Recent Comments:
Here's a no, um, brainer: Diesel fumes are bad for your head {Autoblog Green}
Mar 12th 2008 9:01PM I have contacted the authors (press@biomedcentral.com) about this study as it first appeared yesterday via the EurekAlert! RSS feed and wrote the following:
"Regarding http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-03/bc-dei030708.php,
I'm amazed that you are allowed to publish articles like this without the single caveat that more and more diesels (in particular passenger vehicles, i.e. Mercedes, BMW, etc.) are required to have particulate filters, and some even with exhaust NOx neutralization systems.
Not to diminish the importance of your research where traffic patterns in large cities expose people to untreated diesel exhaust...but there is so much work going on to clean up diesel, that your article - taken in a vacuum - almost sounds like fear-mongering."
In the AutoblogGreen Garage: 2008 Lexus LS600h L - Yep, it's a hybrid! (w/ VIDEO) {Autoblog Green}
Feb 27th 2008 12:06PM It's time to review this comparison between this Lexus and a couple diesel V8s from the fatherland, posted here back in October.... http://www.autobloggreen.com/2007/10/04/comparing-the-lexus-ls600h-to-the-mercedes-benz-s420-cdi-and-bmw/
Motorola's DH01n -- think DH01 with GPS navigation {Engadget}
Feb 11th 2008 7:32AM Why do people put up with the screen's viewing aspect ratio? Doesn't the oval-shaped soccer ball provide a hint? I walk into people's homes and see their 42" TV's set up that way and have to laugh...at least this is on a small scale so you the distorted human faces aren't as obvious....
Win a Philips 42PFL5603D 42-inch 1080p HDTV! {Engadget HD}
Feb 6th 2008 9:25PM Nice TV, looks like it could be an Apple product.....
Apple prepping updated MacBook Pros? {Engadget}
Jan 31st 2008 10:15PM Big thing people forget is Apple's hold their value. You can get ~50% of your investment back after 3 years of ownership with most any Apple product on eBay. It does not work that way with a Dell. Plus the organic relationship between the OS and the hardware is simply not matched with any other computer/electronics vendor. Let the crapware fanboy laud his $500 laptop right into the trash can....
Detroit '08 Preview: Mercedes Vision GLK FREESIDE {Autoblog}
Jan 2nd 2008 8:54PM Mercedes didn't do the best job of picking colors or rims for this publicity pic. As shown it looks like a pimpmobile with the ridiculously exaggerated rim size and....what, some kind of pearlescent white? It should be topped off with velvet interior.
So grab your mind and imagine this same vehicle in black or muted dark metallic grey, and some proportional 17" rims. Then photograph it from a better angle. This way it won't scare off the middle-american businessman, or sensible engineer who would otherwise buy it for the 4cylinder turbodiesel. Think of that thing with the 7speed shifter. I'll bet it'll be good for close to 200 HP, 300 ft/lb of torque, and 33MPG when all is said and done.....
In the AutoblogGreen Garage: 2008 Toyota Highlander hybrid {Autoblog Green}
Dec 25th 2007 10:31PM Joseph, I think people deserve to have an anecdotal piece of data - for what it's worth - on fuel economy in general and specifically and what's possible with particular vehicle. I'm telling you I purchased that diesel ML brand new, and I have averaged 27.0 MPG for the past 5,997 miles using the recipe as stated in my comment. Prior to purchasing the vehicle I've heard of others achieving similar results.
Screw fueleconomy.gov. It's shameful such #s are provided by the US Gov't, if anything it encourages folks to be leadfooted impatient inefficient drivers by expecting less! Far less than what cars are capable of. If anything, the pre 2008 EPA #s were far more accurate than the current method. If I wanted to be an idiot and get 19MPG out of my diesel ML I could. But no, I relax, think before I drive, and still exceed the speed limit by 5-10%. And still surpass the pre 2008 EPA #s!
Think different!
In the AutoblogGreen Garage: 2008 Toyota Highlander hybrid {Autoblog Green}
Dec 25th 2007 11:07AM Gee whiz, you can get into a diesel ML320 CDI 4WD for $45K. You can choose to add every techno-option imaginable and still keep it around $60K, which is what I did. All the while the **average** fuel economy for this diesel beast with 398 lb/ft of torque is 27MPG, or at least it's been that for me with an 85/15 split highway/city driving.
The icing on the cake? It can tow 7200 lbs. If, however, you need the 3rd row of seats go for the GL320 CDI, and subtract 1-2MPG. BTW I had a Camry hybrid right before the CDI and had to get rid of it. Poor interior quality, seemingly variable rules for electric mode vs. gasoline, and now they are fleet vehicles. Nothing to complain about with my ML though! Awesome vehicle. Hope to own it for a long long time.....Merry Christmas!
We may yet see Cadillac's new 2.9L V-6 diesel in the US {Autoblog Green}
Dec 12th 2007 7:34AM I meant to say "I can lope around town and backroads at just shy of 30 MPG" in the above comment.
We may yet see Cadillac's new 2.9L V-6 diesel in the US {Autoblog Green}
Dec 12th 2007 7:30AM Mercedes imposes only a $1000 cost premium for their mid-size diesel SUV (ML320 CDI), so this vehicle should be on everyone's radar. It is basically a 5000 pound 5-passenger hauler with a very sophisticated 4WD.
I have been **averaging** 27MPG, 85% highway miles with **average** speed (from driveway to work parking spot) of 60MPH, including extended stretches on the FL turnpike at 75MPH. I can lope around town and backroads at just shy of 30 MPH. Think of a fantastic morph between a Jeep Grand Cherokee with a new Mercedes E Class. Interior is incredible, seats phenomenal. Prices start at $44K before you negotiate.
Next year they will start loading all the Tier2Bin5 equipment onto the vehicle for a Blutec version, expect a slight drop in HP. Buy an '08 while you can! Enough said.
