Land of the Free, Home of the Diesel Deprived

In Europe and across the globe a revolution in fuel efficient diesel cars and trucks is underway, yet Americans are prohibited from participating. Take for instance the 2010 Mercedes E220 Blue. Here you have a nice, sporty mid-sized sedan that gets nearly 40 mpg highway. It has a 2.2 liter, 4 cylinder turbo diesel that puts out 180 hp and 290 lbs/ft of torque, and it can be teamed up with a manual six-speed transmission. Now this is no AMG hot rod, but it has some zip. And did I mention that it gets nearly 40 miles per gallon of diesel. Unfortunately it's not cleared by U.S. transportation authorities for use on American roads, so forget about getting your hands on one unless you plan a trip to Europe, where you may be able to rent one. If a Mercedes sedan is not your cup of tea, perhaps you'd like a compact 4x4 pickup like the Toyota Tacoma with the latest of the clean burning, smooth running, high power diesels. Or a Subaru Outback. Or an Audi, or a host of BWMs. Again, don't look for these in the U.S., because they are forbidden. It all has something to do with this being the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave I'm sure.  Maybe it's time to move to sunny southern Italy or Spain.