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elhigh · 01-28-2015, 08:42 AM

Welcome Bagnino.

70mpg is very good in a Golf, VERY good in a Golf Cabriolet. I am trying to research but I don't think the Golf Cabriolet was ever offered in the States with the diesel engine. The already poky performance of the diesel engine combined with the added weight of the Cabriolet's reinforcements would have combined to make a very lethargic vehicle indeed, which I suspect VW decided was too slow even for their pedestrian (at the time) image in the US. They had already started to improve their image in the States with the GTI series of vehicles, a super-slow combination like a diesel Cabrio might have torpedoed the changing perception.

Too bad, too. Top Gear went on a mission to build a high-mileage, fun-to-drive diesel and had a pretty good result: over 75 mpg if I recall correctly, in a car that could scoot and keep up with traffic with no difficulty. And that was a VW diesel, a Mk II with a few small chassis modifications and a diesel engine swap.

Your background on aviation engines probably puts you on a good footing for tending to your vehicle. What kind of engines do you service?

01-28-2015, 08:42 AM	#2 (permalink)
elhigh Master Novice Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: SE USA - East Tennessee Posts: 2,314 Josie - '87 Toyota Pickup 90 day: 40.02 mpg (US) Felicia - '09 Toyota Prius Base 90 day: 49.62 mpg (US) Thanks: 427 Thanked 616 Times in 450 Posts	Welcome Bagnino. 70mpg is very good in a Golf, VERY good in a Golf Cabriolet. I am trying to research but I don't think the Golf Cabriolet was ever offered in the States with the diesel engine. The already poky performance of the diesel engine combined with the added weight of the Cabriolet's reinforcements would have combined to make a very lethargic vehicle indeed, which I suspect VW decided was too slow even for their pedestrian (at the time) image in the US. They had already started to improve their image in the States with the GTI series of vehicles, a super-slow combination like a diesel Cabrio might have torpedoed the changing perception. Too bad, too. Top Gear went on a mission to build a high-mileage, fun-to-drive diesel and had a pretty good result: over 75 mpg if I recall correctly, in a car that could scoot and keep up with traffic with no difficulty. And that was a VW diesel, a Mk II with a few small chassis modifications and a diesel engine swap. Your background on aviation engines probably puts you on a good footing for tending to your vehicle. What kind of engines do you service? __________________ Lead or follow. Either is fine.