What should he buy - diesel or hybrid?

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I am thinking of a new car. Which system, hybrid or diesel, is more reliable for five years? Each year I do nine months of city driving, and in the summer it's two hours of driving per day for three months. Plus a road trip to North Carolina. -- David in Toronto

Vaughan: It's horses for courses, Dave, and you're running two different races. Horse One would be a hybrid for the city and Horse Two would be a diesel for the highway. As for reliability, many horses live beyond the age of 30 with good care, though don't expect that from your car.

Cato: I think it's time for you to go shovel out the stalls.

Unlike you, Dave hits at something very important, and it's all about the depth and breadth of new power train technology. Dave may think his two options are diesel or hybrid, but that's not so.

Ford Motor, for instance, has long argued that a combination of direct fuel injection and turbocharging will deliver almost diesel-like fuel economy overall, with no loss of performance. General Motors argues that by squeezing out basic efficiencies, pure gas engines can be extremely fuel efficient, reliable and powerful.

Vaughan: Yes, but he did not ask about EcoBoost, or efficient gas engines, or plug-in hybrids, or battery-electric cars.

Cato: No matter; we're here to provide insights. I think Dave should consider ALL his options. He will find that the hybrid or diesel cost premium is NOT offset by fuel savings in the medium-term.

The cheapest Toyota Prius is more than $26,000; Dave can buy any number of perfectly reliable compact hatchbacks – Ford Focus, Hyundai Elantra GT, to name two – for less than $20,000. To offset that $6,000 Prius hybrid premium will take years and a lot of driving. The diesel price premium generally runs several thousand dollars, too – with diesel fuel at least as expensive than gasoline. Dave will need to be patient and do plenty of driving to get his diesel premium back in fuel savings.

Vaughan: Yes, but diesel or hybrid?

Cato: The reliability of both has been well-proven in the market. The Prius has perched atop any number of reliability studies for years. And the long-term durability of diesel engines is well-documented.

2013 Lexus ES 300h Toyota Toyota  

Vaughan: Let's focus in on diesel. I've been driving a diesel car for years now and I'm finally going to trade it in for something new and it won't be a diesel. I have loved the fuel economy and torque when it's running right, which is far less than 100 per cent of the time.

But I have come to the conclusion the problem is the poor and uneven quality of diesel fuel and it all comes down to cetane. Cetane for diesel is like octane for gas; higher cetane numbers in general mean the fuel burns more cleanly in light duty, higher speed diesel engines. More than half the cars in Europe are diesel, where they get diesel with a minimum cetane number of 51. Ours is about 40.

The result is that I've spent a fortune over the years on premium diesel, expensive additives, plus paying numerous times to get the carbon and the gunk cleaned out of the turbo, injection pumps and manifold. I think my next move is to a direct injection gasoline engine.

Cato: My advice for anyone is to consider diesel only if you're buying a sport-utility vehicle – where the torque of a good diesel is a deal maker. Dave, get a hybrid, and put the $44,100 Lexus ES 300h at the top of your list. Reliable, comfortable, efficient…

2013 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid Ford Ford  

Vaughan: That's my favourite Lexus and after five years it would still be as good as new. However, you can get its equal in comfort, sophistication and reliability for $6,000 less at a Lincoln dealer.

The Lincoln MKZ Hybrid starts at $38,460 with front-wheel drive, powered by 2.0-litre Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder gas engine and electric motor which combined generate 188 horsepower. It's a sweet, smooth hybrid system and the four-banger is just fine for highway cruising.

Cato: Yes, but here's a third option: Buick's LaCrosse with the "mild" eAssist hybrid system.

Vaughan: This was one of the most surprising test drives of the past year. I drove it in the city for a week, plus up to Muskoka on the weekend and loved it. It's comfortable, quiet and gets great fuel economy.

I don't think GM does nearly enough to promote the eAssist that comes with this car. It's a hybrid-light. The power is from a 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine with direct injection plus a 115-volt lithium-ion battery pack for extra boost, for total horsepower of 182. Front-drive with a six-speed automatic makes it at home in city or on highway.

Cato: And a starting price of $35,795. Try it, Dave.

Vaughan: It is my pick for old Dave – and it takes plain, regular unleaded gasoline with no diesel fuel worries.

Jeremy Cato and Michael Vaughan are co-hosts of Car/Business, which airs Thursdays at 8:30 p.m. on Business News Network and Saturdays at 11:30 a.m. on CTV.

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Source: car manufacturers

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