It's difficult to understand the antipathy towards
> diesels in the US.
Simple. The diesels sold here are by and large very primitive. Mostly in
pickup trucks, they're rough and noisy.
When in Italy last June, we rented a Renault (!) diesel convertible. We were
all surprised and very, very pleased. It ran smoothly and quietly, and got
amazing mileage. The most noticable thing was the 4500 rpm redline, but the
six speed transmission more than made up for things. All the American list
members are probably laughing loudly now, at the thought of a Renault
(French cars do tend to self-destruct upon arrival at American ports), but
I'd buy one today.
I understand the European diesels are expecially popular due to tax breaks,
but the economy and good performance must stand for something.
I just read in Autoweek about a challenge between two Mercedes diesels (not
that economical) and a new Lexus hybrid SUV. Guess what, in a cross-country
trip, cost the least to operate? The diesels.
Bill Pearce
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