It can't be sold in either place, but MB still realizes that leaves a whole
lot of the rest of the country. Plus the low sulfur diesel we are mandated
to get in a few years will make if 50 state legal.

It is a sweet unit. Drove one this summer. Excellent smoothness and
acceleration. From inside, you can't tell it's a diesel.


George Litwinski
"daytripper" > wrote in message
...
> On Sun, 28 Nov 2004 17:27:08 -0500, "GRL" >
wrote:
> >"daytripper" > wrote in message
> .. .
> >> On 28 Nov 2004 03:46:30 -0800,
(Andrew
> >> Thomas) wrote:
> >>
> >> >"GRL" > wrote in message
> >...
> >> >> Let's be serious. There are things BMW can do, and there are things
> >they
> >> >> can't.
> >> >>
> >> >...
> >> >
> >> >> They cannot build and sell a sedan in the mid- $20K range
> >> >> that people will buy.
> >> >
> >> >BMW is quite capable of doing that (although with the US dollar at
> >> >record lows, $25,000 might be a bit tight these days). The problem is
> >> >at this price level the car would have a smaller engine and less
> >> >grunt, and American consumers don't like anything less than 200 bhp (I
> >> >guess they need it for all those derestricted interstates ).
> >> >
> >> >> They can't bring themselves to sell a diesel in the
> >> >> U.S.
> >> >
> >> >Yup. It's partly an image thing (remarkable, really, the differences
> >> >across the pond - BMW's image on this side has if anything been
> >> >improved by the good standing of its diesel models), but also diesel
> >> >grade. Apparently BMW is waiting for lower sulphur levels to be
> >> >mandated in the diesel available at North American pumps; then it will
> >> >likely bring in its SUVs with one or two diesel engines (which are far
> >> >better suited to this application than the petrols).
> >>
> >> They may also be waiting for state legislation to ease enough to
actually
> >>sell diesel *cars* in the USA. I don't believe CA and MA, for two, make
it easy
> >>if even possible to sell diesel automobiles (as opposed to trucks)...
> >
> >How does MB manage to do it?
>
> MB's *only* USA diesel passenger model listed today is the E320 CDI, so
it's
> not like diesels represent much of a profit center for MB in the USA. And
it
> isn't obvious that this model could actually be registered in CA or MA...