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Originally Posted by payne171
Perhaps there is some variation from state to state or the levels have changed; the article I read stated the numbers I posted, which was from a trusted news source whose name escapes me. Yes they can bring them over; BMW, Mercedes, and Audi are all new entrants to the game. It's not nearly as easy as it sounds, though. Remember, VW stopped selling diesels for a few years because the old 1.9L could no longer pass emissions. If the engines in Europe were not designed with US emissions in mind, it would be very costly to design one that would like VW. Or they could add Urea injection as BMW and Mercedes did, also not ideal as Urea runs out. Or, car companies can rent Toyota's tech, as Ford and Nissan do, which already has a proven track record in the marketplace. Even with all of the above arguments, cost is the biggest factor for many. Go shop for a low mileage used car that gets great mileage and doesn't feel cheap. We got a 30k mile 2007 Accord Hybrid for $16000. How many diesels were for sale within 100 miles that were comparable in size, price (read: NOT a New Beetle) and didn't have 3 times the miles? Zero. If there was one I would have pushed hard for it because of the durability of diesels.
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Dieselnet has a ton of information on emissions standards as well as driving cycles. I think it's more likely that the reporter mixed up numbers but you could always look up the data and email the site if their figures are wrong. VW did stop selling diesels for 2007, but they also shipped over a ton of extra 2006 models before hand so there wasn't a big difference in availability. IMO most cars are pretty reliable barring the lemons that can pop up from time to time regardless of engine type or manufacturer. A lot of diesels are still around because of lax emissions laws, but to be honest I don't think going w/ a diesel versus a gasser would lead to a big difference in reliability.