# Why are diesels not considered sporty? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 20, 2022, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-diesels-not-considered-sporty/961386 "2022-03-20T14:19:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Bonum\_Legatum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bonum_legatum/32/6183_2.png) [@Bonum\_Legatum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bonum_Legatum)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2022, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-diesels-not-considered-sporty/961386/21 "2022-03-21T20:49:34Z")
Look at it this way: How would the performance compare in a head-to-head competition between a diesel car and a gas-engine car? The heavier construction of a diesel is going to affect the weight distribution - and the handling and acceleration. Whether modern diesel cars are refined enough to make this a moot point - I can’t say. ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2022, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-diesels-not-considered-sporty/961386/22 "2022-03-21T21:14:37Z")
The difference is down to torque vs power, or horsepower. Torque is the ability to turn rotational power into linear force. Diesels excel at that. That is why diesel is used for major hauling, semi trucks, 3rd wheel trailers, etc. The quickness of horsepower with a gas engine converts that energy into linear speed faster, that is all basically. Exceleration can be quicker and easier to obtain in a gas engine, turbos are another way to get diesel performance up but lets leave that alone for now. And the strength needed to turn that torque into power for a diesel engine comes at the cost of a much stronger built engine that is heavier. Gas engines can be lighter and quicker for less cost. And have a quicker response. ---
**Author:** ![Mallard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Mallard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mallard)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2022, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-diesels-not-considered-sporty/961386/23 "2022-03-22T03:19:28Z")
> [@Kent\_Clark](#): > > > [@pulykamell](#): > > > > at least that’s the only diesel car I can remember from the 80s > > You don’t remember [GM’s Oldsmobile diesel from the early 80s?](https://www.hagerty.com/media/archived/oldsmobile-killed-detroits-diesel-dream/) It was Detroit’s answer to the question, “what if we made a diesel engine from parts designed for a gasoline engine?” The result set the Big 3’s efforts to put diesels in passenger cars back by years. Those GM diesels started in 1977 from the olds gasoline engine design. They were total POS. Some people particularly 1/2 ton truck owners often pulled that diesel engine out and dropped in the reliable gasoline olds engine instead. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2022, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-diesels-not-considered-sporty/961386/24 "2022-03-22T03:38:57Z")
30 years ago when I was in the UK I had a diesel Peugeot 205 that accelerated like a rabbit out of a gun. Driving around London, high power and top speed are completely irrelevant. It was easily as sporty as you could ever have asked for, in context. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-diesels-not-considered-sporty/961386.md?page=1)