The Commander looks to be headed for the door and production on the Durango is done, for now at least. All that having been said, if Chrysler is successful in their tie-up with Fiat, good things are ahead.

On the Ford front, we can’t wait to get behind the wheel of the Fiesta … although it’s not likely to get a diesel engine here in the states until we get our act together and implement a national energy policy that puts diesel fuel prices back on a par with gasoline.

Diesels, featherweight or not, make very good sense here in the States. If we want to achieve a 35 MPG average sooner rather than later, clean diesel plays a huge part. It’s time the oil companies start working for US, in every sense.

Something most of you are missing is that while YOU THINK clean diesel is a reality that we’re being kept away from, the fact is that the US has the most strict PARTICULATES emissions standards in the world. This is something the .eu simply doesn’t regulate like we do which means that these ‘clean’ diesels are dirty in other ways that need to be reconfigured, tested, and certified for statewide consumption. If that’s not enough, consider that Diesel fuel in the states is typically $1/imperial gallon MORE expensive than regular fuel whereas most European nations it’s close to being on par if not cheaper. Add this all up and for most a featherweight diesel in a econobox doesn’t make sense for most American drivers.

I’ve rented a US-spec 08 focus and i was duly impressed. I averaged 34mpg driving 70+ in michigan. when i backed off on the go-pedal i was sporting as high as 38mpg. combine that with Sync and light, direct steering, and it’s a good choice for smaller car buyers. Word is that the eurofocus/mazda3 is heavier and more thirsty when spec’d similarly.

Petrol (95) – $8,4 pr US Gallon.
Diesel – $7,7 pr US Gallon.

Approx 70% of the price is taxes. The price for transportation with a car is approx the same as 10 years ago, since new cars use less fuel. So for the end user an crude oil price of $40/barrel or $100 is hardly noticed.

Cars with big engines are more expensive (all cars in Norway are expensive…) then cars with small engines.
E.g:
Audi A3 2.0 TDI, 170 hp = $65,600
Audi AS 3,2 V6 250 hp = $126,000
Chrystler 3,2 Aut = $119.000
Toyota Prius = $52,700
(2006 prices)

76,3% of all new cars have diesel engines. (July 2007)

The average car is 17,7 years old before it gets scraped.
The average scrap age for an Mercedes is 20,7 years vs 16 for a Chrysler. The average age of a car on the road is approx 10 years old. (2003 numbers). You will be given a $300 refund when you scrap a car. My previous car was a ‘88 VW Polo. I bought the new one half a year ago, a 1.8 liter 2000 Nissan for approx $20.000.

Driving a car with a small engine here is not the same as in the US, since there are very few traffic lights. In one city they actually choose to keep the last one for training purposes, so the student drivers could have something to practice on. You very seldom need to reduce the speed to under 30 MPH, while driving inside city and not in rush traffic. There are close to no full stop signs, I think I can count the one I have seen while driving for 11 years on one hand. This makes driving a car with 50hp or 150hp almost the same.

On the freeway you only need to accelerate once, and if you consider the gas prices this becomes an easy choice between a big or a small engine….But of course driving a small high power car on small mountain roads is something completely different, and why many people choose a big engine if they can afford it =)

Highways in the EU are of a much higher quality then the ones I drove on in the US. I remember thinking that driving a VW Golf on a California freeway would have killed the car… After the taxi trip from the airport I rented the biggest car the agency had…