Why don't we have small Isuzu diesel pickups? Why!!??

[rh77]

Originally Posted by nathan

I picked up a chevette diesel a few months back for 200 bucks. it needs a fair bit of work, but once its done it'll replace my gas chevette. I'll probably do a duel tank setup for bio in one and wvo in the other, except in winter of course.

Nice find! IIRC, the D-Vette has a pretty robust Isuzu Diesel that should be reliable and efficient when tuned (instead of GM's "Smoke 'em if you got 'em" Diesel bombs in the Olds' and Caddies).

Good luck -- and keep us posted!

RH77

[rh77]

Originally Posted by Spule 4

Must have been a grey market Range Rover, diesels were never sold here offically. I have only seen one stateside.

I was thinking along those lines, since this is the only one I remember seeing over here. It looked like a U.S. version, possibly transplanted with an imported engine. I'm not up on my Rovers, but if you were to do some serious off-roading, the Land Rover Defender has been the equivalent of the Jeep in the UK Military. Can't get it here, though...

RH77

[Spule 4]

Originally Posted by rh77

I was thinking along those lines, since this is the only one I remember seeing over here. It looked like a U.S. version, possibly transplanted with an imported engine. I'm not up on my Rovers, but if you were to do some serious off-roading, the Land Rover Defender has been the equivalent of the Jeep in the UK Military. Can't get it here, though...

RH77

There is not much difference between the E and US-DOT version, the grey market one I saw was a two door. Not many people realize that design goes back to 1971 or so.

[Lug_Nut]

Originally Posted by omgwtfbyobbq

What's really disgusting is that VW could be putting out 70-80+mpg station wagons if they paid any attention to aero. These are f'in pickups getting the same as VW diesels.

VW DOES put out 70~80 mpg wagons.
My (now late) 96 Passat wagon returned 77 mpg on B100 during the NESEA 2005 Tour de Sol "Monte Carlo Rally" weekend event.
My previous 96 Passat sedan returned 83+, also on B100, during their 2003 Tour de Sol week long event.

[GasSavers_Brock]

The problem is VW has fallen in to the bigger is better engine trap along with so many others for the US market. Since they made the Passat Wagons the MPG has kept falling and still is, hopefully they will stop this tread and head back up. I understand some of this is due to better emission standards, but some is the addition of more and more HP. I am glad I got my 03 right before the larger PD engine came out, last of the high mileage cars…

Hey Lug what was your best single tank in the Passat, 1300 miles?

[omgwtfbyobbq]

Originally Posted by Lug_Nut

VW DOES put out 70~80 mpg wagons.
My (now late) 96 Passat wagon returned 77 mpg on B100 during the NESEA 2005 Tour de Sol "Monte Carlo Rally" weekend event.
My previous 96 Passat sedan returned 83+, also on B100, during their 2003 Tour de Sol week long event.

EPA says no way. I'm not putting down your driving techniques, routes, etc... But the fact is they build vehicles with terrible aerodynamics and rely heavily on engine efficiency for their high mileage offerings. If they offered a small station wagon ala Saturn with better aero, LRR tires, and the 1.2L or 1.4L TDI, they'd probably have something that could pull 70-80mpg EPA.

[GasSavers_Brock]

I don't know if I would call them terrible aerodynamics. My VW Jetta wagon is listed at .28 it is heavy comes with LRR tires, but rated as the safest in it's size with airbag all the way around, including the back seats. It looks like the Saturn has a CD of .36, not very good...

[omgwtfbyobbq]

Are you sure about that? VW of Canada has the Jetta Wagon with a Cd of .32 which seems to be the same as the Saturn L200. I always figured Saturns had about the same drag coef with less reference area (~25ft^2 (for mk5 jetta) compared to 21ft^2(Saturn L200)) , so they should have a significant advantage in terms of aero. I don't think it'd be a stretch for VW to build a wagon with drag coef of ~.27 and 20ft^2 of reference area, although the LRR tire thing is interesting, I wonder what models came, with, or without them.

[Lug_Nut]

Originally Posted by omgwtfbyobbq

EPA says no way.

And what is the EPA rating of "small Isuzu diesel pickups...they offer a 3.0L turbocharged 4x4 that gets ~50mpg@50mph"?
I'm fortunate that I don't drive on a treadmill following a proscribed test acceleration and brake pattern for set times and distances. I suppose that if I had to drive the EPA cycle I'd get close to EPA figures. A steady 50 mph in my TDI is 70+ mpg.

To answer the other question: I've gotten just over 1400 miles per tank three times. By "just over" I mean by less than 30 miles over.

[omgwtfbyobbq]

I'm not sure, because they haven't tested them. My point was that if Mistu can make a 4x4 3L TDI pickup that gets 50mpg@50mph, VW could make a more efficient wagon, not that the current TDIs can't get good mileage, it's just they could be so much better. They are cars, not 4x4 pickups, and can only get 40% better mileage? VW just doesn't design efficient gliders, they just rely on their efficient drivetrains.