Posted on 06/04/2008 12:09:36 PM PDT by C19fan
This time, a high mile per gallon number was recorded in Europe and not with a Peugeot. A group of German motor journalists managed to get 3.2 l/100 km (73 mpg U.S.) in a Skoda Fabia TDI Greenline. The car had a 1.4 TDI (diesel) engine good for 80 HP. The thirty-six journalists (we're guessing not all of them at the same time) drove the Czech subcompact for 124 km (about 80 miles), using normal highways between Austria and Germany and never going below 60 km/h (40 mph). The only "trick" they used was maintaining as constant a speed as possible. The 73mpg figure handily beats the official EU highway cycle figure, which is 4.1 l/100 km (57mpg). Skoda belongs to the VW group and is based in the Czech Republic.
We can’t buy them here because they’re serious polluters and as such are not clean enough to be allowed into the US.
Besides, diesel emissions are carcinogens.
One reason EPA!
The Skoda is a good car. They were bought by VW a while back. I have family in Poland that drove them for years.
Diesel “Knock” Ping!
I never saw an auto show model with so much clothing! Wow!
Trick, indeed. What about people who can't take a freeway to work and have to deal with stoplights and city traffic? Or those who always run into creep and crawl traffic jams on the freeways? That covers a lot of folks.
How about a non-trick test under real conditions.
Now that’s sharp! I’d even downsize to one of those.
The regulatory agencies are working at cross purposes. The EPA wants high mileage/low emissions, Transportation wants safety, which means weight, performance and gizmos, hese mostly reduce mileage and increase emissions.
If the government wants to be in the auto regulatory game, and it is, it must decide ONE thing for which to create corresponding incentives and penalties.
If the emphasis is going to be on mandatory safety, cars will cost more, weigh more, emit more, use more gas.
If the emphasis is on low pollution and CO2 (will leave aside the lead battery pollution problem, as that has not yet become part of the equation). Cars will either cost more (hybrids, plug-ins, other alternatives), be comparatively unsafe (as weight, minimum engine performance and safety devices like airbags get dumped), and will mostly be of poor utility for large families or people who have to bring a lot of stuff with them.
If the emphasis is on less fossil oil usage, diesels come into play in a big way, alternative fuels [and not just ethanol, but methanol, CNG and bio-diesel as well, which are both better alternatives) as might plug-ins and hybrids. And those same cheapy cars without the safety features become available. However, the price span would be all over the place. (A cheap Skoda, for instance could be purchased and driven).
Of the three, I would rather promote the reduced oil consumption. If the government just kept out, I think we would see temporary price spikes that would eventually fade. A little of that is happening now, but everyone is waiting to see where the government is going to put its big heavy thumb. A regulatory change or a subsidy for or against can put you out of business overnight.
State-of-the-art diesel cars are not “serious polluters” any more. If they were, do you think the socialistic, safety-and-health conscious Euros would allow them? Diesel cars will be coming soon from Japan (Honda & Subaru, at least), and are the most practical short-term response to increasingly expensive hydrocarbon fuels.
Nice cars! I would settle for 50 mpg!... bring them on, I might get one at this rate.
Its a shame diesel fuel is so expensive, but even with the 20% "surcharge" for going diesel, thats still the equivalent of about 60mpg. Sweet. I may be moving soon, and my commute will be much longer than it is today, all highway miles, however. This car would totally rock for me.
According to former colleague of mine, Skodas are not really cars. The one he had when he lived in the Czech Republic had a plastic body and a 2 cycle motor. Everytime he got gas, he had to add oil. He bitterly hated that thing.
And speaking of the superiority of Diesel vs the Otto (gasoline) cycle engine (diesel cycle is more efficient at part throttle and steady state), does anyone know why most hybrids today use gasoline engines? It seems to me the one “drawback” of the hybrids is that their highway mileage is comparatively lame. Combining diesel with electric seems like a good idea, no?
![](http://images.google.com/images?q=tbn:R8sR7daexSBGmM:www.ted-kyte.com/3D/Pictures/Spark%2520Plug.jpg";)
Rest In Peace, old friend, your work is finished.....
If you want ON or OFF the DIESEL ”KnOcK” LIST just FReepmail me.....
This is a fairly HIGH VOLUME ping list on some days.....
> Nice cars! I would settle for 50 mpg!
Wait a few months for the new VW Jetta TDI.
It won’t be “settling”.
Economy, performance, and a bit of luxury.
50 mpg is not out of the question.
That’s what I get with a 2003 model of this.
Benzine ain’t?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.