Diesels

  • Ford Fiesta ECOnetic

    It may be the one question we hear most often here at GreenCarReports.com: Why can't I buy one of those great little fuel-efficient diesels, like they have in Europe? Take, for example, the ultra-high-mileage Econetic version of the Ford Fiesta, sold in Europe with a 1.6-liter turbodiesel that returns 63 miles per gallon on the European cycle. Our driver, Michael Frank, got an actual 44 mpg in spirited Econetic driving. But that's still much higher than the 30 mpg city, 40 mpg highway rating for the U.S. version of the 2011 Ford Fiesta. What carmakers say We talk to a lot of carmakers, and we...

  • 2010 Volkswagen Golf TDI
    How Far Can the 2010 Volkswagen Golf TDI Go On a Tank of Diesel?

    We seem to be covering the 2010 Volkswagen Golf TDI clean diesel hatchback an awful lot here, but a recent blog post raised an issue we hadn't considered: How far can the 2010 Golf TDI go on a single tankful of diesel fuel? The question comes from blogger, host of #carchat on Twitter, and general...

  • 2010 Volkswagen Golf TDI
    Driven: 2010 Volkswagen Golf TDI, Clean Green Diesel Hatchback

    As regular readers no doubt recall, we [heart] the 2010 Volkswagen Golf TDI. We think it'll be the big diesel winner in the U.S. market, and that's before we've even driven one. But Bengt Halvorson loved his drive in a European version of the 2010 Golf TDI. Now, our colleague Marty Padgett has...

  • Audi A3 TDI clean diesel - European model
    Clean Diesels Cost More, But Will Americans Pay For Them?

    It's well known in the car industry that a diesel engine costs 10 to 20 percent more to build than a gasoline motor of equivalent output. That's because diesels have to be sturdier, and these days all US-bound diesels are fitted with turbochargers to boost their power. Now a European executive has...

  • 2009 Volkswagen L1 Concept
    Frankfurt: Volkswagen's Radical 170-MPG Diesel Two-Seater

    Covering all the green-car bases at the 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show, Volkswagen unveiled not only the E-Up electric city car concept but also the L1, a radical 170-mpg tandem two-seat diesel hybrid streamliner it says it will sell by 2013. The L1 name refers to the European concept of a "1-Liter" car...

  • General Motors' mysterious 230 logo
    August's Most Popular Green Car Posts: What About That 230 MPG?

    We usually recap our five most popular posts on GreenCarReports.com at the end of every month. We're a bit late for August but, hey, we had a long Labor Day too ... now we're back in business. We replaced most of July's most popular posts, with three new winners in our Top Five. Here goes: # 1: How...

  • 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI

    Hybrid vs diesel: It's a longstanding green-car conundrum. Which is better, a hybrid-electric vehicle that recaptures wasted energy in a battery and uses it to assist the gasoline engine, or an efficient modern clean diesel that goes further on a gallon of fuel? The answer depends in part on your duty cycle, or how you use the car. Hybrids are most efficient in stop-and-go urban traffic (think New York City taxi), whereas diesels get their best mileage on long, high-speed freeway travels (think NY-to-LA road trip). Real-world report: 39.2 mpg highway Now our sister site...

  • Mercedes-Benz 190 D BlueEfficiency, based on 1992 Mercedes 190 E 2.6 diesel
    Fast Forward: Mercedes-Benz Updates 1992 Diesel

    Now, this is cool. You've likely seen the Mercedes-Benz diesels of the 1980s and 1990s chugging along somewhere or other. But how much better are today's clean diesels than the solid old oil-burners of 20 years ago that still power those sturdy survivors? Back to the future: 1992 to 2009...

  • Audi A3 TDI clean diesel - European model
    2010 Audi A3 TDI Priced at $30K, $8K Over 2010 VW Golf TDI

    As of November, you'll have two choices if you want a compact five-door hatchback with a clean diesel engine. One is the brand-new 2010 Audi A3 TDI, which was just given a base price of $30,775 today by Audi. It'll start arriving in dealerships in November. Longstanding diesel champ: Golf TDI The...

