MSN Article on Diesel Vehicles

[CAgnoli]

Contains the following:

Diesel Efficiency
Diesel-powered passenger vehicles are another fuel-efficient option.

Popular in Europe, diesel models are limited in their availability in the U.S. because five states—California, New York, Massachusetts, Maine and Vermont—prohibit their sale due to emission restrictions. Note that in contrast, gas-electric hybrid vehicles are sold in all states. Indeed, hybrids are far cleaner in many emission properties than even conventional gasoline vehicles.

Still, diesels are known for getting extra mileage out of every gallon of fuel. They offer better torque than many gasoline engines. And their price differential over gasoline models generally is much smaller than that for hybrids.

For example, Volkswagen's midsize 2004 Passat diesel sedan had a starting MSRP of just over $23,000. This compares with $22,855 for a comparable gasoline Passat model.

Yet the 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine in the Passat TDI, as the diesel models are called, puts out an amazing 247 lb-ft of torque at a low 1900 rpm vs. the 166 lb-ft of torque between 1950 and 5000 rpm in the 1.8-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine in the base Passat sedan.

The diesel Passat's fuel economy rating is 27/38 mpg, for a combined 32.5 mpg, and compares with 21/30, for a combined 25.5 mpg, in the gasoline four-cylinder Passat with automatic transmission.

Thus, if a driver maximizes the diesel's fuel economy and gets the 7 extra miles per gallon, it would take not even one year to recoup the approximately $200 extra charge for the Passat's diesel engine.

Other Diesel Matters
Some consumers, however, will object to having a diesel because these cars typically—though not always—are noisier than gasoline-powered vehicles. Some buyers also might object to the telltale odor that is associated with diesel vehicles.

And, not every urban filling station has a diesel pump. In some cases, a driver might need to venture farther from his suburban neighborhood to locate a place where he can fill up.

Nonetheless, diesel engines have been with us for a long time—the first diesel-powered passenger car was a 1936 Mercedes—and diesel engines are known for their durability. Hence, they're standard fare under the hoods of big semi-trucks.

Mercedes, which stopped selling diesels in the U.S. in 1999 and resumed sales in calendar 2004 with the introduction of the E320 CDI sedan, says some 200,000 diesel-powered Mercedes cars are still operating on U.S. roads.

__________________________________________________ _____________

Unfortunately, I live in NYS, so I can't purchase a Diesel powered automobile, but I can and do own a new CTD. Figure that out, I can drive a truck that gets 18MPG average, using diesel fuel, but can't buy a damn car that uses the same fuel, and probably has better emissions than my truck. I HATE this state.