As you may already be aware of, diesel engines are more efficient than gasoline engines of the same power, resulting in much lower fuel usage. For an efficient turbo diesel, the average is 40% more miles per gallon. The higher compression ratio with diesel engines help to raise efficiency, but diesel fuel also contains around 15% more energy per unit volume than gas.
Most efficient overall - Honda Insight hybrid With 60 mpg city and 66 mpg highway, the Honda hybrid has top honors as most fuel efficient in the United States. With a 1.0 gas engine mated to an electric motor, the insight was designed to make the most of the power by using low resistance tires. The bad things about the Insight include a cramped interior, seating for two, and a very odd styling.
When gas is compressed, the temperature of it will rise, with diesel engines using this very property to ignite the fuel. Air is then drawn into the cylinder and compressed by the rising piston at a much high compression ratio than gas engines, up to 25:1, with the air temperature reaching 700 - 900 degrees C.
With the ever increasing cost of gasoline prices, auto makers are having to work overtime to cost effictively improve the fuel economy, while still meeting the strict emission requirements of today with gasoline engines.
If you plan to use your truck like a car, desiring quick, quiet acceleration and rarely ever haul a heavy load and don't plan to it for a long time, you may want a gasoline engine. Gas engines run smoother, fuel is easier to find, and gas engines start easier in cold weather.
These days, gasoline prices may be crimping your your household budget. You may like to reduce the U.S. dollars that flow to the Middle East for oil, or perhaps you are motivated by your concern for the environment, or even the nagging reality that oil is a depleting resource that shouldn't be wasted.
Diesel engines offer the lowest specific fuel usage of any other large internal combustion engine. The fact remains, two-stroke diesels with high pressure forced induction, particularly turbo charging, make up a large percentage of the largest diesel engines.
Over the years, the prices of both gas and diesel have experienced some drastic changes. Many years ago, the price of gas was around a dollar or a little more, nothing like it is today. Back then, gas wasn't high in price although the demand for vehicles wasn't what it is today either.
Both diesel cars and light trucks are receiving a lot of attention in the United States as a near term strategy to achieve fuel economy and climate change goals.
With diesel engines, the compression ratio is higher and there is more power. From a technical point, the compression ratio of an engine is the comparison of the total volume of the cylinder at the bottom of the piston's stroke divided by the volume of the cylinder remaining at the top of the stroke.
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