audi40

No and from what I've read, diesel is carried at over half of US gas stations.

in2dwww

What I seldom see are electric charging, hydrogen, LP, and E85 pumps and stations.

Diesel is everywhere, it's just easy to ignore them because it's not at every pump. Most of the diesel pumps are on end of the outer islands. I actually prefer the truck stops because they are more like an airport terminal. It's strictly business on the trucker side of the fuel station. You can get in and out without hassle, especially during the holidays and heavy traffic weekends. Just pull the Audi/Benz/VW around back and it's like VIP access.

I cannot tell you how many times I've been approached for "gas money" at the gasoline pumps while re-fuelling my gasoline Mercedes. It happens a lot. I now take the diesel while traveling anywhere and I stick to the trucker side. I definitely feel safer on the trucker side.

Diesel is more accessible as an alternative to gasoline, electric, E85, hydrogen, etc. Plus, the range is also important. If another hurricane hits, are you going to flee in a Tesla? I think not! If a wildfire is storming through, are you going to hop in the hybrid? Perhaps. In the diesel, you can drive for 7 straight hours and be 500 miles from where you were and still have 100-200 miles of range before empty. Those 100-200 miles will be plenty to find the next fueling station, even in the middle of Texas.

If you took the Tesla, you'd be waiting for 30 minutes at a charging station, anxiously sipping an espresso. In 30 minutes, you can find a diesel station, refuel, and be on your way for another 500-700 miles. If you took a hybrid, I doubt you'd make it 500 miles at 70 mph before having to stop for fuel.

Also, the MMI has a search feature where you can find stations that carry diesel. You can even get the fuel prices to display on the MMI via Audi Connect.

Diesel is ideal for anyone who travels. A hybrid is more suitable for the city. A Tesla is probably not ideal for anything other than a commute.

Once you go diesel, you never go back.

uberwgn

It's not an issue. You quickly learn where your local stations are. The Gas Buddy app is excellent aid for locating diesel fuel.

The only warning I'd offer is don't be caught in unfamiliar territory late at night with the low fuel light glowing

xfirechief

Thanks everyone for your answers. I guess I should have also said I am retired so we don't put on lots of miles. We average around 15K a year so maybe that isn;t enough to GO DIESEL.
The reason I just might is maybe trade-in value will be high for a low mileage diesel after 3or 4 years. That is how long I go before getting a new vehicle.

s5blitzer

Apologies for responding late. One word - YES!

For all the reasons mentioned above.

miwung

I know it was a sales pitch by my salesman but he showed me a couple Q7s that were gas and diesel. The diesel Q7 was worth a lot more, both had similar specs and mileage but then again U paid more for the diesel. My replacement will be diesel as well. I hope we'll have diesel hybrids here by then.

kc-raydoc

Have had mine for about 6 weeks now and wouldn't go back to gas. I do about 80-85% highway driving, and it just gets astounding mileage for a car this size. The torque is wonderful, and the 8spd transmission always keeps it in its sweet spot. The 3.0T definitely edges the TDI at the limits, but the TDI is just so effortless and really felt more responsive in real world driving. Also, at highway speeds, the engine is whisper quiet. Purrs along at around 1500rpm. Have had zero issues finding diesel fuel, and since I've been averaging over 650 miles per tank, I'm filling up about half as often as I did with my last car.

qqq1970

Good for you. Diesels are great for highway cruising.

DSL_PWR

It's the next car on my list for sure.

As some others have said, once you go diesel there is no going back.

in2dwww

If you get a diesel - any diesel - you'll probably end up keeping it for a long time. A consequence is that you'll likely want to drive more as well.

I put 115k miles on a new Jetta TDI in 30 months. I owned a company and travel was essential. I drove a ton because it was getting 50mpg on road trips and I could cross the country on less than $200 in fuel (SC to CA).

I agree that 15k a year is nothing, as some say that the TDI doesn't fully break-in until 60k miles.

As for resale, I sold my 115k mile, 2010 TDI for $13k in 2012. I paid $23k new. Maintenance costs were oil changes every 10k, fuel filters every 20k, and tires at 60k. Original front brakes. Depreciation? What depreciation?