Manual shift Hondas even without the hybrid engine can get close to that. With the hybrid engine, they push 60 MPG* on the highway in real world action.
Honda put their hybird engine at the lowend of their lineup -- you know, for the crunchy types. They're slowly moving the engine into the higher-end Civic models.
*Don't ask me about kilometers per liter -- I can do kilometers, I can do liters, I can't do kilometers per liter off the top of my head.
Volvo is Ford. Ford owns them. You're getting pretty much the same car if you buy a volvo. Even though Ford does own volvo, volovo acts like its owns itself. It ahs barely any parts from Ford. Not even the same engines. Volovos don't exactly have tons of suvs.
I get such a kick out of you people "bashing" SUV's.
There is not a CAR made anymore that sits 6 people.
I haul around myself, my wife, and 4 kids (2 using "child safety seats"). Then there are the strollers and other parephenalia that go along with them.
The large (say "Excursion") SUV's are the only viable option for me to drive ... and it doesn't matter if gas is .80/gal or 3.80/gal ... it's still such a minor part of my budget that fuel mileage just doesn't matter.
Most people (in the USA) WANT to drive large vehicles .... that's why they are made. Manufacturers make huge profits on these vehicles because people are willing to pay a premium price to drive what they WANT to drive (rather than what the EPA has forced upon everyone else).
I wonder what kind of resources could be saved if they quit making the "throw-away" economy cars ?
Suvs have a bigger ground clearence so they can get through snow, logs, and many more offroad stuff. Regular cars can't to that. You would have to spend alot of money jacking your car up and putting on big tires. Suvs are never going to die out. Well for a while they won't. Im sure companys will bring out hybrid suvs and trucks. As long their is demand for suvs, companys will keep on making them. Sorry in advance if there is grammer and spelling mistakes. I have a really bad cold. I can't focus on Proper english right now.
AFAIK, in New York State the only diesel vehicles you can buy new are trucks. I got mine used.
I think it has something to do with the current diesel fuel.
Low sulfur diesel should be available in the States in late 2006, which should futher decrease emission levels. That would probably allow diesels to be approved in all states.
The upcoming Mercedes E320 CDI is emissions-validated in 45 states right now. It should be here in the fall.
Suvs have a bigger ground clearence so they can get through snow, logs, and many more offroad stuff. Regular cars can't to that.
SUVs can't do it either. At least, the vast majority of them can't.
I just saw a Ford SUV stuck in mud the other day. Idiot tried to cross the median of a divided highway without waiting for one of those little emergency-vehicle turnarounds (or - gasp - driving to the next exit! What a concept!). If they'd had a car like mine they'd never have tried it, and they wouldn't have been cited by a cop and ridiculed by dozens of passers-by.
Did you know that 4 wheel drive only helps you accelerate in less than ideal conditions? Not a good thing with that much inertia, that high a center of gravity, and that much false confidence.
KingOfSomewhereHot: They're called minivans - or hell, you can get full-size vans for the price of some SUVs, and those will last much longer than any consumer vehicle. And as for me, all I need is an economy car, so if only SUVs were offered I'd forego a car altogether and use a cartage company when I needed my drumset somewhere. That wouldn't be an improvement, but then SUVs are only an improvement in a bare handful of contexts. \
doesn't the Lexus SUV get 30+ mpg on highway? meh, I personally don't like SUV's. People in them always act like they are on top of the world I remember reading an article that says 45% of all SUV's have never touched unpaved roads
Gas prices in Arizona is at: $2.00 normal unleaded and $2.40 premium
Diesel's advantages seem to far outweigh it's disadvantages.
I've read that the modern diesels (VW's TDI and Mercedes' CDI) burn cleaner than current gas powerplants.
They produce about 15% less CO2, but more NOx and much more carbon black. Some car manufacturers now offer particle filters to reduce the carbon emission. Without a particle filter, you still might produce black clouds if you speed up rapidly. (I drove a Mercedes E220 CDI (143 hp 4 cylinder diesel, 232 lb ft torque) for two years.)
My biggest gripe against SUVs is how many you see in SoCal. Particularly in the valley, they are everywhere, and SoCal is the last place you need an SUV.
They are perfectly warranted in some areas of the country, and in some situations, The SUV has replaced the mini-van in most cases, the problem is, the mini-van was never broken.
Interestingly enough, you're doing worse for the environment when you buy a hybrid to replace your, say, turbocharged Audi that gets 14 mpg city. The cost of building a new car -- in terms of energy and pollutants -- is enormous.
Interestingly enough, you're doing worse for the environment when you buy a hybrid to replace your, say, turbocharged Audi that gets 14 mpg city. The cost of building a new car -- in terms of energy and pollutants -- is enormous.
How? Hybrids get at least 50 mpg. So how does that harm the envioment more then reg. gas cars. Yes, if the batteries starts to leak acid. But, very unlikely.
How? Hybrids get at least 50 mpg. So how does that harm the envioment more then reg. gas cars. Yes, if the batteries starts to leak acid. But, very unlikely.
