JJkizak Posted May 4, 2008 Share Posted May 4, 2008 I don't like small cars but that 750cc Smart car does look interesting. Looks like you have to "zip it on". JJK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest srobak Posted May 4, 2008 Share Posted May 4, 2008 40mpg combined city/highway... Not half bad. Parking is a breeze And it seems the rednecks have already gotten their hands on one... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay481985 Posted May 4, 2008 Share Posted May 4, 2008 I don't like small cars but that 750cc Smart car does look interesting. Looks like you have to "zip it on". JJK I was disappointed in how low the mileage is reported for this car. I would have expected >60mpg in a car this small. It's not even as high as a Prius. I'm scratching my head. remember there is always a optimizing thing..... That engine is probably to small that you need to work it hard to get it to highway 55 mph... My friend was looking at it and he told me one big reason he did not get it was it tops out at 90 mph. If you figure you are going 70 mph like average on most higways, you are revving your engine to death where you waste more gas cause the engine is at higher revs and uses less of the full combustion versus other engines. The reason why motorcycles get better gas mileage on nearly the same cc is weight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
askbob1 Posted May 5, 2008 Share Posted May 5, 2008 wow, amazing to find this thread again..... hope it continues. it takes 1 gallon of diesel to make 1 gallon of ethanol. why would anyone want to buy that?? not to mention it has very poor burn characteristics. just another subsidized industry. the same product as gasahol in the 70's. i've been paying $4-$4.15 per gallon for diesel for a few months now. in southern california diesel is over $4.40 per gallon. you can drive right across the imaginary line into mexico and buy diesel for $2.20 per gallon. and no, i don't want to live in mexico. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
askbob1 Posted May 5, 2008 Share Posted May 5, 2008 Is gasoline really that large a part of your budget? it is the driving force of what i do for a living. just a few short years ago it was roughly 20% of expenses. today, it is over 50% of my expenses. not to mention the price of everything else creeping up. i don't think that it is that big a part of most folk's budget, but it does start to cause a little discomfort when your $55.00 fill up used to be $25.00 just a couple of years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldtimer Posted May 5, 2008 Share Posted May 5, 2008 If the world is a free-for-all, then we are simply animals. Having a hard time with the truth? We are animals. Simply. Social and political animals, but animals nonetheless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
askbob1 Posted May 5, 2008 Share Posted May 5, 2008 I don't like small cars but that 750cc Smart car does look interesting. Looks like you have to "zip it on". JJK I was disappointed in how low the mileage is reported for this car. I would have expected >60mpg in a car this small. It's not even as high as a Prius. I'm scratching my head. wasn't it back in '83 or so when the ford escort diesel was getting 60 mpg?? i'm pretty sure the price new for that car was way more in line, and i know it was much easier to work on than anything out now. and people are bragging about their prius toys and such? what about advancement in engineering? the older volkswagon diesels also mustured up 60+ mpg. just another effect of the green patrol. why is common sense not so 'common' anymore? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mighty Favog Posted May 5, 2008 Share Posted May 5, 2008 Gasoline isn't a huge part of my budget but since it is the cause of so many other things rising in price then it does put a significant dent in my daily spending. It also doesn't help that I haven't had a raise in three years. In my business, tort reform has taken its toll on the legal business (no, I'm not a lawyer)........I know, that's a little OT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
askbob1 Posted May 5, 2008 Share Posted May 5, 2008 We have those all over here. If you push the button that says "pay inside," a booming voice comes over the PA system saying "PUMP 2, YOU HAVE BEEN APPROVED, PLEASE SEE ATTENDED WHEN YOU ARE FINISHED." I guess that's their attempt to make you feel like you are being watched. Regardless, you can pump before you pay at most places here. Maybe not for long. i'm thinking klipsch might oughta check into manufacturing high end gas pump speakers!! LOL!!!! the local stations here in southern indiana do the same thing if you intend on paying inside. it sounds like they have a 100 watt amp behind that deal! oh yeah, $3.69 in good ole southern indiana... