i-VTEC or i-CTDi - which is better ?

Peregrine · 10-20-2005, 01:40 PM

Which engine is better on TSX / Accord Euro: i-VTEC or i-CTDi?
Please share your technical opinions here.

Personally, without knowing much about the i-CTDi I'd love to have that in my car, just because it's a turbo diesel. But I'm sure a lot of people (including myself) would like to get the technical comparison, listing advantages and disadvantages of both engines.
And I think it's widely known that diesel fuel is more expensive in USA than gasoline, and that diesel is cheaper than gasoline in Europe, so let's not go into that. We need comparisons of performance and economy per galon of fuel (regardless of its price).

aaron33 · 10-20-2005, 10:46 PM

i-CTDi is diesel..... From the UK reviews, it's good for regular driving and has a very low fuel consumption. One owner of the i-CTDi test drove the k24a i-VTEC and said that it sounded tinny!

But if you thrive revving, then i-VTEC is the way to go.

Peregrine · 10-21-2005, 12:35 AM

Here's are quotes from the owner of the diesel Honda from another thread with his car's pics:

Quote:

Originally Posted by titanflux

Engine pic here. If you need larger, see

http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/kwj...56.jpg&.src=ph

For engine details in full see:

http://world.honda.com/HDTV/news/2003-4030226_1a/

and

Quote:

Originally Posted by titanflux

Maximum torque (Nm @ rpm)
340@2000

Fuel type
Diesel

Fuel Economy
Urban (mpg)
39.8

Extra urban (mpg)
62.8

Combined (mpg)
52.3

CO2 (g/km)
143

Maximum speed (mph)
131

Acceleration 0-62 mph (secs)
9.4

sjlee · 10-21-2005, 01:11 PM

I think this pretty much sums up the advantages of a diesel engine... better gas mileage and higher torque, but the downside is that it has less HP and isn't as quick. The other negative is in general it costs more to repair/maintain.

SPoon_TSX · 10-21-2005, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sjlee

I think this pretty much sums up the advantages of a diesel engine... better gas mileage and higher torque, but the downside is that it has less HP and isn't as quick. The other negative is in general it costs more to repair/maintain.

And Air Pollution too.

MemphisRheins · 10-21-2005, 01:43 PM

Yep... the i-CTDi would be cool, especially once If I convert it over to Veggie oil (not that hard)... cruise around at 131mph getting 40mpg...you gotta love diesels

ChinchillaX · 10-21-2005, 03:22 PM

I drove the Mercedes E320 CDI lasr year and its WAY better than the regular E320/E350. LOTS of torque, and you can really feel it when accelerating! Also it had a lot of power, seems about the same as the gasoline version, plus it was quiet and clean burning.....and it can run on biofuels!

Peregrine · 10-22-2005, 12:29 PM

That's strange. 2 years ago I drove a Mercedes CDi (rental car) in Europe for a week and I did not notice the extra power. It's not turbo as TDi.
Nevertheless, it drove very well.

aaron33 · 10-22-2005, 01:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SPoon_TSX

And Air Pollution too.

Not really. A turbo diesel gives out less carbon than the diesel engines of old, because there is enough air to make sure almost all the fuel is combusted. Any that manages to remain unburnt gets tied up in the system of cats along the way that converts it into other molecules.

Plus, modern diesel engines are of the common rail type, so the injected diesel is a fine mist instead of lousy spray and drips. A mist burns much quicker and more complete too!

curls · 10-22-2005, 04:38 PM

Diesel is frowned upon by most north american consumers but har clear advantages over gasoline, namely: mileage (with oil prices going nowhere but up, this will be even more important). Also, diesel can be just as clean (or cleaner!) than most gasoline engines. Although it might smell somewhat foul (especially the older diesels), the emissions are less harmful than gasoline engines.

With a nice turbo diesel, I'm sure many owners won't complain about the lack of HP when they feel the increased torque.

Noel · 10-24-2005, 06:22 AM

Don't get confused with torque impressions over horsepower outputs. Just because it has high torque doesn't mean it's quick. If the choice of either configuration was given, the purchasing choice would come down to 1 of the following;

Performance horsepower or Mileage smooth driving.

sjlee · 10-24-2005, 12:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by curls

Diesel is frowned upon by most north american consumers but har clear advantages over gasoline, namely: mileage (with oil prices going nowhere but up, this will be even more important). Also, diesel can be just as clean (or cleaner!) than most gasoline engines. Although it might smell somewhat foul (especially the older diesels), the emissions are less harmful than gasoline engines.

With a nice turbo diesel, I'm sure many owners won't complain about the lack of HP when they feel the increased torque.

Any mileage advantages that a diesel car has over regular gasoline cars is offset by the fact that diesel fuel costs more than regular gas. In my area, the lowest price unleaded gas is $2.49/gallon, while diesel is well over $3 per gallon.

Peregrine · 10-24-2005, 12:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sjlee

Any mileage advantages that a diesel car has over regular gasoline cars is offset by the fact that diesel fuel costs more than regular gas. In my area, the lowest price unleaded gas is $2.49/gallon, while diesel is well over $3 per gallon.

jslee, did you read my starting post of this thread? We don't care about price differences. The question is about performance and economy per gallon of fuel. We all know diesel is more expensive in US, but cheaper than gosoline in Europe.
Please, share your technical opinions and experiences.

sjlee · 10-24-2005, 12:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peregrine

jslee, did you read my starting post of this thread? We don't care about price differences. The question is about performance and economy per gallon of fuel. We all know diesel is more expensive in US, but cheaper than gosoline in Europe.
Please, share your technical opinions and experiences.

I was replying to Curls, not to your original post. In any case, price is a very important factor if you're talking about fuel mileage... otherwise there's no advantage.

That being said, given two engines of the same relative size, one being diesel and one being gas, the gas engine will produce more HP, however, the diesel will produce more torque and get better fuel economy. If put into the same model car, the gas engine will be quicker.

In general, the diesel engine will be cleaner than the gas engine.

I've ridden in and test driven a few diesel cars before. In all cases, it felt as if the diesel engine ran rough.

One additional thing to consider... in the US diesel is harder to find at gas stations.

Peregrine · 10-24-2005, 01:27 PM

much better jslee.
I've driven quite a few diesel cars (rentals) in the past 3 years, mostly Audi TDi, and got to tell ya, I love the sound, not to mention the torque.