Page 10 – Diesel Road Tests – The Green Car Driver –

Mercedes-Benz introduced the world’s first diesel-powered automobile in 1936 and the company has been offering its customers fuel-efficient vehicles ever since. The S-Class, Mercedes’ flagship sedan, has been around since 1972 and got its name from Sonderklasse, essentially “a class of its own.”
For 2010, Mercedes designers gave their Übersedan …

If you regularly drive a diesel (or gas-electric hybrid, for that matter), you may wonder what options for fuel-efficient rental cars exist when travelling.  In Europe, renting a diesel is the norm; an online search on Hertz’ Web site showed multiple diesel options including a BMW 118d, a Mercedes ML280 …

The Volkswagen Golf, launched as the Rabbit in the United States, has been in the VW lineup since 1974, introduced as the front-wheel-drive replacement for the air-cooled Volkswagen Beetle (Käfer).   The name Golf is derived from the German word for the Gulf Stream, in keeping with the company’s convention of …

From time to time, The Diesel Driver test drives non-diesel powered fuel-efficient automobiles. Here is one such review.
The Toyota Prius, the world’s first mass produced gasoline-electric hybrid automobile, was first introduced to the domestic Japanese market in 1997 and launched worldwide in 2001.  Buyers in the United States have …

One of the most remarkable things about the new BMW ActiveHybrid X6, besides its performance (0-60 in 5.4 seconds) and fuel economy (20% better than the standard X6), is that the driver might never know he’s behind the wheel of a hybrid if it weren’t for the discreet ActiveHybrid badges …

The diesel invasion from Germany continues with the Audi A3 TDI.  Audi started its clean diesel lineup in the States last spring with the big Q7 TDI that is now joined by the compact A3 five-door hatchback, the recipient of the 2010 Green Car of the Year award.
The sporty looking …

BMW carefully selected the 3er Series sedan and X5 SAV (Sport Activity Vehicle, BMW parlance for SUV) as the flagships of the BMW Advanced Diesel line. It doesn’t take long to understand the company’s logic after spending time behind the wheel of either car.
While the 335d is the embodiment …

The Audi Q7, first introduced as a 2007 model, shares a platform with the Volkswagen Touareg and the Porsche Cayenne and is definitely the best looking of the three.  Resembling more of a tall station wagon than anything else, it appears smaller than it really is.  Its mammoth proportions (it …

The BMW 123d may be the most powerful two-liter diesel ever offered, producing 204 hp and 295 pound-feet of torque at 2000 rpm.  This is enough to get the car from zero to 100 kilometers in 7 seconds.  Fuel consumption as measured by the European Driving Cycle is 36 mpg …

On a round-trip to Philadelphia from New York City for a meeting, the Jetta averaged 43 mpg on the highway (with speeds ranging from 55 to 80 mph).  The Jetta provided a steady supply of power with just a hint of turbo lag and its torque made passing easy.
The easiest …

Mercedes, which pioneered diesel-powered passenger cars back in the 30s, has continued to demonstrate its commitment to diesel in the United States with a variety of models over the years including the legendary 240D and, more recently, an E-Class sedan with a diesel engine.
With the introduction of Mercedes’ BlueTec technology, …

With its 3-liter inline six-cylinder engine with twin turbochargers (small one for low revs, large for high revs) that work in sequence to eliminate turbo lag, the 535d has so much power that you simply would have had to look at the model badge on the trunk to confirm it’s …