It is still beyond me why anyone in their right mind would drive a hybrid. VW and Audi have been showing the world that diesel technology is far superior in not only driving enjoyment, but even in mileage. When you factor in all the environmental badness that goes into building battery packs and electric motors, the only reason you associate a Prius with green is from envy.

Audi has just announced pricing for their second North American entry into the diesel market. The A3 has always been one of our favorite cars, we love hatchbacks. The car is based on the same platform as VW’s brilliant GTI, but improved even further.

When the 50-state legal A3 TDI S-Tronic arrives in late November it will base at $29,950. It will be equipped with a 2.0-liter TDI that develops a whopping 236 lb-ft of torque and yet still delivers an EPA estimated 40mpg on the highway. Having spent a considerable amount of time in a Jetta TDI, we think that number may actually be low.

Diesel really is the best solution to our current petroleum dillema. The EPA estimates that if just one-thrid of all the cars in the US were diesels, we would be using 1.5 Million fewer barrels of oil per day. Yes, that’s million with an M, it’s barrels not gallons and it is per day. That’s huge.

We hope the A3 will turn into a huge success for Audi. It is already a great car, the addition of the diesel power-train just makes it that much more attractive. The company who turned the 24 Hours of Le Mans on its head with oil burners, hopes to carry that success into a large part of its model line-up. We are already hoping an A4 Avant TDI Quattro will find its way into our driveway.