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

[lotus_65]

I think you are misinterpreting the word mandated

admittedly secondary, my thesis is based on the latter definition of the transitive verb:
man·date

TRANSITIVE VERB:
man·dat·ed , man·dat·ing , man·dates
To assign (a colony or territory) to a specified nation under a mandate.
To make mandatory, as by law; decree or require: mandated desegregation of public schools.

one can, and should in some cases rely on our leaders to do what is right for the whole, in deference to power. citing the above example, the racist power of the south yielded to desegregation (notwithstanding the ongoing issues).
on the whole, the federal government has easily as much ability to use existing and perhaps new funds (taxes or fees) to "mandate" both the oil and auto companies to provide an affordable option to the existing paradaigm.
it's currently not allowed due to the auto/oil/legislative tryst previously mentioned. once the public has a true and real alternative, they will consume it.

brandt, i'm not disputing the financial implications, i'm just saying it's not happening, and will not until the political environment is corrected to make these options possible here. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/flag.gif) the SOCIAL environment is already established!

paul