Toyota’s Hirose factory, located in the sprawling Toyota City complex in central Japan, is not like any other car plant. There are no noisy machine tools, no showers of welding sparks, no dirt or grease... http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2095-2114109,00.html
"However, Toyota has faced criticism that the Prius’s economy in actual driving conditions does not meet the manufacturer’s claims, and that in high- speed driving it is actually inferior to modern diesels" Until someone makes a diesel as clean as the Prius, then the mileage comparisons are moot. I'd rather breathe easy behind a Prius, than cough and gag behind a diesel going slightly farther per gallon of fuel. Ever notice the word die is in the word diesel?
I saw a relatively new Jetta TDI (read last generation). It was spewing out black smoke! Now, I've never seen any new Jetta TDI spew visible smoke and soot out of the tailpipe but this one looked like a bus at the rate it was emitting.
Typically, Watanabe says he couldn’t care less about being No 1. “Being the leader in terms of volume is of no serious significance,†he said. “What I fear most is complacency, that being No 1 in volume could engender a sense of pride among us. Being satisfied with the status quo means you are not making progress.†They dictate that whatever the company does “must contribute to societyâ€. Employees must always be “studious and creativeâ€. They should “create a good team by excellent friendshipâ€. They must avoid “frivolity and ostentationâ€. And they should be reverent “and show gratitude for things great and small in thought and deedâ€. I have noticed a new trend in GM/Ford advertising recently. They are trying to put the emphasis on their ability to come up with new design and superior safety, but what they are putting out on the market is the same old stuff. The quote above "being satisfied with the status quo means you are not making progress" says it all.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tideland Prius @ Apr 7 2006, 11:51 AM) [snapback]236366[/snapback]</div> The typical TDI seems to make a puff of visible grayish smoke when the driver really steps on it. If it's "spewing" out black smoke, that's usually a sign of engine performance upgrades or an owner who doesn't know what routine maintenance is. Was the car accelerating quickly or just moving along with traffic?
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(seftonm @ Apr 7 2006, 10:51 AM) [snapback]236393[/snapback]</div> Really? I've never seen anything out of a TDI tailpipe, this is a first lol. She was turning right onto the street I was in. It wasn't grey, it was BLACK smoke like the type trucks would emit. It was spewing out when she was accelerating but when coasting to the traffic light, it was barely visible but still black nonetheless. I wonder how she passed AirCare... unless the car's still within 3 years old which means her model was a 2003 Jetta TDI or newer.
Just the other day, I noticed a familiar oder while cruising through the neighborhood. Looking closely at the car in front of me, I spied the TDI badge. No visible tail pipe effluence, but the smell of diesel was obvious. I can hardy wait 'til they can get into Cali legally.
