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Melody Ranch · 06-07-2008, 07:39 PM

I figure that with fuel having a 10% ethanol additive...I might as well cut out the middle man.

Sky · 06-07-2008, 09:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Melody Ranch

I figure that with fuel having a 10% ethanol additive...I might as well cut out the middle man.

Don't drop that thing, you'll never find it.

Fyrzowt · 06-07-2008, 10:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Melody Ranch

I figure that with fuel having a 10% ethanol additive...I might as well cut out the middle man.

Judging from the can on the trunk, that's recycled beer you're putting in there. Alcohol funny car?

overlander63 · 06-08-2008, 06:37 AM

After a near-fatal accident from me riding my motorcycle to save gas, I've decided to drive the F250 everywhere I go, and not go anywhere I don't have to.

dpandorf · 06-08-2008, 07:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by overlander63

After a near-fatal accident from me riding my motorcycle to save gas, I've decided to drive the F250 everywhere I go, and not go anywhere I don't have to.

Its not funny you had a near fatal accident but I just wonder how many other people decide to ditch the car, buy an inexpensive motorcycle to ride that have no experience riding and end up morting themselves.

overlander63 · 06-08-2008, 08:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dpandorf

Its not funny you had a near fatal accident but I just wonder how many other people decide to ditch the car, buy an inexpensive motorcycle to ride that have no experience riding and end up morting themselves.

Here, unless you are "grandfathered", you have to pass a driving skills test to get a motorcycle endorsement on your license. That doesn't save you from hitting the guy that pulls out in front of you, though, only experience and reflexes will do that.
I was talking to a friend that works at a motorcycle dealership, and he says their sales are going through the roof. I hope with more and more of them on the road, more people will pay attention, and see them.

Pick · 06-15-2008, 06:00 AM

High prices are taking their toll around here. Seeing lots of petrol fueled toys for sale on the side of the road. Man, you get a nice 90's Suburban or full size Blazer for around $3k these days!

The cost of fuel does not seem to be affecting boaters though. Suwannee and Santa Fe rivers look like I-75 at rush hour on the weekends. I guess everyone is trying to get as much boating in as possible before they can no longer afford it.

Bonzai30b · 06-15-2008, 06:52 AM

For those who are considering getting a Smart car in order to conserve gas, it's important to note that actual fuel mileage on those cars is only around 32 mpg...pretty disappointing given how small both the car and the engine are. There are many larger cars with more horsepower that get mileage the same or better for the same price. The Toyota Yaris and the Honda Fit are two examples. The Smart cars did well in crash tests, although these tests are conducted against hypothetical vehicles of the same size. However, the transmissions are apparently awful. I've never driven a Smart car, but the car magazines have pretty consistent opinions.

craftsman · 06-15-2008, 08:42 AM

This doesn't look like a hypothetical car of the same size.

YouTube - SMART CRASH TEST

craftsman · 06-15-2008, 08:49 AM

Smart car gets highest score in crash tests - Autos - MSNBC.com another good smart cart crash test report.

EllieZ · 06-15-2008, 08:52 AM

Smart Car? My husband was screaming about that 3 days ago- he found out that they botched the US version of these great little cars from Europe. He'd computed the economy of the EU version with whats shown up here as a Smart, and said its about half. We were getting 70mpg with a 700cc diesel Smart ForTwo with the convertible ragtop. If they actually only get 32mpg here on petrol, why is it so much difference, why the economy is half? Why not offer a diesel?

We drove Smarts at 120KM/h comfortably- I think its 70 here. When you push it past that (its hits 140KM/h) you feel a little small on the road, like its not quite controllable in a comfortable way. We're both over 6' tall, and fit perfectly in it, but I'd have to agree- a Fit, Yaris, or our choice is a TDI Beetle- is a better and roomier option in the US as opposed to an overpriced Smart US version.

If you're only getting 32mpg, and a bigger car with 4 seats and a trunk get 28mpg- over the course of a 1 year period, its not worth buying, as an extra car, a primary car- in either way, you'll be inconvenienced in that time, and probably dislike the choice. If it was 70mpg- different story.

Keep in mind that this car was built for parking, as well as economy. If you live in the suburbs, its not a needed car at the price they charge here, or the minimal fuel savings of the US version. If you lived in the country, and they got 70mpg, and you needed a 100 mile commute each way- they'd make better sense and pay for themselves.

On the highway, we get as much as 21mpg with an F350 5 speed. 11 miles better, for that size car is pitiful, just my .02 cents worth. EZ

**azflycaster** · 06-15-2008, 09:36 AM

My financial adviser has one. We got to see it a week ago when we visited him. He loves it and claims that he is getting just over 50 MPG with his. He was on the waiting list for almost a year before he got his. It was parked next to my Tundra and I think I could fit it in the bed of my truck (tailgate down). Instead of a spare tire, it comes with a can of flat fix and a 12 volt compressor.

Bonzai30b · 06-15-2008, 10:02 AM

Craftsman - I'm sure you can find a whole bunch of You Tube videos of various models of cars being crashed into one another. Nevertheless, the crash test information that consumers rely upon is produced by two main organizations, the IIHS (funded by insurance companies) and the NHTSA (funded by our tax dollars). In doing frontal crash testing, both organizations run cars into a fixed barrier, i.e. it's like a head on collision with a car of similar weight going a similar speed. As a result, when reviewing crash test ratings, it's important to remember that the ratings do not assume whatever vehicle they're testing is run into a vehicle that's significantly larger. In the case of an accident in a Smart car, it will almost certainly be in an accident with a materially larger vehicle. For its size, the Smart car crash test ratings are quite good, but I wouldn't want one of my kids to be in the passenger seat of a Smart car. If prospective consumers of a Smart car think a crash test rating of "Good," the IIHS's highest rating, will mean that they'll fare well in a crash against a typical car on the road (one much bigger on average), it's useful for them to understand the crash testing methodology when making choices about safety.

