The stories range from the first in-depth review of the new 2012 Volkswagen Passat TDI to ongoing reports on our BMW 335d long-term test car, to a preview of the Mercedes-Benz E350 BlueTec.

Enjoy the retrospective.

1.)        2012 Volkswagen Passat TDI – Review and First Drive/Road Test
Our review of two days with the all-new 2012 Volkswagen Passat TDI at its June launch in Chattanooga

2.)        2011 Volkswagen Jetta – First Review
Join us at the launch of the 2011 Volkswagen Jetta and Jetta TDI in San Francisco and spend two days driving in Northern California with us.

3.)        BMW 335d Three-Month Test Report and Review
Our first three months with our BMW 335d long-term test car, starting with delivery at the BMW Welt and an in-depth look at its great fuel economy, superb handling, and road manners.

4.)        2011 Volkswagen Touareg TDI Review and Road Test
We spend a week with the new Touareg, learn to pronounce the name (it’s “twah-reg”), and begin to understand why so many Touareg buyers opt for the diesel version.

5.)        2012 Diesel Car Lineup in the U.S. – What’s New
A look at what’s new in 2012, including the Mercedes-Benz S350 BlueTec and the Volkswagen Passat TDI.

6.)        BMW 335d 12-Month Report and Review
Like a good novel, readers flocked to see how the BMW 335d fared after 12 months and 10,000 km.

7.)        2011 Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen TDI – Review and Test Drive
A week with Volkswagen’s Jetta SportWagen TDI – 80% of JSW buyers go diesel!

8.)        2011 Mercedes-Benz E350 BlueTec Diesel Review and First Look
A week with the Mercedes-Benz E350 BlueTec prior to its launch – and a drive from New York City to Boston and back using only half a tank – helped firm up our decision to add the E-Klasse to our long-term test fleet

9.)        2012 Mercedes-Benz ML350 BlueTec First Look and Review
Our review of the new ML Class diesel at its launch in Montana’s rugged outback

10.)      2011 BMW X3 Review and Road Test – The Road to Berchtesgaden
We drive the new BMW X3 xDrive20d to Berchtesgaden to take in the views.

Two entirely new diesels were introduced in 2011, namely the Mercedes-Benz S350 BlueTec and the Volkswagen Passat TDI .  Both cars are four-door sedans with excellent fuel economy and plenty of passenger room.

In addition, Mercedes-Benz introduced a completely redesigned ML350 BlueTec over the summer.

Earlier this year, readers of The Diesel Driver chose the BMW 335d as the 2011 Diesel Car of the Year .  The 3er received 29.6% of the vote, and 3,669 readers from 43 countries took part in the balloting.  In second place was the Volkswagen Golf TDI with 16.1 percent of the vote. The Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen, with 16 percent of the vote, came in third.

In August, TDD editors Jonathan Spira and Christian Stampfer traveled to the Mercedes-Benz factory in Sindelfingen to take delivery of The Diesel Driver’s new E350 BlueTec sedan .  Since then, the E-Klasse has visited four countries (Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, and the U.S.) and 10 states plus the District of Columbia in the U.S.  Its maiden drive was from Sindelfingen to Maastricht, and its first trip in the U.S. was from New York to Kennebunkport.

In a poll we conducted earlier this year, 749 readers told us why they purchased a diesel. The most often cited reason was fuel economy followed by power and torque.  Reliability was third, followed by reduced emissions and a higher residual value.

From the Tokyo Motor Show, Jonathan Spira reported that BMW and Mercedes-Benz are starting to offer diesels in Japan, traditionally the land of the gasoline-electric hybrid.  Christian Stampfer reported from Frankfurt on the newest diesels and alternative-fuel vehicles being introduced by BMW and by Mercedes-Benz and Jonathan Spira discovered that Jaguar Land Rover will offer a diesel in the U.S. although exactly which vehicle and when remain uncertain.

