As we reported almost a year ago, several of our sources have indicated that MINI USA is currently planning to bring at least one diesel model to the US. We believe this model incorporate the “SD” version of the BMW Group 2.0L diesel engine that produces 143hp and a healthy 225 lf-ft of torque in [...] (visit MotoringFile for the full article) More...
Not at that price point and MPG... Needs to fall in between the "S" and Non S"s car, and get better MPG to sway me to buy it.. That is a big drop in MPG compared to the high end of the Euro cycle of 65 MPG..
Let's see, $3000 premium and uses fuel that's 25% or more per gallon than gasoline......and it stinks to boot. Why would anyone want this? And how many miles would you have to drive to get the payoff? Is it possible to get a payoff on this in one's lifetime? One word answer.....probablynot! :biggrin5:
I have an SD Roadster and it is a lovely engine - sure, it sounds like a tractor from the outside at idle, but once moving it's never unpleasant. And the torque reminds me of the pedal in an organ marked 'Swell' - the turbo damps the edge off the throttle response but, once it picks up its skirts, it has that feeling of being endlessly pulled forward by a tight rubber band connected to the horizon. Because it pulls like a train at 1500rpm and redlines at 4500, you can triple your speed without a gearchange and so it is a very quick car to drive effortlessly on poor roads (I'm talking about roads that make The Dragon look like a major highway). But that doesn't come cheap - I've seen under 25mpgUS from my SD when driven like I just stole it - but that's Yurpeen minor country roads for you. Today in suburban traffic I did exactly 50mpgUS and yet I've got a fire-breather when I want it, so it's a good compromise. On the question of economics, the US price of diesel is a bit of a disincentive - for you it's, what?, 20% more than gas, whereas here in Britain it's 7% more. But the big difference is resale price of the vehicle - over here, diesels are particularly attractive to buyers of older cars because of their economy, so their resale value is much higher. It would probably be worth buying a SD Countryman even if it only had the same economy as an S, just because it would be worth so much more second-hand. So the question for potential diesel buyers is when will the US public start to see the advantage of diesels? I suggest it will happen someday, whether you want it to or not....
I keep seeing comments along this line in discussions about diesel engines European manufacturers won't bring to the US: "The limiting factor all along for US introduction has been certification cost." Can anyone explain this diesel certification business and why its cost is apparently so astronomically high?
The cost of certification is spread over the number of vehicles they think they can sell. Since in effect a diesel variant is a different engine it needs to be certified for US use. For fun I started looking around. Some interesting stuff I dug up. The fee to certify an engine payable to the Fed Gov't is $29,848. That is just the fee to submit the paperwork. Source PDF - http://iaspub.epa.gov/otaqpub/display_file.jsp?docid=26935&flag=1 At OTAQ Document Index System-Error you can find all kinds of documents on what is required. Things like the Fuel Economy Label Information for 2013 and 2014 Model Years and Instructions for Submission of Required Compliance Reports by Engine Manufacturers. Then you also have to have the engine tested, and pay for that testing. It has to show compliance with emission standards over the useful life of the engine for 8 years/110,000 miles (whichever occurs first). Since there are probably chassis modifications required to fit the engine the shell probably needs to be crash tested again too. More cost. The US has more stringent NOx emission standards than the EU does requiring fitment of a catalyst called the NOx adsorber or NOx trap. More engineering cost. And parts cost too... So when you start adding up all the various costs and divide by the proposed sales level you can see how these decisions are made. Oh, and we Americans still think stinky, noisy no power GM diesels, and that diesel is for long haul truckers. We'll need to head out to the truckstop on the interstate to get fuel, not the corner gas station.
I had 2 Ford Superduty diesels, loved the torque not the price of refueling them. One had a 28 gallon tank and the other 38. If it would get the mileage that a Volkswagon diesel does then I would consider it. Problem is the US with all the controls would run the cost up. I miss my turbo powered trucks, not the fuel bill
New diesel owners are quick to say that modern diesels do not smoke and smell like the old ones did, and to a point that's true. But I've been behind many a TDi as it pulls away from a light - and they DO blow black smoke - does it look like an old school bus? No, but it does smoke. They also stink, even the new MBZ, VW and BMWs, just get behind one in town or even on the highway and tell me they don't..... No, they're not as bad as current pickup truck diesels, but they DO stink. I also read all the wonderful writings about the torque, my Cooper S (turbo version) pulls like a freight train from about 1500 rpm too, and it goes to 6K instead of 4500, so I don't see the advantage there either. I think the resale question is valid in Yurrup, maybe not so much here.....
So other than some diesels having excellent mileage and great torque relative to their displacement, etc, what are the other draws? There must be a few or they wouldn't be so popular. According to Angib diesel fuel price is closer to gasoline over there but it still costs more, so it can't be all about cheaper diesel. Do they require less maintenance and/or cost less to maintain? Do they last longer? What's the deal, why so popular in Europe?