Quote:
Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy
This. Frankly it's baffling to me that we don't have more diesels. Excellent MPG without compromising performance. I always hear the line "Americans won't buy diesels", but then I also hear that it's difficult to find a VW TDi or some of the MB diesels because they're popular. There's really no need for all of the hybrid high-tech complexity, just get a car with the 100 year old engine technology for as good/better MPG.
I'm looking for a used compact truck 4x4 that will get decent MPG, in my mind the only truck worth considering is a Toyota Tacoma. With a 4-cylinder and a 5-speed it's a 24-ish MPG truck, and gutless as hell. Elsewhere you can pick up a diesel HiLux (Tacoma) 4x4, crew cab, diesel that will get 30+ MPG all day long and tow similar to a 1/2 ton. How can anyone claim that 30+ MPG trucks wouldn't sell here? Or 30 MPG full size SUVs?
|
While I agree with almost everything you've said here, it isn't quite "100 year old technology"
The real difference in the past 5 years has been very high fuel pressures and computer controlled injectors to allow multiple injections of fuel during a power stroke. All the urea injection is doing is cutting down on oxides of nitrogen in the tailpipe. The power has been made by that time.
My 2006 TDi is light years ahead of the previous TD I had and the current generation is almost as far ahead of my car. Mileage isn't that much better, but it's hard to argue with the torque the engines produce.
As an automotive journalist wrote some decades ago: people talk horsepower, but they drive torque. I almost never see the high side of 3000 RPM.
5 liters /100 Km is usual trip consumption. Poor mileage is 5.5 liters / 100 Km.
Like you, I would happily park a truck like my 2wd F150 (not the Ferrari) with a small modern turbo diesel in my driveway. I don't need 4wd, I don't need a crew cab, just an 8'bed and some torque to pull a 2 horse trailer with little fuss. (And I wouldn't mind getting better than 20 mpg with the thing, either.)
Cheers
Les