Diesel cars in Canada ?
 

Looks like we'll be heading back to Canada sometime soon, so I'm on the look out for a new car. I have a Saab 9-3 TDi here in the Untidy Kingdom and I'm impressed with the mileage I get from the 1.9 litre engine, over 60 MPG on the Highway.

I know gas is almost half the price in Canada, compared to the 97p a litre over here, but I'm a diesel convert now after driving the 9-3 150 HP.

As far as I know there's only VW bringing diesel cars into Canada, not sure if Saab would even bring one in on special order, if they would I'd get one.

Anyone know what the options are other than VW ?

Thanks,

Canada Bob.

Re: Diesel cars in Canada ?
 

If you discount the big heavy duty 500ftlb "duratek" type truck option, then in addition to the VW TDis you are left with

Iddy biddy Smart car

Jeep liberty direct injection diesel (might not be on the market yet?)

Some pretty old used Merceded Benz

errrrmmmmmmmmmm, that it!

Re: Diesel cars in Canada ?
 

Iain very true

Made a few trips over the pond and one thing I did look at was cars / mini vans, particulary looked for diesels for their fuel consumption and the rising price of fuel even in Canada.

Guess what it was impossible to find a diesel people carrier :eek:

Yip we have nice big V6, V8 engines, 3.5 litre, 4.0 litre 5+ litre engines but no diesels

Another thing that was hard to find was a manual car / people carrier, I would prefer a manual car, but again very hard to find.

It was nice to drive an automatic but I like manuals and they are a lot better on fuel !!!

ERMMMMMMMMMM looks like its a automatic petrol model for me, no diesels or manual cars here mate !!

Eddie

Re: Diesel cars in Canada ?
 

Hello Iain,

I'm amazed that there's hardly any diesel cars for sale in Canada and the US, don't make any sense to me.

I think folks are still labouring under the old attitude towards diesels, that they were smoky and noisy. The level of sophistication of diesel engines these days is amazing, how do you get >60 MPG of a full sized car like a Saab 9-3 {automatic}, I'm impressed...

A mate of mine has the same model, also diesel, only difference is he {being a farmer} saved a grand by going for the manual transmission. Sid is getting on average 6 MPG less from his car than I get from mine, the problem there is I'm never in the "wrong gear" Sid often is :-)

How long is it going to take for Saab et-al to figure out that there's demand for diesels in the North American market, even though fuel is still almost half price, it's still gone up to record breaking prices for everyone, and if it ever comes to the point where Canadians are paying the $2 a litre that we're paying here in the Untidy Kingdom, then they'll be screaming for diesels.

One of the main reasons I went for a diesel was the thought of getting around 650 miles to a tank of fuel, rather than 350 with 9-3 petrol/gas engine. The thought that I'm paying less revenue to Tony B liar makes my day {even though I'm left wing} I can't stand the thought of this lot.

If Harold Wilson was alive today... he'd be turning in his grave :mad:

Anyway, that's my rant in support of diesels, I'm a convert for life now...

Canada Bob.

Re: Diesel cars in Canada ?
 

Harold Wilson..........................Left Wing.

Oh Bob you do tell some good jokes ;)

Re: Diesel cars in Canada ?
 

Aye, but the best ones go ore most folks heads, sigh...

"if he was alive today, he'd be turning in his grave" !

Must be hard work on the North Pier hey :(

Canada Bob.

Re: Diesel cars in Canada ?
 

Hi Bob, nice to have you back :)
If VW are importing diesels into Canada, check out the new Passat. I drove my bosses a couple of times very impressive - made my diesel seem like a snail.

I'll PM you to arrange for a drink

Re: Diesel cars in Canada ?
 

Hi Mandy...

Nice to be back, at least at periscope level now :)

Yep the Passat is a decent car, in fact the last car I had in Canada was the
4 litre, 8 cylinder 4WD model, best car I've ever had in lots of ways, the beggar could almost fly... wasn't bad on gas either doing around 25 MPG, but I can give up flying if I can get 60 MPG in a car the same size.

I've actually asked about the Passat diesel in Canada, but I was told by a dealer they don't bring them in :-(

Looks like the auto manufacturers haven't yet recognised the potential for selling diesels in Canada, but with gas prices reaching record levels already and still being {in Canada & the US} way less than we pay ore here or in most of Europe the bubble just has to burst, and when it does Canadians will be paying what the rest of us are faced with... I'd prefer to be ahead of the wave...

Canada Bob.

Re: Diesel cars in Canada ?
 

Thats weird, i checked autotrader for new models and it listed diesels for VW. Maybe the sales guy gets more commission for selling octane.
Anyway, not sure which side your going to but Westminster Volkswagon in Coquitlam BC have got 2002 diesel jettas for sale 2.2ltr so its possible they sell new ones

Re: Diesel cars in Canada ?
 

