So, I drove past the Jeep dealer tonight, to see if they had any Jeep Liberty CRDs (diesel) in stock to drive (I don't want to buy one, just to see what they've come up with).
The salesman said that unless I was serious about buying one, the dealer would have to outright buy one or trade rare models to get one. I said I just wanted to drive it. I expressed interest that cars like the Caliber should be offered with a Diesel -- he said that it already got "great" gas mileage and comes in AWD, blah-blah. I fired back that the Neon got better mileage, and was a big seller in the early years. He answered that no plans to bring something smaller (other than the SMART) is on the books.
Then he introduced me to the sales manager. This is where I about lost it. I told him that I thought clean diesel tech was going to become popular like hybrids, and that Daimler-Chrysler should capitalize on that. He quipped that if mileage was what I was looking for he had this, that, and the other. I told him that I get a combined 30 mpg in my TSX and 31 in an old Integra (he looked shocked). I pushed the idea of Diesels in cars, and he almost lectured me on how people aren't going to pay a $3000 premium on something that won't recoup itself until 7 years, and he doesn't want that (expletive) on his lot. He tried to sell me a Charger that gets 29 mpg highway. Right ***.
I shot back with the fact that people are paying top dollar for Hybrids and it would be a good idea to offer Diesel in a car of some sort. He said they wouldn't sell. Counter-Attack: So the Liberty CRDs that are flying off of the lot and are hard to get won't sell? He had no answer. I said that it wasn't all price, people are getting conscious about emissions too, and he looked at me like a freak. If they want to screw themselves that's fine, but it's a damn shame that it seems to be the corporate structure at D-C. Grrrr!
RH77
. I passed the dealer again today and saw rows of Jeep Commanders and Grand Cherokees collecting dust. (insert evil laugh here). Even on the Dodge side, no Calibers to speak of just Rams and Durangos. 
Yeah, I'll take the Dodge SRT-10 Truck (6 city/10 hwy on a good day). I can haul more stuff in my Integra, while that just hauls arse.
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