I heard that one of the reasons that diesels are NOT popular in the US in
cars is that we all remember all those bad early 80's diesel engines. I
remember trying to work on a couple of those I was never a happy camper. If
I remember right some of them were really just converted gas engine blocks
that didn't have the engineering or design to be a long lasting and
dependable diesel engine.
Since we have always associated big trucks with diesel engines the US seems
more accepting in that area of the market place.
With the price of fuel in most of the rest of world so much higher than here
(I think It was about 1 gbp per liter in the UK this summer which if I did
my math right was over $7 a gallon) I think that the more efficient diesels
are more readily accepted in places like that. It is interesting to note
that it seems the diesel is very popular in most other parts of the world,
although I have to think they had to live through several generations of bad
diesels too. Interesting also in the US, that it is difficult to find a
stick shift car on a new car lot. Even if the automatic is an 'option' the
problem is all the cars seem to have that option. If you want an automatic
rental car in Europe, you had better ask for it special because even the
rentals are mostly manuals. (which by the way is an interesting experience
in England to throw in learning to shift with your left hand as well as the
whole drive down the left side too).
I have to assume that diesels will eventually catch on again in cars here in
the US as I think some of those small displacement TDI cars in Europe out
perform the hybrids here in terms of fuel performance, especially if you do
alot of highway driving.
Speaking of old technology that spooked me.... Anybody remember the system
in the 80's Cadillac had to turn their 8 cyl engines into a 6 and then a 4
based on power needs to get better fuel economy? I heard that system was
very unreliable and most people disconnect it and ran them as straight V8's.
When I first heard that this technology was coming back, I was personally
spooked, thinking that it was going to be like a 1980's replay all over
again. I've now heard that the technology is much better. Anybody have one
of those? Does it work as well as advertised, and do you really get the mpg
gain that they promise?
Steve
> chalk and cheese. those old diesels were TERRIBLE!
> high end diesels have come a long long in the last 5 or 6 years.
> i had a choice between the 3.0 diesel, the 4.2 v8 petrol or the 5.2 v10
> petrol.
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