Opting for the fuel-efficient diesel version of some cars or trucks could save you a lot of money. Or not at all. Over 35 vehicles that are available in gasoline and diesel form, the firm found just eleven models for which the cost of ownership was lower compared to the gasoline counterpart. 2,754 higher than their gasoline counterpart. 5,390鈥攑roved an insurmountable barrier toward long-term payoff in some models. Meanwhile, gas prices are down, while pump prices for diesel haven鈥檛 been falling at quite the same rate. As of this week, U.S. 3.42 per gallon. And in general, higher refining and distribution costs for U.S. 鈥檛 fall, proportionately, as much at the pump due to the sustained low price of crude oil. But going with the diesel version likely does pay off if you鈥檙e considering it on a luxury model. Of all the vehicles for which Vincentric found diesel at an advantage, all but one were German luxury-brand models. Mercedes-Benz in particular ended up posting plenty of diesel deals because of a strategy that makes its BlueTec diesel models the 鈥榚ntry鈥?models in several of its vehiclelineups.

Opting for the fuel-efficient diesel version of some cars or trucks could save you a lot of money. Or not at all. Over 35 vehicles that are available in gasoline and diesel form, the firm found just eleven models for which the cost of ownership was lower compared to the gasoline counterpart. 2,754 higher than their gasoline counterpart. 5,390鈥攑roved an insurmountable barrier toward long-term payoff in some models. Meanwhile, gas prices are down, while pump prices for diesel haven鈥檛 been falling at quite the same rate. As of this week, U.S. 3.42 per gallon. And in general, higher refining and distribution costs for U.S. 鈥檛 fall, proportionately, as much at the pump due to the sustained low price of crude oil. But going with the diesel version likely does pay off if you鈥檙e considering it on a luxury model. Of all the vehicles for which Vincentric found diesel at an advantage, all but one were German luxury-brand models. Mercedes-Benz in particular ended up posting plenty of diesel deals because of a strategy that makes its BlueTec diesel models the 鈥榚ntry鈥?models in several of its vehiclelineups.

Diesel pays off for luxury but not mainstream models? The Ram ProMaster Diesel 1500 is the only mainstream-brand diesel model that managed to make the cut in offering a cost-of-ownership savings over five years. Surprisingly, 鈥楾DI鈥?diesel versions of the the Volkswagen Golf, Jetta, Passat, and Beetle didn鈥檛 make the cut; neither did the VW Touareg SUV or the Chevrolet Cruze Diesel sedan. Diesel versions of full-size pickups from Chevrolet, GMC, Ford, and Ram also didn鈥檛 show a payoff for going diesel. Vincentric鈥檚 calculations factor in a wide range of costs well beyond fuel cost鈥攖hings like insurance premiums, and estimated maintenance expenses. Which diesels pay off vs. Click through the following pages to see the five models鈥攊f you鈥檝e already decided on the model鈥攚ith which you save the most going for the diesel version. 4,060 in fuel savings over the gasoline model鈥檚 17/21-mpg rating. Diesel models are definitely the way to go if you tow, too. 2,300 will factor, almost directly, into a lower cost in ownership for the 328d鈥攚hich, by the way, is rated at a stellar 32 mpg city, 45 highway. 908 more than the equivalent xDrive35i. 2,400 over five years. The diesel was already our value pick of the lineup; and now that the ownership estimates show that as well it鈥檚 the first model to home in on if you like the X5. 2,841 in fuel costs with diesel over five years, Vincentric estimates. Drivability is great, too; 4Matic all-wheel drive is available with the diesel with a penalty of just a few mpg; and the engine is so smooth that your passengers might not even suspect it鈥檚 a four-cylinder diesel. Get the Monitor Stories you care about delivered to your inbox. 471 lower than the gasoline V-6-powered GLK350. 40k base price makes the BlueTec diesel version an especially attractive proposition for driving a luxury vehicle but keeping running costs down鈥攁nd it makes the GLK in particular a good value among luxury crossovers.

It wasn't long ago that diesel vehicles were so deafening that conversations had to be yelled, so polluting that standing behind a tailpipe could get you a dusting of fine particulate. It's an archaic image that has helped keep sales of diesel passenger vehicles to a mere 3 percent of the U.S. So with its GLK250 BlueTEC, Mercedes-Benz is pulling out all the stops. At today's per-gallon diesel prices, that's like getting 14,000 miles of driving for free. Drivers just need to buy the car first. The smallest SUV in the Mercedes lineup now has one of its smallest engines: a 2.1-liter inline four. That engine packs a lot of punch because it's direct-injected, twin turbocharged and diesel -- all of which work to decrease emissions while boosting off-the-line performance and miles per gallon to an Environmental Protection Agency-estimated 28 combined. More energy-dense than gasoline, diesel is almost magical in its performance, specifically in terms of torque.

It does, however, reduce the car's horsepower to a mere 200, which, despite Americans' obsession with big giddyap, has little bearing on daily driving since the United States lacks an Autobahn to max out the GLK's 130 mph top speed. The GLK's diesel engine is most apparent at idle, when, with the stereo off, drivers can hear the faint purr of the engine's compression ignition firing the fuel, and on takeoff, which is V-8-like in its velocity. The turbocharger operates in two stages and is enhanced with an intercooler that chills the air before it's stuffed back into the combustion chambers. The result is a significant increase in jump-the-green grunt without any discernible lag. Despite the recent adoption of the term "crossover" to describe smallish, all-wheel-drive utility vehicles, Mercedes still refers to the GLK as an SUV, the stature of which looks like an oversized station wagon and drives like a tallish sport car. Its permanent all-wheel drive, or 4Matic, as Mercedes calls it, isn't so much a traction-control system as a handling enhancement that's tireless in its efforts to aid cornering. Driving diesel is like having your cake and eating it too. With its well-priced, high-mileage GLK250, Mercedes-Benz serves it up with ice cream.

After driving the new 2014 E250 BlueTec, we'll say that it's much more likely a statement of confidence. This new-generation 2.1-liter in-line four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine in the E250 BlueTec is something to be proud of; it makes nearly the power (195 horsepower) and torque (369 lb-ft) as the previous 3.0-liter turbo-diesel V-6 in last year's E350 BlueTec. That diesel V-6 makes 210 hp and 398 lb-ft, respectively. Yet the E250 is expected to target 45 mpg highway鈥攎ileage that's far better than the outgoing E350 BlueTec model's 22 mpg city, 32 highway. While the official EPA estimates aren't yet out for the E250 BlueTec, what we saw was promising. In about 60 miles of especially spirited driving鈥攖apping into this engine's plentiful output to make several quick passes鈥攚e averaged 34.1 mpg. Then over another 120 miles, with more ups and downs, but at lower speed, we averaged nearly 38 mpg. And this is with 4Matic all-wheel drive. Inside all the E-Class models, there's a new instrument cluster, plus a new design for the air vents as well as a center rectangular-framed analog clock.