Tacoma Diesel Swap (VW or otherwise)?

Damn, now I want one! I love the Jetta diesel motor, my dad has a 2006 TDI company car and that thing is sweet, sure don't wanna know what one would cost though! Probably would be cheaper to just buy a used Jetta lol

 

If i were to go do a swap I would go with dodge cummins 4bt

 

I got onto the vw website today and did an online chat with a representative and basiclly asked her when vw was going to release the amarok here in the states. She told me that there were no plans as of yet, but she would let higher up there is interest. I think we all should do the same so that vw starts to take notice that there is a market for a midsize pickup with a diesel motor.

 

Good luck as a VW diesel owner we have tried for years to get them to import European diesel cars that get all most twice the mileage, smaller, cheaper and look better. We have phoned emailed and every other form to try to get the Amarok into north America. I think like the rest of them they don't think the numbers would be strong enough.

 

I figured but I thought it was worth a shot. It sucks how the rest of the world gets to enjoy close to 50 miles per gallon on a diesel while our hybrids get 40. The european world has had 30 miles per gallon for years. Well though it seems like a long shot for the amarok I'll still keep my hopes up.

 

Newer VWs are deceivingly heavy. My regular cab 4x4 is ony 200 lbs heavier than my former DD, '07 GTI.

 

Fixed that for you.

 

It is the mindset of the US buyers bigger, wider, taller, more displacement/HP every gadget you can name crammed into some thing that weights 5,000# until that changes we will never see small light cars with excellent fuel economy. My TDI weights close to 3400# even if I drive it like I stole it I still get 50 MPG and 850 miles per tank what's not to like. Higher fuel prices is going to be the only thing that will drive up the demand for fuel efficient cars and trucks and before any one starts it's not a conspiracy it's economics too many people now world wide are buying gas.

 

Found a superb 1st gen with the 4bt..

http://www.4btswaps.com/forum/showthread.php?15122-2002-Toyota-Tacoma-4BTA-swap-(yoings)

 

VW's are really nice to drive but, man, reliability...
I think a big part of the efficient car issue is that our gas is heavily subsidized. we don't see the actual cost at the pump. I dunno about the rest of the world, but Europeans pay a 'truer' price.

 

Not true. European countries tax the crap out of their gasoline which is why they're higher. The UK for example tacks on about $2/gallon for a duty, plus a 20% VAT tax. They are definitely not a truer price. 62%-64% of the cost of their gasoline is taxes:
http://whatgas.com/car-finance/fuel-duty.html


Our gas isn't subsidized, it's just not taxed like they are in other countries.

In Canada, about 30% of the price is government taxes.

Only about 11% of our gas is made up from taxation which is why the price is lower. But it is definitely not subsidized.

 

Yes our gas is subsidized by huge tax and land give away's to the oil co.

 

a 4bt it to heavy,loud,hard to do maintenance,and is made to commercial type vehicles,not daily drivers.stick with the dd4 toyota.also its reliability is in question.

 

do you have weight comparisons for us?
a stick 2.7L is prob the most cost effective thing a taco owner can do for now; but there are lots of diesel fans on this tread!

 

From VW:



Thank you for contacting the Volkswagen Information Center. We appreciate your interest in VW.

The Amarok does not meet our current marketing objectives for the United States; therefore, we have no plans to offer this model in America at this time. We apologize for any disappointment this may cause. Feel free to check back with the website for future updates, especially the following "Upcoming and Concept Cars" link: http://blogs.vw.com/conceptcars.

With every model year, Volkswagen looks for exciting new ways to exceed the competition in the automotive market. One of the downsides of being an importer for the United States market is that it is not always feasible to sell every model available in other countries. Customer feedback enables us to determine what models and vehicle features our customers desire, and we're grateful you took the time to share your feedback with us. Your comments have been documented and made available to the proper parties at Volkswagen of America.

If you're interested in importing this vehicle into the United States, you will need to contact a registered importer in the US for further assistance. A registered importer will be able to tell you exactly what standards and procedures need to be met in order to import a specific vehicle. A list of registered importers can be found on the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration's (NHTSA's) website at: http://www.nhtsa.gov/cars/rules/import/ActiveRIlist010410.pdf.

Thanks for visiting VW.com!

Emily
Volktalk

 

No. That's just government speak. Oil companies don't get any tax breaks that aren't available to any other corporation. They are taxed on their net income. And lowering the tax burden with a legitimate write off is not the same as a subsidy. Subsidies are direct payments by the government. Ethanol is subsidized. Welfare is a subsidy. A reduced tax burden is not.

 

Ethanol no longer is and the taxes they pay may not be a direct payment but I would like to pay the percentage they do. It's all in how you look at it. The other countries fuel tax does not even come close to making up the difference.

 

hm...

 

Don't bother they will tell you NO!

 

Ethanol still is subsidized:
http://motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2012/01/ethanol-subsidies-not-gone-just-hidden-little-better

As for desiring the corporate tax rate, that's a corporation issue not an oil company issue. The rules are the same for any corporation.

The fuel tax of other countries most definitely makes up the difference.

Look at any European country talking about it's gas prices and you'll see it's true. Fuel taxes are a huge source of cash for their governments:
UK 62% of the price of gasoline there is from taxes:
http://www.candidmoney.com/articles/article186.aspx

This chart shows prices relative to taxes in various countries (Australian source). Note that crude is also dollar denominated so there will be fluxuations in price based on a currency's trading value.
http://www.aip.com.au/pricing/internationalprices.htm