6 ms·

Americans really want to drive diesels. There is a huge demand for diesel volkswagens. The supply just isn't there; maybe there is a lag between cost-unconsci

by blhack 12y ago

Americans really want to drive diesels. There is a huge demand for diesel volkswagens. The supply just isn't there; maybe there is a lag between cost-unconscious new-car buyers [ordering new cars], and cost-conscious used-car buyers [buying what the new car buyers leave]. Source: I used to work in the automotive remarketing industry.

ams6110 12y ago
They can be good cars. For years I drove a 25 year old Mercedes 300D. It was cheap to buy, nice to drive and extremely reliable. Unfortunately rust finally got it.
- Scramblejams 12y ago
  Might be a great car to drive but I've lost count of the times I've cursed a 300D in front of me for fouling the air I'm breathing. They're just awful to follow in traffic.
  - ptaipale 12y ago
    Modern diesels are quite different, though. They've got particle matter filters so not much smoke coming out.
    - Scramblejams 12y ago
      May be, but as far as I'm concerned those 300Ds can't rust away fast enough.
  - ams6110 12y ago
    They are certainly not as clean as a modern diesel but if they are properly adjusted they aren't bad. Most of the smokey ones probabley haven't been maintained for years.
    - mschuster91 12y ago
      In Germany we have mandatory 2-year checkups by a licensed inspector (TÜV/DEKRA) for normal cars and 1-year checkups for trucks, buses and taxis. This includes not only a visual inspection of all safety-relevant parts of a car but also a check of the emission values. How is this handled in the US?
      - alirazaq 12y ago
        About the same in California; mandatory emissions check every 2-years. In the case of a private sale, if the owner has not had it inspected within 90-days of sale the buyer is required to have it inspected upon registration. There are exceptions with older (vintage) cars, and relatively new cars. As with most things, these laws vary from state-to-state, and even county-to-county within said states.
        panglott 12y ago
        California is known for having the toughest regulations in this area. Kentucky had a limited emissions inspection regime from 1999-2005, when it was killed by the Republican governor. The only current inspection requirement I know of is if you purchase an out-of-state used vehicle. We have plenty of ancient cars on the road that have never been inspected. Sometimes police officers will pull you over if you have obviously-broken headlights or such, and tell you to fix it, but not often.
        maxerickson 12y ago
        Wikipedia has a decent article about where in the US emissions testing is required: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicle_inspection_in_the_United_States
      - theandrewbailey 12y ago
        It's on a per state basis, and sometimes per county. There's no inspection in Ohio, but an annual one is required in Pennsylvania. Also in certain counties of Pennsylvania, an emissions test is required for anything that's not a heavy duty truck. I wish they would require them for everything because I have to hold my breath every time a dump truck comes by. Source: I have an appointment for car inspection this morning. Edit: certain counties
jcastro 12y ago
Loved our Volkswagen Sportwagen TDI. One of the problems is that VW that they add premium options to the TDI marque. So you can't get a bare bones Jetta TDI without the highest trim level, fancy wheels, and other things that add to the cost. On top of that the gasoline ones are efficient enough where the price difference becomes a non-factor, even when taking the MPG into account. They are damn fun to drive though, torquey without the compromises of a 4 cylinder gasoline engine. The used market on the sportwagens is great too, which is why we ultimately traded it in for a Tiguan since the demand for the wagens was high enough to make that a relatively easy financial decision. Unfortunately VW doesn't do diesel Tiguans in the US, which is weird, you'd think the SUV market would be a no-brainer for TDI.
- Fomite 12y ago
  I seriously considered the Golf TDI, and didn't mind the premium options, but I ended up not liking the high-torque of the turbo diesel on the front (both my wife and I could picture us slamming into the back of someone in DC traffic), and went with the GTI instead.
  - ajtaylor 12y ago
    I owned a 2009 Golf TDI and loved every minute of it. The car was simply a blast to drive. In the 18 months I drove the Golf I didn't have any issues with high-torque. In fact, the turbo lag guaranteed you wouldn't slam into the car in front of you unless your foot was firmly planted for multiple seconds. The fantastic fuel economy was the icing on the cake.
  - huuu 12y ago
    Are you serious? Isn't the GTI still faster?
    - deleted 12y ago
      [deleted]
    - Fomite 12y ago
      The GTI is faster but has less up-front torque. The issue was not hurtling down the highway at high speed (both can do that perfectly ably), but the feeling we both got that the combination of early torque and turbo lag just begging for the car to surge forward unexpectedly and rear end someone. The GTI gets rid of one of those problems, and is a spectacular car in its own right.

by blhack 12y ago

ams6110 12y ago

They can be good cars. For years I drove a 25 year old Mercedes 300D. It was cheap to buy, nice to drive and extremely reliable. Unfortunately rust finally got it.

