big car / oil conspiracy

[bandit86]

where are all these cars? 50 miles per gallon average gas powered vehicles and almost 70mpg for diesel, why cant i buy one here? this list is from th U.K.

Manufacturer Model Specification Transmission Combined MPG VED Band
smart roadster 80 bhp (205 tyres) A6 55.80mpg C
TOYOTA Aygo 1.0 VVT-i 3 & 5-door Multi5 51.40mpg B
TOYOTA Aygo 1.0 VVT-i 3 & 5-door M5 51.40mpg B
CITROEN C1 1.0i M5 51.40mpg B
PEUGEOT 107 1.0 (65 bhp) M5 51.30mpg B
PEUGEOT 107 1.0 (65 bhp) A5 51.30mpg B
smart fortwo coupe 61 bhp 175 rear tyres SM6 47.10mpg B
smart fortwo coupe 50 bhp 175 rear tyres SM6 47.10mpg B
smart fortwo cabrio 61 bhp 175 rear tyres SM6 47.10mpg B
DAIHATSU Charade L251 1.0L EFi M5 47.10mpg B

best diesel fuel economy
Manufacturer Model Specification Fuel Type Transmission Combined MPG VED Band
HONDA Insight Insight Petrol Hybrid M5 83.10mpg A
CITROEN C2 1.4 HDi Diesel M5 68.90mpg B
CITROEN C1 1.4 HDi Diesel M5 68.90 B
RENAULT Clio 1.5 dCi 80 Diesel M5 67.30mpg B
CITROEN C2 1.4 HDi SensoDrive Diesel A5 67.30mpg B
CITROEN C3 1.4 HDi Diesel M5 67.30mpg B
RENAULT Clio 1.5 dCi 100 Diesel M5 65.80mpg B
RENAULT Clio 1.5 dCi 65 Diesel M5 65.80mpg B
CITROEN C2 1.4 HDi Diesel M5 65.70mpg B
TOYOTA Prius 1.5 VVT-i Hybrid Petrol Hybrid E-CVT 65.70mpg B

 

[mscher]

Re: big car / oil conspiracy

where are all these cars? 50 miles per gallon average gas powered vehicles and almost 70mpg for diesel, why cant i buy one here? this list is from th U.K.

Manufacturer Model Specification Transmission Combined MPG VED Band
smart roadster 80 bhp (205 tyres) A6 55.80mpg C
TOYOTA Aygo 1.0 VVT-i 3 & 5-door Multi5 51.40mpg B
TOYOTA Aygo 1.0 VVT-i 3 & 5-door M5 51.40mpg B
CITROEN C1 1.0i M5 51.40mpg B
PEUGEOT 107 1.0 (65 bhp) M5 51.30mpg B
PEUGEOT 107 1.0 (65 bhp) A5 51.30mpg B
smart fortwo coupe 61 bhp 175 rear tyres SM6 47.10mpg B
smart fortwo coupe 50 bhp 175 rear tyres SM6 47.10mpg B
smart fortwo cabrio 61 bhp 175 rear tyres SM6 47.10mpg B
DAIHATSU Charade L251 1.0L EFi M5 47.10mpg B

best diesel fuel economy
Manufacturer Model Specification Fuel Type Transmission Combined MPG VED Band
HONDA Insight Insight Petrol Hybrid M5 83.10mpg A
CITROEN C2 1.4 HDi Diesel M5 68.90mpg B
CITROEN C1 1.4 HDi Diesel M5 68.90 B
RENAULT Clio 1.5 dCi 80 Diesel M5 67.30mpg B
CITROEN C2 1.4 HDi SensoDrive Diesel A5 67.30mpg B
CITROEN C3 1.4 HDi Diesel M5 67.30mpg B
RENAULT Clio 1.5 dCi 100 Diesel M5 65.80mpg B
RENAULT Clio 1.5 dCi 65 Diesel M5 65.80mpg B
CITROEN C2 1.4 HDi Diesel M5 65.70mpg B
TOYOTA Prius 1.5 VVT-i Hybrid Petrol Hybrid E-CVT 65.70mpg B

It's never quite that simple.

