Very interesting. Any reviews out on this yet? Seen any in the jungle yet?
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Cool cars with good gas mileage >30mpg
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Very interesting. Any reviews out on this yet? Seen any in the jungle yet?
I saw one on the road a few weeks ago, it doesn't look too bad in person. Top Gear USA (*gag*) reviewed it and they liked it.
That there aren't any.
Surely you jest. There is a car that not only gets 33 mpg, it goes from 0-60 in under 3 seconds, stops on a dime and corners like it's on rails.
It'll cost a pretty penny though and doesn't come with A/C. The Ariel Atom.
Can you guys get the current European spec 330i M Sport Coupe? In the UK that'll get you 38.9 mpg, 272bhp and 0-60 in 6.0 seconds...
We also have different warranty expectations than other markets.
Several manufacturers have had issues adapting to those expectations, especially when bringing in their vehicles with a higher state of tune.
Surely you jest. There is a car that not only gets 33 mpg, it goes from 0-60 in under 3 seconds, stops on a dime and corners like it's on rails.
Not a nice car, IMHO. Brammo did everyone here a disservice with their design changes: wheel bearings with no seals, suspension pickup points that snap off under load, etc. Hopefully TMI will do a better job with the cars.
They base at $50k and, much like the Elise/Exige, do good to hit 30mpg if driven very conservatively.
But yes, I jest a bit. As you go more upscale with cars, mileage generally becomes less of a consideration. Personally, I've never considered mileage in a car purchase and probably never will. If gas prices reach the point where I become concerned with mileage, I'll ride (a motorcycle) more.
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yeah that is the one I am plan on getting for my next car. Just got to finish degree number 2 and get a new job.
My understanding of the clubman is the only different between it and the hardtop is there is a little more cargo room and the back seat passengers have a little more room but the front seat is the same.
I like the clubman because it has extra cargo room and I would think of it as a 2 seater than has a lot of cargo space and in a pinch can carry 4 people. Being 6'4" tall I stop carry a long time ago about how much room there was behind my seat because no matter what I drive there is no room behind me.
We recently just bought a used '09 Smart 42 Passion Coupe for 12k and we're enjoying it. Very exciting when we're driving around!
My advise is to find one at a dealer and test drive it around, it's an auto-manual so it drives like a manual transmission but it automatically shifts for you so it would take a little getting used to.
It gets an est. 41mpg hwy and holds a 8gallon tank if you need to get some math going. One negative is that it takes premium, but even then I'm paying less for a tank than I am in my 04 Civic and less often.
Plus no worrying about batteries that the current hybrids include. I seem to remember that they need a battery replacement after so many years.
If you have any other questions let me know! We're still getting to know the car as well, only had it for a week.
(also more leg room than my 04 Civic).
My advise is to find one at a dealer and test drive it around, it's an auto-manual so it drives like a manual transmission but it automatically shifts for you so it would take a little getting used to.
It gets an est. 41mpg hwy and holds a 8gallon tank if you need to get some math going. One negative is that it takes premium, but even then I'm paying less for a tank than I am in my 04 Civic and less often.
Plus no worrying about batteries that the current hybrids include. I seem to remember that they need a battery replacement after so many years.
If you have any other questions let me know! We're still getting to know the car as well, only had it for a week.
(also more leg room than my 04 Civic).
Well most hot hatches are a bit crappy yes but on legal roads its more than agile enough for a bit of fun. On a track I'm sure its pants compared to a Gallardo lol.
How the hell do you yanks only get 305bhp from a 4.6L V6? It baffles me. If its for 'better mileage' use a smaller engine lol.
Mine (Seat Leon - basically VW Golf) is a 1.8 (turbo admittedly) and it gets 210bhp lol.
TVR used to make 4.2 litre Straight 6 that stumped up 440bhp non turbo.
Admittedly though the specs you post 312bhp and 29mpg is pretty good.
The 4.6L V8 was Ford's "modular" V8. The plan was that it would be the basis for several engine lineups, including V8 and V6 models. It never was really popular with Mustang fans. As someone else pointed out, this engine was used in everything from pickup trucks to taxis to police cars, so it was tuned for reliability and torque. The average car buyer in the US doesn't care for high revving screamer engines, and prefer high torque engines. The base engine was only a SOHC design with three valves per cylinder.
The new, clean sheet clean sheet designs show what Ford can do when they really try. The 3.7L V6 in the base Mustang is pushing 305 HP while returning 30 MPG. The new 5.0L V8 in the Mustang produces 400+ (412) HP and still returns 17/26 MPG. The upgraded version in the Boss 302 produces 444HP with no forced induction.
No. Fuel is the same. Rating systems are different.
The Prius is head and shoulders above everything else in real-world numbers right now - with the median mileage per tank of real users being about 46mpg. The VW diesels are at about 38, but also suffer from an approx. .30/gallon fuel surcharge over regular unleaded. That said, the dynamics of a Jetta or Golf diesel are going to be worlds better than the Prius.
