Date: Tue, 26 Nov 2002 12:07:21 -0500 From: tom reingold <tlr244nopsamnline.net> Subject: Re: front leg room new Saab 9-3?
C Sutherland wrote: > In article <3DE2AA7F.5080702nopsamnline.net>, tom reingold > <tlr244nopsamnline.net> writes > >>This is the first I have heard about diesel engines in Saabs, and I have >>even been reading about the European market ones. I am quite sure there >>has never been a diesel Saab in the US. >> >>I notice US market cars get worse mileage than they used to. Americans >>tolerate this quite willingly. It's strange. Nowadays, 20 mpg is >>considered good. > > > 20mpg in Europe is both very expensive and is becoming somewhat socially > unacceptable. > Diesels with the new sophisticated common rail high pressure efforts are > increasing their market share year on year and are now being promoted > seriously at the luxury high end and not just for taxis. For example in > both the BMW and MB ranges, diesels can equal or exceed the performance > of the petrol versions and are sometimes regarded as the most desirable > model in the range. > However until fuel price becomes a serious issue in the US (and ,without > wishing to start a flame war, for the sake of the planet it's probably > about time it did) there is little incentive to go the diesel route. > > I believe the diesel in the 9-3 is a GM unit bored out to 2.2litre. The > early version is rated at 115bhp, the later 125bhp but with the > considerable torque the performance is adequate. It's no neck snapper > though. At the weekend there I did a longish motorway trip (like your > interstate) at 75-80mph and 44-ish mpg. > > CS > Oh I agree with you from a socio-political-economic viewpoint. It's disgraceful that we tolerate such poor efficiency. Higher fuel prices might indeed improve things here. I know that many people here in the US would disagree with me. Bear in mind, though, that a US gallon is only 64 ounces, compared with the Imperial gallon at 80 ounces, so the mpg numbers will sound low to you. Still 44 miles per Imperial gallon is like 36.67 miles per US gallon, and that impresses me. The US makers did diesels a disservice by introducing some really bad diesel engines in passenger cars. That made the public think that diesels suck universally, so now they don't sell well. One might even think it was done deliberately by some conspiracy. -- Tom Reingold Noo Joizy
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