Author Topic: Stylish car with decent mpg  (Read 20189 times)

Offline Conrad

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Re: Stylish car with decent mpg
« Reply #80 on: August 15, 2012, 11:21:05 AM »
A small Diesel vehicle here has too many things going against it. Car makers don't make a lot of money on small cars, in fact, some may lose on every one they sell. The big money is made in the optioned out huge trucks and SUV's. They sell the small cars to make the CAFE standards so they can make the big cars to make big money, why do you think Porsche, Lexus, and MB are making those silly Hybrids? Another is the price of furl here is still WAY low compared to the rest of the world, a Diesel isn't something most Americans will look at until the price of gas goes to about $6-8 dollars per gallon. Another factor is the Diesel itself, most Americans think they are big, noisy, clattery, smoky, slow, leaky, converted gas engines and expensive. Wrong on all accounts. A minor factor is the sheer amount of money it will cost to certify a Diesel in this country, most makers simply gave up trying to satisfy EPA and put money into getting more mpg out of gasoline engines. So, with all that in mind, I don't see any Diesels coming to the U.S. anytime soon even though every single maker offers a Diesel in every single market and model they sell in other countries. Make a stripper small car with no power anything, no blue tooth, no mytouch/synch/onstar, etc... make it a Diesel and sell it for under $15,000 watch them fly out the door, oh, wait, I think KIA or Hyundai will do it in a few years and watch the other companies play catch-up.

Another minor issue (maybe not so minor), is how stupid some people are. If small diesel cars were more common can you imagine how many people would 'accidently' fuel up with gas instead of diesel? This happens more than you would think already. If I did that in my Sportwagen I'd be looking at a HUGE repair bill, ~$6k at the dealership.   

"Another factor is the Diesel itself, most Americans think they are big, noisy, clattery, smoky, slow, leaky, converted gas engines and expensive. Wrong on all accounts."

You got that right Boss! My JSW is so quiet that people can not believe that it's a diesel! No smoke, very little noise, great economy, and stump pulling torque down low. Plus it has a 6 speed DSG trans that shifts like a dream.
Northern Illinois   Silverdammit '08 C-14 ABS

"Don't bother me with facts, Son. I've already made up my mind." -Foghorn Leghorn

Offline sherob

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Re: Stylish car with decent mpg
« Reply #81 on: August 15, 2012, 11:24:26 AM »
The first company to offer a small truck with a diesel will wipe the floors... Toyota HiLux or even the Ford Ranger in South America would clean up!
Rob
Brighton, CO... missing Texas!

Offline gPink

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Re: Stylish car with decent mpg
« Reply #82 on: August 15, 2012, 12:06:08 PM »
We could then convert coal to diesel and dump terrorist oil.

Offline Outback_Jon

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Re: Stylish car with decent mpg
« Reply #83 on: August 15, 2012, 12:36:23 PM »
The first company to offer a small truck with a diesel will wipe the floors... Toyota HiLux or even the Ford Ranger in South America would clean up!
I was thinking along the same lines.  A small or mid-sized truck/SUV (I like my Trailblazer) with a diesel that's designed more for economy than towing would be great.  (Light towing ability a must, but not the massive ability of full size truck diesels)  Give me a small turbo-diesel with power delivery similar to my 4.2l I6, and I'd be thrilled!  And that should be able to easily beat the 16~17mpg I get out of gasoline/ethanol.
"Outback Jon" Gould *** South Cairo, NY *** COG #9506 *** 2006 C10 "Blueline" *** CDA #0157

Offline Scaffolder

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Re: Stylish car with decent mpg
« Reply #84 on: August 15, 2012, 04:08:09 PM »
Jeep tried it with the Grand Cherokee, but failed. I believe it was a 3.7 liter. Oh and $40,000.
Nothing wrong with working for General Motors. Hopefully they are not Designers or engineers. Hyundai and Kia are really cleaning house with everything they do. I just wish the U.S. car companies could put up a fight somehow.
Joel from Maine.

Offline graham downunder

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Re: Stylish car with decent mpg
« Reply #85 on: August 15, 2012, 04:35:52 PM »
You think companies have to spend huge amounts of money to certify a diesel version with the EPA,your are wrong as most of the teat results for others countries or regions are very similar . Euro emision standards are achived and recorded these same figures are just applied to the EPA application. It is simply they do not know what will happen 5-10 years out with the car market if engines are diesel because they last much longer.People will not need to replace them as often and they will be more valuable second hand . So the nations car fleet get's older= less sales

Offline Jeremy Mitchell

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Re: Stylish car with decent mpg
« Reply #86 on: August 15, 2012, 05:18:21 PM »
The Audi Q7 and VW Toureg both come in TDi varients, but they are quite spendy.  I read something a while back that Chevy/Isuzu were working on a smaller (3.5 V6 IIRC) version of the Duramax for use in a mid sized SUV. 

I would be happy with an old school 4BT Cummins (3.9 liter 4 cylinder) in my Jeep.  Great fuel mileage and they make plenty of torque.  If only money grew on trees.........
Keeping the economy going, one tank of fuel and two tires at a time.

Offline jim_de_hunter

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Re: Stylish car with decent mpg
« Reply #87 on: August 15, 2012, 07:07:53 PM »
Hopefully they are not Designers or engineers.


Father-in-Law was a Corvette Engineer.   Did the seals to hydro-form the frame rails and roll bar.  Put him out to pasture as soon as he finished the ZO6.


2006 ZG1000 "The Blue Monster"

Offline jim_de_hunter

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Re: Stylish car with decent mpg
« Reply #88 on: August 15, 2012, 07:10:40 PM »
Sorry.  Back on Topic.  I added Rally Stripes to my Stylish car with decent mpg.



2006 ZG1000 "The Blue Monster"