[Vwdiesel] Polo TDI

[James Hansen]

  The honda crx was one example, while
> not a diesel, it did get upwards of 50 mpg on gas, very respectable for 
> a gas engine, but it does prove one thing, they could do it if the 
> wanted to,

No kidding, and they went too.

  the big 3 couldn't even begin to
> compete, I understand and respect that as a reason, I just don't like 
> being lied to so I say to heck with Ford, Chevy and Dodge, if they want 
> to compete, make a car that's dependable and gets at least 40 mpg on 
> gas and people would buy them. 

Exactly.
Protectionism never works long term.  Take Canada's protectionist 
relationship with agricultural machinery over the last 70 years.  Used 
to be we had duties of 30% to "protect" domestic agricultural machinery 
maufacturers
(namely Massey, and they were good Liberal supporters... guess who put 
in and maintained the tarrifs)
With all this protection, you would think that Canadian machinery 
manufacturing was a booming business.  Not so, and it fell flat on it's 
ass in the 80's.  Once the Free Trade Act was passed, sudenly we have 
manufacturers again, and they are doing VERY well.  Competition, and 
real competition is a very healthy thing to have in an industry.  I'm 
not talking about outsourcing manufacturing to China, that's just 
parasitic, but without helathy competition in the marketplace you get 
escalades.



chrysler tried with the diesel jeep, too
> bad they futzed that up, they think 25mpg on their diesel is great 
> mileage, not when a 4k pound mercedes gets upwards of 33 and an old 
> chevy full size truck could get 25.  We won't get a decent fuel mileage 
> car until the big 3 go belly up and stop selling cars.

I can't see any hope for them under the current structure.  There has to 
be some real competition, not just competition in advertising, which is 
all there seems to be these days.
-james