The ~60 MPG Diesel is Back

[DiamondDave]

2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDi Test Drive: Clean Diesel’s 50 MPG Meets Prius-Humbling Thrust - Popular Mechanics

I had a 2000 Jetta TDI... factory specs had it listed as 49MPG highway, but with K&N Air filter and a few cheap modifications, I had her running at about 54MPG pretty regularly... I miss that car, but unfortunately teen and pre-teen kids really don't fit well in the back of a Jetta.. so I sold her off after 250K miles, and she was still running great (and my neighbor says she still IS running great after 400K)

Then with all the enviro-nazi bullshit that was put out there... the MPG on the diesel VW's went down for a while... TDI versions were only getting about 38MPG highway after the Gore crazed weirdos tried to put even more restrictions on the engine outputs

But it looks like the TDI is back and better than ever.... and actually still good for the environment AND fuel use, especially compared to gas vehicles.. and they are cheaper to run than the maintenance intensive hybrids.. not to mention diesel engines last a lot longer, and a longer lasting vehicle means less vehicle construction needed

I have always wondered why the US market has always seemed to shun away from diesel use, except in semis and huge pickup trucks.. maybe now we will see a growth in the use of diesel... and that is a good thing

 

[k2skier]

2 stroke diesels are all over Europe, good engine design. The only issues with emissions I remember were the mid 70's cars when unleaded and emission standards was first introduced, man what a pain to work on...

 

[elvis]

2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDi Test Drive: Clean Diesel’s 50 MPG Meets Prius-Humbling Thrust - Popular Mechanics

I had a 2000 Jetta TDI... factory specs had it listed as 49MPG highway, but with K&N Air filter and a few cheap modifications, I had her running at about 54MPG pretty regularly... I miss that car, but unfortunately teen and pre-teen kids really don't fit well in the back of a Jetta.. so I sold her off after 250K miles, and she was still running great (and my neighbor says she still IS running great after 400K)

Then with all the enviro-nazi bullshit that was put out there... the MPG on the diesel VW's went down for a while... TDI versions were only getting about 38MPG highway after the Gore crazed weirdos tried to put even more restrictions on the engine outputs

But it looks like the TDI is back and better than ever.... and actually still good for the environment AND fuel use, especially compared to gas vehicles.. and they are cheaper to run than the maintenance intensive hybrids.. not to mention diesel engines last a lot longer, and a longer lasting vehicle means less vehicle construction needed

I have always wondered why the US market has always seemed to shun away from diesel use, except in semis and huge pickup trucks.. maybe now we will see a growth in the use of diesel... and that is a good thing

Gore's responsible for that decline? One more reason to hate that bastard.