Many of those models may have saftey or emission issues, that the U.S. can't go for.

Besides, some of those Citroens are so ugly, 100mpg might not be enough

 

[bandit86]

Re: big car / oil conspiracy

emissions issues? at 80 mpg who cares

 

[whywhyzed]

Re: big car / oil conspiracy

......

 

[JB]

Re: big car / oil conspiracy

Those types will be available here, in time.

Until recently they couldn't have sold them here because we spoiled fat-assed Americans wouldn't have bought them. Most have no AC, power steering, power windows, 800 watt sound systems, 0-60 times under 10 seconds, ABS, stability control or 400lb crash safety features that make them weigh over 4,000lb.

Fifty years ago we had cars like that, except that they didn't have such highly efficient and clean power trains and they got 12mpg on $.35 leaded gas.

Now, maybe with gas approaching $4. a gallon and diesel already over that our market will accept 2,000lb cars that do 0-60 in 15 seconds and get 50mpg. It will take a year or two before they start showing up, though.

That is why you can't buy one today, Bandit.

 

[Kenneth Brown]

Re: big car / oil conspiracy

This fat *** drives a Hyndai for daily transportation and either a 89 1 ton or 94 F250 diesel when he needs to.

 

[waterinthefuel]

Re: big car / oil conspiracy

I saw one of those mini cabover trucks at a boat show recently. The dude wanted 6500 for it and the speedometer was in KPH with no small MPH readings! The truck looked for the most part like a big Kawasaki Mule. About that practical to.

 

[SS MAYFLOAT]

Re: big car / oil conspiracy

While our country is hyped up on extremme regulations on clean air, there is no way we will see cars getting that kind of perfomance in mileage. We are even going to the extreme to prevent second hand smoke entering the atmosphere as well. While the U.S. is doing its best to limit pollution, hardly any other countries is doing anything to do about it.

While Europe has these cars that DO get far better mileage, their gas prices are more as well. However, their is people who think that we should pay the same as Europes with less mileage. I wouldn't mind paying more for gas if I got a decent amount of miles out of it.

Our pollution standards is like peeing in the ocean to make a difference. It is a waste of time and money IMO. But we keep paying cause we have to make a living to survive. When it comes down to the economy, the enviromentalists control more of it than you think. Just who is running our country makes me wonder...........SS

 

[Mark42]

Re: big car / oil conspiracy

Yeah! Bring those 500lbs vehicles into the states. Remember the Honda 600? Lets get the middle and low income people driving them here, just like in Europe. After a few years, lets see what happens to auto insurance rates as the death rate per mile driven goes through the roof.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: big car / oil conspiracy

I have a few questions....... Which is used in the computations????

The US Gallon vs the Imperial gallon ....
US Gallon = 231 cu inches
Imperial Gallon = 277.4 Cu inches or 1.2 US gallons

So for the sake of arguement if a car in the USA drives 400 miles and uses 10 gallons of gas the MPG would be 40 mpg

The same calculations using the Imperial Gallons the car would use 8 gallons of gas and the MPG would be 50 mpg (since the imperial gallon is 20% larger).

I am pretty sure that the MPG is based on the gallon (type) used and in other countries it is based on liters.

With that in mind and you re-look at the calculations listed above ..... if you subtracted 20% the MPG would equal the USA.

 

[dolluper]

Re: big car / oil conspiracy

What you want is a 2500 dollar car that gets 60 plus miles per gallon it's here check below Tata motors
http://www.care2.com/news/member/859837669/576396

 

[JB]

Re: big car / oil conspiracy

Sure, dolluper.

Make it crashworthy and clean up the exhaust.

By the time the safety nazis and the EPA get done with it it will cost $10K and get 35mpg.

