RE: Clean diesels available from BMW in CA:
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Originally Posted by fshagan
I'm not sure this is true ... the last information I saw was dated a few days ago (July 1) and said that they would be leasing them "soon", or that customers could order one "now". They have missed the intro date several times because they have trouble passing the California standards, and I suspect this is another case of that, where the press release is premature.
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From the August 18 edition of the
LA TIMES:
Quote:
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Volkswagen begins delivery today of its 50-state legal Jetta TDI, the first "clean diesel" vehicle to be sold in the U.S. (Yes, that means here in California too!) It's presumptively the first of a flood of European-made diesels to hit every one of our states, including some exciting numbers by Mercedes-Benz.
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It has finally happened. It gets 33 mpg combined with the new EPA ratings, quite a bit more than the 24 mpg combined that the gas version achieves. The article notes that with diesel running about 13% higher in cost than gasoline, and the $2,500 adder to get the diesel engine, the higher mileage may not be the most economical choice (a poster at the article notes there may be a tax credit of $1,300 for buying the new Jetta).
The Prius earns a
46 mpg combined rating. There may be a price difference; the base price of the Jetta is $21,990 according to the article. The Prius "Package 1" runs about $21,500 here in California according to
Edmunds.com. The real consideration for owners will be what they get for that comparable price; I found the Package 3 to be my sweet spot with the Prius, and paid $24,040.
Please note that the preceding post does not criticize diesel, Europeans or otherwise intentionally tweak sensitive individuals.