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mighty Favog Posted May 5, 2008 Share Posted May 5, 2008 what about advancement in engineering? the older volkswagon diesels also mustured up 60+ mpg. A guy I knew in high school drove an 83' VW Rabbit Diesel. One of the most embarrasing cars I ever rode in for a lot of reasons. Right down to the bright orange/yellow upshift arrow light in the instrument cluster. But I sure don't remember getting 60+ mpg in that thing. I couldn't complain though, I didn't have a car at all. I sure do remember though having to wait 15-20 seconds after we got in the car befor the glow-plugs would warm up. THEN you could start it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dgoreck Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 I sure do remember though having to wait 15-20 seconds after we got in the car befor the glow-plugs would warm up. THEN you could start it. Where you in a rush to go? Isn't that part of the problem in todday's society? Everyone is in a hurry to get everywhere. If things aren't done now, or near instanteously, it seems to be a problem. Why not slow and steady? I'd like to share a revelation that I’ve had during my time here. It came to me when I tried to classify your species, and I realised that humans are not actually mammals. Every mammal on this planet instinctively develops a natural equilibrium with the surrounding environment; but you humans do not. Instead you multiply, and multiply, until every resource is consumed. The only way for you to survive is to spread to another area. There is another organism on this planet that follows the same pattern... a virus. Human beings are a disease, a cancer on this planet, you are a plague, and we... are the cure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldbuckster Posted May 6, 2008 Author Share Posted May 6, 2008 It's gone beyond price now, Just be quiet, and pay the price, or don't drive .......... High prices are here to stay ....... Still see alot of cars with just one person in them ........... Regular Un-leaded ; $3.89 .................. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mighty Favog Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 I sure do remember though having to wait 15-20 seconds after we got in the car befor the glow-plugs would warm up. THEN you could start it. Where you in a rush to go? Isn't that part of the problem in todday's society? Everyone is in a hurry to get everywhere. If things aren't done now, or near instanteously, it seems to be a problem. Why not slow and steady? My whole point there was that the car is serviant to me/us, not me to it. I should just be able to get into my/a car, start it and drive. But I guess the anti-destination league has other plans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJkizak Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 Maybe the "Windows" guy had something to do with the glow plugs. At least you don't have to wait when you shut the engine off. (Or power off?) JJK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Matthews Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 Maybe the "Windows" guy had something to do with the glow plugs. At least you don't have to wait when you shut the engine off. (Or power off?) JJK I remember when it was common to see cars chug a handful of times after you turned they key off. Kind of funny thinking about it now. As far as all the alternatives, there aren't any that make much sense. Buy a new car? You spend a lot more on the new car (or getting out of the old car)than you would on just using a lot of gas. Need a new car anyway? How about a hybrid? The incremental cost of a hybrid is akin to several years of the incremental cost of using more gas. What is happening is people are taking advantage of high gas prices to make consumers do economically stupid things out of fear and/or pains of conscience. Just be normal and buy gas for your car and drive it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mighty Favog Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 Jeff, That brings an idea to mind that I'm, sure has been thought of before. Do commodities other than fuel itself and things made with petrolium have higher prices comensurate with the cost of the extra cost in higher fuel prices (grains and corn excluded)? I'm thinking not, they're going even higher because they can. Go ahead all, flame away.[] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Matthews Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 Jeff, That brings an idea to mind that I'm, sure has been thought of before. Do commodities other than fuel itself and things made with petrolium have higher prices comensurate with the cost of the extra cost in higher fuel prices (grains and corn excluded)? I'm thinking not, they're going even higher because they can. Go ahead all, flame away. I think transportation is often a very major component cost of the things we buy. Our local dollar store just went to $1.09. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest srobak Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 In 05 I bought my Accord, and I was THIS close to getting a Passat TDi (Turbo Diesel Injected)... 2 weeks later is when diesel started outpacing regular, and now it is way ahead of regular. At the time, I thought it was going to be worse - so I went with the regular gas Accord.... despite the Passat's 50mpg. Kinda wish I got the Passat now... it would still come out cheaper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pauln Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 I'm liking my 40 year old gas saver more every day. Best yet is 44mpg highway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Matthews Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 Sweet car! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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