UK Gets a diesel, why not us?

[SmartTech]

I just found this of the UK Smart website. www.smart.comCheck the millage they are rating this thing at!

[chieftmc]

Originally Posted by SmartTech

I just found this of the UK Smart website. www.smart.comCheck the millage they are rating this thing at!

Good, BUT, keep in mind those are UK gallons

[rfernatt]

It's still great, but you have to convert it to US MPG: 85.6 miles per imperial gallon in miles per US gallons - Google Search

[forestacademy]

not clean enough for US.

You need to spend a lot of money to get a US Diesel Auto.
VW and MB. Thats about it

[SubSlr88]

Probably because us Yanks have had it hammered into us for years by the Big Three that more horsepower is better! You can't possibly want a vehicle that is only rated at 45hp, and diesel is even worse! Remember what a failure the Big Three had with their diesel auto's in the 80's? So the general concensus is that diesel won't sell here.

Is it true? Of course not - but who's willing to gamble on the buying whims of the American public?

[SmartTech]

ok 71 mpg, that's still insane millage! yea 43 hp is low, but vw had 36 hp bugs for and people still love them today.

well the diesel cars us brought out in the 80's were crap cars. they tried to convert gas motors to run on diesel and they had horrible reliability issues, no body wants to by a crappy car.

[rfernatt]

Originally Posted by forestacademy

not clean enough for US.

You need to spend a lot of money to get a US Diesel Auto.
VW and MB. Thats about it

I guess you can add BMW to the list: 2009 BMW 335d Test Drive: 33-MPG Diesel Sport Sedan Brings Best of All Worlds - Popular Mechanics

And maybe, MINI...

[John_H]

Weren't the 40 hp gasoline 450s rated at 55mpg? Or was that 55 mpig? the higher horsepower engine costs in mileage.

[SubSlr88]

Originally Posted by SmartTech

ok 71 mpg, that's still insane millage! yea 43 hp is low, but vw had 36 hp bugs for and people still love them today.

well the diesel cars us brought out in the 80's were crap cars. they tried to convert gas motors to run on diesel and they had horrible reliability issues, no body wants to by a crappy car.

Totally agreed - but it's the impression that was left behind by those crap cars that lingers on today . . . "diesel car? - no thanks!" Regardless of the actuality of diesel autos today - which are so much more refined and upgraded. Besides bailing out the Big Three financially, we can thank them for killing the perceptions of diesels, too. Too bad . . .

[rfernatt]

Originally Posted by John_H

Weren't the 40 hp gasoline 450s rated at 55mpg? Or was that 55 mpig? the higher horsepower engine costs in mileage.

Diesel is all about torque. The older VWs had a 'measly' 90hp 1.9l diesel, but loads of torque. Look at the crushing torque numbers generated by that 335d! That's one fast oil burner! A smart with the new diesel and decent torque would probably still be an adequate performer (compared with the gasser).

I also like the idea of diesel just because I think it would be cool to make your own fuel (biodiesel). If smart offered a diesel here, they should go one step further and sell biodiesel at the smart centers alongside the charging stations for the ED (keep dreaming, I know).