paid itself off in 2 years, but now in the city it would take much longer for it to pay itself off. Also, I don't have a lot of faith in the 5 speed auto to confidently place that kind of money on it, if it were a 6 speed on the other hand....
My previous Fairmont was on gas, and I do miss that. |
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13-12-2012, 01:40 PM | #10 | ||
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fair enough mate, if i may ask, with the concerns about the auto aside, did the gas not stack up so good in city running?
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14-12-2012, 11:48 AM | #11 | ||
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I just won't be doing the km's here in the city to pay it off anytime soon. I've been here a week, and everything I need (shops, uni etc) is no more than a 5km trip, this week I've probably done no more than 50kms, if that. I worked it out that I needed to travell 40,000 or 50,000km to recover the $4,000 outlay. With these short trips it would take far too long to recover the outlay and then actually save money. If I was still in the country I would have paid it off in 2 years. When I finish my degree in a couple of years I want to head back to the country, then gas becomes much more appealing.
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14-12-2012, 03:03 PM | #13 | ||
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I have estimated in the 6 months since we have owned our diesel that we have saved around $1000 in fuel over the petrol vehicle we would have been using. 2k a year? That is money for jam in my books. You do have to do the kms though
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14-12-2012, 04:54 PM | #14 | ||
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I am with WhiteLion. When downsizing from the Fairlane we test drove a few 4 cylinder petrols and could not cope with the lack of pulling power. The Diesel is closer to the 6 in day to day driving feel, it's just so lazy. But with the economy of a small 4.
Ecoboost owners love those things though if it's in your budget.. edit: on topic, ours seems to be coping well living in the city. |
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18-12-2012, 01:00 AM | #15 | |||
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good luck. |
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23-12-2012, 12:41 AM | #16 | ||
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I posted this in another topic but relevant here also:
I drive short trips to work in the cold and so I use sequential to keep the revs up to warm the engine as much as possible prior to parking. I didn't do this for the end of last winter and I had an oil change indicator come up. Ford said it is because the oil doesn't heat up enough to evaporate any absorbed water on short runs which deteriorates the oil/filter. So I also try to make a longer drive up and down the Autobahn at least once a week if there are no other drives on the menu. I also think the pleasure of driving long trips with the diesel engine outweighs the issues of short trips.
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