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The VW sounds okay.  Both the Golf and Jetta have TDI models.  Pretty expensive, though.  Twenty three grand is well into Mini Cooper niche/boutique territory for what isn't really a niche/boutique brand.  And you'd need to save a lot of gas to make up for the five grand difference in price between the TDI and the gasoline models.

Regulatory: As I understand it (as always, I may be wrong), we don't have diesels due to the way diesel emissions are regulated in the US.

Can't see it being because of old associations with the engines.  At least not beyond pushing the cars for a couple years until people see that they're not all those things anymore.

Conservatives want live babies so they can raise them to be dead soldiers. - George Carlin

by Drew J Jones (myfriends@thisispancakes.com) on Thu Jan 14th, 2010 at 08:47:12 PM EST
[ Parent ]
ASAIK diesels are also cleaner than petrol engines - certainly in terms of CO2 emissions.  There is no technical justification for the 5K price differential.  Diesels are only marginally more expensive to produce than petrol engines when produced in large volumes.  It must be the low volumes sold in the US that creates the differential - that plus VW making money where they can.  German manufacturers are not noted for price discounting to gain market share.

notes from no w here
by Frank Schnittger (mail Frankschnittger at hot dotty communists) on Thu Jan 14th, 2010 at 08:57:21 PM EST
[ Parent ]
I drove a VW diesel for 5 years, Compared to a Ford Petrol of roughly the same capacity, it worked out on Fuel that we were saving roughly £40 per week, the only thing that worked out worse was that like all deisels it was expensive in front tyres with the heavier engine.

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Thu Jan 14th, 2010 at 10:13:15 PM EST
[ Parent ]
That was probably the old 1.9L diesel which had good low end torque but v. average diesel economy.  The much newer 2.0 Litre is supposed to be a big improvement in refinement, economy, and performance - but I have never driven it.

notes from no w here
by Frank Schnittger (mail Frankschnittger at hot dotty communists) on Fri Jan 15th, 2010 at 07:38:31 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Jesus, how many miles were you driving per week?

Conservatives want live babies so they can raise them to be dead soldiers. - George Carlin
by Drew J Jones (myfriends@thisispancakes.com) on Fri Jan 15th, 2010 at 07:45:29 AM EST
[ Parent ]
About 270 miles a week

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Fri Jan 15th, 2010 at 09:34:31 AM EST
[ Parent ]

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