Kinda a pickle, coming up with a really good diesel car/van. A diesel or TD vanagon with upgrades and enhancements is a good bet. You'll have to spend a lot to get a decent package together, but for a diesel, you can get quite a lot of civility and function that way. Not cheap to get there though. As for a stock diesel vanagon - for in town use, not all that bad. For a real trip or road vehicle, stock, they're a serious safety hazard, and that little engine just tears itself up if you try to get a lot out of it, like speed, big loads, or hills. But with a decent TD or tdi engine, not bad. Just expensive to acquire.

Forget Volvo diesels. They only have one engine, a vw inline 6 truck diesel, either NA in the 240 volvo series car, or TD in the 740. They are mostly all dead now and gone to Volvo heaven, not a good engine particularly, and especially a 740 is not a cheap car to keep alive if you're paying anyone to do it once they get old. So scratch that idea, unless you really luck out and find a low miles one, and even then, be careful.

The Benz diesel cars are great , all those 80's era ones. Problem is, they mostly all have 300,000+ miles on them. Solid safe car, but finding a good one is hard to do. Fantastic car, really, seriously, just most of them have jillions of miles on them. The one's from the 90's aren't the same.

That leaves VW cars. ( Peugeots - a few of those in diesel, but super forget those ! ) ....there are also a few rare Toyota and Nissan diesel cars and trucks - now there, if you can find one of those...........you might have something ) Bu really, for something that is readily available, and pretty well developed and in the market place for almost all years........it's vw for diesels. That's your best bet, more or less, unless you happen to score some low miles other vehicle ..............look to vw. You either build a decent TD vanagon with a late model engine, or you buy a 90's or later vw tdi car. Those are the two most viable choices overall, unless I'm not remembering some vehicle type here or there. Yep, that's what think it mainly comes down to, either build up a decent tdi or TD vanagon, or go with a VW tdi car, Passat, new beetle, jetta etc. or score some not-a-million miles on it Benz. Scott www.turbovans.com

-----Original Message----- From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of Ed Duntz Sent: Friday, December 07, 2007 6:34 AM To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM Subject: diesel Vanagon vs. MB, Volvo, other diesel VW

I'm looking for some input as to which diesel vehicle I should get for $3,000 or less. I just got rid of a Jetta diesel that I had an accident with and really want a diesel again. I do already have two Vanagons, one Wolfsburg with the bed and rear-facing seats, and one Westfalia in need of body repair.

I'm thinking of a diesel 7-passenger Vanagon that my mechanic would sell me after putting in good shape. It would most likely have a 1.6 NA, and I know I won't get anywhere fast.

My other thoughts were for an older Mercedes or Volvo diesel. I've never owned either. I'd rather avoid things like electronic temp control and power windows and the like- more things to go wrong and have to fix. I would like a/c, something I know I won't get with the Vanagon diesel.

I would also most likely put a veg. oil kit into whatever I bought. I had one in the Jetta, but sold that with the car, so I'd have to start over.

Thoughts or suggestions? Also, if anyone knows of any diesel Vanagons, MB or Volvo diesels in the northeast, please let me know.

Thanks, Ed Duntz