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Originally Posted by redpoint5
Mom and Dad aren't picky, and my dad drives my diesel truck already. What special consideration needs to be made about a diesel other than making sure it isn't run out of fuel?
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Owning a diesel, you know how the maintenance and general drive-ability can be slightly different compared to a gas, but if they already drive your diesel truck, I wouldn't worry about it, except for filling up at the station of course! After years of grabbing the gas nozzle, one could imagine accidentally grabbing the gas instead of the diesel out of habit.
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Originally Posted by redpoint5
What kind of mods are we talking, and how much does it improve mileage? Just wondering if they are diesel specific, or the general aero improvements.
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Yeah, I was just talking the aero MODs... grill block, belly pan, etc. Of course, there are a ton of things you can do that aren't aero related, just depends on what you get.
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Originally Posted by redpoint5
I considered it once when looking at an Oregon State auto auction. I'm not sure how much utility I would get out of it on a regular basis unless I start loading bicycles into it. The plug-in conversion idea sounds like it could be a smart move. I could commute and still get groceries for free. I do make a 130mi round-trip every 2 weeks that would be nice to do for free also, but that only accounts for 3,250 miles per year.
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Here is a link to (some) information about the PHEV Escape:
Escape PHEV TechInfo - EAA-PHEV
I'm not sure if it would work for you, but it is definitely worth looking into. I personally like the idea of having decent gas mileage (and battery mileage) while still having some decent cargo space. The Costco trips, Home Depot trips, vacations, sports trips...
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Originally Posted by redpoint5
I'm only looking at 2004 and newer for the fiance and Mom, but that is good info. Any other tips related to the Corolla? I'm leaning towards that option since it's possible to get 40mpg with the manual, and they don't cost too much.
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I'm not too sure about the newer generations of Corollas, but I do know my generation is the first Toyota used the aluminum block with iron sleeves. My Toyota forum is subdivided into each generation. This is the link to the 9th gen (2003-2008):
9th Generation (2003-2008) - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums
A couple of the "stickies" will help with what to look for when researching a Corolla you find for sale. You can follow the links to the 10th gen, if you want to research the newer model.
Hope this helps!