2013 Ford Escape: High MPG Should Sell Lots and Lots

[Atomic]

http://carscoop.blogspot.com/2012/04/ford-announces-fuel-economy-ratings-for.html 

[cawimmer430]

And still no diesel option. 

[CJ]

And still no diesel option. 

We likely won't see that in the US.  It takes so much money to get the engine federalized for each vehicle it'd be put in. 

[280Z Turbo]

And still no diesel option. 

You can keep your anemic stinkboxes.

[Eye of the Tiger]

You can keep your anemic stinkboxes.

Yes, keep those, and bring us diesel power.

[280Z Turbo]

Yes, keep those, and bring us diesel power.

I used to be a believer in diesel, but I'm just not sure anymore. Despite the US getting low sulfur diesel, getting stuck behind a big diesel pickup still smells like sour farts. And it costs more than gasoline too. Not to mention the RPMs run out on a diesel pretty quickly, which discourages fast driving.

I'm not sure if diesels are really worth the cost compared to Ecoboost engines.

[Eye of the Tiger]

I used to be a believer in diesel, but I'm just not sure anymore. Despite the US getting low sulfur diesel, getting stuck behind a big diesel pickup still smells like sour farts. And it costs more than gasoline too. Not to mention the RPMs run out on a diesel pretty quickly, which discourages fast driving.

I'm not sure if diesels are really worth the cost compared to Ecoboost engines.

That's cuz diesel pickups have HUGE engines with 1000 torks.

[Atomic]

With such great gas mileage and no need for a hybrid version (according to FMC), why a diesel? Not being a wise guy, just curious of what the advantage it would make with high MPG on the gasoline Escape for this coming model year and the expense of diesel fuel.

[MrH]

All you guys in favor of diesels likely haven't driven one recently.  I had an Opel Astra with a manual in Germany for about a week.  Never will I own a diesel passenger car.

[ifcar]

All you guys in favor of diesels likely haven't driven one recently.  I had an Opel Astra with a manual in Germany for about a week.  Never will I own a diesel passenger car.

I test-drove a diesel Jetta not too long ago and didn't have a problem with it. Are you sure whatever issue you had wasn't specific to the Astra?

[Eye of the Tiger]

All you guys in favor of diesels likely haven't driven one recently.  I had an Opel Astra with a manual in Germany for about a week.  Never will I own a diesel passenger car.

I drove diesels for a year straight. I got carbon monoxide poisoning. My hands and clothes smelled like diesel fuel all the time.
I am pro diesel.

[280Z Turbo]

That's cuz diesel pickups have HUGE engines with 1000 torks.

The Vortec 6000 in the green 2500HD doesn't stink.

[280Z Turbo]

I test-drove a diesel Jetta not too long ago and didn't have a problem with it. Are you sure whatever issue you had wasn't specific to the Astra?

I think it would depend on where/how you drive. I think it would be okay for short bursts of acceleration around town, but it might feel gutless in America's wide open spaces.

[Eye of the Tiger]

The Vortec 6000 in the green 2500HD doesn't stink.

Cuz it's green. Duh.

[2o6]

All you guys in favor of diesels likely haven't driven one recently.  I had an Opel Astra with a manual in Germany for about a week.  Never will I own a diesel passenger car.

I dunno, I've heard GM diesels generally suck.

[cawimmer430]

I dunno, I've heard GM diesels generally suck.

It's most likely an Isuzu diesel engine that's powering diesel Opels.

[cawimmer430]

All you guys in favor of diesels likely haven't driven one recently.  I had an Opel Astra with a manual in Germany for about a week.  Never will I own a diesel passenger car.

So you drive one diesel-powered rental car and that's it? It's a lowly Opel Astra with a cheap diesel engine that's engineered for gas mileage and not performance or smoothness. The diesel offerings from higher-end manufacturers are smoother and more powerful and more fun.

[thewizard16]

That interior is a mess and the exterior looks far more wagon like than before. I don't like it at all, but the engines sound pretty nice.

