There are whole other continents on this planet that pretty much buy diesel engines exclusively. Then why is it so hard for manufacturers to offer us fuel efficient, and more importantly torque rich, diesel engines? Most americans last experience with a diesel was in the seventies or eighties when they were smelly, slow and LOUD. Nowadays, that is not the case. Most every major manufacturer offers a great diesel engine. Rover has a great diesel V8. Couldn't Mercedes give Jeep a great sendoff and put one of it's turbodiesels in the new Wrangler? We don't need a minivan gas engine in the JK. Have you read about any diesel engines not offered here? What would be your dream diesel engine option for a new vehicle?  

You can thank the pointy-headed bureaucrats in Sacramento for that. They've been so insistent that diesel meet the same emissions standards as gasoline engines, that manufacturers have had to burn the midnight oil trying to figure out how to comply with the regulations.

And with California being one of the biggest markets in the WORLD for some automakers (Yes, that's how significant the Golden State is) many of them are reluctant to only offer a 45-state model, preferring to put the fininshing touches on a 50-state state model before they go to market with them. I think in '09 and '10, you're going to see a bunch of diesels on the market, from compacts to trucks and SUVs, and everything in between.  

I think diesel will really "catch on" in the US in the next few years. Once we get the emissions figured out and the public to change its perception of diesel as being loud and for BIG vehicles, there'll be no stopping it. Compact and diesel are two words that we don't associate with each other, YET. I think my family might hold off on buying a new car, and get a compact diesel in a few years.  

Hah. smelly, loud, and slow is right. i refused to look at diesels for years because of just that. my family had 1979 Olds wagon with a gas engine converted to use diesel. It sucked. worst part was that rear-facing rear seat that I always ended up in being the youngest. the fumes would flow right on in the back window and choke us all. i am converted, however, since i drove my buddy's 2004 Ford F250 with 6.0 liter turbo diesel. that thing blows away my F350 with a 460 V8.  

I grew up in one of those olds wagons also. My old man specialized in light duty diesel engines at a dealer for years, he still drives that thing to this day, O.. the part about slow, he can waste my rubicon in that huge thing, I have no chance in the world of keeping up with that thing, yeah, its had a few heads put on it in its time but is a very dependable car, It even lived through my high school days, (17 years ago)massive burn outs, and racing and creaming those darn vw scirrocos, It still runs the quarter mile in 15.04 seconds, unbelievable for a 5800# smoking boat. the injector pump and injectors have been reworked, exhaust, and at one point we had a turbo on it but it kept blowing head gaskets @22.5 to 1 compression ratio what could one expect. we even put a the turbo on the 5.7 olds diesel that we put in my 72 nova, I melted the #7 and 8 pistons out of 3 or 4 motors, but man they were fast and only got 28 mpg while being driven normally.
   the gas conversion is a common misconseption, the block was completely redesigned for the diesel, although it does resemble the gas and the heads from a gas pot will bolt right on it, the front of the block is cast diferently and is much heavier than the gas, along with the crankshaft rods and pistons, the heads have no combustion chambers just flat,and again much heavier castings, some serious hot rodders and racers used the diesel block for hi pro engine platforms with heavy modifications. in 1980 gm made the dx 350 casting even heavier than early d 350 and 260 blocks, some people even think that the gm 6.2 liter diesel was a gas conversion in 1981 being basically a 381cid big block.
Just for kicks you should go test drive almost any new small turbo diesel car vw jetta, mbz, or even an old 80's mittsubishi turbo diesel pick-up or even a chevy pre 1993 truck that a proud owner stuck a Banks Sidewinder turbo on, If the smart alec in the 6.0 ford next to you waits even a second he'll get wasted by a 20 year old chevy. I have one that really ticks off the new ford, dodge and duramax owners, then try to convince yourself that they are all loud and slow. I definately can't compete with a 500hp dodge but I can make them step down on the loud pedal harder than one would expect. diesels have come a long way since the late 70,s and will probly never loose any momentum untill pigs start flying.  

I also manage the content for dieselpowermag.com, and I just got back from Diesel Power Challenge, and let me tell you, those trucks are putting down some serious power now. We had one Dodge that was running nitrous (maybe propane, but I can't remember) that laid down over 1,000 hp and 1,800 lb./ft. AT THE WHEELS!! I saw several trucks break into the 11s at the quarter-mile.

Reason why we're not seeing much diesel action right now beyond the big trucks is simply because of emissions regs. CA is super-tough, and like it or not, a lot more of the states are adopting those standards. With the SCR catalysts (urea injection) and the ULSD fuel, you'll see a few more, but with the sky-high price of diesel right now, I think that's scaring a lot of the OEs from introducing diesel models right now.  

yep, and when they are driven responsibly they can do over 20mpg's. not bad for almost four times the wieght of a economy four banger car struggling to get 28mpg's not to mention it can't even begin to keep up with the big dogs...  

You guys are starting to talk about the world I live, Diesels.Good to here this kind of talk.  

Supposedly in '10 and '11, a bunch more diesel models will be coming out.  

The rest of you guys need to read some of the forums and articles in dieselpowermag.com and you'll see there are many engines in the making (some for the U.S. are nothing more than experimental right now) for MANY of the "light vehicle" we've all come to love and respect (well, love anyways).

I read an article a few days ago in there, where they are saying, it's NOT an issue of consumer demand, it's all those d@mn hippies complaining about emissions levels. PLUS some automakers are playing it as hit and miss on which vehicles get the engines when. Look @ the Jeep liberty for example. Like it or not, It had a heck of a (overall good) public response, and sold well more than expected. That little diesel engine coupled with the 6spd manny behind it, made for a "pretty decent" stock rig. With all that being said, my friends @ the local Dodge dealership said they had some serious problems with the transmissions being underrated for the power of the diesl (yes, even their manuals have problems as well). But I've ALSO been told that a few modifications could EASILY take care of this.

The Liberty proved that the current market is there for diesels in more than just 3/4+ ton truks, but the problem (once again) lies in the CA and EPA issues. Diesels ARE NOT Gas burners, and DO NOT produce the SAME emissions as Gas engines. It's like they're biting into an apple and expecting it to taste like an orange, etc. Yes, save the world from emissions, but let us be practical about some of it too. Other countries arent having this kind of problem, so why should some people here have a problem with it as bad as they do.

Diesels have got the power, they've got the effiency (some maybe not thru the tail pipe), and when coupled with the right gear ratios (and amount of gears in the tranny), they've got phenominal milage for the vehicle size. A friend has already proven that with a 4x4, 3/4 ton dodge quadcab. It's got a 6spd manual trans, a 3" lift and is managing 30-32 mpg. He DID change the gears a little bit, but I have no clue what they are. If you want to see more of these in production, get pickier about who you vote for around election time. Help get public awareness out about this. Maybe still hope that maybe some others out there will eventually "see the light" and understand the same thing that many of us have already realized.

YES, in case people couldnt tell already, I AM a diesel fan. Its still kinda hard to beat an original HEMI, a 454ss, or a 440 six pack, but  if you want performace AND effiency, you still can't beat a diesel.