Finally, balloting for the 2012 Diesel Car of the Year started last month and you can still place your vote or tell your friends to vote for their favorite diesel.  This year’s nominees include seven passenger cars; the Audi A3 TDI, the Mercedes-Benz E350 BlueTec, the Mercedes-Benz S350 BlueTec, the Volkswagen Golf TDI, the Volkswagen Jetta Sedan TDI, the Volkswagen Jetta Sportwagen TDI, and the Volkswagen Passat TDI, as well as six SUVs, the Audi Q7 TDI, the BMW X5 xDrive35d, the Mercedes-Benz ML350 BlueTec, the Mercedes-Benz R350 BlueTec, the Mercedes-Benz GL350 BlueTec, and the Volkswagen Touareg TDI.

Voting ends at midnight on March 1, 2012. The 2012 Diesel Car of the Year, as well as the two runners up, will be announced at the New York International Auto Show in April 2012.

This year’s stellar field of nominees includes seven passenger cars; the Audi A3 TDI, the Mercedes-Benz E350 BlueTec, the Mercedes-Benz S350 BlueTec, the Volkswagen Golf  TDI, the Volkswagen Jetta Sedan TDI, the Volkswagen Jetta Sportwagen TDI, and the Volkswagen Passat TDI, as well as six SUVs, the Audi Q7 TDI, the BMW X5 xDrive35d, the Mercedes-Benz ML350 BlueTec, the Mercedes-Benz R350 BlueTec, the Mercedes-Benz GL350 BlueTec, and the Volkswagen Touareg TDI.

Two of these models, namely the Mercedes-Benz S350 BlueTec and the Volkswagen Passat TDI, are new for 2012.  The winner of the 2011 Diesel Car of the Year Award, the BMW 335d, is no longer in production, so the field is wide open, and it’s up to readers of The Diesel Driver to make the decision.  Last year, over 3600 readers took part in the vote.

Voting starts at noon on November 18 and ends at midnight on March 1, 2012.  The 2012 Diesel Car of the Year, as well as the two runners up, will be announced at the New York International Auto Show in April 2012.

Each year, The Diesel Driver’s readers will select the Diesel Car of the Year, recognizing three vehicles offered in the U.S. as the people’s choice.  As jurors, you can vote for any one of the 13 nominees.  Criteria range from fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions to performance, handling, styling, comfort, and the overall package.

The Diesel Driver is the world’s leading publication geared towards automotive enthusiasts who are interested in diesel-powered passenger cars. The Diesel Driver offers in-depth road tests and reviews, diesel-oriented travel features, and features that focus on the latest in diesel technology.

This year Mercedes is celebrating its 125th anniversary and is credited not only with inventing the diesel-powered passenger car in the 1930s but with having invented the automobile as we more or less know it in 1886.  In the U.S. in recent years, diesels have remained solely in the domain of the Germans, while others automakers experiment with hybrids and electric vehicles.

Mercedes’ diesel offspring have done it proud.  It’s not uncommon to see a W123 240D or 300D still on the road, even though the last one was produced over 25 years ago.  The resale value of diesels remains high and that is reflected in the very high residual value of the car for leasing customers.

Mercedes-Benz is currently tied with Volkswagen for offering the most diesel models in the U.S. (each has five). The E350 BlueTec model was added to the list of available E-Klasse models in the U.S. last year, rounding out the automaker’s U.S. diesel lineup with a four-door sedan.  A second four-door sedan, the larger S350 BlueTec , is first going on sale now at dealerships and was recently in our short-term test fleet.

The 2011 E350 BlueTec sedan was completely new for 2010 and it is a standard E350 sedan in every regard save one: the engine.  Compared to the petrol version, the E350 BlueTec comes with a smaller V-6 3.0-liter 72° engine, which powered an earlier E-Class in the U.S., the 2006 E320 diesel. Today that engine is fitted with Mercedes’ AdBlue urea-injection system that scrubs the exhaust, eliminating almost all of its NOx emissions and making the car legal in all 50 states.

The diesel engine does, however, make a world of difference.  While the diesel only produces 210 hp, it does produce 400 pound-feet of torque between 1,600 and 2,400 rpm.  The E350 gasser only manages 258 pound-feet between 2,400 and 5,000 (the diesel tops out at 4500 rpm incidentally, but that’s fairly typical for an oil burner), while the E550’s massive V-8 only manages to produce 391 pound-feet of torque (although this figure will be increased in the 2012 model).

Click here to continue to Page 2 – Driving the E350 BlueTec and the E350′s Interior plus Virtual Drives