Remember when I said diesel prices were lower than gasoline for the first time in years? Remember when I wondered if that would change American diesel buying habits? Well, it has, apparently. Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz are both reporting increases in sales of their clean-diesel vehicles.

If you’re in the market for a clean diesel car, here are the 50-state diesels available right now, with their starting MSRP:

• Audi Q7, SUV, $50,900
• Mercedes R320 BlueTec, crossover, $49,100
• Mercedes ML320 BlueTec, SUV, $48,600
• Mercedes GL320 BlueTec, SUV, $58,200
• Volkswagen Jetta TDI, sedan, $22,700
• Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen TDI, wagon, $23,870
• Volkwsagen Touareg 2 TDI, SUV, $42,800

Each of these is available from the manufacturer as of today, and are eligible of a federal tax credit of about $1000. Check FuelEconomy.gov for details.

Image of a BMW diesel at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show by Kristen Hall-Geisler.

This poor 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI SportWagen got a real workout during the week I had it. I had made plans to stay at the Oregon coast, about 100 miles from my home. Then I got roped into a meeting held near Olympia, Washington, about 120 miles from home. All told, I put nearly 500 miles on the odometer — and used almost exactly one full tank of gas.

The diesel engine was quiet, started immediately, and smelled like nothing. It took the hills and curves over the Coast Range like it was a game, and both my short self and my tall husband were comfortable during the ride. The EPA estimates for the Jetta TDI SportWagen are 29 mpg city, 40 mpg highway. I ended up doing quite a bit of highway driving — more than I intended, actually — and was happy with my 37 mpg at the end of the week.

One word of caution to potential buyers: there was no indication on the gas cap that this car required diesel fuel. Drivers are not allowed to pump their own gas in Oregon (or New Jersey), and the attendant had the regular gasoline nozzle in his hand and was about to fill ‘er up. “No! No! Diesel!” I screamed inside the car. Luckily, he heard me and switched to good old B5 (that’s 5% biodiesel, suitable for winter driving). Close call, and one to be aware of if you’re not filling your own diesel tank.

• 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI SportWagen
• As tested: $29,410, including destination charge
• 2.0L diesel engine rated 29 mpg city, 40 mpg highway
• 6.4 tons of carbon dioxide emitted annually, on average

Images by Kristen Hall-Geisler.

This car was provided for review by the manufacturer at no cost to the reviewer.

• Diesel-powered Ford Ka This little number will get 56 mpg from it’s 1.3-liter engine, and put out 75 horsepower. At the Ford presentation I recently attended, someone asked speaker and powertrain expert Dan Kapp about Euro-spec clean-diesel Fords coming to the U.S., and he said not in the foreseeable future.

• Ford Fiesta ECOnetic Another small, diesel-powered Ford. This one, which goes on sale in the U.K. in November, gets 65 mpg and would be priced similarly to the Toyota Prius, if it ever made it to these shores. Which it won’t. Ever, according to Business Week.

• Honda Fit Hybrid So Ford says it won’t bring its diesels to the U.S. because we’re all about hybrids, so why has Honda decided not to go forward with its Fit Hybrid? Competition with itself. It wants all the hybrid love to go to its new Insight, due next spring. So no one gets the Fit Hybrid until the next redesign, a Honda spokesman told Edmunds.com.

• VW BlueMotion Diesel Golf The latest TDI-powered Volkswagen to come down the pike is a quick little four-door hatchback that gets 52 mpg, according to a VW press release, while still achieving 103 hp and a top speed of 117 mph. Luckily, VW did deem the U.S. worthy of the new Jetta SportWagon TDI, which gets 40 mpg on the highway and emits a mere 6.4 tons of CO2 annually.