I think he means in terms of production, i.e. building new cars uses more resources than if you kept your old one.
More demand for new cars=more consumption of resources to build them.
Has anyone seen those huge car dealerships that have hundreds of brand-new cars sitting in their lots? Detroit must be working overtime. Who buys all those vehicles anyways?
Interestingly enough, you're doing worse for the environment when you buy a hybrid to replace your, say, turbocharged Audi that gets 14 mpg city. The cost of building a new car -- in terms of energy and pollutants -- is enormous.
I've wondered that myself... Come 10 years when we are trying to get rid of all the batteries they've stuffed in the hybrids, will we kick ourselves? Eh, at least the waste there is contained... and I imagine it'd be easier to clean up than air pollution.
[Edit: Oh, wait, I misunderstood. I understand now. I don't know that the addition of Hybrids will really exasperate this problem, though. I would imagine that there are still basically the same amount of people in the market for new cars. And there are still basically the same amount of people that will buy the old used ones.]
Quote:
Originally posted by job
Alternatively, a urban-ized SUV wouldn't even survive in true off-road conditions, especially with the enormous weight of current vehicles.
Heh, that reminds me of a snowy trek I had from Harrisburg PA to South Bend, IN. It's six hundred miles of toll roads, and one time the conditions were just terrible. I counted accidents and spun out vehicles, but lost count around 50. The thing I didn't understand was that 75% of the vehicles off-road were SUVs. And here I was in my podunk '86 Accord, without problems.
I think it's just that SUV drivers are overconfident. They're so high off the road, they're removed from the act of driving, and they have so much trust in their vehicle they don't even think about slowing down. I specifically remember going into an area of freezing rain, and feeling my tires slip just as an SUV flew past me at 85 MPH... sure enough, a few miles later, there he was on the side of the road - he had collided with another SUV.
I think it's just that SUV drivers are overconfident. They're so high off the road, they're removed from the act of driving, and they have so much trust in their vehicle they don't even think about slowing down.
Absolutely. I've had several people tell me that they bought their SUV for 'safety' reasons, but then they drive them so recklessly that it doesn't really matter, even if there was any inherent safety in buying such a large vehicle.
Comments
Honda put their hybird engine at the lowend of their lineup -- you know, for the crunchy types.
*Don't ask me about kilometers per liter -- I can do kilometers, I can do liters, I can't do kilometers per liter off the top of my head.
Volvo is Ford. Ford owns them. You're getting pretty much the same car if you buy a volvo. Even though Ford does own volvo, volovo acts like its owns itself. It ahs barely any parts from Ford. Not even the same engines. Volovos don't exactly have tons of suvs.
There is not a CAR made anymore that sits 6 people.
I haul around myself, my wife, and 4 kids (2 using "child safety seats"). Then there are the strollers and other parephenalia that go along with them.
The large (say "Excursion") SUV's are the only viable option for me to drive ... and it doesn't matter if gas is .80/gal or 3.80/gal ... it's still such a minor part of my budget that fuel mileage just doesn't matter.
Most people (in the USA) WANT to drive large vehicles .... that's why they are made. Manufacturers make huge profits on these vehicles because people are willing to pay a premium price to drive what they WANT to drive (rather than what the EPA has forced upon everyone else).
Originally posted by HOM
1997.5 VW Passat TDI.
Diesel Baby!
Why, oh why are modern diesels not selling in droves?
Diesel's advantages seem to far outweigh it's disadvantages.
I've read that the modern diesels (VW's TDI and Mercedes' CDI) burn cleaner than current gas powerplants.
Originally posted by job
Why, oh why are modern diesels not selling in droves?
Diesel's advantages seem to far outweigh it's disadvantages.
I've read that the modern diesels (VW's TDI and Mercedes' CDI) burn cleaner than current gas powerplants.
AFAIK, in New York State the only diesel vehicles you can buy new are trucks. I got mine used.
Originally posted by HOM
AFAIK, in New York State the only diesel vehicles you can buy new are trucks. I got mine used.
I think it has something to do with the current diesel fuel.
Low sulfur diesel should be available in the States in late 2006, which should futher decrease emission levels. That would probably allow diesels to be approved in all states.
The upcoming Mercedes E320 CDI is emissions-validated in 45 states right now. It should be here in the fall.
Originally posted by quagmire
Suvs have a bigger ground clearence so they can get through snow, logs, and many more offroad stuff. Regular cars can't to that.
SUVs can't do it either. At least, the vast majority of them can't.
I just saw a Ford SUV stuck in mud the other day. Idiot tried to cross the median of a divided highway without waiting for one of those little emergency-vehicle turnarounds (or - gasp - driving to the next exit! What a concept!). If they'd had a car like mine they'd never have tried it, and they wouldn't have been cited by a cop and ridiculed by dozens of passers-by.
Did you know that 4 wheel drive only helps you accelerate in less than ideal conditions? Not a good thing with that much inertia, that high a center of gravity, and that much false confidence.
