The times they are a-changin’ indeed, as Bob Dylan said in his famous song. Not long ago, diesel fuel was mainly used by trucks in the U.S. but now it looks like a third of consumers are considering buying a diesel car when the time of purchase comes.
A recent survey conducted by the National Association for Convenience and Fuel Retailing (NACS) shared by Consumer Reports revealed that among consumers likely to purchase a vehicle in the next two years, 31 percent are likely to consider a diesel. The main reasons for this are obviously fuel economy and environmental concerns.
The online survey included 1,200 Americans who buy gasoline, with 59 percent of them saying they would consider going diesel because of the better fuel economy, 33 percent said the reason was diesel fuel is better for the environment, and 30 percent said they’d go diesel because oil-burners are more reliable.
Curiously, 29 percent of the participants said they would consider a diesel because these engines require less maintenance than gas engines – those of you who have owned a diesel will surely beg to differ on this. Other reasons listed were more power/towing ability, high resale value and ability to use biodiesel.
The U.S. market has been getting more and more diesel models lately, mostly from German automakers. However, U.S. automakers have also jumped in on the bandwagon, with models like the Chevrolet Cruze and Jeep Grand Cherokee being offered with diesel engines as well.
By Dan Mihalascu
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