MPG happy

[SteveinMN]

I guess one of my own "i don't gets" which I maybe should put on my "I Don't Get It" thread is why high MPG isn't a higher draw for people shopping for cars. I've had gas guzzlers in my day, and it simply is not fun shelling over all that money for gas, IMHO.

It's because gasoline is cheaper here than it is in almost any other highly-developed country. At $4 a gallon, gasoline/diesel is only barely more expensive than it was 30 years ago (adjusted for inflation). So why should behaviors change? I notice it took a sustained gas price of over $4 a gallon here before people started adding the price of their commutes into the price of those McMansions in far-flung "suburbs" -- and then housing there took a dive unrelated to the bubble. In Europe, they pay up to twice what we pay per gallon. Granted, a significant chunk of that is general taxation that funds mass transit and those evil safety-net programs. But you can bet if gasoline suddenly cost $7-8 a gallon here, people would be abandoning SUVs by the sides of roads, leaving the keys in the ignition.

And, unfortunately, most Americans have bought into the fictions that 1) you can't drive anything smaller than an SUV to be safe on American roads; and 2) any vehicle that can't go from a dead stop to 60 mph in six seconds or less is a rolling highway death trap. Fuel mileage would be much higher if people didn't buy in to that nonsense.

[dmc]

I know the feeling of pride in mpg also--I bought my Prius in 2007, and I just take low gas bills in stride. I fill my tank maybe twice a month, and our gas bill for both my Prius and my DH's Honda Fit is about $80 a month. On average, I get 46-49 mpg, depending upon how tuned up the car is, and how well-inflated the tires are. The Fit gets about 35.

I guess one of my own "i don't gets" which I maybe should put on my "I Don't Get It" thread is why high MPG isn't a higher draw for people shopping for cars. I've had gas guzzlers in my day, and it simply is not fun shelling over all that money for gas, IMHO.

We did buy a hybrid the last time we bought a new car. But we did get a good deal. The premium you pay for a hybrid can buy a lot of gas at $3.00 a gal. It really depends on how many miles you drive and what you plan to use the car for.

I have the truck because I use to pull a travel trailer with it. I probably should sell it, but it is handy and it will probably last me for years to come. The Porsche is just a fun car. I don't drive it much anymore. And the plane cruises at 180-190mph, its fun and gets me there fast.

[Rogar]

My 12 year old Tacoma is not the gas miser of some cars, but I do pride myself on driving sensibly and getting better mileage. I drive a little under the speed limit on the highway while most people seem to think the correct speed is 5 or 10 mph faster than the limit. I am guessing I get 10 or 15 percent better mileage that way. I was actually pretty happy when Jimmy Carter reduced highway speeds to 55 mph during his energy crisis.

[bae]

I think the whole family drives under 6000 miles a year total, so pure gas mileage isn't much of a deciding factor for us.

Reliability, functionality, safety, ability of our local mechanic to service the vehicle are much more important. We tend to keep vehicles 10-20 years before replacing something in their ecological niche.

[IshbelRobertson]

Here's a report for Sep 2013 prices in the UK and other mainland countries

http://www.theaa.com/resources/Docum...tember2013.pdf

Read 'em and weep

PS we use litres, not gallons.

[razz]

Just to make the difference really clear in my mind, I had to convert the cost to US$.
630.1 pence per gallon(Imperial I believe) = $10.13
Litres that we use in Canada: 137.6 average per litre in UK = US$2.21 for unleaded. Our current cost locally per litre right now is listed on Gasbuddy for C$1.23 so not quite half the price.

[SteveinMN]

Keep in mind that Imperial gallons are about 20% bigger than "North American" gallons. But still....

[simplelife4me]

“Vehicle size and weight matter. Smaller, lighter vehicles generally offer less protection than larger, heavier ones. There is less structure to absorb crash energy, so deaths and injuries are more likely. People in lighter vehicles also experience higher crash forces when struck by heavier vehicles. If safety is a major consideration, pass up very small, light vehicles.”
http://www.iihs.org/brochures/pdf/sfsc.pdf

And, unfortunately, most Americans have bought into the fictions that 1) you can't drive anything smaller than an SUV to be safe on American roads; and 2) any vehicle that can't go from a dead stop to 60 mph in six seconds or less is a rolling highway death trap. Fuel mileage would be much higher if people didn't buy in to that nonsense.

[SteveinMN]

“Vehicle size and weight matter. Smaller, lighter vehicles generally offer less protection than larger, heavier ones. There is less structure to absorb crash energy, so deaths and injuries are more likely. People in lighter vehicles also experience higher crash forces when struck by heavier vehicles. If safety is a major consideration, pass up very small, light vehicles.”

But how small is "very small, light"? smart car? Toyota IQ? Original BL mini? How big is the difference in injury/death rates in a collision between, say, a semi and a Chevy Sonic or a much larger Chevy Caprice? Or even a Silverado, for that matter?

And how does one escape the arms race that evolves as people buy bigger and bigger vehicles to "protect" themselves? And what about passive safety, which has to do with avoiding the accident in the first place? Larger, heavier vehicles generally take longer to stop and turn than smaller, lighter vehicles. The most survivable accident is the one you don't have.

[bae]

But how small is "very small, light"?

I was perfectly happy buying my Mini Cooper, it has great crash test results, and is reasonably nimble and quick - qualities which help *avoid* accidents.

I've been going through technical rescue training this year, a great deal of which involves learning how to disassemble automobiles to get to the passengers after a crash. Modern autos, even small ones, are full of incredible safety features, and I'd be much happier crashing in a current-vintage small car than an older large vehicle. (Some of these safety mechanisms are quite dangerous to rescuers, however...)