That is a great looking car. do you really get over 40 mph from the diesel engine? My father has a Mercedes 300 Turbo Diesel 300TD from 85' but that car definitely has no torque. Kind of scary trying to merge onto highways here in the US. I can't imagine the kind of torque from a diesel engine that you are describing? would love to test drive one but not sure if there are any here in the states?

 

New diesel engines are amazing machines indeed .They can win Le Mans ,American Le Mans too . Boy, I checked out that Audi Q7 4.2 TDI can beat Northstar V8 [:-]....Amazing performance figures

 

[/align][/align]Hanky, check out the road test review below.....The standard model has 155bhp and 265lbs of torque ( the stuff that really matters ) mine has been upgraded to add another 40 bhp giving it 195bhp as well as adding 120 lbs of torque to the 265 lbs standard. Its one hot hatch in diesel variant.[/align]Re the 40mpg? Well, I've had the car from my wife the past 2 days and got the brakes uprated and detailed it too, so I've kinda been racing / rallying around everywhere I go. Its hard not to with such an eager engine, especially when someone in front is dawdling and you have somewhere to be. So the mpg has kinda fallen wayyyy down to 45.8mpg today[&:]....I can live with that I spose![/align][/align][/align]
DIESEL MOTORING

[/align]Ford Mondeo ST TDCi
Fast, fun, fantastic to drive - and yes, it's a Ford! The new Mondeo ST TDCi is probably the best car in the company's entire range.
The current Mondeo was launched in 2000 and has a few minor facelifts since then. Now, thanks to the diesel revolution, TDCi versions now account for more than half all sales, making it the second-best diesel seller in the UK.
There has long been a special, hot ST petrol-guzzling Mondeo - the 3.0-litre V6. Just a couple of years ago that would have been the end of the story. But now, such is the tidal wave of enthusiasm for oil burning power units, a diesel ST has been rolled out to match that 3.0-litre super saloon.
It's the fastest diesel Ford has ever produced. It has a highly-tuned bored-out version of the 2.0 TDCi - a 2.2-litre turbo producing 155bhp and 265lbs of torque. It does 0-60mph in 8.7 seconds. It can also reach 137mph and return 58mpg, with both saloon and estate versions.
It costs around £22,000 and is the perfect foil for the equally quick Vauxhall Vectra. That's still a lot for a medium sized car with a mainstream badge - so is this Mondeo really worth it?
From the outside, the metallic paint is dazzling and the wheels are simply gorgeous. There's a single chrome exhaust peeping out under the back, and more muscular front wheelarches improve the lines. Two little red letters on the tail discreetly tell the world that this is an ST.
Inside, there's no silly fake wood inserts or flimsy attempts to be fashionable. There are black leather trimmed front seats with an alcantara facing on the base and back, so they're not too sweaty.
The rest of the trim is full leather - the rear seats, steering wheel, gearlever and handbrake. There are chrome and brushed aluminium inserts - some of which are probably plastic.
Air con, ABS, six-speed box, lots of airbags and front fog lights are all standard. There's a good feeling of quality to most of the materials too.
Build and style is well above the middling level of Vauxhall, Citroen, and Renault. It compares well with the group chasing the leaders too - feeling classier than the Honda Accord and more exciting than a Volvo S40.
Ford has improved on the Mondeo's renowned handling with a unique sports-tuned and lowered suspension, plus huge 18-inch alloy wheels with skinny low profile rubber. It makes for formidable handling.

The engine isn't the most refined though - that's the new Honda's accolade - but it's not bad. There's little wind noise at speed and very little vibration.
There are four doors, tons of rooms for four adults, split-folding rear seats, a big boot space. The Sony stereo is brilliant and plays mp3s too. Options include a DVD system with screens mounted in the back of the front headrests.
Other practical details are friendly enough to make this a sensible buy though - insurance is group 13, CO2 low, Ford's reliability reputation has never been higher yet you'll probably get a discount at the dealer as well.[/align][/align][/align][/align][/align][/align][/align]

Jim

 

Well AQ, after you're little pot hole run-in, guess you'll get a chance to get you some 5-spokers, eh?

 

Yeah, not exactly the way I wanted to get them though! I'm waiting for a packet in the mail from MDOT or michigan department of transportation. I have to fill out some bs and than go from there. If that doesn't work I'm gonna have to make a claim on my insurance. The bs is its an at fault accident and will go against me which is bs! I don't have anything on my dmv accident or speeding ticket or anything and I gotta claim bs like this on my insurance...it's not fair! I put out money in taxes for them to fix these freaking roads! These are my favorite rims I'm going to try and go for these...I had a set of these on my monte and loved them...

 

So true..When Rudolph Diesel Invented the engine, it ran off of Peanut oil..before crude oil was discovered..Shame we are just now slowly converting back to the Bio-diesel.

 

Thanks for the info. I didn't realize that these diesel engines were so powerful. Why don't we have that many in the United States? is it the emissions problems?

 

Really not sure why there aren't any over there hanky?
I remember speaking to Biggie about it some time ago and he said there aren't even that many diesel pumps around at the gas stations?
I guess though with the ultra cheap prices you guys pay that its not a big consideration......YET!

Jim

 

Imported diesel cars/engines are now starting to come across the pond..Up untill late 2006 the refineries here did not produce the low sulphur fuel like the European's had..So yes, it was an emissions issue.

 

Thanks for filling me in on that one Dennis....
Do you honestly think they'd ever take off over there though? There seems to be this attitude that Americans love their big gas guzzling cars that do maybe 15 to the gallon etc etc, but its not really an issue b/c of the ultra low fuel prices over there.
That seems to be everyones consensus of opinion and has been for some time....Do you think that the masses will change or would even want to?

Jim

 

We by no means enjoy paying the money it takes to fuel a car. The need for size and safety outweighs the idea of good gas mileage, that is why people drive bigger cars over here. It is by no means joyful to pay outrageous amounts on fuel even if our fuel is cheaper than you over there. We'd love to get 30-40 mpg out of a giant suv but it just isn't there. Your lucky to get anywhere near 20mpg out of any heavy duty diesel pickup truck. We've had other diesel cars like the early mercedes and volvo that were out but popularity wasn't very high. I doubt they got 50mpg though! They also smoked a lot!

 

I hear what your'e saying Aquill, but high fuel prices???
Wer'e at around £5.00 a gallon here.....at todays exchange rate thats a little under $10....What are you guys paying? About $2 and compalining about it[&:]
Diesels used to smoke pretty bad hence the term " oil burners " but they have improved significantly over the years, in noise levels also.
Talking about damage to the environment as well.........Even if they smoke a bit more that petrol, but get twice the gas mileage, surely there's a trade off somewhere?

Jim

 

OH MY GOODNESS! About friggin' time.

Jim, that thing looks gorgeous. So seriously, whose car is that and where are you hiding that Reliant?!?

On a side note, your floormats are filthy. This is unacceptable, Jim. [&:]

 

Actually Jim, diesels are cleaner to the atmosphere because most of the exhaust is heavy particulates that will eventually settle back to the ground, unlike with gasoline engines(petrol) whereas, it's exhaust stays mostly gasious and remains airborne.

 

Lol......thanks Dennis

1 for the compliment on the car....I think it was a compliment?
2 For correcting me[&:]
3 Noticing the floormats[&:].....Its the wife!!! She only has size 4 feet for gods sake, where does she pick up all that dirt from? I promise I'll try harder next time or just won't take interior pics...lol


Where you been hiding Dennis?

Jim