 

[zoe'sdad]

Re: big car / oil conspiracy

Car and Driver did a review on the Smart Forto recently and it only achieved 32mpg in mixed driving. That is the same mileage that my wife's 2001 Corrola achieves in mixed driving. Those are estimates and probably are lower in actual driving. Dahaitsu sold the Charade in the US in the 90's but never developed a market for their cars. All car manufacturers sell diesels abroad but only Mercedes and Volkswagen sell them here currently with Honda introducing an Accord diesel in 2009. At $4 a gallon a diesel would have to achieve 40 to 50 mpg to develop a following. At least that my opinion.

 

[mscher]

Re: big car / oil conspiracy

emissions issues? at 80 mpg who cares

Uh, the U.S. EPA does.

 

[Tail_Gunner]

Re: big car / oil conspiracy

Those types will be available here, in time.

Until recently they couldn't have sold them here because we spoiled fat-assed Americans wouldn't have bought them. Most have no AC, power steering, power windows, 800 watt sound systems, 0-60 times under 10 seconds, ABS, stability control or 400lb crash safety features that make them weigh over 4,000lb.

Fifty years ago we had cars like that, except that they didn't have such highly efficient and clean power trains and they got 12mpg on $.35 leaded gas.

Now, maybe with gas approaching $4. a gallon and diesel already over that our market will accept 2,000lb cars that do 0-60 in 15 seconds and get 50mpg. It will take a year or two before they start showing up, though.

That is why you can't buy one today, Bandit.

JB im buying you a ticket to Europe....I believe you need to live in a country where gas is taxed 400% and you run around in a little YUGO with no chance of going up in the world...the cast system is still very much alive there.

Then after 10 yrs you might have a differnt view on the world's most productive system....we have earned it.


By the way those cracker boxes do not meet American safety stands nor reliabilty........



Opp's your hign speed internet may cost you a tad bit more..... probably as much as boat payment over here....

 

[JB]

Re: big car / oil conspiracy

I wonder what you read into my post that isn't there, TG.

Those cars have been available and sell well in Europe because of the prices they pay for fuel.

They will sell well here, now that we are paying similar prices, but only after they are upgraded to US safety and emissions standards.

 

[aspeck]

Re: big car / oil conspiracy

My wife's 1990 Pontiac Bonneville with a 3.6L MPFI V-6 gets 24-26 mpg mixed driving and we generally get around 30 mpg on the highway, but if I am driving sensibly we have gotten as high as 36 mpg. So, you CAN get decent mileage out of a larger US manufactured vehicle... (4 door, seats 6 comfortably - and I am a large sized guy - and it don't handle too badly for a family car)

That would be about 42 MPG using imperial gallons!

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: big car / oil conspiracy

There have been cars available for a long time that have met US safety and emissions standards, while achieving well above average mileage figures. The Honda CR-X HF was one of them. The position that we can't have such vehicles today because of these regulatory issues isn't based on fact or history.

The simple fact of the matter is that we, as consumers, haven't demanded such vehicles - we haven't given manufacturers the incentive to design, build and sell them in large numbers. I think that will soon change, just as it did in the 70's when we saw gasoline embargos and a jump in prices.

 

[SgtMaj]

Re: big car / oil conspiracy

The simple fact of the matter is that we, as consumers, haven't demanded such vehicles - we haven't given manufacturers the incentive to design, build and sell them in large numbers. I think that will soon change, just as it did in the 70's when we saw gasoline embargos and a jump in prices.

How do we give them incentive to? We already buy so many of there competition's vehicles and so few of theirs that they are losing money hand over fist. But it doesn't seem to be working.

 

[tommays]

Re: big car / oil conspiracy

Well having owned Two Chevy GEO cars that had dual air bags and did get 50 MPG with a standard tranny


People did in fact just NOT want them JUST like the MID to late sixtys mid size cars all the american builders took a shot at building