Many modern Diesels are indeed horrible to drive, there is nothing more frustrating than a vehicle that feels strangled of fuel at revs below (up to) 2000 then all of a sudden its comes on stream and does like hell but only for 1500 rpm or so of power burst, and you have to be stirring the gearstick like you're baking a cake to keep the torque in the right band with increasingly more gears through necessity, a right pita at moving junctions...part of the reason for the short life of some clutches IMHO with people inadvertantly slipping the things.

There are more Diesel cars out there than enough, though there are many underpowered petrols too, difference being they're flat all time.:-)

Some excellent examples entirely the opposite of course, generally engines with high swept volume power cylinder, and the right gearbox (usually proper autos) are very good at masking flat spots, and not all petrols are gutless at low revs, some come into their own at low/mid range revs despite having no forced induction.

There's good reason the remappers have done well in recent years, in many cases it wasn't people looking for massive power gains but simply to make their Diesels in particular more driveable by lowering the point of spool up so spreading the torque band wider.

lack of torque unless turboocharged, you've got to rev the guts out of them to get anywhere etc.

ESPECIALLY true of non turbocharged deisels

Amazing that anyone would choose petrol on your analysis, of course it bears little resemblence to the real life experience of most petrol engined car drivers, plus we don't have to worry about the endless technical problems experienced by diesel drivers. Mazda 6 diesel anyone?

"Many modern Diesels are indeed horrible to drive"

You've been driving the wrong ones then GB - get yourself into a Civic or the Accord with the 2,2 Honda diesels, sadly no longer available- I've got both at the moment one at 138 hp the other is 178 hp-great to drive, not particularly economical if you hoof them around granted, but both are around 8.5 secs 0-60, neither have been interfered with, just properly serviced. They are both more like driving a big petrol t]han a steriotypical diesel, loads of torque from way down low and then get a bit boosty at about 1600-1800 rpm all the way up to around 4500 if you want to.

New 1.6 diesel is as good as the 2.2 even though some say it isnt, I can drive it exactly the same as I did the 2.2...ie, it will pull away at tickover from standstill, and accelerate as well as 2.2 but more economical

Not checked that out yet, but looks to be around the 55mpg mark in town, not that bothered really, it goes well enough for me.

as for diesels being horrible to drive, some people do talk rubbish, if they dont like them just say so

It was test driving the Civic with the 2.2 diesel which convinced me to get the 1.8 petrol. I'm not denying you can get some decent performance from a modern TD but it's just feels like a chore. Turbo petrol has to be the way to go.

"Many modern Diesels are indeed horrible to drive"

You've been driving the wrong ones then GB - get yourself into a Civic or the Accord with the 2,2 Honda diesels, sadly no longer available-

er, 'no longer available'

and that your worship is the case for the prosecution..:-)