Best compact-midsize diesel cars available in US?

[Tosh]

The main reason diesels aren't offered here (gov't bee essence aside) is that Americans haven't demanded ANY kind of high MPG cars until now. So only now are manufacturers (VW and M-B aside) considering offering diesels, but now they are having trouble meeting stricter emissions regs.

For instant higher MPGs, the no-brainer would be to offer smaller gas engines in the existing lineup, but this hasn't even happened here. Consider the Camry, Accord, and Altima: Even though each company makes nice small engines, the smallest available engine is a 2.4 or 2.5 liter. In Europe, one can get a 1.6 liter gas engine in an Audi A4 (along with 3 diesel options - doh!), for example, and most other mid-sized cars are also available with small engines, gas and diesel.

The simple truth is that the average American car buyer simply doesn't care enough about fuel economy yet. (And those few who do are forced to get a hybrid or a subcompact.) Gas prices just aren't high enough! Yesterday, they said on Marketplace that the adjusted price of gas in the US is the same as it was in 1982.

By the way, I noticed you can get a new M-B M-class (SUV) diesel now, along with the E-class.

 

[Cutehumor]

I can't find any diesels listed for any 2007 volkswagen models. only the 2.5L, 2.0 Turbo. did they drop them?

 

[a4tdi]

Cutehumor,
VW isn't offering any Diesels to the NA market for 2007 and they are eliminating the Pumpe Duse engine for a new common-rail design for the 2008 model year.

 

[wavinwayne]

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Cutehumor,
VW isn't offering any Diesels to the NA market for 2007 and they are eliminating the Pumpe Duse engine for a new common-rail design for the 2008 model year.

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Which VW spec. oil will the new VW diesel use?

 

[Cutehumor]

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Cutehumor,
VW isn't offering any Diesels to the NA market for 2007 and they are eliminating the Pumpe Duse engine for a new common-rail design for the 2008 model year.

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thanks for the info. when my 96 sunfire kicks the bucket, I'll definitely be in the market for a reasonable priced fuel efficient vehicle.

 

[rjundi]

I inquired from a friend who has owned nothing but VW diesel for about 30 years.

The 2004 (maybe 2005) Passat TDI has a 100k timing belt change interval. Also what made it a hoot to drive (much better than 1.8T IMHO) was the 247 ft-lbs of torque at 1900RPM !!! He has had very good luck with it at 80k now. He commutes approx 110 miles/day

although 4 days a week.

 

[Tornado Red]

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I can't find any diesels listed for any 2007 volkswagen models. only the 2.5L, 2.0 Turbo. did they drop them?

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Volkswagen couldn't meet the 2007 EPA regs, so they built lots of extra 2006 models. I figured those would all be gone by now, but some dealership have lots of them. And a few of them are even offering prices below MSRP and good financing! I think they could get more, but some of these models have a lot of bells and whistles so are around $25k or even higher.

That's still a pretty good deal, considering that used TDIs are selling for outrageous prices. Some 2003 models are now selling for more than when they were new. And some 2001 models are only a few thousand less. Unless you live in a CARB state, it makes more sense to buy a new one than a used one.

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Which VW spec. oil will the new VW diesel use?

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Probably VW507.00, and all the earlier specs will be phased out. All the current 507.00 motor oils are 5w30, and they seem like pretty good stuff. But we will have to wait and see if API CJ-4 oils will work okay.

 

[zippy753]

I'd love to see more diesels offered.

I have an 83 Mercedes diesel with over 300k miles - it has been a brilliantly reliable car and has lots of miles left to go. I haven’t had any major repairs in the 7 years I’ve owned it, just standard maintenance.

They hold up well here in LA, and you can pick one up for around $3000 (and I can sell it for about the same prrice I paid for it 7 years ago). I took some coworkers out to lunch and we were joking how much nicer it rides and looks than another person’s 2003 Nissan. I don’t, however, take it on long trips because it is so old and I don’t trust the condition of the bits and pieces I can’t see. We strictly use it for around town.

The 1976 Mercedes 240D diesel is in the book of records for going over 2.8 million miles by a Greek cab driver.

 

[Rico567]

A friend has an '82 Mercedes 300D wagon. No interest in a noise-box like that, although the new diesels are a wholly different animal.....I'd just like to see some offerings on the market! Right now the only thing in passenger vehicles are from Mercedes: the E320 CDI sedan (Bluetech, which may or may not be available as I write this; if not, very soon) and the ML320 and R320 CDIs (non-Bluetech), which can be bought today. At 50K-plus sticker prices....not interested.

VW is supposed to be back in the market in the U.S. with a Jetta model next year, Honda sometime....the rest seems to be talk. Not particularly good prospects, unless you're willing to wait 2 or 3 years.

 

[biomed_eng_2000]

American's care about performance, that is why we don't want smaller engines like in Europe. It takes our bigger engine with higher hp and tq to haul around our bigger butts.

In Europe, I saw very few obese people, and when I did, they started speaking "American".

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The main reason diesels aren't offered here (gov't bee essence aside) is that Americans haven't demanded ANY kind of high MPG cars until now. So only now are manufacturers (VW and M-B aside) considering offering diesels, but now they are having trouble meeting stricter emissions regs.

For instant higher MPGs, the no-brainer would be to offer smaller gas engines in the existing lineup, but this hasn't even happened here. Consider the Camry, Accord, and Altima: Even though each company makes nice small engines, the smallest available engine is a 2.4 or 2.5 liter. In Europe, one can get a 1.6 liter gas engine in an Audi A4 (along with 3 diesel options - doh!), for example, and most other mid-sized cars are also available with small engines, gas and diesel.

