High Mpg Vehicles

[catatonic]

Honestly, I think we need more full-size station wagons instead of more SUVs.

Think about it:
lower stance means easier to get into and out of (more child/elderly friendly)
Has a lower center of gravity, so ham-fisted drivers will just spin it out instead of flipping it
Has the same power as a SUV
Same cargo room as an SUV
better fuel economy than an SUV (My old 5.0 grand marquis wagon was getting fantastic fuel economy, I've had as high as 25mpg on the freeway...not bad for a car that could tow a large boat)
Easier to load/unload large heavy object into due to lower cargo deck.

Really, I think we should try to get past the "Off-road" wannabe syndrome that lots of people have, and consider an in-between vehicle.

As for hybrids, the electric motors have insane amounts of torque compared to a gas engine, which translates to increased towing capacity if the motors are used in the low RPM range. This could be done using a special gearbox configuration to force the engine into a specific RPM range. The only hard parrt I see is keeping the motors cool, as the more load it sees, the hotter the motors will run.

Pretty much engineering will prevail and there will be a way in the near future.

 

[Tito]

Mark,

This is a very good question...

I don't mind the concept of the Hybird. A couple of things keep me wondering about the hybrid technology though. The maintenance costs and the amount of qualified people to work on such a car. Then what is lurking around the corner as far as automotive technology. Will a hybrid car be the equivalent of a Beta Max machine in years to come?

Here's my opinion of the American automakers dilema.
Legacy costs are destroying the quality of what the American's produce. They have bet the whole shootin match on trucks and fleet vehicles. They've turned their backs on the US car markets b/c it was easier and more cost effective for them. Their big problem now is that all the Imports are making trucks and suv's now too. I mean come on Porsche? That's just ridiculous.
American auto industry has been drinking the marketing kool-aide too. They have way too many product lines for now. They need to cut back there and really come up with some killer products like the Camaro, 300 C, Challenger & Mustang but they must be executed correctly or they run the risk of destroying product heritage like they've been doing with Malibu, Impala, Monte Carlo, GTO & T-Bird. Lord knows that they can design and build great cars look at the Corvettes, GT's and the Cadillac CTS race teams. I think that in the back of their minds they want the gov't and taxpayers to bail them out too. That they believe all the media hype of all their prophetic doom and the execs and upper management are probably sucking everything dry. We'll have to look at their debt to equity to see...

Me I'd like to see them come after the G35 or BMW 3's with one vehicle. Then take on Toyota, Nissan & Honda next.

 

[catatonic]

I agree, there are too many trim levels of car.

Does Ford need a Ford, Mercury, and Lincoln version of the same car?

Does Chevy need to make the same truck that you can get as a GMC?

etc, etc.....it costs good money to make different branding and trim levels when multi-branding a product design.

 

[Lvis]

My manager called me inot his office and showed me a video clip of a guy who welds with water. He has some patten on electrolysis. You can touch the tip of his welder with your bare hand. When the flame comes in contact with and object it heats up. It cuts through metal like no tomorrow. Then he turned his car onto this process and uses straight water for fuel. Will try to find and post this video. He is in dicussions with one of the BIG 3 car makers at the moment. I think for military use. Should be interesting. I am up in Canada and we just came down from 1.19 per litre to 1.03 per litre. That is $4.52 per gallon to $3.91. Assuming 3.8 litres = 1 gallon.

 

[rustyblade]

I agree, there are too many trim levels of car.

Does Ford need a Ford, Mercury, and Lincoln version of the same car?

Does Chevy need to make the same truck that you can get as a GMC?

etc, etc.....it costs good money to make different branding and trim levels when multi-branding a product design.

I've said this before. Elminate Chevrolet and Buick entirely. Think about it. Make GMC the truck division (the GMC versions have always looked a little nicer) and the only other worthwhile Chevy is...? The Corvette.

Put the rest of the Chevrolet products under the Pontiac banner... they are there already and concentrate on build a good car. Roll the good Buicks into Cadillac and you are done.

Not that I would ever buy one. Only in the last 5 years have the big 3 changed their attitudes and realized that North Americans will not just blindly buy the junk they have foisted on the public for the last 30 years.

 

[moses]

How does that saw go?

French wines, German cars, and Italian Operas.

Yeah, that's the safe way to go. But personally, I think the world is a little sexier if you go with German Wines, French Operas, and Italian Cars.

Or more um, interesting, if you go with Italian Wine, French Cars, and German Opera.

 

[mark the shoeshine boy]

Mark - think about it, the growing the crops to make the oil could give you country boys something else to do other than play your banjo and make whoopee with your cousins ..., you might become prosperous and stop living off state handouts

Regards
John

that's cold blooded...man...cold blooded...

oh my great great grandfathers use to make a good living off corn....the song "Mountain Dew" describes him pretty good..."theres an old hollow tree where you lay down a dollar or tow, you go around the bend and you come back again witha jug of that good ole mountain dew"


what's wrong with my cousin...you don't think she's perty ???

mark tssb

 

[Tito]

"Shwew ....hiccup White Lightning"

I loved that song as a kid.

