Yes, the systems are indeed very effective at cleaning up emissions, but my point wasn’t that they weren’t effective, it’s that they’re a bit more failure prone than many of us would like. Maybe that’s just the technicians’ point of view, which admittedly can be skewed when most of your experiences are ONLY of…

I love the E320 CDI. The 2005-6 model with the I6, no DPF, no SCR. It was dirtier, sure, but that’s also a big part of the reason why they were reliable for maintenance. DPFs can last under the right conditions. Adblue/DEF systems, on the other hand, seem to be a lot more problematic for more people. And if you get a…

So, let me get this right. A 1.5L diesel can only muster 30 MPG highway in this setup? Yet Car and Driver did a real world 42 MPG in a 1.6L diesel Equinox doing 75 MPH on pot-hole riddled Michigan roads?

Yeup. It ain’t easy making diesels these days.

Even with VW’s egregious cheating case, it is not mandatory to “give” the vehicle back. They constructed the settlement to be as consumer friendly as possible. You’re 3 options were as follows:

You’d be right. They have to meddle with it, make it run “richer” to reduce NOx a little more effectively, but that generates more soot, clogging the filter faster.

The unfortunate thing about many of the exhaust aftertreatment systems and even variable geometry turbos in modern diesels means they tend to have more reliability problems when driven more in stop and go city driving than on the highway. They are absolutely the best tool for the job when it comes to long distance…

I will add to the above statement that the vast increase in diesel vehicle use PRIOR to them cleaning up their act with DPFs and the like has indeed done Europe’s air quality no favors. The direct emission of particulates from diesels along with higher output of NOx that then in certain areas goes through that…

Consider the time frame in which Europe began to incentivize diesels: early 1990s.

It was pretty epic for its time... And it is also far more realistic than any of the CGI shit you see these days... And with good reason. You see it as filmed. Edited with several takes, I’m sure as with any film, but there were no computerized exaggerations happening.

I don’t see the 3.2 as being any rougher than the 2.8 4 cylinder on offer in the Colorado... In fact, it ought to be a fair bit smoother than any large displacement, high compression diesel 4.

I’ve got a friend who works for Ford and confirmed to me months ago the Ranger was infact going to be offered with the 3.2L I5 diesel. I didn’t prod about the gas engines because, as my name suggests, my interest in them for normal workday vehicles is low.

Eh, VW did eventually offer a more upscale non-GLI Jetta with the IRS and very nice interior. Sometime around 2012 or 13 model year I remember working on a few “SE” models with the 1.8TSI engine that were so equipped when I worked at a VW dealer. The diesels eventually would be offered with that trim as well if so…

I dunno man, 180 hp and 280 ft-lbs of torque is significantly more than what VAG was getting from their 4 cylinder diesels in this market... Should have scooted the fairly small 3 series perfectly adequately, though the AWD did make it a bit heavy for the size.

There are so many new gas direct injected vehicles that burn oil so severely that realistically you could just change the filter every 10,000 miles and never change the oil, because you’re constantly topping it off with fresh stuff anyway... lol

Too bad Honda’s AWD is next to useless...

Yeah, I get that.

That would have put Mansell and Senna both as defectors to IndyCar in the same year. That would have been very interesting.

The EU vs. Germany deal is an interesting one. From speaking with a couple friends who owned fairly old used cars when they lived in Germany (not on a military base, either, there on a Visa, fully subject to all their rules) the TÜV (governmental body that oversees the inspections of used cars for both safety and…

Spot on.