Quote:
Originally Posted by tcar
Diesels are an issue here. In the EU, it's half the price of gasoline.
Here, it's MORE expensive than gasoline.
Also, it's hard to find it in some places here.
...and the EPA has a diesel issue.
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This is correct. They're a needless EPA issue at that as many diesels are more clean than gasoline-powered cars. Now, I'm not certain what sort of diesel fuel Europeans are putting in their cars (I refer to that smell). Potentially it's higher octane (?). But I do know not one of them plumed smoke and no smell came from their tailpipes in crowded heavy traffic cities like Rome and Florence.
In 2009, in the U.S., a person who bought a diesel could get upwards of $1,000 or more from the government for their purchase. A BMW 330d, arguably as fast as an M3, was a lot less in '09, particularly with $1,300 back from the U.S. govt. They evidently took a lesson from Euro countries who give buyer incentives for diesel purchases, such as tax rebates, less registration fees, etc.
I think the U.S. oil and car companies balked at the offer the U.S. govt made with its rebates on diesel, so the offer was taken off the table in 2010.
Regardless, in Europe, gasoline engine cars are regarded as "options," when purchasing, so a premium is paid. Here in the U.S., it's the opposite - diesel is an option, which is another reason one doesn't see many of them on the road.
I do know this: the little Fiat Panda is by far the easiest manual transmission car I've ever driven. Because of the turbo diesel's torque, I barely had to shift it once in traffic. But damn! When I hit the accelerator hard, that car burned rubber and scorched forward very unexpectedly. Plus 40 mpg when driven sanely. You just can't beat it.