What is wrong with diesel?
Senior Member
Posts like a Supercharger
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 199
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From: Margate, UK
Diesel engine maintenance is expensive for the average consumer. Thats probably why it has never taken off in the US. Fleets can usually absorb the costs, but I dont know if I would like buying air and fuel filters at $50 a pop. Also, ever run out of gas in a regular car? Just gas up and go. Try that with a Duramax.
Filters for diesels over here are the same as for gasoline engine cars, oil, air, fuel, oil for diesels is around the same price, although all else being equal it needs more frequent changing. A half million miles lifespan is normal for modern diesels too, million mile engines are quite common.
Run out of diesel in a modern European car?, diesel up and go just like a gasoline engine, even if you have ignored the warning lights on your way through your 450+ mile tankful. We have come a long way from the industrial Perkins engines shoehorned into a range of cars and the slug like rattling smokey Mercedes, Peugeot & Opel Taxi specials.
Keeping up with traffic is no problem any more. The European market diesel VW Golf is faster 0-60 than the GTI, although isn't as fast on the real world roads it is fair to say but still eminently satisfactory.
When a good automatic transmission designed to work with diesel engine characteristics becomes available they will be much more acceptable IMO
Roger.
Last edited by MouSe; Dec 10, 2011 at 10:32 AM. Reason: Double post
Senior Member
Posts like a Supercharger
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 199
Likes: 0
From: Margate, UK
Sorry, I boobed; post # 33 got sent before I'd finished, can admin delete it please?.
I think biodiesel is a blind alley, at the moment if all the land devoted to food crops in the USA was turned over to producing biodiesel it might make enough to supply the nations requirements for a few days.
Roger.
I think biodiesel is a blind alley, at the moment if all the land devoted to food crops in the USA was turned over to producing biodiesel it might make enough to supply the nations requirements for a few days.
Roger.
Member
Posts like a V-Tak
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 61
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We have plenty of diesels here, just most of them are trucks. We have lots of service stations with low sulfur diesel, even with added biodiesel. We're trying to keep up with you guys across the pond 
Senior Member
True Car Nut
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 9,616
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From: western,ny state
Senior Member
True Car Nut
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 9,616
Likes: 594
From: western,ny state
im afraid they will price it out of its intended market though like the volt. the cruz eco is already to expensive for an economy car and they will probably raise the price on the diesel 4-5k. so if they end up as expensive as the jetta i would rather have the jetta.
Senior Member
Posts like a Northstar
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 596
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From: Neligh, Nebraska
Yeah, IMO the Jetta is built better and has a better history with diesel too. Not bashing Chevys, but it'* the truth. I'm not really in favor of what VW did to the interior quality on the new Jetta though.