The simple truth is that the average American car buyer simply doesn't care enough about fuel economy yet. (And those few who do are forced to get a hybrid or a subcompact.) Gas prices just aren't high enough! Yesterday, they said on Marketplace that the adjusted price of gas in the US is the same as it was in 1982.

By the way, I noticed you can get a new M-B M-class (SUV) diesel now, along with the E-class.

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[Cutehumor]

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American's care about performance, that is why we don't want smaller engines like in Europe. It takes our bigger engine with higher hp and tq to haul around our bigger butts.

In Europe, I saw very few obese people, and when I did, they started speaking "American".

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so true.

Yesterday on Memorial day, I went to see Pirates of the carribean 3. Well I saw two obese people waiting in the front of the theatre. I saw a skinny guy drive up in his sedan to pick them up so they wouldn't have to walk to their car. The theatre parking lot was packed and we had to park far away too.

 

[Tosh]

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American's care about performance, that is why we don't want smaller engines like in Europe. It takes our bigger engine with higher hp and tq to haul around our bigger butts.

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No, Americans care way more about status than anything else. That's why every model comes with leather, automatic climate control, extra chrome, etc. And it's why Americans want a brand new car every couple of years, even though it might be just a KIA.
If Americans demanded performance, Toyota wouldn't have pulled the Supra, Celica, and MR-2, Chevy wouldn't have scrapped the Camaro (weak example), Mazda would sell more RX-8s, the Mustang wouldn't be the fat retro poser it is, there would be a Focus WRC here, and Honda would offer some of the Type-Rs everyone else gets.

 

[Black Bart]

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American's care about performance, that is why we don't want smaller engines like in Europe. It takes our bigger engine with higher hp and tq to haul around our bigger butts.


The simple truth is that the average American car buyer simply doesn't care enough about fuel economy yet.

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Yes that is true except on BITOG.
I own 8 vehicles and one of them is a highly modified Corvette. I'm a devout Corvette owner bought my first one back in 1964 and I hang out some on Corvette Forum and Corvette Action Center and all that is talked about is improving performance and making more power.
On BITOG all the talk is about little cars and fuel mileage.
The fuel that I have to use in my Corvette I have shipped to me in 50 Gal. drums and it costs over $7.00 per gal.
Those who are complaining about the cost of operating a 40 mpg car using $3.50 per gal. fuel would just die if they had to pay my fuel bill.

 

[Bill in Utah]

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Those who are complaining about the cost of operating a 40 mpg car using $3.50
per gal. fuel would just die if they had to pay my fuel bill.

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No, I'm complaining that I drive 100 miles round trip daily with 44mpg and gas at $3.20!

You or I would not be driving your corvette on that schedule!

Take care, bill

PS: Yes, I would die with your car. Someday I will own a Vette and be happy with its stock performance.

 

[Black Bart]

No, I'm complaining that I drive 100 miles round trip daily with 44mpg and gas at $3.20!

You or I would not be driving your corvette on that schedule!

Take care, bill
VERY TRUE
Sounds like it is time to find a job closer to home

 

[The Critic]

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No, I'm complaining that I drive 100 miles round trip daily with 44mpg and gas at $3.20!

You or I would not be driving your corvette on that schedule!

Take care, bill
VERY TRUE
Sounds like it is time to find a job closer to home

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My dad drove 200 miles a day roundtrip for more than a decade.

My neighbor drove 270 miles a day roundtrip for 15+ years.

 

[Junior]

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Here 40 miles from Los Angeles diesel is going for $3.05/gal while gasoline is selling for $3.44/gal. I'd say thats a big difference... At work (110 miles from LA) diesel is in a similar situation - almost 50 cents cheaper than gasoline.

This not the case elsewhere in the US?

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Here its $3.20 for gas vs $2.99 for diesel.

The problem I see here for diesels is once the temps drop (yes even with the winter blend) diesels have issues starting up.

Add a cold snap with summer blend and you do see co-workers / neighbors with their diesels not running or starting well.

It always starts and runs no matter what fuel blend or temps.

Take care, bill

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While some diesels do have issues starting in the cold, that is the exception and not the rule. I have seen OTR trucks with N14 Cummins start at -5F unaided. Smaller diesels are easier to start. With good grid heaters, -20 should be relatively easy.

 

[Bill in Utah]

[quote
While some diesels do have issues starting in the cold, that is the exception and not the rule. I have seen OTR trucks with N14 Cummins start at -5F unaided. Smaller diesels are easier to start. With good grid heaters, -20 should be relatively easy.

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No plug ins anywhere here. Not at work, not at the mall, none.

If there is a plug in, its at someones home.

Thats the problem with diesel. Also, I've seen quite a few Fords and VWs not start up when its single digits or when we get a surprise cold snap in the spring. They switch over to the summer blends and it freezes here.

I work overnight and everyones car/truck sits for atleast 10 hours before trying to start.

I think the OTR trucks don't have a issue due to the better batterys they carry around.?

Take care, Bill

 

[1sttruck]

Checking reports once in awhile on people starting their Dodge trucks with the Cummins diesels, they seem to do fine down to around -30F to -40F, using either the block heater or just cycling the grid heaters a couple of times. This requires winter blend fuel and/or a decent additive to make sure that the fuel doesn't gel. Everyone notes that they make a bit more noise when it's that cold.

Dodge diesels are popular in Alaska and Canada, so they aren't that cold blooded.