Well I am glad (once again) I live where I do. I have been driving diesels as my primary mode of transportation (little Volkswagens, not big brodozers, I am not trying to compensate for anything) since the late '80s. And I have never looked back.
For me, in addition to superior fuel economy (a given), the better driveability has always been a big plus. And this comparison is easy when due to my job I am privy to experiencing a LOT of different cars, and I have also owned a lot of gasoline fueled Volkswagens that would be a good apples to apples comparison for the merits of the diesel.
The tides have certainly changed in recent years due to the added cost of them, which is in some cases made worse by lesser availability of them in certain trim levels. So I won't argue that the merits of the diesel engine option are far less attractive
now than they were at one time. Couple this with some of the newer gasoline engines offering somewhat better fuel economy and better (more diesel like) torque output, and it is no surprise that there is not the financial draw there once was.
But they still, to me, are better to drive. And again, driving the two back to back in a comparable car makes this VERY obvious.
The 170hp 1.8t Passat struggles to get the portly car off the line, then has to use the upper limits of its RPM range, all the way to redline, to really get the car going in a hurry. On the highway, the 5sp automatic is CONSTANTLY having to downshift. You cruise at 70 and want to pass someone? If you are gentle, maybe you'll just get 4th. You stab it.... it'll drop to 3rd... and the tach screams past 6000 RPMs.
The 136hp TDI Passat? Totally different. It thrusts itself off the line with ease, and upshifts quickly and makes good use of locking the converter up. Never needs to spin much beyond 3500 RPM to get the car moving. On the highway, the same 5sp automatic, despite being geared HIGHER, never needs to downshift. You can cruise along at 70, and passing someone is just as simple as twitching your right foot down a bit. Stays in 5th. Stays locked up. No noise, no drama, no nothing.... it just
goes. It will surge up past 120 MPH without so much as a wimper.
And what's best is the BHW Passat will easily get 40 MPG out on the open highway. Even running 75 MPH. The best my FWD 1.8t Passats could ever get was about 30 doing that. My 4mo 1.8t Passat is even worse.
My 1998 Jetta TDI? 50 MPG right out of the box. It replaced a 1995 Golf, with the ABA engine, that on the same drive, running the same speeds, got a whopping 29. 29!!!
The diesels don't care if the A/C is running. They don't care if there are four adults in the car. They don't care if the trunk is full of scrap metal. They don't care if a small trailer is hooked behind them. Heck, they barely care when
another car is hooked behind them. My Golf managed an average of 42 MPG on a trip from STL to DC and back.... empty tow dolly on the way, and a 1991 Jetta + dolly on the way back. 42! And I was running 65 MPH much of the way.
My friend's converted 1991 Vanagon? Its stock 95hp 2.1L waterboxer could not break 20 MPH. Usually only around 16-18. Put a stock AHU in its butt? 31 MPGs. Same gearing, same tires, same barn shaped box. Oh, and now it will cruise up hills at 70 and not even notice.
But the difference in current purchase price is far worse than it used to be.
In 1998, the TDI option for the Jetta was $1200 over the standard 2.0L ABA gasser. And with that $1200, you also got the better 02A gearbox, as the ABA still made do with the 020. But the car and trim availability was otherwise identical. Same paint, same wheels, same brakes, same radio, same seats, etc. Easy choice for anyone who drive a lot. 50 MPG from 29 MPG, you make that $1200 up pretty quickly, especially driving 100 miles a day.
In 2001, the TDI option cost for the ALH cars went to $1600, and all the engines got the better gearbox by then. However, the MPG spread was still about the same, and the trim/options/etc. was also still identical, and you could for the first time have the option of not rowing your own gears with the diesel. So, still made good economic sense. And even if you didn't keep your car very long, the resale value alone was generally WAY more than a measly $1600. Most 2.slo Jettas around that time were worth a solid $2500 less than the diesel if they had similar odometer readings. As time went on, that difference has spread. Even today, a ~2002 Jetta TDI is easily worth TWICE what a similar 2.slo Jetta would be.
I suspect that, of the relatively few CR TDIs left, they will hold their value much better than the comparable gassers do. We just sold a nice 2006 Jetta TDI with 200k miles on the clock for $6200. A 2.5L 2006 Jetta with 200k miles on it is worth about $1500, even if it is nice.
There is a slump right now, partly due to low fuel prices, and on the newer cars maybe due to Dieselgate (tough to say, as the initial "hit" seems to have disappeared and now they are actually in higher demand than they would have been otherwise, in my opinion).
I have said for years that if your only reason for buying a TDI was "to save money", you are bad at math. There are cheaper cars out there to purchase and operate, statistically, even if they cannot come close to the uber high fuel efficiency of a diesel. The question is, can you stand to drive one? I can say with authority because I have experienced driving just about everything from a Mitsubishi Mirage to an E63 AMG, that my VAG diesels are still, to me, a good all around car to drive. They are peppy, efficient, love to cruise at high speed, are reliable, and durable, and they age well. My Golf has passed a half million miles a while ago, and it still is tight, solid, fun to drive, and despite being a little car my fat ass can fit in it comfortably.
Sucks that Volkswagen gave up here, but they did. And with that, they've lost me as a new car buyer forever. I am glad I snagged one of the last of the NCV3 4cyl Sprinters, as who knows what the future holds there (the new for 2019 Sprinter is supposed to offer a 4cyl diesel here though).
So, back on topic: I hope Hyundai does offer a diesel Sante Fe here. Not something I would be in the market for, but I bet I'd enjoy experiencing its engine.