>Indeed. Cali has boutique gas formu's, too - in NoCal the stuff is
>refined literally 15 miles away, and when we lived in SoCal they were
>even pumping some it right there in the basin.

I was discussing this with someone a few days ago. The refinary is less than an
hour from were I live here in Souther California, but gas here is anywhere from
25 cents to nearly a dollar more than it was when we visited Arizona in July,
and again 3 weeks ago. Why it's so much higher 45 minutes from the refinary
than it is 7 or 8 hours from the refinary is beyond me.
Steve Grauman

"Joel Spencer" > wrote in message
...
> I'm pretty sure you can buy TDIs in California. Saw several Jettas last
> summer on the dealer lot in South San Francisco.

No you can't. TDIs were no longer available here starting with 2004 models
when the 100hp PD version of the 1.9TDI (golf/jetta) and 134hp 2.0 PD TDI
version (passat). The ones you saw were either brought in from out of state
or were 2003 or older.

"Larry" > wrote in message
om...
> You can buy 2004 and earlier TDI's...just not 2005 models. See www.vw.com
> for further proof.

You couldn't buy the 2004s either. 2003 was the last year here. The PD
engine (appeared for '04) cannot be had as new in CA.

"Booker C. Bense"
<bbense+rec.autos.makers.vw.watercooled.Nov.08.04@ telemark.slac.stanford.edu>
wrote in message ...
> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
>
> In article > ,
> Larry > wrote:
>>No...you can't bring in a "new" TDI to Calif, as the car is not Calif
>>Emissions Certified.
>
> _ That's nonsense. They were available in 2002

and 2002 isn't "new".

"Tony Kimmell" > wrote in message
om...
> Typical California logic... How is a car going to pollute any less
> once it has 7500 miles on it?? There have to be some REAL geniuses
> running that state...
>
> I keep hoping for the day that an earthquake causes the entire state
> to break off and float away...
>
Based on your post in teh no CAT thread, please do us all a favor and make
sure you are at least visiting out there when it does....

In article >,
Steve Grauman > wrote:
>I was discussing this with someone a few days ago. The refinary is less than an
>hour from were I live here in Souther California, but gas here is anywhere from
>25 cents to nearly a dollar more than it was when we visited Arizona in July,
>and again 3 weeks ago. Why it's so much higher 45 minutes from the refinary
>than it is 7 or 8 hours from the refinary is beyond me.

Higher demand, relative to supply. Consider refinery capacity (that is
making the CARB fuel) and the preponderance of gas guzzling vehicles.
Fuel economy does not appear to be a high priority among most vehicle
buyers in California (yes, there are few buying Priuses, wondering
how to get TDIs, or buying small cars specifically for fuel economy,
but that number is dwarfed by those buying giant SUVs and the like).
--
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Timothy J. Lee
Unsolicited bulk or commercial email is not welcome.
No warranty of any kind is provided with this message.

>Fuel economy does not appear to be a high priority among most vehicle
>buyers in California

True, and another reason why the seemingly silly emissions laws are in effect
in such number here. And another reason why gas made for California isn't as
good as what's sold in a lot of the rest of the country.
Steve Grauman

Steve Grauman wrote:

>>Fuel economy does not appear to be a high priority among most vehicle
>>buyers in California
>
>
> True, and another reason why the seemingly silly emissions laws are in effect
> in such number here.

I dunno about that. Even the biggest, thirstiest SUV made today is
much, much cleaner than just about any car from the '70s or '80s. The
problem isn't all the *new* cars, it's all the *old* ones.

--
Mike Smith

"Mike Smith" > wrote in message
...
> Steve Grauman wrote:
>
> >>Fuel economy does not appear to be a high priority among most vehicle
> >>buyers in California
> >
> >
> > True, and another reason why the seemingly silly emissions laws are in
effect
> > in such number here.
>
> I dunno about that. Even the biggest, thirstiest SUV made today is
> much, much cleaner than just about any car from the '70s or '80s. The
> problem isn't all the *new* cars, it's all the *old* ones.
>
> --
> Mike Smith

You're missing a vital point he If they burn more fuel, they HAVE to
emit more HC's, NOx, etc....for stoichiometry, you put more in you will get
more out.

Mike Smith wrote:

> Booker C. Bense wrote:
>
>> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
>>
>> In article > ,
>> Larry > wrote:
>>
>>> No...you can't bring in a "new" TDI to Calif, as the car is not Calif
>>> Emissions Certified.
>>
>>
>>
>> _ That's nonsense. They were available in 2002. The reason they
>> have largely disappeared from California lots is the Toureg and
>> California's fleet pollution regulations. VW makes a lot more
>> money on Touregs than TDI Golfs. But they can't sell both and
>> meet the fleet polution standards, so very few TDI's if any are
>> shipped to California.
>
>
> According to vw.com, neither 1.9 TDI nor V10 TDI models are available in
> CA, NY, MA, VT, or ME.

Though, not due to government regulations. If the car is 50-state
compliant, you can haul it in and drive it with a few hundred
dollars in state-to-state transfer fees.

Las Vegas is a good place to look - tons of used and new TDIs
and a short drive to California.