I'm driving in my wifes Nissan Pathfinder and thinking about how nice it would be with a turbo diesel engine. The Pathfinder gets 19 mpg. VW has had really good success with their diesel cars here in the U.S.(with the 45mpg). The Jetta TDI has really good power and economy. What if that engine were in a Jeep or small SUV? 30mpg? It probably wouldn't be any slower than the 4 cyl gas engine. Worried about emissions? Bio-Diesel. Are there any suv or small trucks with diesel engines in different countries? andy

Oh, yeah, there are.

Go to Europe. And get this, you can get a Jeep Grand Cherokee with a 2.7 liter 170 hp Mercedes-Benz Turbo Diesel engine there....not to mention diesel M-classes, Nissan Patrols and Terranos (the European Pathfinders), Toyota Land Cruisers, Isuzu Troopers, etc, etc.

-Sam

Its the governments fault. When the E-class was updated in 2000 MB was going to give us their new 6 cylinder diesel but the government made it so hard that they just gave up on it, what a shame.
Subman

__________________
Factory trained Mercedes-Benz Technician
Look At My Website
-2002 C32
(E420 has passed away)
The best way to contat me is e-mail.

Radical environmentalists have brainwashed ignorant politicians into believing that diesels are inefficient, dirty, gross polluters, to the point that now there is so much red-tape and hassle to get a diesel-engine passenger car approved by the DOT, EPA, and everyone else who has their finger in the pie, many manufacturers have given up on diesel sales in the USA.

Sorry, I had to vent about that for a minute!

Mike

__________________
_____
1979 300 SD
350,000 miles
_____
1982 300D-gone---sold to a buddy
_____
1985 300TD
270,000 miles
_____
1994 E320
not my favorite, but the wife wanted it

www.myspace.com/mikemover
www.myspace.com/openskystudio
www.myspace.com/speedxband
www.myspace.com/openskyseparators
www.myspace.com/doubledrivemusic

A diesel SUV would be nice. How are the diesel engines from the "other guys"? I wonder what it would cost to buy one in another country and ship it over? Are they in Mexico? It's only a few hours away. I was also brainwashed into thinking that diesels were dirty rotten stinky polluters. I would see a school bus with all that black stinky smoke and wonder why they used diesel. I still don't like the smell of diesel, unless it's bio-diesel. andy

It also has to do with our fuel. Diesel in the U.S. still has a very high sulphur content relative to what is available in Europe. This high sulphur restricts the ability to deploy the latest exhaust scrubbing technologies - the sulphur poisons the devices, much like leaded fuel was a no-no when catalytic converters were introduced for cars. The sulphur content of fuel in the U.S is scheduled to be reduced, but not for another 6 (??) years or so.

The rant regarding anti-diesel eco-nazis in the US is also true. For reasons that I fail to grasp, the US seems to consider the particulate content of diesel exhaust much more of a health risk than does Europe. Not sure who's right. As well Europe has some concern about carbon dioxide output - which is much lower for diesels than for equivalent gasoline vehicles. The US doesn't seem to care about CO2 output in the least.

They SHOULD limit the diesel engine cars out there.. I can't stand that diesel engine sound .

And lets not forget the lingering effects on the average car shopper, from General Motors, ill fated, late 1970s diesel experiment on the American public.

Happy Motoring,
Mark

__________________
DrDKW

Snibble,

Newer diesel passenger cars have been refined to the point that, unless you're listening very closely, you can't even tell it's a diesel! Have you ever owned one, new or old?....It's not like they are all loud, rattly clatter-boxes, like an old GMC diesel truck or something! Sound is completely NOT an issue.

Mike

__________________
_____
1979 300 SD
350,000 miles
_____
1982 300D-gone---sold to a buddy
_____
1985 300TD
270,000 miles
_____
1994 E320
not my favorite, but the wife wanted it

www.myspace.com/mikemover
www.myspace.com/openskystudio
www.myspace.com/speedxband
www.myspace.com/openskyseparators
www.myspace.com/doubledrivemusic

No I haven't, but my ex-neighbors had those late 70's/early 80's diesel benz's and you could tell they were coming home blocks away...lol

They are probably still driving them, too! Noisy or not, they are DURABLE, amazingly well-designed cars.

Mike

__________________
_____
1979 300 SD
350,000 miles
_____
1982 300D-gone---sold to a buddy
_____
1985 300TD
270,000 miles
_____
1994 E320
not my favorite, but the wife wanted it

www.myspace.com/mikemover
www.myspace.com/openskystudio
www.myspace.com/speedxband
www.myspace.com/openskyseparators
www.myspace.com/doubledrivemusic

yep, I would say it was durable. The navy body of the car was pretty much crap, but it ran well. Plus, since the garage was under ground, the whole apartment complex would vibrate when the car was started. lol.

Hahaha...They do make a hell of a noise in a cement parking garage...I've noticed that when driving into one with my sunroof open...KLATTA KLATTA KLATTA!!!

mike

__________________
_____
1979 300 SD
350,000 miles
_____
1982 300D-gone---sold to a buddy
_____
1985 300TD
270,000 miles
_____
1994 E320
not my favorite, but the wife wanted it

www.myspace.com/mikemover
www.myspace.com/openskystudio
www.myspace.com/speedxband
www.myspace.com/openskyseparators
www.myspace.com/doubledrivemusic

Snibble,
Where you at in Cow-lumbus? Hope it wasen't me, or my sister waking you up with our mercedes-diesels? I live on the east side, reynoldsburg/blacklick aera, you?