[steel_city508]

I know there is another diesel/hybrid thread on here, but this is a little different.

This is a thread to urge you to speak up.
There are alot of people I see here, and other places who would like to see a diesel option on an element and other Hondas.

So here is the kicker, Honda already makes a diesel CRV and Accord in Europe. Also, there were plans to bring the small diesel engine over to the states (starting with Acura TSX). Those plans are cancelled.

I work for Honda in Ohio and can tell you as customers, your feedback is important and WILL impact future models (how big the impact is, depends on the amount of F/B American Honda gets from its customers).

American Honda is the purchasing company that buys cars from the manufacturing companies (there are multiple companies).
In addition to purchasing cars and distributing to dealerships, they are also directly involved with Honda design and planning groups. They are the "voice of the customer" so to speak.

Having said that, If you feel strongly about diesel element and/or other hondas, I urge you to write to American Honda at American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
Honda Automobile Customer Service
1919 Torrance Boulevard
Mail Stop: 500 - 2N - 7D
Torrance, CA 90501-2746

The more mail they get on this issue the more attention it will get when it comes time to plan ahead (sadly enough, doesn't guarantee anything).

But at least we know we asked for it.
For more info on Honda diesel engines
http://world.honda.com/news/2004/c040910_1.html

 

[Twilightzero]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

I'll be writing tomorrow! I was desperately hoping they would bring their diesel over here for my next E! I'm a bit confused though, is there any reason behind this other than the old beating-a-dead-horse reason of "people don't like black smoke diesels"??

A CALL TO ARMS, MY BRETHREN!!



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[mkh]

I'll be writing too. And with the new higher mpg requirements likely coming soon, other car companies who said they would never bring their diesel models to the US are changing their plans - perfect time to impress Honda with all the E owners who would jump on a diesel E in a heartbeat.

 

[scorsone]

Where is my pen? I need to write them ASAP. It is not good for a companies image to say that a certain technology will be available in certain cars and then give up on it. VW is really pushing the diesel engine hard it would be easy for Honda to ride that wave. Let VW do the leg work on re-introducing diesel and then Honda can use it's name to reclaim the reliability of diesel.

Thank you for calling our attention to this matter.

 

[RainDriver]

Good on ya

Good on ya, Steel_city, for championing this cause. Don't expect too much, I fear our user community is not as strong as it once was.

I'm with you, chum. The annual summer gas price-gouge is beginning where I live, and is sure to visit YOUR town soon, e-friends. And the recent price drop was an aberration, you can bet the trend in fuel prices is ever-upward. Adding a hyper-miler option to an aging-but-much-admired platform like the E just makes sense.

 

[korey.OMG]

Anyone else here think its crap that honda is planning on a new engine for element and making it deisel but wont make a hybrid.. that pisses me off.. my next car is a hybrid and i love my E but if they dont make a hybrid by 2011 i will have to leave the E club :-(

the way i see it is ina few years almost every make with have a hybrid suv and rather then jumping right to it they are going with deisel which isnt all that great if anything make a better gas engine that runs harder and faster jeez :-x stupid honda

 

[scorsone]

Honda has never said they would make a diesel Element. They said they were going to put diesel in the Oddy, Pilot and the Ridge but never really mentioned the E or the CRV for the states. But according to the OP they are scrapping the diesel for the states entirely:-mad::-(.

Hybrid for suv/trucks is still not very cost effective or productive. Diesel is a cheap easy, proven technology.

 

[korey.OMG]

google it they plan on making a deisel for 2010 redesign... and who cares about costly they would gain alot more customers with a hybrid... i mean they dont need a whole series just the option of it... alot mor eyounger people wand hybrid cars and if they dont look for the furutre they may loose customers

 

[psschmied]

It doesn't matter to me one iota what engine type another owner chooses to pay for.

I would welcome Elements powered by diesels, hybrid engines, electricity, LPG, rubber bands or hamsters - just as long as they keep making Elements , and I can get a supply of the fuel type for my engine at a reasonable price.

