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RE: Diesel cars- non LBC

To: "'Spridgets'" <spridgets@autox.team.net>
Subject: RE: Diesel cars- non LBC
Date: Sun, 10 Nov 2002 18:38:45 -0600
I'd like to chime in on this also.  I've had a chance to drive quite a
few diesel powered cars since I've been in Italy.  And I've been very
impressed!

My first thought was that the cars were going to be dog slow and noisy,
but that wasn't the case at all!  I've been able to drive a VW Golf GTI,
a Nissan Primera, Mercedes CLK 230, and a Audi A3, all diesel powered.
The VW was a turbo diesel, the Mercedes a force fed, and the Audi
naturally aspirated.  

In the city, these cars performed beautifully.  Lots of torque and very
responsive.  But in Europe, city driving is very slow and windy, since
there aren't any long, straight roads with no stop signs!

On the highway I was also very impressed.  The cars were doing 0-100Kph
in about 7 to 9 seconds, and passing acceleration (80-110Kph) was quite
quick also.  

Something that was missing on all of the cars was the distinctive diesel
knock, and plume of exhaust smoke.  On hard acceleration, you could hear
the difference between a diesel and a gas engine, but other times you
wouldn't be able to tell.

But, until there's a compelling reason to move to diesel in passenger
cars in the USA, they won't be offered.  There is a financial incentive
to use diesel in Europe, due to the difference in taxes between a liter
of gas and a liter of diesel.  If you drive less than 12,000 kilometers
per year, it's cheaper to buy a gas engine, but more than 12,000 per
year, diesel is much cheaper.

Oh, and a note of caution for those of you visiting Europe.  If you rent
a car, and you see "Gasolio" on the fuel gauge, that is NOT gasoline,
that's diesel.  Gasoline is called benzene.  And French fries in Italy
are called patatine.  I'm still working things out...<grin>

Greg Gowins (in Italy)
'69 Sprite (in California)

-----Original Message-----
From owner-spridgets at autox.team.net
[mailto:owner-spridgets@autox.team.net] On Behalf Of Jacques Le Clainche
Sent: Sunday, November 10, 2002 6:10 PM
To: Spridgets
Subject: RE: Diesel cars- non LBC

Pau A wrote:
"Perhaps a better choice for long commutes is a diesel.  It's not a big
chore to
maintain them and to set them up for hot or cold weather starting and
running.
Some of the small turbo ones perform as well as gas buggy's.

The european type quiet small diesels have not made it to this side of
the
pond
yet.  Too bad."

Too bad indeed... for three years in the late 80s I commuted from my
English
home near Peterborough to work in King's Lynn- a 82 miles round trip on
a
major highway. I had a Peugeot 205 with a 1900cc normally aspirated
diesel
engine. Slow on acceleration (nearly 14 seconds from 0 to 60mph), that
car
could cruise all day near its maximum speed of 90+ and was comfortable
to
boot! Can't remember what my miles per gallon figure was, but it was
very
good. The diesel was in no way as much fun as the 205 GTI I owned before
it,
but much more economical to run! I am sure the more modern diesels are
better.

Jacques Le Clainche

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