Scramblejams 12y ago
Might be a great car to drive but I've lost count of the times I've cursed a 300D in front of me for fouling the air I'm breathing. They're just awful to follow in traffic.
- ptaipale 12y ago
  Modern diesels are quite different, though. They've got particle matter filters so not much smoke coming out.
  - Scramblejams 12y ago
    May be, but as far as I'm concerned those 300Ds can't rust away fast enough.
- ams6110 12y ago
  They are certainly not as clean as a modern diesel but if they are properly adjusted they aren't bad. Most of the smokey ones probabley haven't been maintained for years.
  - mschuster91 12y ago
    In Germany we have mandatory 2-year checkups by a licensed inspector (TÜV/DEKRA) for normal cars and 1-year checkups for trucks, buses and taxis. This includes not only a visual inspection of all safety-relevant parts of a car but also a check of the emission values. How is this handled in the US?
    - alirazaq 12y ago
      About the same in California; mandatory emissions check every 2-years. In the case of a private sale, if the owner has not had it inspected within 90-days of sale the buyer is required to have it inspected upon registration. There are exceptions with older (vintage) cars, and relatively new cars. As with most things, these laws vary from state-to-state, and even county-to-county within said states.
      - panglott 12y ago
        California is known for having the toughest regulations in this area. Kentucky had a limited emissions inspection regime from 1999-2005, when it was killed by the Republican governor. The only current inspection requirement I know of is if you purchase an out-of-state used vehicle. We have plenty of ancient cars on the road that have never been inspected. Sometimes police officers will pull you over if you have obviously-broken headlights or such, and tell you to fix it, but not often.
        maxerickson 12y ago
        Wikipedia has a decent article about where in the US emissions testing is required: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicle_inspection_in_the_United_States
    - theandrewbailey 12y ago
      It's on a per state basis, and sometimes per county. There's no inspection in Ohio, but an annual one is required in Pennsylvania. Also in certain counties of Pennsylvania, an emissions test is required for anything that's not a heavy duty truck. I wish they would require them for everything because I have to hold my breath every time a dump truck comes by. Source: I have an appointment for car inspection this morning. Edit: certain counties

jcastro 12y ago

Loved our Volkswagen Sportwagen TDI. One of the problems is that VW that they add premium options to the TDI marque. So you can't get a bare bones Jetta TDI without the highest trim level, fancy wheels, and other things that add to the cost. On top of that the gasoline ones are efficient enough where the price difference becomes a non-factor, even when taking the MPG into account. They are damn fun to drive though, torquey without the compromises of a 4 cylinder gasoline engine. The used market on the sportwagens is great too, which is why we ultimately traded it in for a Tiguan since the demand for the wagens was high enough to make that a relatively easy financial decision. Unfortunately VW doesn't do diesel Tiguans in the US, which is weird, you'd think the SUV market would be a no-brainer for TDI.

Fomite 12y ago
I seriously considered the Golf TDI, and didn't mind the premium options, but I ended up not liking the high-torque of the turbo diesel on the front (both my wife and I could picture us slamming into the back of someone in DC traffic), and went with the GTI instead.
- ajtaylor 12y ago
  I owned a 2009 Golf TDI and loved every minute of it. The car was simply a blast to drive. In the 18 months I drove the Golf I didn't have any issues with high-torque. In fact, the turbo lag guaranteed you wouldn't slam into the car in front of you unless your foot was firmly planted for multiple seconds. The fantastic fuel economy was the icing on the cake.
- huuu 12y ago
  Are you serious? Isn't the GTI still faster?
  - deleted 12y ago
    [deleted]
  - Fomite 12y ago
    The GTI is faster but has less up-front torque. The issue was not hurtling down the highway at high speed (both can do that perfectly ably), but the feeling we both got that the combination of early torque and turbo lag just begging for the car to surge forward unexpectedly and rear end someone. The GTI gets rid of one of those problems, and is a spectacular car in its own right.