Yes, I've been hearing that for many years, and regard it as mostly a myth. I guess you have to define what exactly "not getting out of its own way" really means.
Granted there were some heavy vehicles with some pretty small diesel engines. But, it was never any secret if the owner did some research before buying. Many of those diesels were built to provide good fuel mileage, not power.
How come I don't hear the same complaints about Volkswagen Beetles?
Maybe I'm lucky enough to have grown up around full size American cars with gas engines that couldn't even maintain 60 MPH on a slightly hilly highway. Try driving a 1959 Ford with the "Mileage Maker" 223 c.i. six and you'll see what I mean. My diesel Chevette would run circles around it. So much is relative.
I think too many people do NOT realize that a diesel engine always has less power than an equal sized gas engine - and not more - unless it has a turbo.
People too often equate "diesel" with "power" and then get disappointed when something like a 6.2 liter diesel has less power then a 5.7 liter gas engine.
That is caused by consumer ignorance, not from any maker trying to hide anything.
The GM 6.2 is a prime example. GM announced it as being a direct power replacement for the 305 c.i., 5 liter gas engine. NOT the 350 gasser. Did anybody pay attention? Not many. I had direct experience with many unhappy new truck owners in 1982 that moaned and groaned about their 379 cubic inch diesels (6.2 liter) not having near the power of their 350 gas engines. Well, duh . . . ??? Compare it properly to the 305 and it was fine. Same horsepower, same torque, and much better fuel mileage.
The diesel Chevettes can run all day long with 2-3 people jammed in and cruising at 80 MPH. Will they do 0-60 MPH in 8 seconds? No.
I can say the same for my 1992 1.8 liter 4WD gas engine Subaru wagon. But it's been a great car as long as I don't plan on road-racing with it. It will beat just about anybody climbing and ice and snow covered hill, though.
Same with the diesel Volkswagens. They have more then enough power for getting around at highway speeds. Road racing, no.
Tractor companies like Deere did it smarter. When Deere sold a 32 horsepower tractor e.g., the gas engine was usually smaller then the diesel version. This way power was the same either way and customers were not disappointed.
Too bad they didn't think that way when Deere came out with the 4030, and many ill-advised buyers thought it was the "new" 4020 and it wasn't close.
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Today's Featured Article - Harvestin Hay: The Early Years (Part 2) - by Pat Browning. The summer of 1950 was the start of a new era in farming for our family. I was thirteen, and Kathy (my oldest sister) was seven. At this age, I believed tractor farming was the only way, hot stuff -- and given a chance I probably would have used the tractor, Dad's first, a 1936 Model "A" John Deere, to go bring in the cows! And I think Dad was ready for some automation too. And so it was that we acquired a good, used J. I. Case, wire tie hay baler. In addition to a person to drive th
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