>The anti-diesel thing is strictly a North American phenomena.

Phenomenon. Phenomena is plural.

>  Diesels are
>immensely popular in Europe and Australia - which have urban areas just as
>dense, and more dense than in North America.

Not so popular in Oz... very few diesel cars sold there. They are
extrenely popular here in NZ.

>As for price, here where I live in Canada, diesel is usually 5 to 10 cents
>cheaper per litre than low grade unleaded.

Here distillate is about HALF the price of gas.

Diesel commercials tend to be noisy, but diesel cars (Japanese at
least) are much quieter even when they share engines with the
commercials, probably due to sound-encapsulation of the engine which
the vans lack. So they are less noisy at idle. They don't clatter
above idle.

The newer common-rail diesels don't clatter at any engine speed, I believe.

>I like diesels.  Especially VW diesels.

VW diesels aren't bad engines, but the rest of the car... junk (the
exceptions being the rear-engined cars & vans).

>They are quieter than their Detroit Iron counterparts, and get 40-50
>MPG in a 5 passenger sedan.  Diesel is not
>that hard to find.  Every truck stop has it on the freeways/tollways
>and along major highways.  You say only one station has it in your
>home town.

EVERY gas station here has one. Hee hee.

>And the exhaust fumes are no bed of roses either.

No, and if the car leaks it soots the interior up thoroughly!

By the way, a german acquaintance of mine pronounces it "dye-zel".
Perhaps Raimund Feussner could comment? Is "dee-zel" incorrect?

--
AG