diesel

Mercedes-Benz GL320 BlueTEC beats EPA mpg

We were recently given the opportunity to take the 2009 Mercedes-Benz GL320 BlueTEC on a long-distance road trip from San Francisco to Los Angeles and back. While this seven seated behemoth was probably not the best vehicle to transport one journalist across the state of California, we figured this long trip down Interstate 5 would be a good opportunity to see how close the fuel-efficient diesel powerplant could get to its EPA estimated mileage.

The powerplant in question is a 3.0-L turbodiesel V-6 that outputs 210 horsepower and a beefy 398 pound-feet of torque. The engine sends its power through a seven-speed adaptive automatic transmission to Mercedes-Benz's 4MATIC permanent all-wheel drive system. Keeping the diesel's emissions clean is an AdBlue injection system that scrubs up to 80 percent of NOx from the exhaust gases. Greenies will be happy to know that the BlueTEC diesel is also approved for use with B5 biodiesel.… Read more

Gadgettes 137: The Fish on a Bicycle Episode

Convergence: The occurrence of two or more things coming together. In this case, cars and couches, shoes and bathtubs, and last but not least, showers and aquariums. Try to wrap your brain around that!

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EPISODE 137… Read more

With gas at $2, Ford delays diesel for F-150

DETROIT--A diesel engine for the Ford F-150 light-duty pickup is looking dicey.

Ford had said it would sell a diesel F-150 beginning in 2010. Last spring, dealers were shown a 4.4-liter V-8 diesel said to deliver more power and torque than the F-150's 5.4-liter gasoline V-8 and offer a 20 percent fuel savings.

But last fall, with diesel and gasoline prices sliding from a summer peak above $4 per gallon, Ford officials said they would delay the introduction.

No new date has been scheduled, Mark Fields, Ford's president of the Americas, told Automotive News late last … Read more

VW to consumers: Our diesels are clean, fast, and will start when frozen

New particle trapping technology and significantly lower sulfur diesel fuel has opened the door for more diesel-powered vehicles to be sold in all 50 states. But the increase in engine cleanliness hasn't translated into increased diesel vehicle sales the way German automakers wanted.

The problem? Consumer perception hasn't caught up with engineering advances.

To combat the dated stigma that diesels are dirty, slow, expensive, and won't start in the cold, VW has launched TDI Truth & Dare, a new Web site that aims to debunk these myths.

The videos may provide a bit of entertaining education, but … Read more

The diesel BMW X5 doesn't quite meet our expectations

We were incredibly impressed by the diesel version of BMW's 3-series, although a lot of that had to do with the car's updated iDrive interface. But our heightened expectations for the diesel X5 were not met. Mileage was good, but not dramatically good, and trying to get through city streets felt like tug boat piloting. Worse, the diesel X5 is saddled with the old version of iDrive.

Read our review of the 2009 BMW X5 xDrive35d.

112: Toyota starts a hybrid price war

Toyota starts a hybrid price war, new Camaro won't get a 4-cylinder or convertible, Twitter on OnStar and Opera browser on F-150's, plus a ride in the X5 xDrive35d.

Listen now: Download today's podcast SHOW NOTES

• Prius vs. Insight price war

• EV start-up wants to merge with GM

• Nissan's electric car

• Mazda doesn't buy into all this hybrid stuff

• OnStar to support Twitter in dash?

3-series gets a diesel: 2009 BMW 335d review

With the 335d, BMW adds the sportiest car to its limited diesel line-up in the U.S. Using twin-turbos strapped to a 3-liter inline six-cylinder engine, the 335d puts a lot of power to the wheels of its conventional 3-series chassis, most of it in the form of outrageous torque. The cabin electronics are highlighted by the new iDrive interface, which offers updated navigation and new features such as onboard music storage.

Read our review of the 2009 BMW 335d.

2009 VW Jetta TDI: The little engine that could

If we were rating the Volkswagen Jetta TDI purely on the merit of its engine, it would be a shoe-in for our Editors' Choice award.

With great torque, fuel economy, and clean emissions, the 2-liter turbocharged diesel engine represents a fantastic blend of fun and frugal. We could go on talking about how much we love this engine.

Unfortunately, we don't drive engines; we drive cars.

The Jetta TDI must be looked at as a whole vehicle, and viewed as such the Jetta just doesn't shine. The cabin doesn't look like it was designed, so much as … Read more

Brabus Smart fortwo CDI vs. go-kart (video)

Garage 419 host Matt Farah was recently handed the keys to a Brabus Smart fortwo CDI, but because this particular fortwo was a prototype from Bosch Clean Diesel, he wasn't allowed to take it to a race track. So he did the next best thing and took it to a go-kart track where he pitted the 40 horsepower, 74 pound-feet of torque of the Brabus Smart against a 6.5 horsepower racekart. Should be an easy win, right?

Hilarity ensues.

[Source: Garage419.com]

What color green suits you?

In recent months, I've driven three very different high-fuel economy, low-emissions "green" cars. Two were gasoline-electric hybrids: the Toyota Camry Hybrid and the Honda Civic Hybrid. The third was the Volkswagen Jetta TDI turbodiesel. How do they compare in driving experience and fuel economy?

Hybrids are environmental poster children, but diesel, green? Well, yes, if it has a modern clean diesel engine, designed and built to run on ultralow sulfur diesel fuel and equipped with the latest aftertreatment technologies. The Jetta TDI was recently named "Green Car of the Year" at the 2008 Los Angeles … Read more