Be honest - what are you thoughts on Turbo direct injected engines.

We are soon about to purchase another vehicle for long distance trips. Regardless I would like you opinions on Diesel powered vehicles in general.

History, Pro's and Con's, Stories, Experiences and General Knowledge.

I am reading sites like this and generally finding out a little more on the topic.
http://www.stealthtdi.com/2000VWTDI.html 

An extract from http://www.jettatdi.8m.com/ 

Mercedes-Benz Plans Diesel E Class in U.S. for 2004
DETROIT -- DaimlerChrysler AG's Mercedes-Benz unit plans to offer a diesel powered version of its 2004 model E Class sedans, reintroducing passenger car diesel engines to the U.S. market after a gap of several years, a company executive said Wednesday.
"We need to bring diesel back," said David Schembri, vice president for marketing for Mercedes-Benz USA . Mercedes hopes to gain certification for its diesel in 50 states, he said.
During the early 1980s, Mr. Schembri said, Mercedes sold as many as half its cars with diesel engines, and many Mercedes customers want the diesel option back, he said.
"Diesels have a history of far less maintenance. People have diesels that have gone 400,000 to 500,000 miles," Mr. Schembri said.
Diesel engines for passenger cars largely went out of fashion in the U.S. market during the 1990s, in part because of customer perceptions that the motors were dirty and rough running. Tougher environmental regulations aimed at potentially cancer-causing diesel engine soot have also discouraged auto makers from investing in diesel for the U.S.
But auto makers, under pressure to boost fuel efficiency, are pushing to reintroduce American consumers to modern high-tech diesels that have won wide acceptance in Europe. Germany 's Volkswagen AG has had considerable success selling a diesel version of its Jetta small car. Ford Motor (NYSE: F - News) Co . executives recently said they intend to offer within five years a clean-running diesel for the Ford Focus small car that would meet tough new clean air rules.
-By Joseph B. White, The Wall Street Journal; 313


Above - Diesel: Volkswagen has built a competition version of its TDI diesel engine that produces 170 hp, two fewer than a VR6 gas engine, but with 27% more torque. It was installed in a Group A Golf racer with an eye towards endurance racing: It will need to be refuel only ever four hours. (Car and Driver [March 1997]).

* April 1999, the Golf IV version of the racing diesel is now running around 245hp and around 370 ft/lbs torque from a 5 cylinder TDI.

OK, they're good but...

There are two main probs for you Bronze:

1. - you couldn't afford one (no offense, I couldn't either)

2. - I think it'd be heavy, as diesels have to be to handle the high compression ratios.

The main prob will be the cost. My conversion turned out cheap because jap half cuts are cheap. I have never seen a euro half cut and would expect a euro price tag. Jap half cuts are cheap because of japans weird tax the hell out of 2+yr old car laws.

4 or 4.5 litres per 100 kays. always good. Especially if you were doing lots of kays between Dubbo and Newcastle. Pays itself off the more you drive it.

Dave Becker has got one, you should talk to him. I think they would be pretty good. Nice smooth power I'd reckon.

If you're into that H2O thing of course

I think the best thing about diesels is that you can make your own fuel for them - all you need is a supply of old fish-n-chip oil from any suitable shop, some methanol and some caustic soda (to make Methoxide) and use that for the transesterfication process to make a perfectly suitable veggie van etc (with soap as a buy-product).

It mixes with normal diesel or can run a diesel engine all by itself with no loss of perfomance.


I don't mingd the idea of sitting behind a diesel and smelling fish-n-chips instead of diesel stink either!

good but more expensive to maintain when things go wrong. I imagine this is because fewer deisel mechanics who know they can inflate their prices - lack of competition.
-
Kombis are good distance tourers.
just ask Amazer.

Yeah but kombi aircon only starts to work at 60 kmh. Tdi aircon works at idle.

I would probably swap my lancer for a Tdi golf.

Diesels have an important future, for the reasons mentioned above and then some. Japanese cars have 25% of the US market but only 12% of EU in part because they don't have a range of diesel passenger cars. Ironically, diesel is cheaper in Japan than it is in Australia, even with the exchange rate!

In Germany you can buy diesel Golfs from 50 to 110kW, including 74, 96 and 110kW 4Motion. I'd love one. see volkswagen.de and click on "daten" when you reach the model pages. And then forget about ever seeing one in Australia.

Toyota released the Prius in 1997 and the Estima (Tarago) 4WD Hybrid in 2001, Mazda have just released a Hybrid diesel Titan light truck. Hybrid diesels are the future even more so than petrol hybrids. Since you can put a compact electric motor on each axle and power it without a transmission, 4WD is an easy option.

I think that diesels will slowly make inroads to Australia but we need to wait about 5 years.

Diesels are every where in the UKL & Europe. The new ones are really quiet and you hardly notice the difference from a petrol engine. When we were in the UK in Xmas 99 we used a 99 diesel 406 Pug 4 door. Great car, quiet and fast 90 mph down the M1 no problem. Economical too.

I'd have a auto TDi in an instant for a New Beetle engine - 1100 kms per tank! The torque is as great as my 1.8t's torque, and usuable from idle, which is great for running an auto transmission.

The new VW TDi engines will not come here until 2004ish as the sulfur content in our diesel is too high and the new generation cat convertors simply coke up and die.

Hopefuilly, once our fuel matches that of the Europeans (10 ppm instead of 500+ ppm), we can get the new TDi diesels here again.

Andrew

I like the way my 3L diesel hilux pulls a loaded car trailer or horse float from idle!
Try that with a petrol engine. returns 11km/litre light loads But only 7-8 when towing serious loads.

my 96 tdi golf was awesome - around 1100-1200km per 55 litres - manual - also had an auto - around 950km for the same

what a car:thumb:thumb:thumb:thumb:thumb

If you're travelling outback - they're a must! Many remote areas out here have outlawed petrol (it's not politically correct to mention why) and for off-road the torque of a diesel is the max. If you're looking to set a quarter-mile record, forget 'em, modern diesels are great (especially the turbos) but they excel in torque and a limited rev range. They'll never have the outright acceleration of petrol cars, but if you're a sensible driver they'll give you all you need.

Oh, and if you ever have a need for a _real_ 4WD, it's a no-brainer! - petrol is for yuppies.

Quote; They'll never have the outright acceleration of petrol cars.

Mine will hammer a 1600 twin port Beetle! but yes its all torque, at 1900rpm just over 200NM of it, and you don't need to rev it much past 3500. In fact at 180km/h its doing just 3400 rpm.

3400rpm at 180kph - niiiice!!!

Did you know that a diesel was considered for the original Beetle?

I got a little tired of one of the young blokes bitching about the 4WD Ute today (diesel, of course) so I slipped it into it's torque peak and slid it round a corner - he shut up.