[nickdrinkwater]

Looks good although not sure I prefer it to the old one (Kuga).  I would think they'd be a good used buy in the near future.

[Byteme]

So you drive one diesel-powered rental car and that's it? It's a lowly Opel Astra with a cheap diesel engine that's engineered for gas mileage and not performance or smoothness. The diesel offerings from higher-end manufacturers are smoother and more powerful and more fun.

Just like a regular gasoline fueled engine that's cheaper to operate and has lower initial costs. 

[MrH]

I test-drove a diesel Jetta not too long ago and didn't have a problem with it. Are you sure whatever issue you had wasn't specific to the Astra?

It's not there was something wrong with the functionality of the engine.  There's just a ton of turbo lag, it completely dies off after 3k RPM.  I can't imagine an engine less enjoyable to drive.  When I rev it up, I want to go faster.

[MrH]

I dunno, I've heard GM diesels generally suck.

So you drive one diesel-powered rental car and that's it? It's a lowly Opel Astra with a cheap diesel engine that's engineered for gas mileage and not performance or smoothness. The diesel offerings from higher-end manufacturers are smoother and more powerful and more fun.

It has nothing to do with that specific engine.  It's the response and nature of a diesel for performance driving makes little sense and is just so anti-climatic.  When you stomp on the gas, wait around for the turbo to spool, get a rush of torque that then starts to die off before you're half way to redline, it's just a big disappointment.

The inherit lack of throttle response, location of the power band, and general roughness of a diesel is such a huge turn off for performance driving.

[GoCougs]

It has nothing to do with that specific engine.  It's the response and nature of a diesel for performance driving makes little sense and is just so anti-climatic.  When you stomp on the gas, wait around for the turbo to spool, get a rush of torque that then starts to die off before you're half way to redline, it's just a big disappointment.

The inherit lack of throttle response, location of the power band, and general roughness of a diesel is such a huge turn off for performance driving.

All you guys in favor of diesels likely haven't driven one recently.  I had an Opel Astra with a manual in Germany for about a week.  Never will I own a diesel passenger car.

Mega word. Still stinky. Still loud. And in the off chance it's not slow, the lag (a portion of which is not related to turbocharging) will always be present.

[280Z Turbo]

If diesel was priced the same as (or less than) gasoline, I think diesels would be more attractive.

I've never gotten a good answer as to why it costs more.

[TurboDan]

I've never gotten a good answer as to why it costs more.

They don't refine enough of it here.

[93JC]

Taxes too. There isn't a state in the union where gasoline taxes are more than diesel taxes.

By contrast in Europe gasoline is taxed (much) more than diesel.


Gasoline is also taxed more than diesel here in Canada. The federal excise tax on gasoline is 10¢/L whereas it's only 4¢/L for diesel.

Most stations are selling both 87 octane gasoline and 40 cetane diesel for 117.9¢/L here. (~US$4.48/USgal)

[Madman]

I dunno, I've heard GM diesels generally suck.

Still stinky. Still loud. And in the off chance it's not slow, the lag (a portion of which is not related to turbocharging) will always be present.

Did the two of you just fall through a time vortex from 1978?  I bet you guys still think the BeeGees are cool, too! 

[280Z Turbo]

They don't refine enough of it here.

What about the thousands of fuel guzzling semi trucks?

[GoCougs]

I used to be a believer in diesel, but I'm just not sure anymore. Despite the US getting low sulfur diesel, getting stuck behind a big diesel pickup still smells like sour farts. And it costs more than gasoline too. Not to mention the RPMs run out on a diesel pretty quickly, which discourages fast driving.

I'm not sure if diesels are really worth the cost compared to Ecoboost engines.

Plus, they'll cost more to buy and to maintain/repair.

Sometimes people just like to be different in any way they can.

[2o6]

I wouldn't say they're all bad. I think a diesel option or two in the US couldn't hurt. They tend to be more efficient in daily driving, from what I gather.