Chubb

I'm looking to buy a used Q7. Originally I wanted a Q7 TDI but the more I get into it, I'm questioning if it's really worth it....

1. The mileage difference isn't significant between gas and diesel (manufacturer ratings)
2. Diesel fuel generally seems to cost more than gas by as much as 5 cents per liter!
3. Q7 TDI sells for 4K-5K more than a gas Q7 - even used ones!

So after crunching the numbers, it seems to me that TDI aren't really worth it...

Here are my calculations:

Diesel 7.1 liters/100km (hwy) 1.45 cents/L 7.1 x 1.45 = $10.30 -> cost to drive 100km
Gas 9.2 liters/100km (hwy) 1.40 cents/L (premium) 9.2 x 1.40 = $12.88 -> cost to drive 100km

Difference in cost is $2.58 per 100km lower for diesel.

OK...to buy a Q7 TDI it costs $4,500 more (avg)

so $4,500 / $2.58 x 100 = 174,410 km -> i need to drive this many KM's before I break even? seriously is it really worth it?????

I haven't even factored in the cost of Adblue & diesel maintenance costs (not sure if it's higher).

so is TDI really worth it?

USPAVANTWANTED

Definitely worth it. 20% Difference in cost I would say is significant. In real life, it will be closer to 30% on the highway, as per my clients.

The convenience alone of not having to fill up as often is awesome!

Maintenance costs will be about the same as the gas model. If you get one from a dealer grab the AudiCare prepaid maintenance package as it will save you plenty of dough or find one where someone has already pre-purchased it.

Keep in mind the difference in sticker price will also be returned to you once you are ready to sell.

Chubb

there no questioning the fuel savings. I agree 20 - 30% saving is significant. my issue is the Q7 TDI version costs more to buy, so what you're saving in fuel expenses needs to first go against the higher purchase price. ROI is at 150,000+ km. That's a long wait to actually start saving money.

It seems to me that people buy these things to save money - at least that's my reason, but it seems like a long wait before you actually start to save.

when you're paying 130-140 bucks to fill your tank, I guess getting 1000km per tank psychologically seems better than only getting 800km with the gas version. lol

BChalk

Those are well thought out stats. I wonder how close to real life they are? We've had a Q5 TDI for about a month now and really love it. On a recent mostly-highway trip our avg mileage was 6.8 km/100L. Even in town the fuel needle seems to barely move downward. We drove it for three weeks all in town and used a quarter of a tank. But if you want power it is there. It's also way quieter than the gas engine in my Toyota 4Runner, and quieter than any diesel I've ever been around. Diesel fuel seems to be on a different cycle than gas. In the past month I've seen it drop from 1.35 L to 1.19L. Still, your argument is good. Mercedes does not charge any extra cost for the diesel in their GLK but they admit that they lose money on them, possibly to try and build a market share. Audi charges $5,000 more and although diesels are more expensive to build it's hard to imagine it's that much more.