I dunno, but maybe the commercial could include graverobber in a honey-slathered wrassle with a bear. I'm thinking pay-per-view, and running Jalopnik commentary. There's money to be made here. You think VW would sponsor us?
AUTOMOBILE drove a CRV with this engine around San Francisco, and claimed 25MPG in the city. They said it got 49 on the highway. Not only was it frugal, but they didn't think it was any noisier than the petrol version, and had a butt-load more torque to boot.
I'd slather my nuts in honey and wrassle a bear on live TV for something like that.
D'you think they'd still sell me a complete drivetrain? I finally thought of a good engine swap for a first gen Civic Wagon. It should make the ricers nervous, too.
Diesel is startlingly expensive here, so I'd see it being a tough sell in the TSX anyway. "Hmm, awkward styling, buttony interior, and it requires $3.50/gal diesel? How good is the efficiency in the gas model again?"
@Jeb_Hoge: that was the reaction i always got while driving the diesel beetle around.... and then when i pointed out that my 120 mile round trip to work cost me (at your stated price of $3.50 per gal...) a little over 7 dollars (about half an hour's work)... the people who lived there in town often said 'HOLY SH!T.. ?? really i spend almost that much in my 20 mi, round trip'... and i laughed.. the beetle would pull 55-60 mpg easily.. if driven easily...
that was always a justifiable expense in my mind... much better mileage....
@grzydj: Recent polls on a Cummins Diesel online forum indicate that about 75% of those drivers prefer manual to autobox. I think, if you take the subset of people who want a diesel, you will find that they have a higher desire for the manual option.
One of the important things to remember about statistics, is that they are only valid if the population measured, is representative of the larger population which you would like to make generalizations about.
@DoctorNine: Problem with online polls is that they only measure the literate, involved, motivated individuals. With a few exceptions I can't imagine that population would gravitate toward autobox.
@kleinlowe: That's a very good point about online/telephone polls. I'd bet that the people that want a diesel are more likely to be literate, involved, and motivated individuals, though. In fact, I suspect that marketing types could dissect the demographics of likely diesel buyers quite finely, and give us the breakdown. If you look at sales data for the recent VW diesels, I think the breakdown is like 50/50 between manual and auto, if I recall correctly. Anyone with major manufacturer data want to chime in here?
@oddboxalfa: Note that what made the Honda/Acura Diesel unique was that it was supposed to be 50-state compliant on emissions WITHOUT using Urea-injection, as do pretty much all other engines that meet these new standards. So Honda could add urea injection and sell the diesel here, but the whole point of this powertrain was that it could be so clean without needing exhaust addititives.
@snyd3202: The four-cylinder VAG tdi engines do not require urea at all, instead using a downstream burn-off cycle using some trickery with the exhaust valve on the final cylinder.
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I'd slather my nuts in honey and wrassle a bear on live TV for something like that.
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You let the drama kid die, the drama kid die
Seriously, I just learned the TSX commercial was saying "Let the drummer kick that"
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that was always a justifiable expense in my mind... much better mileage....
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I'm frankly a bit shocked they're bringing it to Acura first. Doesn't make much business sense to introduce a new, frugal tech in the Lux brand.
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According to recent polls, about 95% of all buyers want an autotragic transmission.
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One of the important things to remember about statistics, is that they are only valid if the population measured, is representative of the larger population which you would like to make generalizations about.
In this case, they appear to be fairly distinct.
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Is this a case of superior German engineering or the Japanese just not seeing this as a profitable venture in the US?
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Note that what made the Honda/Acura Diesel unique was that it was supposed to be 50-state compliant on emissions WITHOUT using Urea-injection, as do pretty much all other engines that meet these new standards. So Honda could add urea injection and sell the diesel here, but the whole point of this powertrain was that it could be so clean without needing exhaust addititives.
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