Diesel Economics 201: Q3 Sales Accelerate to 33%

Is 2010 the year of the diesel?  A new analysis by The Diesel Driver shows an increasingly strong  preference for diesel-powered cars compared to the petrol-powered equivalent models
The Diesel Driver analyzed detailed new-car sales data …

Diesel Economics 200: 40% Take Rate for 2010

A new analysis by The Diesel Driver shows a growing preference for diesel-powered cars compared to petrol-powered equivalent models

The Diesel Driver recently obtained detailed sales data from Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Volkswagen, the four companies …

Diesel Special Operations

Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz all offer European government and public safety organizations (Behörden und Organisationen mit Sicherheitsaufgaben or BOS) specially-equipped cars for use by fire, police, and emergency medical services personnel.
When ordering their vehicles, most …

The Return of Diesel in America

From 1960 through 2002, over 20 car makers ranging from Audi to Volvo offered over 80 diesel-powered passenger cars in the U.S. Indeed, 1981 marked a watershed year for diesel car sales with 520,788 …

European Diesel Delivery Programs

Travelers, when visiting interesting destinations, frequently bring home a souvenir or two for friends and family members.  This past December I was finally able to bring home a diesel-powered automobile, namely a BMW 335d,   Until …

Winter Tire Test and Tips

We compare two categories of tires for winter driving along with tips for driving on ice and snow

Driving a car with high-performance summer tires is great – until the temperatures start to dip. 
Summer tires …

Audi A3 2.0 TDI Review

The diesel invasion from Germany continues with the Audi A3 TDI.  Audi started its clean diesel lineup in the States last spring with the big Q7 TDI that is now joined by the compact A3 …

Diesel Economics 101

Diesel (as well as gasoline-electric hybrid) automobiles are typically sold at a higher price point than their petrol-only counterparts with the difference typically being several thousand dollars.
For example, the BMW 335d’s list price is $43,950 …

BMW X5 xDrive35d Review

BMW carefully selected the 3er Series sedan and X5 SAV (Sport Activity Vehicle, BMW parlance for SUV) as the flagships of the BMW Advanced Diesel line. It doesn’t take long to understand the company’s …

Audi Q7 TDI Review

The Audi Q7, first introduced as a 2007 model, shares a platform with the Volkswagen Touareg and the Porsche Cayenne and is definitely the best looking of the three.  Resembling more of a tall station …

First Drive: Audi A6 TDI

During four days with the A6, the fuel gauge barely moved.  I consistently got 22-24 mpg in town and up to 40 mpg on the highway.
The engine’s 332 pound-feet of torque (50% more than the …