  • 2011 Volkswagen Polo Three-door
    Preview: 2011 Volkswagen Polo

    Back in March, VW confirmed it would sell the Polo in the US in 2011. The five-door hatchback model was unveiled earlier this year at the Geneva Motor Show, and now Volkswagen has released details of the three-door hatch as well. US details to come It's like that VW will also offer a four-door...

  • Peugeot 3008 HYbrid4 Concept
    Peugeot To Show First Production Diesel Hybrid, For Europe Only

    We're pretty focused on the US car market here at GreenCarReports.com, so we don't write about cars we won't be able to buy all that often. Today, we're making an exception for a particularly significant technology advance. Next month, at the Frankfurt Motor Show, French automaker Peugeot will...

  • Ward's Auto editors pitted a 2010 Toyota Prius against a 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI
    Hybrid Dusts Diesel On Trek To Michigan Auto-and-Golf Gathering

    Every August, executives from the world's auto industry gather in Traverse City, Michigan, for what's known as the Management Briefing Seminars. It's a mix of presentations, news, schmoozing (and, traditionally, golf) that ended yesterday. This year, the audience was down by one-third over last...

  • 2009 BMW 335d

    Despite IRS tax credits and superior gas mileage figures, BMW is reportedly having a tough time selling its new diesels, the 2009 BMW 335d sports sedan and the 2009 BMW X5 xDrive35d (yes, that's really its name). We've thought from the beginning that Volkswagen would be the big winner in selling new clean diesels to US buyers, and that BMW and Audi would face uphill sledding. Now, BMW has put new incentives on its diesels to coincide with the start of the Cash for Clunkers plan, known officially as the Car Allowance Rebate Systems (CARS) program. Through August 31, says BMW, it will give...

  • 2007 Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano
    May's Most Popular Green Car Posts: Hybrid Ferrari Rockets To The Top

    We have a new most-popular post, our item on Ferrari's plans to launch a hybrid, as well as some old Volkswagen diesel favorites

  • 2010 Toyota Prius
    May's Most Popular Posts: 2010 Toyota Prius Reference Guide Rocks, Again

    Readers are eager for all kinds of information on the new 2010 Toyota Prius, though a Prius-Jetta TDI comparison sneaks into 5th place

  • Audi A3 TDI clean diesel - European model
    First Drive: Audi A3 TDI Clean Diesel Hatchback

    A splendid gearbox and neutral roadholding make the A3 TDI appealing to drive, but will buyers go for Audi's small, pricey, diesel hatchback?

  • 2009 Subaru Impreza Wagon WRX
    Subaru Plans For Cleaner Diesels and Hybrid Models by 2011

    Quirky carmaker Subaru sees cleaner diesels and hybrids on the horizon. This week Ikuo Mori, president of Fuji Heavy Industries, (Subaru's parent company) told Japanese reporters that Subaru is developing a cleaner diesel designed to meet 2011 global emissions standards and that he hopes to have a...

  • Euro-spec Volkswagen Golf TDI - 5/09
    2010 Volkswagen Golf TDI Driven, Sorta--It's the Euro Version

    We almost, but not quite, test the new and eagerly awaited 2010 Volkswagen Golf TDI

  • 2010 Volkswagen Golf TDI

    Maybe only previous diesel owners are eager to buy new clean diesels; if so, then Volkswagen will benefit the most

  • Lexus HS 250h
    Lexus Planning Hybrid Audi A3 Competitor

    Lexus plans to unveil a front-wheel drive, hybrid-only hatchback at the Frankfurt Auto Show to compete with the likes of the Audi A3 and the BMW 1-series. The car will be the European cousin to the HS 250h, which is expected to go on sale this summer in the U.S. The new hatchback won't share any...

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