Wetspirit, I know, there are options out there, just not for us who cannot justify 45-50K for a Diesel MB..........

Like I said, you could put the Charger out there decently equipped for 28-32K that got 42 or so MPG, and I guarantee you, you would find out REAL QUICK people don't have this aversion to a diesel like the self appointed perfessors of marketing seem to think there is.

 

shh.... more people buying diesel = more demand = higher prices ..... diesel is dirty, smelly and a lousy fuel

 

Ah, but with more fuel efficient vehicles, less demand for oil, hence more available to be refined into diesel vs. gas.......

BTW, my biggest complaint with the new ULSD is it has very little smell at all....... I miss it.

 

How about $26,000. for a Passat TDI? Plenty of power, well made, good handling, lots of features, bla, bla, bla. In the 40,000 miles since I bought the car I've averaged about 36 MPG for all the driving I've done and a lot of it is around town or in the mountains loaded with stuff. 40 on the highway is easy. Not what can be had from a Jetta, but the Passat is a bigger, more sophisicated car and has more power.

Point is, they are already out there at a reasonable price. But with the new poluton controls there has been a wrinkle in the manufacturing. Maybe in a couple more years Subaru and Honda will be in the game, then watch out. So far they have been kind of a specialty car, only appreciated by a few. The Mercedes is a strange one. Most people willing to pay $50K for a Mercedes are not interested in mileage. The people that need them can't afford them. So it takes someone who appreciates quality, has the bux, and likes Diesel. Cool.

It's really great to buy an old diesel Mercedes because they usually have a lot of life left in them and they are made very well. At least that was the case a few years ago. Now the older Mercedes are really getting old.


John

 

Yeah, that's funny. But try to look at the bigger picture. The average car getting 30 MPG and people interested in torquey performance. The EPA not ruining the fuel and mandating more and more polution controls, but instead, reducing polution by reducing consumption. That would be a much better place than where we are now. I'm not advocating big brother, but a values shift from 8 MPG single occupant vehicles, to being proud of your new 40 MPG diesel.

There is so much that could be done without affecting safety, convenience, or even performance for the most part. But who cares? And will they care after fuel reaches 5.00/gal? Where is the limit where people start to care enough to do something? And why not now?


John

 

Would love one, if not for 6'5" and way too fat.

They just aren't quite big enough, close though.

 

http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/b2/gr...urce=aol_quote

Just saw this today. According to the article, several utility companies are trying diesel hybrid service trucks as a pilot program.

Note the last line about the number and type planned.

Dan

 

If fuel milage was the goal of hybrids, then it would have made sense to base it on a diesel that has about a 30 to 50% fuel efficency advantage to begin with.

Hybrids mainly get sold to people who want to feel like they are doing something green, though, and a lot of those people equate diesels with loud, smoky and smelly motors.

Even though diesel exhaust is inherently lower in hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide, the sulfur and particulate carbon they do release is more visible...

 

You must have read my earlier post.

Also, with gas engines the engine is more invisible because of the low compression, low mechanical noise, and smooth starting. It's actually hard to tell if the engine is running on those things! People also think diesel fuel is harder to get. And, of course, as you say, they generally think of diesels as dirty. Oh well, time will fix that. The Prius is just a 1st generation hybrid.

Now that people see how well they work it's time for a diesel model with larger battery capacity and a smarter controller. Some people will reduce their fuel use to zero by plugging them in and telling the car that the trip is short and there's no need for the engine. Others will realize a mileage improvement.


John