KingOfSomewhereHot: They're called minivans - or hell, you can get full-size vans for the price of some SUVs, and those will last much longer than any consumer vehicle. And as for me, all I need is an economy car, so if only SUVs were offered I'd forego a car altogether and use a cartage company when I needed my drumset somewhere. That wouldn't be an improvement, but then SUVs are only an improvement in a bare handful of contexts.
Originally posted by Amorph
SUVs can't do it either. At least, the vast majority of them can't.
That's certainly true in some instances, but I think it comes down to what the vehicle was designed to do. (Obviously.
If SUVs were truely designed for off-road excursions, no one would drive them on-road since the ride would be awful (IMHO.)
Alternatively, a urban-ized SUV wouldn't even survive in true off-road conditions, especially with the enormous weight of current vehicles.
I know someone who went mudding in a Suburban and got it stuck in half foot of mud.
[edit: it was actually .5 foot of mud and not 1.5]
I'm pretty sure urban-ized SUVs can't off-road worth crap.
Gas prices in Arizona is at: $2.00 normal unleaded and $2.40 premium
Originally posted by job
Diesel's advantages seem to far outweigh it's disadvantages.
I've read that the modern diesels (VW's TDI and Mercedes' CDI) burn cleaner than current gas powerplants.
They produce about 15% less CO2, but more NOx and much more carbon black. Some car manufacturers now offer particle filters to reduce the carbon emission. Without a particle filter, you still might produce black clouds if you speed up rapidly. (I drove a Mercedes E220 CDI (143 hp 4 cylinder diesel, 232 lb ft torque) for two years.)
They are perfectly warranted in some areas of the country, and in some situations, The SUV has replaced the mini-van in most cases, the problem is, the mini-van was never broken.
Originally posted by Jubelum
Yea, let's spread the misery equally among nations. Maybe we can get a 30% tax on all UK goods sold in the USA?
There is no misery. Only persuasion that you can go from A to B and use half the resources.
Originally posted by GSpotter
Without a particle filter, you still might produce black clouds if you speed up rapidly.
I love when that happens I feel like I'm in Spy Hunter or something.
Originally posted by Splinemodel
Interestingly enough, you're doing worse for the environment when you buy a hybrid to replace your, say, turbocharged Audi that gets 14 mpg city. The cost of building a new car -- in terms of energy and pollutants -- is enormous.
How? Hybrids get at least 50 mpg. So how does that harm the envioment more then reg. gas cars. Yes, if the batteries starts to leak acid. But, very unlikely.
Originally posted by quagmire
How? Hybrids get at least 50 mpg. So how does that harm the envioment more then reg. gas cars. Yes, if the batteries starts to leak acid. But, very unlikely.
I think he means in terms of production, i.e. building new cars uses more resources than if you kept your old one.
More demand for new cars=more consumption of resources to build them.
Has anyone seen those huge car dealerships that have hundreds of brand-new cars sitting in their lots? Detroit must be working overtime. Who buys all those vehicles anyways?
Originally posted by Splinemodel
Interestingly enough, you're doing worse for the environment when you buy a hybrid to replace your, say, turbocharged Audi that gets 14 mpg city. The cost of building a new car -- in terms of energy and pollutants -- is enormous.
I've wondered that myself... Come 10 years when we are trying to get rid of all the batteries they've stuffed in the hybrids, will we kick ourselves? Eh, at least the waste there is contained... and I imagine it'd be easier to clean up than air pollution.
[Edit: Oh, wait, I misunderstood. I understand now. I don't know that the addition of Hybrids will really exasperate this problem, though. I would imagine that there are still basically the same amount of people in the market for new cars. And there are still basically the same amount of people that will buy the old used ones.]
Originally posted by job
Alternatively, a urban-ized SUV wouldn't even survive in true off-road conditions, especially with the enormous weight of current vehicles.
.....
I'm pretty sure urban-ized SUVs can't off-road worth crap.
Heh, that reminds me of a snowy trek I had from Harrisburg PA to South Bend, IN. It's six hundred miles of toll roads, and one time the conditions were just terrible. I counted accidents and spun out vehicles, but lost count around 50. The thing I didn't understand was that 75% of the vehicles off-road were SUVs. And here I was in my podunk '86 Accord, without problems.
I think it's just that SUV drivers are overconfident. They're so high off the road, they're removed from the act of driving, and they have so much trust in their vehicle they don't even think about slowing down. I specifically remember going into an area of freezing rain, and feeling my tires slip just as an SUV flew past me at 85 MPH... sure enough, a few miles later, there he was on the side of the road - he had collided with another SUV.
What a waste.
Originally posted by bauman
I think it's just that SUV drivers are overconfident. They're so high off the road, they're removed from the act of driving, and they have so much trust in their vehicle they don't even think about slowing down.
Absolutely. I've had several people tell me that they bought their SUV for 'safety' reasons, but then they drive them so recklessly that it doesn't really matter, even if there was any inherent safety in buying such a large vehicle.