> It sounds, Winsor, as if you have little decent choice when it comes
> to buying cars with diesel engines. But the news here is that US car
> makers are in deeper trouble than ever and it could be that they have
> not been investing in new technologies.
>
Not to speak for Winsor,but you're right. I believe the only diesel
passenger cars here are both German, the VW and the Mercedes. The
reputations are mixed: VW has a reputation for unreliability, due in no
small part to the guys on Car Talk, on public radio, but the people that I
know that own them are quite satisfied. Bear in mind that there is a greater
variability in dealers for VW than for Toyota, for example.
Mercedes, on the other hand, has a reputation for relialbility that is
perhaps no longer deserved. They can be quite expensive to service, and due
to their complexity, the parts come dear.
Have the US manufacturers been slacking off? That's hard to say, but one
thing is sure. They made a decision to gamble, some years ago, that fuel
prices would remain relatively low and US car buyers would keep their taste
for large SUV's. That has turned out to be not such a good gamble, as the
market is slowly moving toward more fuel efficient cars. The average buyer,
still, has a problem with cars smaller than an aircraft carrier, so the
market has yet to make a substantial change. There is credible research that
the bulk of US buyers will not change to a really efficient car until gas
prices go to $4 per gallon and stay there.
Remember, too, that in today's market, going from 12mpg to 18 is considered
a big step.
Bill Pearce
==============================================
List usage info: http://www.zuikoholic.com
List nannies: olympusadmin@xxxxxxxxxx
==============================================
|