perlfather

Not an easy decision. The economics are not simple as the additional cost of the diesel engine ($2400) does not go to zero at the time you sell the car. Too early to tell, however, based on experience with other long life diesel engines (MB) and the known long life of diesel engines one might assume that you will get most of it back when you sell the car at ~100k miles.

This is my first diesel (A7) and i/we purchased it because of all the things already said: long time between fill-ups, very high torque engine and more suitable to our driving style of suburban and highway driving. As we don't drive our gas engine Audi above 4500 RPM why not buy an engine made to run up to 4600 RPM. These new diesel engines are quite amazing with their Porsche designed turbos, instant starts and piezo-electric injectors at extremely high pressure and sophisticated electronics (up to 10 fuel injections/cycle). No wonder they are so efficient.

Keep in mind that you can't go wrong with either engine. They are both extremely good and you are buying them for a fraction what others in Europe (or the rest of the world) are paying.

feralc

Restart your engines indeed To the OP, you have pros and cons in both engines, I think is more like which one should you marry, a blonde or a brunette (redheads are only for mistresses that is an inside joke) Regardless the difference in performance feeling, engine revs and sound,the price difference, the consumption and the fuel price, add this one to the pot "has it happened to you arrived at the gas station running on fumes (for whatever the reason was) just to find out that last hope station doesn't carry diesel?,
I don't have a diesel but it has happened to me to reach that last station and to realize there was no diesel available, and I pictured the same scenario in a diesel car.
Pros and cons, others say once you go diesel you never go back, maybe, maybe not.

8XXXID

My best result was 47 mpg ( on highway, however tank was almost empty ) Yesterday I did round trip to Harrisburg and got 42 mpg with full tank of fuel..

Maverick61

Yea, that was me

And then there is what Ward's said about the TFSI

What I have come to learn from past TDI vs TFSI discussions here is the TDI folks are like the hybrid zealots. Diesel is a new religion to them and they like to preach it

Don't want that to come across the wrong way - it just seems they are much more vociferous about their love of diesel than anything else (whether it be in the A6 or other past vehicles)

To me - I like the performance gains and power the TFSI gives me - because that is what is important to me. If I was mainly focused on gas mileage instead of performance, and intended to keep my car a long time to make up the additional costs in fuel savings, then I would consider the TDI, but like I said before, if you are spending $60K on a vehicle, you probably do not have to worry much about gas mileage.

Plain and simple - you need to decide based on what is important to you

feralc

Exactly what I think, TDI guys are like just converted vegetarians who cannot understand why we still eat/like meat

Mike_L

I'll say it again, thats Bull****. I bought this car BECAUSE of its fuel economy. If I didn't care I would have kept my $100k X5M and its 9-12mpg. Mileage does matter to everybody, regardless of how much they spend on a car.

feralc

You are one of the few that accept that, most of the posts in these threads are like they purchased the car because they like the feeling of the Diesel engine not for the fuel savings (I believe mavericks post was about those posts) using the same analogy I used before, some say they are vegetarians because it is healthier and some others because they like the taste.
You are one of the ones that have a diesel because is healthier, I just can't believe veggies taste better than meat

Mike_L

I don't have a diesel. I have a TFSI. Even the gas motor is a HUGE improvement to what I had.

RobC

FWIW, I just sold my B8 S4 to get something a little more practical since I have an S6 which is a very similar type of car (4-door sport sedan). I decided on a Q5 and for about the same money, I could get a TDI or the SQ5. I drove both and in the end I decided on the TDI since it's more useful power-wise for daily driving. It's hard to beat abundant low-end torque for a DD and the improved fuel mileage to me is simply an added bonus.

My S4 was chipped, but the Q5 still had a more stout low-end and the TDI pulls away at low revs effortlessly much like my S6.

In the end if you ignore fuel mileage, it's a choice between the daily drivability of lots of torque versus a motor that will give you more smiles when you start driving aggressively and wind the motor up into the upper ranges. It seems everyone who opts for a TDI raves and rants about how great diesels are. So unless you like to often explore the upper end of the rev range, I bet the TDI will make you smile too.

feralc

Sorry, you are right, but still you got my point.