Gee, can you buy the engine and not the rest of the car that goes with it?

Just the beginning of super high mile per gallon diesels. Diesel-hybrids next please!

The complexity of these engines will make gasoline seem like a bargin when repair bills come.

C’mon Get Real, there’s no room for discussion on long term consequences in a forum such as this, only that rarified period until the new car smell wears off.

repair bills? my first car was a 1983 VW Rabbit diesel 4dr with a manual. That car rocked. For everything I put it thru, I did not have to do ANYTHING but change the oil. So, I don’t know what you are talking about with repair bills.

It would be nice to put this engine in the Passat with 2 turbos for better performance. Even if it only gets 40mpg on the hwy, as long as performance is laudable, it will be a seller.

I can’t wait for the day I can have a 0-60 in less than 5 perofrmer that can get 30+ in the city and have room for 4 or 5.

So is US ready for diesel or not? VW is preparing one and rest of industry is wondering if public will ever except technology.

With diesel “mysteriously” going up and up in price(it was cheaper, until maybe 1-2 months ago, when news of Accord diesel, VW Jetta diesels, etc, coming out…) to 75-85 cents per gallon More than Regular gas…makes it not good.
The local dealership said no more than 2K for the diesel on the Jetta, or under 20,000 dollars.
Jetta , from what I heard, is the only VW (gas version, for now?) at Average reliability..the rest are below avg.
Don’t parts and service/parts for a vw, cost more than anyone this side of BMW, for a VW, also?
Add 2 K more for the new engine..plus pay more for VW parts(and labor), etc? Not worth it.

Now… rumors have it VW will build a plant in USA, and claimed on a radio show awhile back that they could lower the Jetta price(if built in USA) from over 17K to aroun 15-16K…that would make the car(with 2K diesel) around 18.5K(and parts, if sourced here, would cost somewhat less, too?)…then it might be worth it.
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http://books.google.com/books?id=9aDcfXLuBmEC&pg=PA552&lpg=PA552&dq=are+diesel+engines+sturdier+than+gas+engines&source=web&ots=IAboHgeu5-&sig=oDjgkGYKTWP1RapNQ-m0ubgZ9uQ&hl=en

Quote..”by Harold H. Schobert – 2002 – Technology & Engineering
Diesel engines have much higher compression ratios than gasoline engines. Also, they have to be much sturdier than gasoline engines, simply to withstand the …”End Quote…>……_____________________

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Diesels are built Sturdier than Gas engines…says this link/book review, and talks more about diesels.
Maybe Honda will get it right?
We need some Small cars with the VW -like engine..but Reliable, and Less Costly parts/maintainence to make it worth while of buying one.
I figured it out for us, and we would not save any money unless we kept the car 6 years(not 5)…we might save 600 in one year… (we would save 600 a year with a 5 year loan..but pay 2K for the diesel, plus financing charges and taxes on the extra 2K to pay for the diesel, vs buying a gas engined car..etc… so it’s Break Even with a gas car over 5 years.).

LJ if you buy more expensive car and if its depreciate proportionally to less expensive car you will get more money in 5 years for more expensive car. According to Edmunds Benz with diesel sold for 5K more then without, yet diesel if only 1K option when you buy new E class. In the case of VW it was 2K option, but used car with diesel fetches 3K over the one with gas engine. I cant imagine it being an easy task to sell VW without a diesel.

autonut..thanks. Forgot about that. 1 thing though…this deisel Jetta will be Turboed…but will the turbo(ing)… affect the resale values(heard, for gas engines, it does, iirc)?

PS: I heard on older turboed cars, the engines did not hold up as well as a regular engine, but….that was gas engines(and years ago)…and diesels are built tougher to begin with. I may be confusing some old info here.

Well, gasoline engine is pron to literally blow the engine gasket. Turbo generates a lot of heat, which is a good thing for internal combustion engine (that is the physical principal all internal combustion engines operate), bad for gasket. Diesel engine is practically indifferent to extra heat since it is sturdy (as book says) and build to withstand much more violent combustion then gasoline engine. Most of diesel engines today are turbo and lasts very long time (one of diesel qualities). I was driven in Skoda cabs in Madrid with over 400K km on odometer. As much Spanish as I could master, I was told that engine runs the same as new. People who buy second hand diesels know that fact. The turbo is also reason why diesels are smoother running then non turbo diesels of 25 years ago. In Europe you can hardly detect which car is a diesel, but 70% of cars sold are diesels, especially pricier ones: BMW, Audi, Benz, Honda, Toyota.

Thanks for all of the info, autonut.

Electronic control of the fuel injection make the current diesels smoother, not the turbo.

True. Computer controlled engine makes diesel even more efficient and smooth with superb VNH characteristics. But even 25-30 years ago when first turbo diesels came about they were much smoother running then non-turbo counterparts. I remember very well shakes of MB 300 D non turbo vs. almost smooth running 300 SD with the same diesel engine but turbocharged.

The price of diesel should have come down after the refineries hit by Katrina came back online. Of course, why reduce the price of gas when you make so much money? You know, Mr. Cheney, who as someone said this past week, has oil running through his veins instead of blood?