Interesting Ford Diesel info

[kinghawg98]

What kind of emissions do the 75 MPG cars have?

That is something to know.

I am thinking the consumer here will be slow to pick up diesel because of the past 'failures' seen in the US. There are some good quiet diesel cars now, but they are few and far between (Diesel Mercedes and VW for instance)

Diesel may have more visable pollution, but is it worse off than the NOx and other fun stuff out of a car exhaust?

I have more questions than productive thoughts on this crazy topic.

[Fandini]

Originally Posted by n4hhe

Whats wrong with that? Would you rather they be working for Ford?

They might as well be working for them, they tell them what to do! I thought the customer was supposed to dictate what you sell by buying the products they like and want, not the government.

You know, think about this. There has been alot of people beating the big three over the head because "they don't produce a fuel efficient vehicle!" These people obviously haven't been to a Ford, GM, or Chrysler lot in the past 35 years because they do, but nobody buys them. The customer wants what they have been buying, BIG FREAKING VEHICLES!

The big three have been making small vehicles AT A LOSS for 35 years because the government mandates that they do!!!!!!!! Have you ever noticed what kind of vehicle the government buys from them, BIG FREAKING GAS HOGS!!!!!!

If it were me, I'd close up shop and move somewhere else, then I could be an import that all those tree hugging hypocrites in Government and of course California love!

[bumpweLL]

^ people want compacts but VW and the Japanese cant be beat in that market. US compacts dont have much sex appeal. Cobalt SS? My past cars were a GTI, Focus SVT, WRX, Contour SVT for a lil bit and now a Mazdaspeed 6. Now Ford doesnt make a good looking compact, Dodge makes a a neon SRT?? and a Zero Caliber when they had stuff like the Razor concept like 10 yrs ago, and the Demon concept, and you wonder why Chrysler is bombing. They had better cars in '88, Conquest, hell gimme a Shelby Omni.
I like the Volt concept but Subaru is coming with diesel and will takeover.

[Fandini]

Originally Posted by bumpweLL

^
I like the Volt concept but Subaru is coming with diesel and will takeover.

Everybody is coming in with a diesel, Honda, VW, Subaru, BMW, etc., and they have already been making them for decades to sell elsewhere in the world. Most of the big 3 have diesel technology in use elsewhere in the world, at least Ford does. It's hard for them to make money on vehicles with small margins when they pay the labor rates they do,..........$156,000.00 a year to assemble vehicles is just plain STUPID! Makes me want to buy from some other maker just because of what they pay labor.............JUST PLAIN PISSES ME OFF!!!!!!!!

[mrnecsteve]

Perhaps Ford already has plans to bring small diesels in.....but NOT from Europe???. They already have proven models manufactured in the philippines where left hand drive AND diesels are the significant majority.
If it werent for the EPA,they would probably already be sellable here.
Checkout:
2.5L, 4-cylinder, DOHC 16V DuraTORQ TDCi commonrail diesel engine
from this website Ford Philippines - Ranger 4x2 Trekker

[stumblefoot]

Originally Posted by t613

Maybe Ford is remembering back to the early 80's with the diesel Escort. They were noisy, rough and stinky. Diesels have come a long way since then, and I think America would totally embrace a new diesel car in this fuel climate. Won't SOME U.S. company give it a trial, or will I have to buy a VW to get a diesel car? Go America.

Those old Escorts got close to 50 MPG with a NA diesel. Made by Nissan. Yes a bit noisy, and smoked, but add a turbo and computer injection, and it would be alot cleaner.

Read these forums and wonder why people dont like diesels. We get 5 inch straight pipes, stacks, and like to roll coal at every opportunity. So the general uninformed public thinks diesels are loud and dirty. Then too was GMs attempt back in the 80s, But the working truck owners, ranchers, farmers, contractors, know that diesel is the way to go. And the fuel mileage will offset the higher price of diesel fuel.

[zambonimaxx]

I can kind of understand why the big one has given up a bit at this point to make smaller diesel cars in the U.S. #1 our emission standards are rediculous because of California...if it doesn't pass there, they have issues seeling them anywhere. #2 The government just threw a huge wrench in the mix when they mandated the DPF. Eventually that mandate will fly to Tier III diesels as well, outstanding, considering DPF's seem to be the root of all evil! Imagine the engineers when they finished the 6.4, then out of no-where "Hey add an extra fuel line, and this filter, and program the computer to do this and that" Greeeaaaat, originially they were getting almost 30 MPG I read, now because of the DPF, people are lucky to see 14!?!?

America loves our big vehicles, heck, I'm just as bad, I don't like driving down low, and feel unsafe, especially when the number of trucks towards cars is greatly outnumbered. I don't care how many airbags you have, if something weighing 6000 lb. or more hits you, and you weigh 3000 lb. there are going to be issues!

Well I think this talk of the Big 3 should be happening. GM is owned by the Government, and Chrystler has been Private/European for the last few years. The last remaining Private American company is and I a proud to stand behind them for this. Lets hope they figure things out. I read last months Forbes, and it had an article on Fords new CEO (from Boeing) and he is fixing a lot of stuff! I am happy to hear it. They are sinking, yes, but still above water for now. I love my Ford Products (all together in my family there are 5) and I will never buy anything thats not American. I also feel badly towards Ford because they are now competing with the government (GM) and they are giving chash-back, tax breaks, maybe soon free cars I don't know, but still I say "Keep it up Ford...and Keep Workin'!" They will figure it out (sooner hopefully rather than later) that they need efficiency and Diesel is the way to go.

~Phil

[Austinj427]

Originally Posted by International-Harvester91

Ford knows they would not make any money with that car in the us becuase of the price of diesel which where i live is much higher than gas now days

Whhhhhhaaaaa.

You are joking right?

Lets do some math:

Smart fourtwo (whatever it is) 42 mpg.

60 mpg diesel.

Lets go with some easy numbers here, $2.50 a gallon for unleaded, $2.75 for diesel.

cost per mile (unleaded): $.06 per mile

cost per mile (diesel): $.045 per mile

Assuming roughly 12K miles per year:

unleaded: $720

Diesel: $540

That may not seem like a whole lot, but leave unleaded at $2.50 a gallon and jack diesel up to $3.60 a gallon and you will spend the same in fuel driving the same distance.

Sorry to take it out on you, but this topic got me somewhat angry.

[Fandini]

I don't know about other makes, but maint. is substantially more on my powerstroke truck than it was on my gas truck. Don't forget to factor that into you cost comparisons.

[po-po 5.0]

Diesel is NOT the answer to every economy and emissions problem. Remember folks: diesel fuel is a BYPRODUCT of refining gasoline. If everyone started driving diesel vehicles diesel prices would go through the roof! A 42 gallon barrel of oil produces 20 gallons of gasoline and only 9 barrels of diesel. You really can't just change this ratio at will. The absurd diesel prices from the summer of '08 should tell you what happens when people stop buying gasoline: truckers and cargo ships still have to buy diesel so the prices skyrocket!

Technologies like cylinder deactivation and gasoline direct injection are MUCH better investments than diesel cars.