Audi's Diesels Run Rings Around Gas Variants

All that aside, diesel is hard to find and expensive to buy. Currently, diesel is priced anywhere from 50 to 90 cents more per gallon over premium gasoline. But don't brush off diesel yet. Diesel engines can get impressive gas mileage, provided the driver maintains a stable speed, keeps revs-per-minute low and leaves the transmission in top gear.

Large, diesel-powered variants do make sense for the long-distance commuter, but gas mileage suffers in stop-and-go traffic. You might get slightly more bang for your buck with a diesel in New York City, but it might not be enough to offset the initial cost of the vehicle and the premium for diesel.

Where new, clean diesel variants could pay off and win over the American market will be in the smaller model offerings. In Audi's case, the new A4 was producing stunning fuel consumption. Average driving easily yields gas mileage of 37 mpg or better. Driving economically yielded over 44 mpg.

The problem: Audi is only bringing over the Q7 TDI, the big 5,100 whopper. Plans for the A4 TDI and A3 TDI remain unclear; however, if those vehicles were available stateside, Audi would definitely have one buyer on the list.

Diesel is substantially cleaner than it once was, and it can provide impressive gas mileage and a thrilling ride. If this is what you are interested in, the diesel is for you.

Keep an eye out for more incoming diesel variants. Volkswagen Group, alongside Audi, has imported several TDI models, and BMW is releasing a diesel for the 2009 model year, as well.

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