I'm surprised that a small 4-cyl diesel pickup couldn't get upwards of 30 mpg, frankly. As far as CAFE, another retarded idea foisted on us by the cretins in Washington. Instead of just taxing fuel more and letting the market decide how exactly to use less of it.

Problem with CAFE is that it tends to distort the market in ways that end up being less efficient.

I'm sure a diesel pickup about the size of a '78 Ford Courier would break 30 mpg. The EPA wouldn't like it and the OEM's don't think it would sell enough units to be worth the trouble to get it legally sold over here.

Why would the EPA not like it? Quite a few diesels have been recently approved for US sale. The problem is the average idiot American consumer, who thinks that bigger is better. Plus, bigger IS better since what, over 50% of the population is obese. Oink-oink-snuffle-WHEEEEEE-WHEEEEEE! Gotta have those wiiiiide bucket seats. Not to mention a loooong cab, to be kind to fat-worn old knees.

What really killed the small trucks like the Ranger is the price. There is a preconceive notion that the small truck should be really cheap. But the facts are they are priced similar to a full sized pickup. Why buy a Ranger, when for a small amount more you can have a F150 that is bigger and more comfortable.



.

I believe the straight 5 is 220-sumptin' HP. It moves that 2WD one along quite nicely! :D It does sound a bit different.

Why buy an Acura when a Suburban would do just fine? You're paying for engineering, not paying by the pound -- it's not a frickin' sausage. Though I'd rock the whip below, no matter what the MPG:

Your correct. But the majority of folks will look at that they are buying by the pound.


Look at the 2012 Ranger (the "world" model we can't get here that includes diesel options ), it is 90 percent of the size of a F150 because people literally want more for the same price.



.

The diesel emission standards in the U.S. are out of whack and drive the cost of diesel vehicles up way higher than they should be. This isn't as big of an issue on a $50,000 E-Class, but if you're trying to get a small pickup out the door for under twenty grand, it becomes a huge problem.

Isn't the Golf TDI just north of $20k?

They start at 25...the TDIs are commanding a premium

I'd look for a late 90's Nissan or Toyota.

Isuzu sold a turbo diesel 4 cyl truck in the US at one time which was a good little truck. Needless to say they are hard to find in good shape nowadays. In addition, they seem to bring a premium on the used car market if they are not rusted out.

I would have to agree with Skippy and spdrun. A small PU should be able to easily crack 30 MPG- my 7300# Dodge can do 24, so 30 should not be out of reach. Years ago, a friend of mine had two Mitsubishi TD PU's, and the 2WD could break 40 on the highway. The problem with the emissions is the Punishment Agency's requirement of keeping the NOX standards so low. They insist on a 99% clean engine where a 95% clean engine would be cheaper and more economical, and the environment wouldn't know the difference.

I think a small, $25-30K diesel PU that could get a real 30-35 MPG and offer decent performance (150-200HP) would be a runaway seller, and it wouldn't steal business from the full-sized segment. They're common in most of the rest of the civilized world.

They're pretty common in the parts of the uncivilized world I've been to as well.

lol, every time I cruise the open forum, you are angrier about less. :D

Crossover seems to be the new wagon. People like to sit up higher = visibility. Personally, I definitely prefer the much higher stance of my work van over my commuter VW. I can see traffic better.

G-d knows why I might want a (new) car that's practical without driving like a truck. Every time I've rented a crossdresser, I've had the following observations:

Poor rear visibility: check.
Feels awkward and tippy: check.
Makes worse MPG than the equivalent sedan or wagon: check.

What is there not to like, huh? And maybe if the SUV trend hadn't got started, visibility around mobile mastodons wouldn't be such an issue. The average American auto buyer deserves to be painlessly euthanized. Nothing more, nothing less.

Fortunately, VW still have some offerings (Jetta and Passat wagons), though they're watered down and cheapened for the US market. Along with the Prius wagon and Honda Fit.