Fuel prices have hit a record high in recent years and it is becoming increasingly difficult for Lebanese citizens to go anywhere without spending a substantial portion of their salaries on fuel.
Some people are resorting to compact city cars to keep up with fuel prices, but a large percentage of people always want something more powerful, and let’s be honest, 1.0-liter or 1.3-liter gasoline-fueled cars, although very economical, cannot quite handle our demanding mountainous roads.
Should we just stick to super small cars with barely enough power to push a single person on a steep road? The answer is no. There is a better alternative: Diesel-fueled cars.
According to an article published by albawaba in 2002, the Lebanese Cabinet banned the use of diesel mini-buses and cars in a bid to decrease pollution.
That was a good decision, back in 2002, but we’re in 2014 and things in the automotive industry have significantly changed. Some automakers, most notably Volkswagen, are now promoting diesel-fueled cars in order to help the environment. Believe it or not, most European countries now think of diesel-fueled cars as a better alternative to gasoline-powered vehicles.
Porsche joined the diesel race with a Cayenne Diesel
Why diesel? Diesel engines are more fuel-efficient than their gasoline counterparts, and by quite a margin. Diesel is more than 33% more efficient than gasoline is when it comes to fuel mileage. This means if your car’s fuel consumption is 7.84 liters for every 100 km (30 mpg), a diesel-fueled car with the same performance figures would consume 5.88 liters/100km (40 mpg). In other words, 20 liters of fuel in the gasoline-powered car are good enough for 255 kilometers, while its diesel equivalent can travel up to 340 kilometers with the same amount of fuel.
Additionally, a diesel engine offers more torque than a gasoline engine, and torque allows for great acceleration, so diesel engines are not only more fuel efficient, but they are better suited for our roads.
In conclusion, diesel engines are not the “villains” they used to be. They are cleaner and more efficient than ever; they are dominating the European market, and slowly making their way into the US. I wonder what we, here, are waiting for.