Diesel engines why not more available in smaller vehicles ?

[Lessmore]

Diesel engines are popular in domestic 3/4 and 1 ton pick up trucks. They are becoming popular in North America and are offered in more lighter duty pickup trucks than before ...the Ram 1500, Chevy Colorado/GMC Canyon, 2019 Ford F 150....and the 2019 Chevy/GMC 1500 series pickup trucks.

Mileage improvement, towing etc. are some of the benefits.

In Europe a good chunk of the sedans, SUV's/CUV's are offered with optional diesel engines and consumers buy them in significant numbers.

Why are diesel engines not optionally available in the bulk of sedans/SUV's/CUV's sold in North America ? I would think there would be a ready market for these diesel powered vehicles here.

[Bedlam]

Unfortunately, that majority is in a very confined area of the NW. You should appreciate the Electorial College verses popular vote. Can you imagine if NY and CA votes ruled the entire USA? That’s what we have here.

[NJRVer]

Bedlam wrote:
The politics in my area are skewed by one high density area which leans way past the left into extremes. It is not a reflection of the rest of the region but has enough like-thinking population to drive their ideas far beyond.

The NW is more popular for diesel cars than when I lived in the SW and SE but the Great Lakes area also had many diesel cars running around when most were normally aspirated back in the 70’s. I started with a normally aspirated diesel in a mini truck early in the 80’s which I sold in the SW - It had a 700+ mile highway range on a 17 gallon tank.

So the politics are skewed by the majority? LOL

[Bedlam]

The politics in my area are skewed by one high density area which leans way past the left into extremes. It is not a reflection of the rest of the region but has enough like-thinking population to drive their ideas far beyond.

The NW is more popular for diesel cars than when I lived in the SW and SE but the Great Lakes area also had many diesel cars running around when most were normally aspirated back in the 70’s. I started with a normally aspirated diesel in a mini truck early in the 80’s which I sold in the SW - It had a 700+ mile highway range on a 17 gallon tank.

[Lessmore]

Bedlam wrote:
There is a strong demand for diesel cars. I sold my TDI in four days from the time I posted an ad and got my asking price.

I can understand that.

VW diesels are popular in my area and complete electrical Vehicles aren't. My opinion is that the VW diesel gets very good MPG...in town, on highway, etc...the EV is limited in range, particularly in our long ( 5 1/2 month +), cold (periods of -25 to-30) winters...which significantly cut down the range..as does liberal use of the EV's heater.

The hybrids...part IC engine, part electric are more common than a pure EV...but still if you do some or a lot of highway driving up here...and you want very good MPG...a diesel or secondarily..a hybrid would be the choices. You don't want to run out of juice in the middle of nowhere at 25 below.

I have driven two VW diesels in the past. One a TDI 2012 Jetta, the other around a 1981 or so VW Rabbit...may have been the Golf...I can't recall the name.

The early non turbo VW diesel was ok, but painfully slow and noisy...the 2012 Jetta had real good low and mid range torque, was quiet...a nice car all around. I really liked the TDI..short shifting and letting the torque do the work was a nice, driving experience.

[NinerBikes]

Bedlam wrote:
There is a strong demand for diesel cars. I sold my TDI in four days from the time I posted an ad and got my asking price.

Your little spot in Washington state with a bunch of greenies that wanted your 2002 VW TDI that is capable of running on biodiesel, which is why they wanted it, does not represent the interests in diesel cars in the other 49 states. Keep in mind, you live in the Evergreen state, which is a big political statement about the state of affairs in Washington State.

You also want minimum wage to be $15 an hour in Seattle, because flipping hamburgers at McDonalds is a career that you should be able to get married, buy a house, and raise a family on, which is how the majority vote in WA. The rest of USA doesn't believe in that, certainly not employers, and certainly not McDonalds, they now offer automated kiosks to place your order at now, eliminating those $15 /hr cashier jobs.


The newer Common Rail TDI's run on nothing more than 5% biodiesel, the demand for them or pricing is a better idea of how people feel about smaller diesel vehicles. Not much, when I can buy a 2015 VW Passat TDI SEL loaded with 25k miles on it in January 2018, a $35K car new, 2.5 years later, for $16.5 K in Dallas, TX. That's a hell of a depreciation hit. 2.5 year old car with 25k miles on it, loaded, for $16.5k or 16 year old 2002, possibly bought in late 2001, $22000 list, for $6,000. There's a lot more 2012 through 2015 passat TDI's out there than 2002
TDI wagons. You live in the VW TDI freak capital of the USA.

