Quote:
Originally Posted by Pavka007
96 Benz VS 06 Jetta??? 10 years apart... how about 06 Passat TDI and 06 MB E320 CDI?? Would you like to compare them?? They are at the same level. Jetta is equivalent of C class Mercedes, lets level the field if we are going to compare.
They are many Diesel Mercedes models and every one of them is miles ahead of any VW...unfortunately not a single one of them is for sale in the US 
A-170; A-200CDI ; B-170 ; B-200CDI ; C 200 ; C220CDI ; E220CDI... just to mention a few...
Every one of the above models is capable of returning 45+ MPG without breaking a sweat. |
A great point! When it comes to diesel powered automobiles, In the US we only see a TINY FRACTION of what is available in the world.
In 2000 through 2002 I spent a LOT of time in Europe, about half of that time in Germany. When you pick up your rent car in Europe and then start seeing the fuel gauge get low, you have to start investigating what fuel is required. With some of those cars you absolutely cannot tell that there's a diesel engine under the hood by driving it. They are quiet, powerful and smooth.
To VW's credit, they have been one of the few that has explored the US diesel market. There are better examples by other manufacturers to be found. As much as I disliked driving it, I rented a Citroen sedan in Sophia, France. It had a crazy manual load leveling rear suspension that made it a TERRIBLE car to drive, but it had the most quiet, powerful and smooth diesel engine I've ever driven. At one point I had gotten out of it and got a tiny tinge of diesel smell that made me investigate before fueling it up.
I am not proposing that we drive Citroens here, because it was a terrible car in many ways, but it gives you a glimpse of what diesels can do.