This is not to say that I'm opposed to smaller, fuel efficient vehcles; I use one as my daily driver and only drive my SUV when I tow my boat or have multiple passengers with me. But if a combination of fuel economy and utility is the goal in purchasing a smaller car, there are better choices than the Smart car in my opinion. Both the Yaris and the Fit, have back seats, and have more than enough cargo space to go grocery shopping for a few weeks...something that can't be said about a Smart car. Since they get the same mileage and cost the same as a Smart car, those looking for good fuel economy and utility in a small car would be well served to shop around.

EllieZ · 06-15-2008, 10:06 AM

I'll say this- I laughed at them until my husband drove me in one- on the highway in France, north of Paris. I felt incredibly safe. He saw one crash once, against a concrete utility pole in Spain, and said he'd trust it with our kids- if it was big enough for them. The shape is supposed to be the reason its safe- like an egg.

I don't know where the 32 and 33mpg rates came from, but I've heard more than once, so its possible. I know it didn't really matter where we were- city or highway- we got no worse than 60mpg when had them. EZ

dpandorf · 06-15-2008, 10:12 AM

Just be careful putting your arm and hand out the window, you may cause it to turn in that direction.

**moosetags** · 06-15-2008, 10:29 AM

We have slowed down while towing Lucy from 65/70 to 55/60. The preliminary results are a 20% mpg increase. We were getting 9.5/10.0. We are now getting 11.5/12.0.

One the home front, we have a 1958 BMW Isetta, named Ichabod Isetta. We call him Ikky for short. We have had Ikky for many years, and now he is actually getting some real use because he gets 60-65 mpg. He is a little tough to take in the summer, though.

craftsman · 06-15-2008, 10:43 AM

Here's one crashing into a concrete wall at 70mph.

SMART Car Crash - Video

There are plenty of much larger cars that fare far worse.

Bonzai30b · 06-15-2008, 10:45 AM

Here's one review of the Smart car. They got 33 mpg.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/11/au...=fortwo&st=nyt

Motor Trend got 32 mpg and had similar gripes about the transmission.

EllieZ · 06-15-2008, 10:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bonzai30b

Craftsman - I'm sure you can find a whole bunch of You Tube videos of various models of cars being crashed into one another. Nevertheless, the crash test information that consumers rely upon is produced by two main organizations, the IIHS (funded by insurance companies) and the NHTSA (funded by our tax dollars). In doing frontal crash testing, both organizations run cars into a fixed barrier, i.e. it's like a head on collision with a car of similar weight going a similar speed. As a result, when reviewing crash test ratings, it's important to remember that the ratings do not assume whatever vehicle they're testing is run into a vehicle that's significantly larger. In the case of an accident in a Smart car, it will almost certainly be in an accident with a materially larger vehicle. For its size, the Smart car crash test ratings are quite good, but I wouldn't want one of my kids to be in the passenger seat of a Smart car. If prospective consumers of a Smart car think a crash test rating of "Good," the IIHS's highest rating, will mean that they'll fare well in a crash against a typical car on the road (one much bigger on average), it's useful for them to understand the crash testing methodology when making choices about safety.

This is not to say that I'm opposed to smaller, fuel efficient vehcles; I use one as my daily driver and only drive my SUV when I tow my boat or have multiple passengers with me. But if a combination of fuel economy and utility is the goal in purchasing a smaller car, there are better choices than the Smart car in my opinion. Both the Yaris and the Fit, have back seats, and have more than enough cargo space to go grocery shopping for a few weeks...something that can't be said about a Smart car. Since they get the same mileage and cost the same as a Smart car, those looking for good fuel economy and utility in a small car would be well served to shop around.

I agree with this, and I also feel that the Smart is safe, but the object, as a motorcycle rider and passenger, as my husband who has been riding Harleys over 20 years says, is not to crash.

I'm certainly a fan of Smarts, but if the US Smart is lacking benefits of the EU version, something is wrong. My guy says that they did it to VW- great cars built in Germany, but mass production in Mexico made the US version cheap and unreliable.

I know that we use all these little 1.2 liter cars in Europe, and they go pretty well. We rented a Seat Ibiza 5 door with a 1.4L diesel, and it cruised easily at 180KM/h on the AutoPista in Spain. Of course, we got passed regularly by Audi A8 W12's and the like, doing over 240.

We even have little moped powered cars- have moped plates and everything, and work well for the cost, and get probably better than a Smart- they're like the Poor Mans Smart car.

USA started to realize what Europeans do for cars when the Dodge Van was traded for the far superior Mercedes Benz Sprinter. About 28mpg and faster than our F350's on a 5 cylinder diesel.

craftsman · 06-15-2008, 01:44 PM

There are all kinds of small cars with diesel engines offed in Europe, Canada and South america that you can't buy in the U.S. I'm a fan of the Ford Ranger, offered in crew cab and diesel in South America but 2008 is the last year for the U.S. American car companies could offer cars with better gas milege in the U.S., the already do in many parts of the world. If if your argument is because of EPA standards, tell it to someone who might believe it.