“It was kind of slushy on the road; it wasn’t very peppy,” Mr. Decker said.
When he tried the Volkswagen diesel, he was enchanted with how much fun it was to drive, including the engine’s quick response and the sporty handling. The government’s rating for fuel economy was far less than the Prius got: 29 miles per gallon city and 39 m.p.g. highway with the automatic transmission. But he was sold on the Volkswagen.
“It was pretty powerful and pretty fast, and now I know why: It is because they are not controlling emissions,” Mr. Decker said.