I can assure you, you found a sucker for your 16 year old VW TDI. Especially with tha 01M autotragic transmission in it, that's known for failure right quick between 100 and 125 to 150k miles on it. Well known in circles on TDIclub.com, where many have offered transmission swaps from automatics to 5 or 6 speed manuals, because the replacement cost for the automatic was horrendous, at $5000 a pop, and the old transmissions were not rebuildable, as well as the MPG on the autotragics being 20 to 25% less than the 5 speed manuals which easily saw 48 to 51 mpg. An automatic was lucky to get over 40 mpg in that model TDI you owned.

There's 40 million people where I live, in the state of CA... there aren't a lot of TDI's your age for sale, most of them are in the junkyard, VW stops supplying spare parts 10 years after end of production of a model.

[Bedlam]

There is a strong demand for diesel cars. I sold my TDI in four days from the time I posted an ad and got my asking price.

[8_1_Van]

Prosecutors in Germany have imposed a $1.2 billion fine on Volkswagen for rigging diesel engine emissions worldwide.

The €1 billion ($1.2 billion) penalty was announced Wednesday by public prosecutors and the company, which said it was hoping to turn a page on a scandal that has rocked the company and killed industry sales of diesel cars.

http://money.cnn.com/2018/06/13/investing/volkswagen-fine-germany/index.html

[ShinerBock]

NinerBikes wrote:


What year is your 328d and how many miles on it? I just picked up a used 2015 VW Passat TDI SEL with 25k miles on it in TX for $16,500. Granted, front wheel drive, and 150 HP 240ft lbs torque, but it's great at 80 -85 MPH on interstate, and easy on fuel, too.

It is a 2014 with 40k. I did end up doing the downpipe and the 220rwhp/370rwtq tune about a month ago. The torque pull at 1,700 rpm is just amazing for such a small car especially in sport mode which makes the throttle and steering a little more sensitive along with stiffening up the the suspension dampeners a bit more. I mainly keep it in comfort mode on the highway unless I am on the back roads and want to have a little fun on the turns. I rarely use Eco-pro mode which has trans disconnect to help you coast along with other things to improve fuel mileage.

I have been enjoying the tune too much to see any mileage gain, but I am still getting 43 mph hand calculated which was what I was getting before the tune if I drive it normally. I figure once I settle down and stop driving like a kid on a gogart then I should see a few mpg gain. I don't know when that is going to be because the darn thing just begs to be driven that way.

[Bedlam]

Everything works, but my wife wanted something different. We are the original owners. I'll send you a private message instead of continuing this on the forum.

[NinerBikes]

deleted

[Bedlam]

You're right. I was looking at older ones for an off-road swap and got my codes mixed up because that one is rated for the same horsepower I have. Ours is a 2003 with automatic, leather and moon roof. About 104k miles and no salt or snow driving with our MK4 - My 4wd's always handle the snow and ice events instead of the low slung VW.

[NinerBikes]

Bedlam wrote:
My VW TDI 1.9 AHU is going strong after 15 years. My DW got tired of driving the same wagon, so I have been using it when I don't ride my motorcycle. I should sell it, but it is a nice ride when it's raining...

AHU is in 97 and 98 jetta tdi's only, state side. If it's a jetta wagon, the motor on a 2000-2003 jetta wagon is an ALH. How many miles on your ALH and is it driven on salted roads?

[Bedlam]

My VW TDI 1.9 ALH is going strong after 15 years. My DW got tired of driving the same wagon, so I have been using it when I don't ride my motorcycle. I should sell it, but it is a nice ride when it's raining...

[NinerBikes]

ShinerBock wrote:
Back on the topic of diesels in smaller vehicles. The warranty on my 328d is finally up and I decided to celebrate with remap tune and a new downpipe. Should bring the 2.0L diesel to about 220hp/370lb-ft at the wheels(roughly 250hp/425lb-ft at the crank), but I will do a few dyno runs to make sure. That is a **** ton of torque in a compact car that weighs less than 3,500 lbs.

Oh darn, I guess I won't be legal in California anymore. Good thing I never plan on going there.

What year is your 328d and how many miles on it? I just picked up a used 2015 VW Passat TDI SEL with 25k miles on it in TX for $16,500. Granted, front wheel drive, and 150 HP 240ft lbs torque, but it's great at 80 -85 MPH on interstate, and easy on fuel, too.