Green is in, but power won't go out [2.6.8]

[T Mac]

For years, Honda Motor Co. resisted pressure from dealers and others to stuff a V-8 engine under its hoods, including the Ridgeline pickup. Bad for fuel economy, image, and the company's return on investment, Honda execs always said.

Some truck buyers love and need V-8 power. But Honda is intent on sticking with the V-6, even tweaking it with the cylinder deactivation technology found on V-8 engines. Yet the new Pilot -- boxier, more upright -- is essentially a vault. It was designed to look like its packing eight cylinders. Even the new, bigger Accord, with its new power box grille, appears more secure to appeal to aging boomers.

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By David Phillips