XION

I am doing a project for school, and some of us were wondering what it would take for diesel to catch on, since the fuel is cheaper and you get better gas mileage. In europe, diesel is supa popula... So here is the question:

What would it take for YOU to buy a diesel Scion?

Reno

build one

Sciontuner

for the extra few pennies that a rgular gas scion costs, id pay it not to deal with the stink

Besk_one

forget it

out here in L.A. Deisel # 2 is more expensive than regular pump gas, plus you'd have that nasty sound from the motor, and the stinky... no way

- Brian

Alan

Loud? VW turbodiesels are about as quiet at idle as a conventional internal combustion motor. Not only that, they get about 50mpg on the highway. I'd be interested in a turbodiesel xB purely for gas mileage reasons.

Cscionlava

the only way I would purchase a diesel xB is if you paired it up w/ 2 electric motors like dodge is doing w/ a lot of their upcoming hybrids.

...but what is the point, isn't 30+ miles to the gallon w/ no stink better, especially when diesel costs more?

....just my opinion though. I like my hotbox just the way it is.

metalbox

Diesel fuel more expensive than regular gas in the summer time and cheaper in the winter. You also have let a diesel engine warm up for about 10 minutes before driving or it will stall. The bonus is the gas milage and that you will never have to worry about spark plugs, because there are none.

autoguru

Build it and they will come

Max2k

I'd hit a hybrid, but diesel is dodgy.

XBman

im not really into the whole desiel thing but if it got more hp.. im in

macncheese

Diesel = Torque. I'll take two.

2fixA

the VW turbo diesels are good output engines with damn good mileage and even better life... in comparison to our car the power output is the same, and noise wise they are just as quiet. I don't know much about the smell though, but fuel prices fluctuate a lot (summer/winter thing) and I know Toyota makes a diesel for the euro market.. what it all comes down to though is cost and general usability. If you can assure a quiet performance and no add on effects at a slightly higher (within $1k) I imagine there would be some sort of market for it

boxzila

Volkswagen and other companies have improved diesel technology tremendously in the past few years. Direct injection has made diesels more drivable, quieter, and even more fuel efficient. Plus, torque kicks ___! If Toyota put some thought into diesel technology, I'd consider it. But California needs to pull its head out of its @$$ and drop diesel fuel to where it should be- around a buck! Stop trying to water it down like regular gas, and drop the price... and the world will be a better place!

Plus, just think.... propane injection!!!!

-Phil

superjeer

My understanding is that in the Us diesel is very dirty, so emmisions go up even if your millage goes up. Unless you run on soy diesel www.rallyvw.com

xCHRISx

look into biodiesel... made from farm "scrap". the best way for america to rid itself of it's oil dependence and replenish our quickly depleting farms. bio-diesel is MUCH cleaner than standard US grade diesel, and european grade diesel. as of 2006, the US will have to comply with the same standards as europe as far as diesel ratings go. as for the comment about having to let a diesel warm up for ten minutes, that's old technology. newer diesel engines need only 30 seconds of idle time before being driven, albeit easily (which doesn't differ from unwarmed petrol engines). i am referring to thirty seconds after starting the engine (not including glow plug wait time). the new PD technology that VW has out for the diesels is very impressive. if scion put a diesel in the xB, i would take the day from work tomorrow and go buy one. also, toyota does offer a diesel engine, just not in the states. it's called the d-cat engine (diesel clean advanced technology). very technologically advanced stuff. and as far as emissions, NOx would be the only emission gas to not do better than a petrol engine. any questions about diesel or emissions let me know.

edit: forgot to mention the one con to diesel is particulate matter, but if you look into the d-cat engine you will see that toyota has found a solution for this in a "filter" that traps this matter before escaping into the atmosphere.

DeanCouchey

if Mercedes is making deisels in its car again to like the E class and VW has all along I think it would be good, here in NY gas was 2.01 a gallon for 87 diesel was 1.75 and I bet you would get 50+ MPG, plus the torque is awesome, still have the same ***** power but add alot of torque

XION

Actually, the project is focusing on biodiesel for the moment, unless another technology emerges that outperforms it. There seem to be a lot of advantages to boidiesel, I just want to hear people's opinions on diesel in general...well, on biodiesel as well, I suppose. There are a lot of great ideas out there, but they dont always make it with the public, so I just want to know what's on people's minds.

Biodiesel doesnt stink- unless you hate the smell of french fries. Kind of a neat thing. What if it didnt smell, and you had more torque, and the same horsies? What would that do for people? Are there still concerns about diesel?

avus

i've said it before, and i'll say it again --
1) current diesel engines will not pass future US and EU emission standards, even with the soon to be introduced low-sulphur diesel. manufacturers are quickly trying to remedy this (Mercedes will be introducing an urea tank to capture particulates, VW and others have introducted direct injection for a cleaner burn).
2) diesel fuel is a by-product of oil refining for gas. we have an appetite for gasoline, and europe for diesel -- its a nice relationship. if we get a taste for diesel and increase our demand, diesel prices will rise
3) with news that scion won't be refreshing its models more than a few years and introduce new ones in their place, what's the point of investing too much for expensive variants?

Spider13

then if all else fails, you can cook some french frys and drive on the old oil.


http://abcnews.go.com/sections/us/Da...sel010523.html

Magnus

build a turbo diesel for the price of a the 1.5l and I'd take one home today.