A friend of mine emailed me a few days ago asking for my advice on hybrid vehicles, specifically the Honda Accord and Ford Fusion. They may be good enough vehicles, but these are models I haven’t paid much attention to. Much like the ubiquitous SUV that towers over my Cooper S in traffic, I don’t have an opinion on these cars. I just don’t give them the time of day, as they do not suit my needs. But, if people would like to rephrase the question around fuel economy, I have one word: diesel.
There are a good amount of new generation, clean diesel models available to US consumers these days, from Volkswagen TDIs to Audi A8s to Chevrolet Cruzes. But if you don’t mind dabbling in the modern classics for a bit, the W124 Mercedes-Benz E class was a near constant in the market when it came to the diesel engine, when few manufacturers were employing the technology. This late model 1995 E300 for sale in Portland, Oregon has 70,000 miles, mere childs’ play when it comes to the longevity of Mercedes’ diesel engines.