Had a good ratch about the garages the last time I was over and the only ones I found were Golf/Jetta , E class merc, Jeep Liberty and huge trucks (6 litre cummins diesel engines).
Did have a word with the Volvo garage about the XC90 SUV and they said that they have plans to get in the Diesel model for 2008 due to its hugh sales in Europe. Was in the Saab garage but they had no plans, nor did Ford, Nissan or Toyota. GM/Chevy just laughed.
Nice girl at VW claimed that the Oil Companies have such a hold over the markets(and profits) that they were making it as difficult as possible for manufacturers to get mainstream vehicles in diesel format. If you can afford it, wait for the Volvo as the 2008 model should be available in about 1 year or so.

Re: Diesel cars in Canada ?
 

Hello Stuart...

Some good points there, especially about the grip that the oil companies have on the throats of us and our wallets. In times when we are supposed to be conserving dwindling oil reserves why are we driving cars that would do double the mileage if they were diesels ???

It's not only what, but it seems we're also prepared to go to war to protect our supply of crude, yet there are alternative {fossil} fuels that could run the planet for the next thousand years {that's a conservative estimate, other folks say the reserves of this very weird stuff {ice that burns, 1 litre of it in ice form turns to 160 litres of burnable fuel}.

It's not that this stuff has only just been discovered, the powers that be have known about it for at least 20 years. I first heard of it when I met a British research guy, in a pub in Halifax, 1992 that was, 14 years ago.

He was part of a team of Brits, Americans, Japanese et-al who were charting the extent of "methane hydrate" in the North Atlantic, seems that there's enough recoverable "frozen methane" just off the shores of Europe, and N. America {and in the frozen tundra of Canada} to keep the western world going for thousands of years !

I thought the guy was winding me up, over a pint, you know just two Limeys shooting the breeze, but I did some asking around {this was well before the times of Google and the like} and managed to get confirmation from NRC National Research Canada, blew me away it did...

This frozen ice is just off our shores, at on average 1500 ft deep, but when they find it {in massive areas} the "seams" can be 500 ft thick.

I've never yet in the last 14 years heard any government talk about this stuff, never seen anything on TV or in the papers about it, but I know that they are still charting the oceans of the world and finding incredible amounts of it, a lot of it around the coast of Japan, so they're real pleased {having missed out on oil}, but like all the other nations in the know, they have kept quiet about it too...

Fair enough the technology to recover it would be costly... probably about the same price in $'s as the Gulf War, but a lot less costly in the cost of lives, yet we pay the price at the pumps and in body bags, what's going on ?

The bloke that told me about methane hydrate also said it was this stuff that turned the ice age off... long story there, and I've forgotten most of what he said... wish I could have exchanged e-mails with him then...

Canada Bob.

Re: Diesel cars in Canada ?
 

I'm also a diesel fan, had an Audi A3 for 5 years, best car I ever had, pretty quick and did nearly 50 to the gallon whatever speed you did no problem.

I'll be happy with a Jeep Liberty Diesel (Cherokee in UK) when I go to Canada as I've always wanted one :p

And my wifes a Mercedes fan, and also likes the Jeep so we're sorted

Re: Diesel cars in Canada ?
 

Bare in mind that the VWs here are built in Mexico, not Stutgart:( and wquality is as yopu woulds expect as a result. They are also surprisingly expensive to service and get parts ofr as a euro import...basically they are considered a lot more up market here than they are in the UK.

Diesel is not a factor as it doesnt need to be in the eyes of the average consumer. Its simple market forces, and large displacement gas engines mated to an auto are king here. In many cases modern auto trannies are as efficient, and sometimes more efficient than "standard", with CVTs top of the heap as the engine can run in its most efficient band for longer..

Re: Diesel cars in Canada ?
 

Good point about where N.American cars are put together but it more goes to show what a grip the big Oil Multinationals have in N.America. All of the European and Japanese garages I visited were keen on getting the diesel versions of the SUV/Trucks into Canada as the 'market' was starting to demand it but few of them had recieved notification from Corporation land that this was going to happen anytime soon. The Volvos are made only in Sweden and they are doing it. The N.American car garages were not interested in the concept.
The torque in the new breed of diesel common rail engines is phenominal and able to take an auto box with ease.
I am a redneck at heart so hope that they start selling diesel soon as I want a big f#*"off truck as soon as I can afford one but my European Eco-Friendly chip demands fuel consumption of over 20mpg. Yee Har!

Re: Diesel cars in Canada ?
 

They are just be a really hard sell to the average Joe. If you saw the amount of black smoke and crap that comes out of the average diesel transport truck here, even you would be put off!:), and that and the geological time frame acceleration that the big diesel pickups have makes it a tough nut for the car sellers to crack when gas is cheaper than diesel amd your average car has a 200+HP V6

VW have certainly done well creating a growing niche, and I think it will be a growth market as N Americans now show interest in economy as gas prices keep rising. Interesting that the only reason the Smart is here as a diesel is because that was the only engine they had that met N.American emissions!