The forgotten diesels?

A recent letter from a VW dealer to the editor of Automotive News Europe noted diesels as strong sellers, yet the media seems to be looking the other way. He writes: "I am always amazed to see that writers at Automotive News and the media at large seem to be asleep when it comes to looking for the whole story on diesel-powered cars."

An important point he makes is that VW has been a reliable, affordable force in the vehicle market for decades, with many of their diesel models offering fuel mileage at 50+ mpg. And we agree. Those are awesome fuel numbers when you look at the choices that are available. Heck, that's even better than most hybrids. So if you're considering going with a diesel - and remember, that's also a biodiesel vehicle by default - stay tuned for spring 2008 when VW will be selling their newest clean diesel models in the states. We'll be updating our 2007 and 2008 vehicle lists as models and dates are announced. And in the meantime, if you want to grab an '06 model or later, get the scoop on used vehicles at the Used Car site with Michael Harley. And looky there ... 5 out of these 10 most fuel-efficient used vehicles were VWs.

So, we're curious ... does the media really influence your choice of car that much? Heck, what about the up-and-down fluctutations in fuel prices? Michael Harley recently reported that as fuel prices drop, so does interest in greener choices. Are folks really so fickle? What do you think?

photo © VW - 2006 VW Jetta TDI - 36/42 mpg