We know the standard means of cutting the high cost of driving our automobiles-slow down your speed, no jack rabbit starts, inflate tires properly, clean air filters regularly, and so on. Another way to reduce the cost of driving is to join every big-rigger in the United States and half of Europe-go diesel. Diesels are inherently more efficient than gasoline engines because they deliver a third better fuel mileage. They also offer a reliable high-torque engine!
The initial extra sticker price of a diesel-fueled car is about $1,200. A gallon of diesel fuel costs about the same as a gallon of gasoline. Assume your gasoline-fueled car averages 24-27 miles per gallon. You drive an average of 20,000 miles per year, and your personal MARR is in the 12-15% per year ballpark. Develop a spreadsheet to compare the economics of driving 100,000 miles in your car fueled by gasoline versus diesel. Explore various what if questions that you have regarding this comparison