I must admit, every time that I have been to Europe I have
been amazed at just how many hi-performance Diesel
vehicles are available, and how popular they are
with the motoring public. The latest technological
enhancements have made Diesels more formidable
than ever before. The price of fuel (gasoline) is an
obvious reason for this disparity between here and
there.
The last (new) Diesel automobile that had any measurable retail
success here that comes to mind is the E-Class Mercedes-Benz.
We sold every one that they sent us. The demand was so weak
that it not longer made sense to import them (economies of scale).
We do sell Dodges, and the Cummins Turbo Diesel was
always one of my favorite trucks.
Anyway, there are a few noteable reasons for the failure
of Diesel here in the States:
1) Difficulty in finding Diesel fuel. Notice how Diesel fuel tank
capacity is always much greater than gasoline-powered vehicles.
Very few filling stations carry Diesel any more.
2) Environmental concerns / pollution. Modern Diesels burn
"cleaner" than ever, however the particulates in Diesel emissions
are big and nasty. The smell is awful too... :-/
3) Noise. Diesels have always been extremely l-o-u-d.
4) Performance. O.k., great strides/gains are always being
made in that department... Certainly, time will tell if Diesels
can ever match or exceed the performance of gasoline-powered
vehicles...
Btw, what ever happened to the prediction or popular belief
a while ago that two-stroke gasoline powered automobiles
would be commonplace in the 21st century??
:dunno:
Razzmatazz said:
I've always regarded the NA offering of BMW's as average.
I feel there is no excuse for BMW not allowing diesels into NA. I've seen the test reports on 3,5,7 and the new X diesels and they all seem like promising candidates for buyers in this country. How many MBZ diesels and turbo diesels are out there. Hundreds of thousands.
There are lots of buyers for these cars.
What's your take?
razzmatazz