Honda isn't an innovator in the US market, and has no plan or desire to become one. They are content to carve out and maintain a large enough market share to make a good return on investment, and they do this by copying what others have proven to be successful. When they have something novel that doesn't look like a cleaned up version of a competitors product, they don't know what to do with it and it dies while their competitors are still creating strategies to combat it.

In the same manner that Honda has chosen to not market or advertise the Element because they have no competing product to contest, Honda will decide what Element engines to offer based on an inscrutable formula involving competitors prices, performance, and sales figures.

After many competitors have already improved public perception, captured the market, and induced the creation of needed support infrastructure, Honda might offer a diesel in a high production model based on market demand. I wouldn't hold my breath while waiting.

Having seen what they did with the Insight, I think that Honda could save a lot of advertising and branding money by naming their next "new" model the Me Two. :-(

 

[lizzurd]

google it they plan on making a deisel for 2010 redesign... and who cares about costly they would gain alot more customers with a hybrid... i mean they dont need a whole series just the option of it... alot mor eyounger people wand hybrid cars and if they dont look for the furutre they may loose customers

You anything you want and find 15 different answers. Honda foray into the North American diesel market died when the TSX diesel project was put on hold. The AT version reportedly failed emissions testing.


http://www.autoevolution.com/news/honda-delays-tsx-diesel-v6-almost-here-1875.html

 

[ediamiam]

Hybrid sales seem to be in proportion to the cost of a gallon of fuel. Factor the premium you pay for the hybrid and there you go. The E is not one of Honda's volume leaders and it makes more sense for them to build a hybrid CRV than E. In my mind, a diesel option in their heavier vehicle makes more sense. The E is not light at 3600 lbs.

 

[michaelrm]

I've always liked the E, but took a while to get one because i wanted something with better gas mileage. Finally picked one up for local and purpose driven trips, and will use the wifes 09 Fit for long distance gas saving ventures. If the new E comes in a diesel I will buy new tomorrow and will be more than happy to share that with Honda.

 

[slimerdogs]

Same here. I do not care for a hybrid too much as the battery cost but if they brought the Diesel with a manual I would buy one tomorrow.

 

[TjankMjaster]

whose diesel?

I'm curious,.. does anyone know who manufactures the diesel engine in europe for Honda? Is it a true-blue Honda engine, or VW or other?

I'd take an Element, CRV, Pilot, or Ridgeline in a diesel.

 

[ediamiam]

It's Honda's own design-also manufactured by them I believe.

 

[TjankMjaster]

Yeah, I'm still searching around,... so far I've found this,
http://world.honda.com/Diesel/
but it seems to be mostly old news here,... "Honda's i-DTEC engine"

More Googling required...

 

[Bowzer]

It IS Honda's design and build that goes into the diesel powerplants. From what I remember reading a few months ago, the importing of the diesel motor died when, at the very final stages, the motor would not quite meet the newest emissions from CA either for city or highway...can't remember which...and I believe it just barely missed. I had the impression it was still attainable with a bit more wrench twisting but Honda felt too compelled to go another route.

That and the economic downturn pushed Honda to go after the hybrid route...guess they felt that would be the safer bet. A shame really...apparently some neat innovation how to handle the urea build up and had the typical Honda build, etc.

 

[ediamiam]

I thought it was going to be another Honda-designed diesel for the American market. Also, I'm thinking it was able to pass emissions with the manual tranny, but not with the automatic. The American market is mostly automatic and Honda didn't want to go with the low-volume manual into this market. I'm still in a wait-and-see mode, but if another manufacturer like Subaru or Mazda brings one to market, I'm done.

 

[Twilightzero]

Well don't forget the design's already there, it's not like they have to completely reinvent it if at a later time they decide they want to produce it. I'm guessing if a few more companies get one out there they'll bring it back out.



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[Perro_Loco]

Subaru has one over sees and they've been thinkin about bringing it over here too. It's really kind of ashame because theoretically diesel would be a much better buy over a hybrid for this country. The entry price should be cheaper and the mpg have proven to be the same or better on the highway which is where most of us drive. I'd rock a Honda diesel in a heartbeat