Quote:
Originally Posted by jamesqf
I dunno... I must have missed a post of yours with pictures of it being driven off-road. The only pictures I see are in the first post: all but one are in urban areas (some even on tiled parking areas!). The one rural-ish one (the last one, with clouds), looks like a dirt road to me, and nothing I'd have problems taking my Insight on. Of course photos can be misleading...
As for diesels in general, perhaps it's possible to build a diesel engined vehicle that isn't excessively noisy and doesn't stink, but I've yet to see one. (OK, that might be because I don't notice the ones that aren't noisy & stinky :-)) But it is am indisputable fact that there are a lot of new noisy, stinky new diesels being sold in the US today.
|
Some pics are on the road, but the Rover is always dirty until it rains (which it did that day). The dirt trail was also the end of a 3,000 ft elevation climb of mud, rocks and a few hills, but nothing in terms of hardcore off roading if that's how it was taken. The S320 bottomed out a few times but made it if that explains it.
I was just saying that I take it through the deep water, dusty roads, jungles and mud and don't stick to paved roads and garages. Not necessarily offroading per se, but I'm not afraid to explore with it. It's definitely not a soccer mom "gem" or a footballers' way to display bling.
For the US, some diesels are noisier, but petrol motors have gotten noisier too. It's harder to tell than I expected when I listened to the diesel Cruze and the gasser. Exhaust smell wasn't much different either, the sooty smell I love so much was completely non existent with the Cruze. Driving it, the only way for me to tell was the massive torque and 5k rpm redline.