Originally Posted by MtViewGuy88
Interesting you mention that because when Honda admitted working on a US-legal V-6 turbodiesel, they said this engine will primarily end up on the Acura MDX, Honda Pilot and Honda Ridgeline models. Indeed, I see the biggest impact of cleaner turbodiesels in the SUV, light truck and possibly minivan market, where the high torque peak and 30-35% better fuel economy compared to equivalent gasoline engines would be welcome.
Exactly. Diesel fuel economy is most noticeable in larger vehicles, and all that low-end torque is more welcome in larger vehicles, where it's most needed to move all that mass, and for towing and cargo hauling.
Hopefully the Pilot will be available with a TurboDiesel by the time I return to the US (late 2007), and hopefully I can convince the Wife (ie, the family CFO) to buy one.
Edit: I forgot to add that Honda needs to keep the price of a TurboDiesel Pilot close to that of a comparably equipped gasoline-powered Pilot. Toyota piqued my interest with the Highlander Hybrid, then lost it when I saw the price. Also, a Diesel Pilot need not out-accelerate a gasoline-powered Pilot, as the Tuareg Diesel eclipses the gasoline Tuareg. As long as the Diesel performs no worse than the gasoline version, gets better fuel economy, and costs no more than $1-$2K more, I'd be happy.