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  #1  
Old 05-29-2000, 07:08 PM
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My dealer (in southern Ontario) told us that they were informed that MB will no longer bring diesel engines for the automobile market into North America! Apparently the emissions cannot be met with the poor quality of our diesel fuels. Anyone else hear anything about this?

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  #2  
Old 05-29-2000, 08:17 PM
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That could be one of the reasons, but more than anything, I think it is because the sales of the D's are down. The fuel is about the same price now. (There is currently no emmisions requirement for diesels.)

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  #3  
Old 05-30-2000, 09:31 AM
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Thank our current administration in DC. They have pushed the EPA into phasing in very stringent new emissions standards which are aimed at SUVs, diesels in light trucks and eventually, heavy trucks. Fuels are regulated also. It might be possble for a manufacturer to design and certify a diesel for the upcoming standards, but would there be enough demand to justify the cost? Probably not. The situation is much the same as it was for gasoline engines in the seventies. Anticipating these new standards is one of the reasons MB introduced their new series of gasoline engines. Perhaps as the technology is developed MB will reintroduce diesels, but don't expect them any time soon.
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  #4  
Old 05-31-2000, 09:59 AM
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Location: Bismarck, ND, USA
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Blaming poor quality fuel seems like a pretty lame excuse on the part of Mercedes Benz, considering that VW can continue to import and sell its fine TDI powered cars. My daughter has a 1999 New Beetle TDI, and it's an amazing powerplant: powerful, quiet, almost smoke free, and very fuel efficient. Large diesel powered trucks are very popular around here, too. I certainly hope that the political situation stabilizes, because I sure would like to be able to buy a new Benz diesel one of these days.

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  #5  
Old 06-01-2000, 07:28 AM
LarryBible
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Benz can offer whatever lame excuse they want, but I believe that the real reason they won't offer them is the same reason they have turned their back on us manual transmission fans. It costs an enormous amount of money to certify a stick or a diesel, and they're skimming off the top of the market, rather than actively promoting these products so that they can sell enough units to make money. It's much easier to take the easy pickin's and let us diesel and stick shift enthusiasts do without.

Larry
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  #6  
Old 06-01-2000, 02:08 PM
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True, Larry. MB has became a mass-producing company now rather then the old day, quality firm. MB has to sell as many cars as they can so they can keep updating every 2-3 years to keep up with Japanese....

That's sad...

Andy Kuo

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  #7  
Old 06-02-2000, 11:05 AM
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I hate to get into this, but I think blaming MB or saying that this is a quality issue is completely off base. ALL manufacturers including VW, Ford, GM and Dodge are seriously worried about these new diesel regs. As it stands diesels may well disappear from all light trucks also. Before Bill, Al and Carol Browner imposed these rules MB intended to bring in the new series of electronically injected common rail diesels that are being introduced in Europe. This issue is actually before the Supreme Court. The case tests whether the EPA can impose rules without fully studying the economic impact. Our neighbors to the north seem to follow us for the most part. I've been involved with M/B engines and cars for over thirty years and they have always sold what they thought they could sell in the North America. The north american cars have been substantially different in standard equipment and specification since the mid-sixties. As far as quality goes, I thought they had dropped until I actually owned one. My E430 has been the best, most reliable M/B I've ever owned (beating my 1983 240D that just turned 156,000 miles, hands down). The only M/B that that I've owned that even comes close in my experience was the 113 chassis cars (230/250/280SL). My 250SL with 150,000 miles has been a great car, but not perfect. I think the big difference is that the hand work is gone and the way carpets and trim are installed are very different, but who could afford to pay for that any more? I know I can't. As an aside, I've wondered, and many folks have complained, that the doors on the newer cars don't close with the same sound. As I was going through the Model Year 1994 C-Class Introduction Manual (I've a 1995 C280 also) I found this: Doors - The seals have been increased in diameter to reduce closing effort and noise. I found similar language regarding the door latches. So it appears M/B intentionally changed the sound in what they perceive as an improvement. All this is just my opinion, of course.
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  #8  
Old 06-02-2000, 12:48 PM
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Vince,

To me, I think it's not off the base, but it's a fact, and is the trend in automotive world. VW has, and still brining desiel powered Jetta/Beetle in US/Canada. And I can tell you that Beetle TDI drives like a gasoline, feels like a gasoline car, and almost smoke free.....If VW can do it, why can't MB???

However, 1 point that I am 110% with you, is that car makers will move their attention to hybrid/combine power cars(like Honday Insight)....and I believe it will be as populour as Toyota Echo in the next 5 years or so...

Andy Kuo

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  #9  
Old 06-02-2000, 02:14 PM
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MBUSA is willing to bring diesels into the US market. The dealers have no desire to import because they would have to cover the cost of certification through lost margin and since a lost sale of a diesel generally means the sale of a gasoline model they are satisfied. Over the life of a car, dealers make about 5 times the profit on a gasoline model as on a comparable diesel model.
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  #10  
Old 06-02-2000, 03:34 PM
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So much for giving the customer what they want. The old "the customer is always right" is dead and buried as far as MBUSA is concerned.

Larry
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  #11  
Old 06-02-2000, 03:49 PM
PaulC
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I thought I read in a recent issue of Star magazine that Mercedes was planning to import an S-Class diesel with a twin-turbo V8. Did anyone else read this?
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  #12  
Old 06-02-2000, 04:00 PM
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PaulC,

Yes, I have read that, too. About 1 1/2 year ago. And they stated that S-Class Desiel should be here at the same time as S55 AMG. But after that press, no words about desiel has be given....

Time will tell....
Andy Kuo

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  #13  
Old 06-05-2000, 09:41 AM
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This was in the May-June 2000 issue of Star, on page 17. It discusses upcoming models due this Fall, including an E-Class diesel and a SINGLE turbo v8 S-Class tenatively badged S400 CDI.

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