Oct 27, 2008

Diesels Can Save Oil

In the past, a diesel engine was the equivalent of a stinky cigar in a world of cigarettes. Sure, both cigarettes and cigars emit smoke -- as do gasoline and diesel engines -- but the emissions from gasoline vehicles seemed easier to accept than those from diesels. Part of the problem was simply the smell of diesel; another was that diesels didn’t just stink, but they were noisy, too.

Well, a new day has dawned, and after some key changes in U.S. emissions rules, several auto manufacturers are eager to turn Americans’ perceptions of diesel on their collective ear (nose?). The reborn, high-tech diesels of today are as clean as, and more efficient than, other engine types, and miles ahead of the diesels of the past.

“People are looking for ways to make their carbon footprint smaller and save some money at the pump, but they’re also looking for ways where they don’t have to compromise like you would with a hybrid,” said Lauren Fix, an automotive expert who calls herself “the Car Coach.” She added, “This is the best solution for towing, for fuel economy, for lessening your emissions and still having a fun car to drive.”

Fix says if one-third of U.S. vehicles were diesels, we could save roughly the same amount of oil we currently import from Saudi Arabia every day. There are several new diesel models worthy of consideration, including the Volkswagen Jetta TDI and the Mercedes-Benz BlueTEC series, but Fix says she is partial to the new Audi Q7.

“It’s a clean-burning diesel, it’s a fun car to drive, it holds seven people and it really sort of fits a lot of Americans’ needs because it gives you towing capacity, great fuel economy, 95 percent less emissions and it’s a great-looking car, too,” she said.