http://www.latimes.com/classified/automotive/highway1/la-hy-benz19may19,1,4138299.story?coll=la-home-highway1 (free reg. req.)

FYI, I drive through the L.A. port area (Alameda corridor), and have been spying CDIs on the transport trucks. It kinda hurts knowing that they're just passing by, on their way to the lucky states...

I drove though SoCal a couple of months ago. Amazed at how many stations were offering diesel, and how rare a diesel car or pickup truck was.
Around here it is the other way around. Lots of diesels, particurly pickups and SUVs, although the VW TDI is seen often, but it can be a problem to locate diesel at times. Maybe 1 station in 15 offers it.

You're right. For as "common" as diesel pumps are around here, you would think the landscape would be littered with diesel-powered cars and pickup trucks.

But in L.A., gasoline rules. Gas-powered SUVs, LARGE sedans, and high-end sports cars dominate the landscape. That's not meant to be a slam against those vehicles -- just stating the case that diesel cars are kind of ignored. Or how diesel manufacturers ignored L.A. Up to anyone's interpretation, I suppose.

We'll see how the CDI fares once it gets here...

One reason diesels are in short supply in CA is that the state's smog rules are so tough that manufacturers can't get them certified for sale in the state. This is mainly because of NOx emissions. But lots of studies are starting to show that NOx isn't such a big contributor to smog as previously thought -- in fact under some conditions it may help reduce smog.

That said, I don't know why diesel pumps at CA gas stations are so plentiful. They are in my area, too. I do know that diesel trucks and SUVs are becoming more popular because of the reliability/longevity issues, but that seems to be a recent phenomenon.

With all this in mind, it's ironic that CA is one of the first places in the nation where low-sulfur diesel fuel is being offered. It's required here on a faster timetable than anywhere else in the nation. BP and Arco are already supplying it statewide. Ironic, but a good thing.

Anyway, reviews like this one of the new M-B will help convince more people that diesels aren't what they used to be. Maybe the bureaucrats will eventually hear it, too.

California diesel is also some of the best in the nation, with a 48 minimum cetane rating. But the formula costs extra at the pump, especially during a gasoline squeeze. Just paid $2.27, with many CA stations charging more than $2.50 for diesel.

But for those irked at cumbersome regulations, remember the 1970s, when flying into Los Angeles was like submerging into a sea of crap. No more Stage II and III smog alerts, and few Stage Is.

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'91 300D 2.5 Turbo 330K
'00 VW TDI Golf, 190K
'67 BMW R50/2
'73 Norton Commando Interstate

Thanks for making that point. We do have clean fuels and emission limits for a reason. It's not just to stick it to the consumer. This is hard for people who don't live in smoggy places to understand. But just because your town doesn't look like L.A. doesn't mean you don't have air pollution. A recent EPA report showed that half of Americans live with unhealthy air quality every day. It's just not thick enough to see all the time like in L.A. or Atlanta or D.C.

I'm about 50 miles east of LA in Riverside. Diesel pumps are busy, but mostly with PU's. Prices are down this week to $2.29, down from $2.49 a week ago. There are a few MB diesels around, MB gassers are less common here than in LA.

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69 220D not running
79 240D parts car
80 240D Beater runs everyday
81 300TD temp disabled cooling problem
82 300SD sweet

This is a good sign...

I paid $2.25 up here last week, down from $2.33. Maybe this is the start of a trend... *fingers crossed*

I just got word that Denver is making all gas stations sell "cleaner" gas.

Gas $1.89-2.11
Diesel- $1.84-1.96

BTW, the "cleaner" gas will cost about $0.25/gal more

You're right, one of the things that got me to give up internal combustion activities for a long time was hanggliding, when you get up a few thousand feet and top out into an inversion layer, you fly up into a murky purple layer, but when back on the ground and looking up through it the thin way it's imperceptible. Nasty, and it's up there alot!

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'84 300SD veg-oil bliss
'83 300SD veg-oil beater

i saw the first new CDI the other day at a houston dealership, and it had CA plates. havent seen one from tx yet.

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1991 300 D 2.5 Turbo, 220k
also in the family:
1981 240 D 185k
1991 350 SD 185k
2006 S 500
2005 SLK 350

That's wierd, because you can't buy a CDI in CA. Notice the LA Times review: It was written in Chicago, by the Tribune -- for a reason.

__________________
'91 300D 2.5 Turbo 330K
'00 VW TDI Golf, 190K
'67 BMW R50/2
'73 Norton Commando Interstate

Yeah, I thought it a little odd that they ran the review at all, and then the fact that you can't buy it in CA was buried way down in the story, so it probably misled some people. On the other hand, maybe it helps prove to people that diesels aren't what they used to be. Now if only we could buy one of those Smart diesel cars here. $50k for a CDI is way beyond my budget.