[VeniVidiVici]

Further, the VW was about $6,000 more than my Civic.

I belive the base prices of, say, a Jetta diesel vs a Civic are probably about 4k different.

I like Civics but the lack of torque prohibits me from buying them.

[Diggadave]

Honda's diesel is designed to produce more torque at high revs, where as the VW version is a more traditional diesel with bags of torque at low revs.

Apparently Honda's chief engine designer had a real hatred of diesels lack of revs and the vibrations at low revs (they even built an advertising campaign around it!), so he set about building one that performed more like a gasoline engine.

You get less torque at low revs but you still get the economy of diesel. Pretty neat if you are not planning to tow anything!