I am very encouraged by what................

[NEexpat]

I am very encouraged by what I have been seeing of late.

Car AD's for Diesels! And lots of them.

Mind you they are higher end Audi's and Beemers's, still.

I hope it's just a matter of time before we start to see this trend move down to mid -priced and then perhaps a couple of subs.

I had the opportunity to drive a Benz Diesel SUV quite a bit, in all kinds of weather, pushing 10 inches of snow off it, getting in turning the key and voila' no problems whatsoever. The technology is well past all that now, has been for a while.

We didn't garage it or plug it in at night or throw a warming blanket over the engine to keep it warm etc. Never an issue in the winter. We got mid to high 20's mpg's mostly highway.

So why not a larger segment of diesels here in the states? It can't be an emissions thing the EU wouldn't let all those diesels run about if it were. And our standards are not theirs. So what is it? Is it a marketing issue, I would think the mileage aspect could blunt any aversion to "diesels". That and a pair of gloves at the pump.

[CTScott]

I keep seeing those ads as well and am hoping that Toyota decides to bring us some diesels. I would love a D4D Yaris, or better yet, a diesel Tacoma.

[IllusionX]

Diesel IQ with 6 spd manual.

[nookandcrannycar]

I toured the Mercedes-Benz plant in Vance, AL earlier today (16 other people in my group...groups are 20 max....employee said I lucked out because they are pretty much booked for the rest of the month). The last plant I visited was the Corvette plant in Bowling Green, KY in 2006 or 2007 (when the XLR was also in production at that plant).

Previous threads (in 2013, and at least 2012 as well) discuss how much automation is now part of the manufacturing process. Given what I saw today, this is certainly the case. When this Mercedes-Benz plant opened in 1997, there were 100 robots in operation. There are now 1700. The production facility currently comprises 3 million square feet, and they'll add another approximately 2 million square feet by the end of 2015 (they have approximately 1000 acres of land, which would be 43.56 million square feet). Production on the new C starts there in 2014 (with all of that production for North America), and production on an as of yet unannounced vehicle will start in 2015. According to the guide, this is the only plant in the world producing the ML, producing the GL, and producing the R (the R is now sold only in China and in Great Britain). The current capacity is a maximum of about 700 vehicles per day. The plant has an on-site post office, medical clinic, and bank. It takes over 34 hours to produce a vehicle and over 50 % of that time is consumed by the paint process/paint details. The Chassis Bolt-On Station (so identified with a big blue sign between the tour attendees and the robots) is one of quite a few stations named/identified by such signs. The station next to the Chassis Bolt-On Station is the Marriage Station . They have 3 different types of cleaning contractors (IIRC, one for the robots, one for the cafeteria, and one for everything else (in sub groups)). As the guide pointed out, one can imagine that cleaning a robot is very different from cleaning a cafeteria. Many (if not all) of the employees involved in the paint process have to wear specially designed suits that repel dust and also go through 'air showers'.

Oh...and now the reason for including this post on this thread...OVER 50 % of the vehicles emerging from the plant HAVE DIESEL ENGINES !. While the percentage is currently THIS high due to vehicles bound for overseas markets, the guide said that increased diesel production for the U.S. market is part of the plan. He also mentioned that the 3 port facilities that Mercedes-Benz has on the East Coast are in SC, GA, and FL (mental note to myself -- all Right to Work states (and of course Alabama is a right to work state). Also, one of the reasons they picked the Vance site is because it is where I-20 and I-59 come together (the same physical roadbed is both Interstates at the same time for a fair number of miles) and this relates to trucking and rail logistics within their plan.

P.S. Other points from the tour that I recalled later:

----- The 3 most popular colors (now, and for quite a long time) for the
models produced there are Black, Silver, and White. Black is the most
popular by a fairly large margin. White and Silver are are always neck
and neck for the second most popular color. There are usually about
five other colors that change over time.

----- There are about 100 different options for each model. Given this, it isn't
surprising that most customers (in the U.S.) order their Mercedes to
get the exact combination of equipment they desire.

----- A fully loaded version of any of the models has about 100 computers
onboard. I wonder how many are in a Yaris ? (calling CTScott )

[DevilGirl]

One reason I have seen is that there seems to be a stigma attached to diesels here. Not sure why, but there appears to be.

I have seen/read about the Chevy Cruze to come in diesel, I believe in 2014, but I could be wrong on the year.

I had heard rumors of the Mazda CX-5 (small SUV) coming in diesel, but it hasn't made it here yet. When I was visiting a VW/Mazda dealer, my husband (huge diesel fan, owns 2 VW diesel cars) asked about the CX-5. The answer we got was that they were running tests to figure out how to have it meet our emission standards (due to CA, higher standards here than Europe, or at least that's what we've been led to believe) under the clean diesels but also have the 50+ (I think, but could have been 40+) mpg they are getting in Europe.

That was either late last year or early this year. I was at the same dealership again 2 weeks ago and it was confirmed again for me that the CX-5 was going to be coming over here in diesel format.

Perhaps after other manufacturers see how the Cruze and CX-5 due here, maybe they will bring other cars over as well...

[JustPassinThru]

Originally Posted by DevilGirl

One reason I have seen is that there seems to be a stigma attached to diesels here. Not sure why, but there appears to be.

A lot of it goes back to the Oldsmobile Diesel of the late 1970s - early 1980s. Oldsmobile (in those days each division designed their own engines) took a lot of shortcuts in designing the diesel. Instead of using off-the-shelf Detroit Diesel parts or designs, they opted to modify their 350 V8 gasoline-engine block for diesel use. AND, as problems developed or came apparent, they "corrected" with special service requirements and procedures instead of design modifications.

The end result was an engine that unless cared-for and serviced EXACTLY as special requirements stipulated, TO THE LETTER (procedures unique to that engine, not to all diesels) the Olds diesel would destruct in short order. Which in most cases it did do.

A lot of people were burned by that; more than had hands-on-experience with Daimler or VW diesel engines. So the diesel got a bad image, as an automotive ripoff.

Beyond that: Today in the States, roadgoing diesels need a LOT of emissions controls. Including "Diesel Exhaust Additive" - basically, animal urea injected into the exhaust manifold to do something about particulates. I don't know how. But standards seem to be fluid and few manufacturers are willing to gear up with all the special junk just to have the government declare it unfit in a year or so.

A lot of truckers and trucking companies (and even engine manufacturers) have been hurt. Caterpillar no longer makes roadgoing truck engines - they don't want to meet the emissions standards. A lot of relatively-new Cummins and Cat engines were ordered out of trucks that run in California. Those engines COST - and government made them obsolete, un-certifiable.

So I don't look for diesels to come in in large numbers until the regulation people get their heads out of their neithers.

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by JustPassinThru

A lot of relatively-new Cummins and Cat engines were ordered out of trucks that run in California. Those engines COST - and government made them obsolete, un-certifiable.

SMH. For many years (while living in California) I listened to Dr. Bill Wattenburg (Research Scientist, Professor, Entrprenuer, Radio Host) rail against the 'Certified Nincompoops' at CARB (California Air Resources Board).

http://www.overdriveonline.com/carb-...r-other-ideas/

^^^^^ It doesn't sound as though things have changed very miuch, if at all . The posted comments include some from people who aren't shy re stating an opinion.