Thats still only 444hp from a 5.0 V8 though. TVR was 440 from a 4.2 straight 6. I understand what you say about the low rev high torque but theres still quite a difference. Different cultures I guess?!
Thats still only 444hp from a 5.0 V8 though. TVR was 440 from a 4.2 straight 6. I understand what you say about the low rev high torque but theres still quite a difference. Different cultures I guess?!
TVR claimed some amazing figures. They very rarely delivered them on the dyno...
They were hand built engines so they were never spot on but they still would flatten much more expensive super cars (you may kill yourself but they were damn quick).
Was curious about that myself. Imho Smart car is more of an insult to real cars than anything else. A street-legal golf cart. It's extremely small yet only gets 41mpg which is purely pathetic for a car of that size and power. It has no power, handles like crap, has high wind resistance and is generally a piece of junk all around. The only advantage is it has over a regular car is in parking but that's the only one I can think of.
The Smart roadster on the first page does look quite nice but my '95 Miata will rip it apart on any twisted road, let alone autocross. Sure, Miata only gets about 32mpg on the highway but it's got way more power and much better chassis than that German piece of junk. Also, if you're buying a roadster, why buy an automatic? Isn't roadster about being one with the car, the road, etc? Only way to go for those is manual.
Thats still only 444hp from a 5.0 V8 though. TVR was 440 from a 4.2 straight 6. I understand what you say about the low rev high torque but theres still quite a difference. Different cultures I guess?!
I find the whole HP/liter thing a bunch of BS. It a nice stat and all to show the engineering of the engine, but at the end of the day it's useless. All that matters is performance and fuel efficiency. Getting 16 MPG city and 26 MPG HWY for the 'Vette with a 6.2 liter V8 making 436 HP is pretty well respectable considering it gets comparable fuel economy of the 2.0 liter 4 banger S2000( and will cream the S2000).
It just doesn't matter that Ford needs a 5.0 liter V8 to make 412 HP, BMW needs 4.0 liters V8 to make 414 HP, etc. At the end of the day, all that matters is what that engine does in the vehicle it is put in.
Technically the Volt beats it as owners have been getting around 110 MPG. Now it does depend on how often you plug in the Volt, but it does beat the Prius.
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US has more ethanol in the gas than Europe. I've heard people getting 55mpgs in Smarts when they find pure gas sellers (e.g. 0% ethanol). I have no idea what such gas would do to the engine overtime if used regularly.
I have a 2011 Camaro and if you mostly highway it will get close to 30MPH but in the city I get less than 15MPG. I considered letting it go for a Prius but I'd never save in gas what I'd lose in transactions costs selling my car and buying a new one.
Gas needs a little ethanol in it. Not 10% worth but does need some since MTBE can not longer be use. MTBE helped the gas vaporism better and therefor burn better. Ethanol does the same thing. Biggest problem is Ethanol can absorb water and MTBE can not. This means Ethanol really can not be put in the pipelines and sure as hell can not be mix until into the fuel until the Terminals were the tanker trucks are filled up.
MTBE could as was often times mix in before it was added into the pipe lines to go the the terminals.
Add to that Ethanol picks up water in gas over time so that can cause problems for a car that sits around with gas for a very long time as water can get in the tank. Tanks just need to flushed every so often most of the time normal driving handles that as all the gas is often times replaced once every week or 2.
In MTBE vs Ethonal MTBE is much better for MPG but the problem is the environmental issues of MTBE.
There's a car sold in California with 3 wheels and powered by motocycle engine. Looks like airplane (without wings) on wheels but forgot what it's called.
Considering you said "motorcycle engine," I'm going with (Campagna) T-Rex.
Technically speaking, it's a motorcycle (at least, in my state).
See Morgan or Tri-Hawk for further evidence that there's nothing new under the sun.
Yeah, I have noticed that most of these higher power engines really fall off in city MPG. It's pretty easy to get good highway mileage, since it's mostly momentum carrying you. Most of these engines are barely turning at highway speeds.
Like I said before, the fact that the GM V8 and the new Ford V6 and V8s are mass produced engines used in multiple vehicles amazes me. Yeah, that 4.2L 6 may be hand built and tweaked to produce tons of power, but it probably won't be nearly reliable and easily handled as those engines. Ford got an extra 30HP out of their 5.0L without changing very much, so I'm sure they could squeeze a lot more power out of that engine.
Yeah, I have always felt that Smart cars are really just a fashion statement. You can get something like a Hyundai Elantra (40MPG highway) or a Honda Fit (28/35MPG) that have usable trunk space and a back seat. And neither take up much more room.
If you're wanting a truck, there's just one truck sold in the US that'll give you 30+MPG. The manual Ford Ranger 2x4. It may not be the fastest, biggest, most powerful truck made, but it gives you great fuel economy. I average 35 highway and 29 city with mine. But if you want a Ranger, get one soon. Ford won't be making them after the end of 2011.
I always wished for a Ranger Diesel. Doesn't Mazda build the Ranger? I always thought it was a Mazda pickup that Ford stuck their name on.