The old Diesel cars did have trouble in the cold weather however these newer cars from 2003+ or something in that range have no issues starting in very cold weather. In fact the new diesels I have read start easier then a gas engine so i heard anyways.
Correct new diesel cars generally make less noise then gas engines now.
No bad exhaust smells anymore on the new versions.
Diesel prices in the summer are lower then gas but slightly higher in the winter because they use the fuel to heat homes so more demand and less supply drive prices up.
When you have high amounts of torque you dont really notice the lack of HP on the top end. But if you think about how many people rev the crap out of their cars anyways? your usually in the low to mid rpm range anyways which is perfect for most people.
said by IamGimli:Some of the downsides of diesel engines in Canada:
Lower tolerance for extreme cold weather. At -25 and below a cold diesel engine will be extremely hard to get running, unless you have an engine block heater plugged-in. Out in Alberta, when the temperature dips below -35 you'll see all the diesel trucks running in driveways through the night for that reason.
Noisier engines in general than gas engines. This isn't the case as much anymore since advancements in diesel engineering has reduced the engine noise, and gas engines are noisier than they used to be (especially on engines with direct fuel injection).
Exhaust gases smell. Bad. Especially when the engine gets older. Makes some people noxious.
Diesel prices, which used to be much lower that gasoline (almost half price) now pretty much keeps up or is slightly more expensive.
Diesel isn't available at all gas stations and when it is, it is often only one or two pumps, which may make refueling take much longer, especially if you have to wait for a specific car to get out of the way of the one pump.
Most diesel engines (even the turbo) lack top-end power. They generally have great torque but lower HP numbers than the same car with a gas engine. You might have to change the way you drive, or your expectations of performance.
Personally if more cars were available with a turbo diesel option I would certainly consider them but you do have to go in knowing what to expect.