[inferiorhuman]

Eh?

A gasoline powered car will struggle in the cold because:

- the battery used to spin the engine is going to have less capacity in the cold - the engine oil is thicker and requiring more energy to spin the engine - gasoline won't atomize as well when it's being sprayed into a cold environment (this is why your engine runs richer right after a cold start)

A diesel powered car will struggle because:

- the temperature of the engine may be too low to allow ignition - the battery used to spin the engine is going to have less capacity in the cold - the engine oil is thicker and requiring more energy to spin the engine - the devices used to heat the engine (glow plugs or intake heaters) require plenty of electricity - the fuel itself may turn into gel (although I think most places in the US only ever sell #2 diesel year-round) - the engine itself may not stay warm enough to run especially if you're also trying to pull heat out into the cabin

None of that's changed dramatically in the past 40 years although engine management has gotten better.

[Auracle]

I don't disagree, but I can only tell you my experience. My car (a freakin' Camaro that I drive year round) has yet to fail to start, and it's 11 years old at this point too. The radio doesn't work when it's below 10 degrees though, so that's fun.