Diesels keep rolling

8/31/2007 11:25 AM EDT

My son has our 1993 diesel Jetta that runs well over 40 mpg and has 260,000 miles on it with no sign of stopping. Now comes word that Volkswagen has located its highest mileage diesel car in the U.S., a 1986 Jetta in Ohio, with 562,000 miles on the odometer. And the owner claims it always gets over 50 mpg and still has the original muffler and power train.

What is it about these diesels that gives them such longevity? Perhaps it's the fact they run on oil and thus stay well lubed all over.

At any rate, considering clean diesel technology is now here, such cars certainly complement hybrids as future vehicle choices, now from a "green" as well as economic point of view.