Okay, 99.5 percent of the content and discussion on Diesel Power is all about Cummins, Duramaxes and Powerstrokes. But there are a few of us that frequent the site interested in diesel as much for its economy as its ability to throw a ton of smoke in the air and pull a sled down a dirt track.

There's been a lot of buildup and anticipation of the new 2009 Volkswagen TDI, the first true 50-state TDI in quite a while. Sure, there have been a few gray-market TDIs that have snuck their way into the Golden State, but none that you could legitimately buy new straight off the dealer lot without claiming you live in Wyoming or South Dakota.

I'd been cruising some of the VW enthusiast boards for updates on when the demo models would be trickling into dealerships. After visiting one dealership a few weeks ago, leaving my name, phone number and E-mail, and getting no reply, I decided to go to another dealer in the area. Just as I pulled into the lot, I saw the TDI demo car pull out. They're pretty hard to miss. I didn't have my camera on me, but imagine a white Jetta sedan with leafy green flames coming out from the wheelwells, and "CLEAN DIESEL" and "NOT A CONCEPT CAR!!" liberally plastered on just about every square inch of available fenderage and on the trunklid.

Since I knew the cars weren't officially on sale yet, I knew I could only be pressured so much by the salesperson. I figured why not?

Never having owned a diesel before, I was curious as to what it would be like to live with one day-to-day. Unfortunately, the test drive only lasted about 15 minutes, but did give me enough of a feel for the new powerplant. Many of the people that have driven the new TDI commented on how quiet it was. It is indeed very quiet. But to the discerning ear, it's unmistakably a diesel. While I wasn't expecting a Top Fuel car, I was expecting somewhat sprightly performance, and the TDI delivered for the most part.

Like most diesels (compared to gas engines) the power band is rather narrow. 2-3,000 rpm is the sweet spot of the power delivery. Above 3,500 rpm, the power drops off like Wylie Coyote off a cartoon cliff. But not to worry, the quick-shifting DSG transmission shuffles you to the next gear to take advantage of the beefy midrange output. The car accelerated up to 80 mph fairly effortlessly. I should add that the DSG is one of the smoothest-shifting transmissions you're likely to ever experience, short of a CVT. There is almost no "jolt" between shifts at all, just a change in the tachometer and engine note. The shifts were also lightning-quick, much quicker than I could have manually shifted with a conventional manual tranny.

The test-drive confirmed that a TDI SportWagen would be a eminently livable choice for my next car, offering both outstanding fuel economy, as well as a fun-to-drive character missing in many similarly economical vehicles. Seeing that my purchase window is probably late calendar 2009, I'll let the early-adopter TDI groupies pay the above-sticker premiums, and deal with whatever quality issues there might be. By the time the 2010 models are out, I expect I'll be able to walk onto a VW lot and pay sticker, (or maybe a little less) and get a TDI off-the-lot. Here's hoping.