Now, where would you find two gallons of urea on the open road?

To meet stringent new diesel emissions criteria here in the States, new Mercedes Benz BlueTec diesels use urea, carried in a separate tank, injected into the catalyst. The urea must be replenished at service intervals — generally 10,000 miles — and now Mercedes acknowledges the vehicles won't start if the urea is allowed to run out. BlueTec cars and SUVs will notify the driver when the seven-gallon urea tank reaches one gallon, and again when it runs completely out, allowing 20 additional starts before disabling the vehicle. At least two gallons of fluid must be added for the system to reset and permit the car to be started. Now, where would you find two gallons of urea on the open road?

Mercedes dealers will sell urea in half-gallon containers, using a special mess-free store-and-fill bottle, for $7.50, but that's the expensive option. At service intervals, using bulk containers, Mercedes is expecting the fluid to run no more than the cost of diesel fuel. If you run out of emissions juice, urea transport and refill is reportedly included in your roadside assistance plan, as is tire changing — fortunate since the urea tank occupies the spare tire well. [Automotive News, Sub. Req.]

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Like we didn’t know this already, but Europe is getting all the cool c ...

Like we didn’t know this already, but Europe is getting all the cool cars.

Here’s what surprised me though: They’re getting a lot of those cars from the Big 3 U.S. automakers.

Did they think we wouldn’t notice?

Well let me tell you, Big 3, the gig’s up!

Europe already has some pretty darn exclusive auto brands. Audi. Porsche. Mercedes. BMW. I took an odd pride in knowing we Americans had Ford, GM and Chrysler trying their hardest to provide us with top quality engineering and economy.

But no, friends, it’s not true. At least not anymore. Want a 63 MPG Ford economy car? Go to Europe. Want a 36 MPG Ford all-wheel-drive crossover? Go to Europe. How about a 32 MPG Chevy SUV? Yeah. Europe.

Umm… hello?  Anyone else find it horribly ironic and feel a bit deceived that our own automakers seem to be sending their cream of the crop across the pond, while we’re left with the 24 MPG Ford Flex?

It seems automakers are beginning to get the idea, evidenced by Ford’s plans to begin bringing popular European models to our side of the Atlantic. Even with those plans in place, we won’t have our first shot at them until at least 2010. 

Maybe it’s just time to hope that our Big 3 go belly-up, and make room for more of the world’s fun, economical automakers to enter America. Renault and Alfa Romeo, anyone?

As we wait to find out if and when that ever happens, here are some attempts to appease us Americans with a little taste of Europe:

The Saturn VUE is almost identical to an Opel Antara. Saturn’s Sky and Astra cars are also rebadged European Opels. 

Pontiac’s G3, essentially a Pontiac-badged Chevy Aveo, will be available in 2009 as either a 4-door sedan or a 5-door hatchback.

The European iteration of the Ford Fiesta is coming in 2010.

The Ford C-Max, a 5-seat Multi-Activity Vehicle based on the Focus, should arrive in 2011.

The Ford Kuga, likely to appear as a new Ford Escape, should be in showrooms in 2012.

Will these cars arrive in time? Or by the time they hit the market will we already have been introduced to more of Europe’s finest automobiles, following the path of the Mini Cooper and Smart Car?

No doubt the United States’ auto market is changing.

The question is, will our automakers respond fast enough to offer us their best?

Tell us: What European autos would you like to see available in the US?

- tgriffith

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In all fairness to the lady driving, the way this giant hole blends into the lake behind it almost makes it look like something you could drive through. That said, I think this whole situation is funny as hell. I don’t know if my favorite part is where the bystander is giving the driver directions—I wonder what he’s saying?—as the car is beginning to sink, or the way she literally has to swim while attempting to return to the vehicle. Fortunately, I don’t have to pick just one. Oh, and for the record, I’d change the name of this file if I could. But since StreetFire won’t even let me have scissors on my desk, that’s out of my control.

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