 

[rtaylor61]

"Shwew ....hiccup White Lightning"

I loved that song as a kid.

It's still a classic. To stay on topic, "No-Show" George got a lot of mileage out of that song!

Randy

 

[Shadow_6]

Hello All,

I live on Vancouver Island,Canada. I worked at the Airport for some time. Some of the cab drivers a few years back started using the Toyota Prius. I spoke to a few drivers and found they loved the vehicles, the yearly cost of fuel for them dropped quite a bit. I had my concerns as being an airport cab about the size of the vehicle, with travellers having lots of luggage. I have seen them fill the cab with four passengers all with luggage, and only a few times did I see the driver have to force the trunk lid down to close it. I think their up to ten Prius's on fleet now.

I wonder what the pollution savings would be if they converted larger cities cabs over to Prius's.

Shadow_6

 

[rustyblade]

Hello All,

I live on Vancouver Island,Canada. I worked at the Airport for some time. Some of the cab drivers a few years back started using the Toyota Prius. I spoke to a few drivers and found they loved the vehicles, the yearly cost of fuel for them dropped quite a bit. I had my concerns as being an airport cab about the size of the vehicle, with travellers having lots of luggage. I have seen them fill the cab with four passengers all with luggage, and only a few times did I see the driver have to force the trunk lid down to close it. I think their up to ten Prius's on fleet now.

I wonder what the pollution savings would be if they converted larger cities cabs over to Prius's.

Shadow_6

Taxi's do the milage that can justify the extra up front costs of a hybrid. Assuming maintainance won't be astronomical, of course.

 

[jduffy]

Yeah, that's the safe way to go. But personally, I think the world is a little sexier if you go with German Wines, French Operas, and Italian Cars.

Or more um, interesting, if you go with Italian Wine, French Cars, and German Opera.

Well put sir! You are indeed a gentlemen, a scholar, and very astute.

I was in Europe for a while and drove a Fiat. It was a very fun car! Quick as can be and easy on gas. America misses out on a lot of interesting automotive opportunities.

 

[MasonM]

I'm happy with my recumbent bicycle. It gets 50 miles to a hamburger.

 

[teamccloud]

I am planning to get a hybrid next year about this time, maybe sooner depending on what happens to my '92 Subaru Legacy wagon. Randy said he asks people who want a hybrid why they do. For me, it's mileage combined with environmental responsibility.

My Legacy gets 23 to 27 mpg. I've been looking at the Camry hybrid, which touts 40 mpg. Even if I get 30 to 35 mpg with the Camry, I am ahead of where I am now with my Subaru. And if it's closer to the 40 mpg, even better! Combine this with the fact that emissions are lower, and that I'm doing my small part for the environment, I am a happy consumer.

 

[teamccloud]

Taxi's do the milage that can justify the extra up front costs of a hybrid. Assuming maintainance won't be astronomical, of course.

From what I've read, maintenance on hybrids will only cost more because it is recommended that you take them to the dealer for work (dealers always cost more per hour than Joe's Domestic and Foreign Auto Repair around the corner). The dealers are trained on reparing them, and many of the systems (such as braking, which is what recharges the batter) are interrelated.

 

[moses]

I'm kinda dissappointed by the milage of some of these hybrids. I guess my expectations were a little high. But the car my mother drove in college, in the sixties, got about 45 mpg.

 

[majkeli]

I drove an Insight for years but had to trade it in when the baby came. I loved that little thing. It was always a great converstation starter.

Not only did it get great mileage, it had wonderfully low emissions. That was one of the biggest selling points for me. I wish it was for everyone.

 

[Quigg]

I'm happy with my recumbent bicycle. It gets 50 miles to a hamburger.

Seriously. Walk if it's close (a mile or less), ride a bike if it's a little farther (more than a mile, but less than 5), and use a motorcycle or scooter after that. My wife and I share one car. It sits in the driveway most days. We use it for weekend shopping, vacation trips, and to carpool when the weather is bad. Otherwise, we don't have to use it. I can't believe how many people drive a car to go somewhere a block away.

 

[smalltank]

I wouldn't get near a Honda Civic Hybrid..if you Google their hybrid mileage issues you will know

 

[NoKetchupAllowed]

hmmm, interesting to read thoughts circa '06 vs the inevitable today posts where pundits are calling for > $5 a gallon. We had the big gas scare 3 years ago and it didn't do much to change buying opinions for the majority of Americans.

Personally I went from a lincoln town car to a honda fit. Yes it will never prevent me from my project race cars that are tuned for 120 octane with open exhaust, but the mileage I get on my grocery getter has become important, and there has been a noticeable change in demeanor(/road rage) of other drivers in that time.

Ford did very well for themselves from 06 to now. Yes, they have catered to buying tastes but have always been a bit more conservative economically then their other domestic offerings.