On Diesels

[gusfraga]

Originally Posted by 2009Aveo5

How many more MPG would you get with a diesel Smart?

Aprox. 63 MPG

[Karl Roth]

for many europeans the diesel is the performance option
karl

[smartky]

Originally Posted by gusfraga

My feeling is that EPA is punting a lot of requirements only for foreign cars but you can buy any diesel truck in the states that won't meet these standards. When I see cunning engines in the highway spiting black smoke I always wonder about EPA regulations...

Regulations are different for vehicles with a GVWR of 8800 pounds or more. That's why all the diesel trucks are 3/4 ton or better. Even the Dodge/Freightliner (really Mercedes) Sprinter vans are 3/4 ton at a minimum. What someone else said is right, though, there's a whole lot of chippin' going on and that's why many are more generous with the black smoke.

When my smart comes in (I've been told it'll arrive in April!), it's going to be odd as I've driven diesels exclusively since 1992. I'll be really embarrassed if I forget and pull up into the big truck lane and try to get the 60 gpm nozzle into the fuel filler!