Miles to Go

Between 1978 and 1981 this country had plenty of small domestic and foreign cars to choose from that got 35 to 50 MPG. Right now 35 to 45 MPG cars are being made at Chrysler plants by American Workers. These cars are being shipped to Europe and Asia. Big money in charge of the oil and auto industry has their foot on the neck of the American Citizen by forcing the EPA to disallow these and foreign cars to be sold here. The American public is being hosed by their own government, elected officials, and businesses. There is one party in Washington, the Money party. Bastards!

It seems to me that the average car buyer is really quite easily led in whatever direction the car makers want them to go. Through the 70's and much of the 80's, I sold Chevrolet cars and trucks. The average buyer was told this is what is for sale, and they bought it (all makes did about the same thing). I remember how we loved to sell Suburbans and CrewCabs because the profit (ie: commission) level was so high. But to get a woman to drive one was almost impossible. Even most men could not be bothered by a "truck." Then, someplace along the line, these big vehicles became a rather "chic" thing to own and drive. Wow !!! How did that happen ?? And talk about bad return on purchase price versus fuel economy - how about a diesel pickup or other land yacht ??? Yes, the mileage may or may not be good, but how many miles does one have to drive the thing to be able to pay for the extra cost of the diesel package ??
At the same time, we had the little Chevette that was a 30 - 45mpg car, which people bought and drove and some actually liked them, but mostly it was for that fuel economy. Everyone knew they were dangerous if they got hit, but they bought them anyway. My wife had a little Buick Skyhawk with a 1.8 litre motor with automatic that had lots of zip, great handling, was cute, and on road trips always got 33 -35mpg, and 25 -28 around town.
Then, of course, there are the tales I used to hear about cars in the 50's and 60's (big, huge boats) getting 25mpg, only to have the mileage drop drastically after a visit to the dealer's service department.
Personally, what with the digital fuel delivery systems, et al, on current-model cars, I think we are being sandbagged because the manufactureres have been allowed to do so. Didn't they originally drag their heels on seat belts, and the safer interiors, then bumpers, and on and on. They took weight off the cars when they went to these disposable plastice bumpers, so how much does some of the rest of it all weigh? And are we really any safer with all this "stuff" on our cars ?? I would suggest that we campaign to make all drivers better and be more responsible for their own safety, rather than trying to make the car safer from every angle, while in the meantime we are killing our environment and economy with heavier inefficient cars and trucks..... and manual transmissions would be a good start, also - if we weren't so lazy about using them !!!

We have bought the Toyota prius a 2007 model in March 2007. Gas was $ 2.33 a gallon then, Now gas is at $3.25 in Mid-Missouri. We average 52 mpg in the summer and a 41 mpg in the winter months with snow tires on. We traded in a Jeep Grand Cherokee 4x4 v-8 which got 13 mpg on the average, We make up for the extra cost in the car payment with dollars saved at the pump.
That is the most thing we hear about is the car payment itself, but if people would save their gas receipts write down the mileage they get, then it is a no-brainer.. The Toyota Prius is a smart move.

Now with GM, they had an electric car called the EV1 got 100 miles per charge. It just was not marketed right.
So how come we don't have that battery technology back again, oh wait better ask cheveron , I think they bought the pattent and trashed the plans on the battery, you know not enough money for them in the future.
So rent the movie" Who killed the Electric Car" you will be amazed.
Craig

why is the stanly steamer not good enough, with the tech we have today they could really turn out kool cars and sm trucks!!!! water??? cost effective, if you don't buy your car the imported water, or flavored so the exahust smells good,lol!

The fact of the matter is that no one is the US wants good mileage all that much. The Prius gets in the 40's and Honda's micro-hybrid does even better. Why aren't we all driving them? Because we don't want to. Although I am thinking of forking out more than what I normally do for a car and getting a Prius...

So here we have an article that begins by saying that in Europe all new cars already average 43mpg and in Japan they have already hit an average 50mpg. Yet the rest of the article continues for pages & pages talking all about the obstacles and technical problems carmakers want us to believe they face in achieving the same here, and all the excuses for why they still haven't crossed the 50mpg threshhold in America. Ya I don't buy it. What I do buy is that the oil companies certainly have no desire to see this happen anytime soon. Nor do I buy that Americans buy big because that is what they actually want. Rather they are led to BELIEVE that this is what they want. That is the power of perception created by mass media marketing, and anyone who have ever taken a class or read a good book on advertising knows that the world we live in is mostly the world that is sold to us and its the world that was sold to us because it made someone a lot of money. Make no mistake - as "green" goes global and becomes profitable, and advertising campaigns ramp up, and the paradigm shifts, small fuel efficient vehicles will become this nation's next SUV craze. But for the average American it won't be because they want to "save the planet". It will be because someone in advertising convinced them its what all the "cool or responsible or decent or christian or democratic or republican Americans" drive. Like it or now we truly are products of the corporate advertising culture in what we think, eat, wear and yes drive.

Why! cause it don't go from zero to ninty in 3.5 seconds while getting on the freeway which is moving at 10mph for the next 6 hours????

funny, if I told you we had this in 2003 or sooner would you believe me? I bought a 4 door family car that gets 50 +. and 48 on a bad day. It has all the safty features you can think of. Side and frontal air bags. Leather seats with a bum warmer. Door supports. You name it this car has most of them.

This car is a '03 VW Jetta TDI GLS

funny, if I told you we had this in 2003 or sooner would you believe me? I bought a 4 door family car that gets 50 +. and 48 on a bad day. It has all the safty features you can think of. Side and frontal air bags. Leather seats with a bum warmer. Door supports. You name it this car has most of them.

This car is a '03 VW Jetta TDI GLS

Funny If I told you we had this in 2003 or sooner would you believe me? I bought a 4 door family car that gets 50 +. and 48 on a bad day. It has all the safty features you can think of. Side and frontal air bags. Leather seats with a bum warmer. Door supports. You name it this car has most of them.

This car is a '03 VW Jetta TDI GLS

http://www.motherearthnews.com/Green-Transportation/1978-03-01/This-Car-Travels-75-Miles-on-a-Single-Gallon-of-Gasoline.aspx

Answer: you get lower gas mileage in winter because a properly warmed up engine is more efficient than a cold one, and of course it takes longer in winter for the cold engine to reach the proper engine operating temp. Meanwhile the moving parts have to slog through engine oil that is thicker and more resistant when cold. It takes more gas to move those parts through the thicker oil. Many incorrectly think they are doing a good thing by warming up their car in winter by sitting in the driveway idling, when in reality it will warm up much faster by driving it, which causes the engine parts to move and generate friction and heat, just as your hands will warm faster if you rub them together vs. just letting them sit there.
Mileage goes south with the A/C on because A/C is powered by a belt driven by the engine, so turning on the A/C iincreases power demand on the engine.

http://www.motherearthnews.com/Green-Transportation/1978-03-01/This-Car-Travels-75-Miles-on-a-Single-Gallon-of-Gasoline.aspx

There are a lot of fantastic mileage claims in these postings. At the same time the EPA is again making manufacturers revise their mileage ratings downwards, as they have several times in the past. Oddly enough, the EPA has never revised milage ratings upwards, yet most posters are claiming significanly greater mileage than EPA ratings for their vehicles.

If I drive my 2001 Volkswagen Jetta Diesel at 65 mph I average 52 to 56 miles per gallon. It seats five, is air conditioned, has a great stereo and leather seats. I bought it used for $14.000 three years ago. The average life of the vehicle is 300,000 miles so I laugh even at the Toyota Prius. Ha!