German auto touring club ADAC (Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil-Club e.V.) has published its annual total cost of ownership (TCO) comparison of diesel and gasoline versions of vehicles currently on the German market.
For context, here’s a translation of the boilerplate. The text obviously applies only to the situation in Germany:
In times of continuously rising fuel prices, diesel vehicles offer their owners two advantages: high fuel economy and lower prices at the pump. As the current cost comparison by ADAC shows, most diesels are cheaper to own if you drive more than 9,000 miles annually. Even below 6,000 miles per year, the diesel variant is the cheaper option overall for nearly 50% of new models on the market.
However, the comparison of 560 diesel/gasoline pairs also showed that the diesel option was not preferable in every case. In particular, this applies to models for which the diesel variant is priced much higher than the gasoline one. The higher annual license fees, higher insurance premiums and shorter service intervals can also make the cost of owning a diesel look bad.
An example calculation from the ADAC comparison chart shows that the annual savings amount to real money. At 9,000 miles annually, a BMW 320d with particulate filter costs nearly €1,600 (18%) less to operate (in each of the first four years) than the 320si does. (At 12,000 miles per year, the Jeep Commander 3.0 CRD Sport AT even delivers savings of 1,920 Euros (15%) relative to the Jeep Commander 4.7 Sport AT.)
ADAC members can access the complete table of all 560 pairings.
One reason for the improved economics of diesels is that particulate filters are standard for many models, which increases resale value. Another is that prices at the pump are significantly higher this year compared to last. This has a much greater impact on gasoline models, which consume a greater volume of fuel.
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