OT Euro Diesels, Amazed by a Ford Focus Options

[Nick]

Just got back from a month long R&R in Italy and France and I must say I was amazed by the quality of our econo box rental car and a little annoyed that the Europeans seem to get much better products from Ford than we do in the small car category. We were driving around in a Ford focus diesel that was so refined that you couldn’t tell it was a diesel at idle or cruise. Very torque fast car with 4 people and there luggage. Handled great on the twisty roads of Tuscany and was rock solid at 160 KPH + that Italians cruise down the highway at. Returned over 50 mpg over the entire trip. For daily driver a nice diesel Ford like this would be great. Shame they are not available in the US it really was eye opening how good diesels have become. Why have the complexity of a hybrid when a simple diesel gets great MPG is fast comfortable etc. Maybe the US will get over its diesel phobia.

Nick

[buck toenges]

I disagree about the cost of upkeep for the diesels. We have 4 vw diesels. They get about 45mpg city/hyway. Sure diesel cost more and maybe maintenance costs more but you can get up to 300,000 miles on a car. We bought these cars with about 100,000. miles on them for an average of about $8500.00 apiece. In the long run they will be cheaper to operate then a gas version.
When the big 3 are losing market share to the japs it doesn't make sense to not bring in diesels. What the goverment should do is help with this process, change the epa crap and encourage more diesel production and logistics.
If Ford would bring out the tarus with a diesel that gets about 35 -40 mph when gas is going over $3 per gallon they could sell them by the butt load.
Look at the price for used diesels vw and 1998-1999 mb E300 diesels. They have increased in resale value over the last 3 years. There is a reason for this. It is called economy.