We are Americans and we like options. We want a big menu at dinner, a big closet of wardrobe choices and the whole world of dating sites exist because we need to know there are multiples to choose from. When it comes to our cars, however, we pretty much have relied on traditional gasoline since we took the keys at 16 years old.
But as the worlds of eco-consciousness and rising gas prices converged we were forced to look elsewhere–and (rewrite the rules on how we get around) or at least be open to options–and today your modern commuter can chose from: diesel, hybrid, compressed natural gas, hydrogen fuel cells or pure electric in addition to the ole' standard gasoline to power their rides. At the forefront of these alternative fuels stands hybrid powertrains and electric vehicles with diesel making a recent surge internationally and domestically presenting possibly the most viable option for the sacred fuel economy race.
The word diesel conjures up images of semi-trucks rolling down the road with black sooty smoke billowing out of the exhaust or some hippy running his station wagon on used fry grease but modern "clean-burning" diesel engines give hybrid-like fuel economy while maintaining an engaging driving experience. A sport sedan getting almost 40 MPG with 400+ lb-ft of torque or an suv with a 600 mile range sound too good to be true.
As of only a few years ago if you wanted more than two or three diesel options you needed to pack up and move to Europe (where they have been doing diesel for many years) but recently international and domestic manufacturers have been taking an "if you build it, they will come" philosophy by upping production across many of their lines. This means if you want a $25,000 compact American car or a $100,000 luxury German sedan you can have your MPGs and Torque too which is the other thing Americans love: having it all.
from Car and Driver Blog http://blog.caranddriver.com
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