I drive one of the little VW Golfs with a TDI engine which is rated at 90hp & 155lbs torque, though it has been blessed and puts out about 25% more

It is not a slow car, my commute is 90% highway where even the slow/right hand lane is going faster then the posted limit. The car has a top speed of ~115mph and it can get there quick enough, all the torque is great for over taking - no need to down shift.

The diesels of today are not your father's diesels. Unfortunely the poor quality of US diesel (high suplher) makes it near impossible for many of the new engines to meet EPA or CARB emmissions and survive. A bane in the side of the 90hp VW engine is the EGR cooler which causes the intake to clog from the high suplher - roll on 2006/7 and the arrival of ultra low sulpher diesel.

Noise: Yes it is noiser at idle then a gas engine, though I did have a recent take of very good fuel and it was much quiter at idle then previous. But it is not a clatter that you hear across the parking lot like a DuraMax diesel in those working pickup. However, on the highway it is a quiet / noisey as any other car, in fact some people feel quieter due to the lower RPMs - 65mph crusing is done at about 2000rpm, 80mph at 2900rpm.

Smoke: None, in the two years I've driven my car the only time I see smoke is on start up on cold days, and that is not some black cloud, just light gray cloud.

Cold starting: I live in MA just south of the NH border, my car start first time every time, no changes from the factory config, no fuel/oil/engine/battery heater just the standard glow plugs which heat the air in the cylinders.

Large oil sump: ~4 quarts, same as my wifes Corolla, plus the factory recommend interval is 10k miles and it has been shown as safe to go further.

Fuel price: Currently it is costing $2.50/gallon for diesel and $2.20/gallon for regular, and there have been times when diesel has been 25cents cheaper. But no matter what the price I get over 700 miles out of a tank with aggressive driving, and if I'm feeling cheap I can push that to over 800 miles. However as previously pointed out regular & diesel have averaged out to be pretty much the same over time.

I enjoy driving my Golf TDI, I love the heated seats - okay so their not diesel releated the car club connected with it is full of great poeple including a few empegers, and I do look forward to putting 25k miles on it per year for many years to come.

Putt, putt, clatter, clatter, vroom!