I would strongly recommend not comparing any VW product to a Mazda; definitely not apples-to-apples.

 

What pathetic US spec's. Why even bother trying to import them. I can understand why it felt like crap to drive.

 

Agreed, the emissions standards here in the U.S., driven by California's CARB standards are the most stringent in the world, hence the dramatic reduction in power and efficiency.

 

Definitely not comparing VW to Mazda. I am making a general comment about diesel stating that it is old technology and its emissions are dangerous to human health, Mazda knows it as well and is making the leap to the future as per this news:

Mazda has confirmed that it will show a new fully electric vehicle later this year, as first reported by Automotive News.

 

I'm thinking your blanket statement stating diesel emissions are dangerous to human is an arbitrary statement to support your arguments. The fact is, any internal combustion engine can be deemed "dangerous to human health". I would argue Mazda's technology brings diesel emissions more or less inline with gasoline engines, and coupled with the ease of harvesting diesel fuel from microalgae, one could argue it is even cleaner given how voracious a consumer of co2 those little plants are.

Regarding electric vehicles, how do you consider those "clean"? Unless 100% of the electricity is coming from renewable resources, the production of electricity just relocates where the environmental damage is happening.

 

From the internets:

"Emissions from diesel vehicles have been reported to be significantly more harmful than those from petrol vehicles. Diesel combustion exhaust is a source of atmospheric soot and fine particles, which is a component of the air pollution implicated in human cancer, heart and lung damage, and mental functioning."

 

Once again, you're tarring Mazda's extremely clean diesel engines with a very broad brush; that is a fail. Unless you refine your arguments to the latest technology, your arguments are moot.

 

I heard "clean diesel" before and take it with a grain of salt.

 

It is your prerogative to dismiss new technologies in favor of out-dated facts, but that will not help your arguments.

 

Per Bloomberg News: "Over the next decade, 24 European cities with a total population of 62 million people will ban diesel vehicles, and 13 of those cities will ban all internal combustion cars by 2030"

First Diesel, then Petrol cars will be out-dated technology soon.