Diesel Depreciation Dej Vu
Torque and towing aside, I am a diesel skeptic. These Interstate soot-belchers are on par with the jerk that pulls his finger and farts in a crowded room, laughing at everyone in his wake. And now that the good oil is far north of $4 a gallon, I feel truly vindicated. Or not. That's because my girlfriend needs a new whip, and her ultra-clean 2006 Jetta TDI took a serious depreciation hit. Not buying it? Neither is Carmax, to the tune of $2125 less than KBB's trade in value, over $2800 less than Edmunds. The No-haggle Superstore's appraisal said it all in two words, the "market conditions" are a changing. Sure, this ain't no Carter-era diesel Cutlass, but Jettas aimed at enviro-friendly gas savers just met the cruel reality of history repeating itself.
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Sajeev... I'm afraid they've got one fact right that you get c onsistently wrong: New passenger diesels aren't really that dirty, at all. I can't speak for light duty trucks, and you're right as soon as people start to dicker around with the system, but out of the gate modern diesel engines really aren't nearly so dirty. Mine would emit one puff of soot on a cold start, and that was about it. The smell, on the other hand, is undeniable.
By the way...this IS fun. I wish we could all gather around a bar on stools and do this unrtil the sun rises. There is nothing I love to do more than talk cars! Thanks everybody for the fun. I wish we could continue this forever! Paul
Holy Heck.. What is this?????!!!! http://jalopnik.com/photogallery/priusvert1/1001331957