The new CDI bluetec diesels are pretty quiet. Sat beside a new ML320CDI at a stoplight and couldn't hear a "John Deer". The diesels are getting quieter (or they're insulating them better for the same result).

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ARVY

1999 E430
1999 C230 Kompressor
1992 300E (write-off)
1984 190D 2.2 (sold)

Well, even with premium gas, most of my older gasser Benzes got pretty lousy city mileage - in the 13 to 15 mpg range, and on a really good day struggled to get much over 20 on the highway. At least my slow, rattly 240D manages over 20 mpg in city driving - a few mpg better than my '98 Altima gets in town. As the diesel is my second car, usually, I'm only filling it about once a month, so my pain at the diesel pump is tolerable.
Compared to a Civic or Corolla, maybe my 240D isn't so economocal, but a Civic or Corolla just isn't the same.
(Besides, I paid under $300 for the 240D, with a decent repaint, and I haven't seen any late-model Civics or Corollas for that price!)

Happy Motoring, Mark

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DrDKW

Yeah I spent a few hours driving around inside one a few weeks ago, not bad. If I were buying a new MB I'd consider a CDI. Can't get AWD in the E class CDI though.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

World Crude Oil Production
2005 73,805,000 bpd
2006 73,543,000 bpd
2007 73,188,000 bpd

The real question is how long will you be able to buy diesel at any price.

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1982 300TD 279K.
1984 190D 5sp 265K

That is the most thought linked answer on the net today except for the Wall Street Journal. BTW today's print edition had a few tidbits of info RE: China and Saudi Arabia. China's demand is not going down anytime soon and the Saudis signed a $20 billion defense and heavy infrastructure equipment purchase, mostly with the US. DATE THIS POST and look for OPEC to tighten the tap sometime after Jan '08. They have been like clockwork over the years.

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1987 300D (230,000 mi on a #14 head-watching the temp gauge and keeping the ghost in the machine)
Raleigh NC - Home of deep fried sushi!

2.99 p/gallon now here in west Houston.SUX!!!!

North America has the largest easily accessible coal and shale deposits in the world. Illinois, alone, has more coal remaining than Saudi Arabia has ever had in oil assays. Recall from History class (20th cent. WWII) the Fischer-Tropsch process (means by which liquid hydrocarbons are extracted from coal and/or shale) kept Germany in WWII. It was the sole means of fuel supply then. Ukraine, Chechnya and North Africa were never held long enough to be fully exploited.

See also, http://www.azom.com/details.asp?newsID=9157

So, 200 years with no wells on the continental shelf or off the west coast of Florida.

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1987 300D (230,000 mi on a #14 head-watching the temp gauge and keeping the ghost in the machine)
Raleigh NC - Home of deep fried sushi!

I guess I'll take the bullet. WVO price has not gone up one cent! And you can not run it in a gasser!

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1985 300D burning WVO using 26 FPHE, half gallon heated fuel filter,glow plug heater,home made injection line heaters. Home made cold air induction. ALDA full out.
2003 F350 7.3(the last of the great motors)
1987 Paint Horse-non running too, just walks!

diesel prices will go down when the dollar goes up. That probably won't happen within the next 4 years. I think it's gonna take the next Pres. about 3 years to get a recovery going. And of course the industrial revolution in China IS that big sucking sound you can't hear, but if you look in your wallet, you can find evidence that it's happening.
mike

You can't hear the sucking sound but it sure does suck when the cashier at the grocery store keep saying bigger and bigger numbers as the weeks go on.

One of my favorite econ professors used the analogy of an oil tanker. There is NO WAY to do anything quick and between any control input and result is a long wait. Right now our interest rates are remarkably low (compared worldwide.) It keeps exports high and unemployment low. The good news is the Chinese gov't can only manipulate exchange and interest rates for so long before they are right back where they were 10 years ago.

Bottom line? give it 12 to 18 months, especially if you are in the market for a house, THEN buy.

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1987 300D (230,000 mi on a #14 head-watching the temp gauge and keeping the ghost in the machine)
Raleigh NC - Home of deep fried sushi!

Yes, I am chiming in a little bit late, but just today, after diesel HAD been oh so slowly dropping a cent here and there, it shot up 12 cents. And we just KEEP ON feeding the Chinese economy, as we keep on taking it on the chin.

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1996 E300 D
1992 300D
1990 Ford E-350 7.3 Diesel AKA "the Deep Fryer"

Go find a copy of "The World Is Flat" and read it. There will be a quiz later.

Our current goverment is giving our country away. Our labor is going to 'cheap labor' countries while our country suffers. The products we get back are of very poor quality but not cheaper to the final consumer. The rich get richer, the poor get poorer. I just hope the next group can realize that this type of bussiness can not last. If things don't change, our country will be owned by other countries (a lot of it is now) and we will loose all our freedoms we have now.

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84 500 SEL (307,xxx miles)

Get used to rising fuel prices. You'll look back fondly at the ones we are paying now.

Peak oil + rising world demand = we gotta come up with another living arrangement is we want to continue our present standard of living.

I prefer to give my fuel $ to the guy here in town who owns the biodiesel processing facility.

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300TD W124, Two VW TDI Passat Wagons,Cummins Ram 250, Kubota Tractor
23 cylinders sipping the sweet sauce of the soy bean

Unfortunately, I don't think there's any biodiesel facility in my town!

Happy Motoring, Mark

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DrDKW