What should I know before buying a diesel car?

[DaBoneHead]

I'm against Diesels for a different reason...

Diesel fumes are carcinogenic... they also contain Dioxin (Love Canal anyone?)

Very very bad. About 4 months ago I read a listing of the most cancer causing chemical compounds that are found in abundance, and Diesel fumes were #2. Asbestos I think was number 1, while second hand smoke was number 7. It was in an article in Time magazine.

Diesel fumes are bad, very bad.

 

[Isla]

DaBoneHead is right... Dioxin is a bad, bad thing.

 

[Mark R]

However, while I'm not an expert on the issue, I'm led to believe that the level of dioxin found in diesel exhaust is minute and is unlikely to have any effect on health. Dioxin is widely maligned as being the 'most toxic substance known', however the toxicological evidence doesn't seem to bear this out.

Far more of a problem is that of particulate matter from diesel exhaust - in particular the so called PM10s - particles smaller than 10 microns in diameter. These are known to be highly damaging, and are probably the major reason for carcinogenicity of diesel fumes. These are found in high quantity in the black smoke characteristic of old or badly maintained diesel engines, but are virtually absent from modern engines with catalytic converters and exhaust filters.

 

[Stifko]

VW is going to be exporting a Jetta wagon in the States next year and they might be sending a TDI model as well. That will be a nice car and they get around 60 mpg.

 

[desy]

Oops my PC died and I'm using a ole p150 thats a little wonky.
Sorry for the dupe, I didn't think my first message got in.

I was looking at a Jetta diesel but for simple commuting a Focus is way cheaper and it will take a long long time to get your savings back and the quirks of diesel. If I liked the car and could afford it based on style then I'd consder it.
That being said I hope they could burn bio-diesel YES, again I'm a proponent of alternative fuels. If NA ever wants to break away from the cycle of middel east politics and be self sufficient Ethanol or biodiesel will put choice back in our hands not whatever dictatorship governs the day.