I drive a VW Touareg TDI and wifey drives a 2011 CX-9. The VW weighs 600 lbs more than the CX-9 but is still faster from a standstill and passing at 60mph. 240 hp, 410 ft.lbs. torque is nothing to sneeze at. Has a towing capacity of 8000 lbs. Bear in mind its a full time 4WD made for heavy duty off-roading. 60%rear/40%front bias drive. I consistently get 27 mpg in town and 35 mpg highway at 75 mph. Towing a 5000 lb enclosed trailer full of dirt bikes, I get 22mpg on the highway. I passed my buddy with a 2012 GMC HD diesel on a 4% grade uphill on I40 in NC like he was standing still. He had 2 dirt bikes in the truck bed and I was towing the said enclosed trailer. 8 speed auto trans in the VW is the bomb. You guys need to read the test on this vehicle. 0 - 60 times in 6.5 - 6.7 sec. Also read Car and drivers test of the Passat TDI vs Passat V6. They like the diesel better. Performance numbers were almost the same.
Guys, if you have a chance, you need to test drive the Audi Q7 TDI, VW Touareg TDI or the new Cayenne TDI. This ain't your father's diesel. The Audi R12 that won Lemans last year used the same basic 3.0 liter V6 TDI. The Touareg that has won the Dakar rally 3 years in a row uses a 5 cylinder TDI. Fast and a fuel mizer.
The TDI Touareg is faster to 60, 6.9s but, if you go by a more real world number, the 5-60 is just 7.7s.
The big advantage of the CX-9 is that the 0-60 is almost the same as the 5-60 number, 7.8 vs 7.9s, meaning in the real world, you get great acceleration without brake torquing, etc.
But, the TDI loses steam as it rolls, that is why the 1/4 mile is 15.9 vs 16.0 of the CX-9. See how that huge advantage disappeared? Yes, because the TDI only traps at 85 mph, while the CX-9 traps at 88 mph.
http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2011-volkswagen-touareg-tdi-test-reviews
http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2010-mazda-cx-9-awd-quick-test
The thing is, with Motor Trend testing, it is even quicker, and the gap becomes even bigger, with a trap speed of 89.6 mph.
Evidently, you can come behind a Touareg and you can pass it easily, because you pull harder and harder the more speed you reach.
And now via this testing, 0-60 is just 7.3s , and the 1/4 mile in just 15.6. Faster 1/4 mile.
http://www.motortrend.com/av/roadtests/suvs/1103_2011_mazda_cx_9_video/
Of course, that is you like the sound and the behaviour and the aural pleasure of driving a diesel, which of course for me it doesn`t.
Why? Because is just too darn boring. Reving to only 4k rpms gets me to peak horsepower, and then what? Is that all you got? And that sound? And what about the sound coming out of the exhaust? Naaah.
I like what new diesels bring to the table, because they keep getting better, just as gasoline engines, but the inherent caracteristics of the diesel engine are still there, and you either like them, or you don`t.