Where are our high mileage cars?

wy_white_wolf · #**101** 03/20/12, 09:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beowoulf90

...They used to build a little Chevy Luv in diesel, what happened? All they would have needed to do was beef up the suspension and they could have had a little beast...

Izuzu built the Chevy Luv in Japan. Lots of the models available in the US have counterparts around the world with desiel engines. But they have problems passing our emission standards and the American public never got behind them.

I'd love to see the Ford Ranger with something like the VW TDI for power.

beowoulf90 · #**102** 03/20/12, 10:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wy_white_wolf

Izuzu built the Chevy Luv in Japan. Lots of the models available in the US have counterparts around the world with desiel engines. But they have problems passing our emission standards and the American public never got behind them.

I'd love to see the Ford Ranger with something like the VW TDI for power.

That's what I'm talking about! Where are the little diesels in trucks?

Most people don't need a 1 ton or even a 3/4 ton work truck, but almost everyone could use a truck every now and then... I prefer a larger truck, but then I'm hauling stuff most of the time. But give me an option for a little diesel truck and I might consider it for everyday use.. Given the insurance wouldn't kill me having another vehicle....

But if you beef up a little truck w/diesel engine, you can still haul heavy items that aren't large and bulky...

joseph97297 · #**103** 03/20/12, 11:30 AM

My little 83 Nissan 720 pick-up is my preferred truck. I always have the E-350 with either the 18 foot or 30 enclosed trailer, but most things get handled in the little Nissan. Get along at 35-38 MPG (5 speed) and can haul a tremendous load for it's size. I picked up 6 old water/steam radiators, and the guy was amazed at the truck, he couldn't believe , in his words "that little 6 lug axle would hold all that". It sits low though, so the little 4x8 trailer I got for it took some modding to level it up, but you are right, a small truck is handy most of the time.

I did see a while back a guy was dropping little 3 cylinder tractor motors into some trucks, seemed like a round about way to get there.

Heritagefarm · #**104** 03/20/12, 01:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jena

I am in the UK. Here is some info about the fuel economy of some of their cars:

Best cars for MPG » Fuel-Economy.co.uk

Why don't we have numbers like that in the US? How come we can't buy the same cars???? Our fuel economy numbers are horrible and they could be so much better. How come they aren't? We drive so much more than they do over here, yet our cars suck up way more fuel?

I think it's ridiculous!

It is as everyone says. We don't like small cars. We like big spacious vehicles that guzzzzle up the swiftly-dwindling oil supply. We also like driving all over the place, because our country is mega, and quite frankly we don't give a hoot about the environment. We only care about ourselves and what we want, right now.

JeffreyD · #**105** 03/20/12, 01:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Heritagefarm

It is as everyone says. We don't like small cars. We like big spacious vehicles that guzzzzle up the swiftly-dwindling oil supply. We also like driving all over the place, because our country is mega, and quite frankly we don't give a hoot about the environment. We only care about ourselves and what we want, right now.

If you worked hard for many years, and can afford it, why not? That's what we do, buy big and drive a lot!

Hollowdweller · #**106** 03/20/12, 03:26 PM

When I started to work where I work at now in 1984 and would get stuck in a traffic jam what was around me?

Well there were Chevettes, Gremlins, VW Rabbits, toyota tercels.

When the price of gas went way down what then? SUV's Hummers, F150's.

When I started that job I was driving a VW Rabbit. I'm currently driving a 4 cyl Toyota truck. In that 20 plus years I've always had a 4 cyl.

Now I DO have an F150 8 cyl at home that I use to haul gravel, hay, manure livestock but I don't use it to drive distance.

Most people are willing to pay more to have a big car. Back when I was a kid in the late 70's we had a family of four and did fine in a 4 door Rabbit. My buddy had 3 kids and he drove a diesel Jetta. They were packed in esp on vacation but they had a roof rack and managed.

Back when I was a kid people who drove trucks actually needed them to haul something. Now you see huge trucks and it's all show. How wasteful.

Same with houses. Houses are way bigger now and families are smaller.

US is a wasteful country. We complain about high prices all the time but half of it is our own d--mn fault

travis91 · #**107** 03/20/12, 09:04 PM

My ranger has 270,000 and gets about 25 mpg and will tow 2500+pounds( ive towed 3500 but its not fun)

reluctantpatriot · #**108** 03/22/12, 07:59 AM

What has not been mentioned is that in Europe and Asia, most vehicles are taxed on the size of the engine displacement, not horsepower or torque. For example, in Spain there was a lower charge for vehicles with engines less than 2 liters of displacement while a higher charge for anything over 2 liters. Most of the vehicles had 1.9 liter or smaller engines with superchargers, turbochargers or both. Additionally, those who wanted the most output for the money bought turbo diesel engines under 2 liters.

Yes, the vehicles are generally smaller, but most of the streets and roads were designed around horses and carriages. Often the city streets are the same width and composition such as cobblestone as they were hundreds of years ago. That on top of high taxes for fuel and vehicles against available public transportation systems makes the situation different than in the United States.

However, in the United States we need to understand that there are tradeoffs for the choices we make. I have nothing against someone who needs a pickup truck with a large displacement engine for work or farm purposes. Though it seems silly for someone to have the same if they are just doing a daily commute. If they want to waste money on the fuel for a vehicle that is just used to get from point A to point B when they could save money for a more fuel efficient vehicle, fine. I will not think them very thoughtful about needs versus wants.

Heritagefarm · #**109** 03/25/12, 09:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JeffreyD

If you worked hard for many years, and can afford it, why not? That's what we do, buy big and drive a lot!

Well, I was being sarcastic...

Bearfootfarm · #**110** 03/25/12, 10:38 PM

Quote:

Now you see huge trucks and it's all show. How wasteful

It's amazing how you can simply see a vehicle on the highway and magically deduce all the owner's needs for it.

travis91 · #**111** 03/26/12, 12:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bearfootfarm

It's amazing how you can simply see a vehicle on the highway and magically deduce all the owner's needs for it.

AMEN.. hard working people need hardworking vechicles.. sorry your little hybrid isnt going to tow excavators and loads of hay.

beowoulf90 · #**112** 03/26/12, 08:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by travis91

AMEN.. hard working people need hardworking vechicles.. sorry your little hybrid isnt going to tow excavators and loads of hay.

And to add to this..

Some of us can't afford the insurance for multiple vehicles. I know we already have 2 vehicles on the policy and a 3rd one would kill us financially...

In the last 3 weekends I've made over $500 by hauling scrap. Now if only that was "extra" money and it wasn't needed for bills.. I don't get a weekend to relax.. If I'm not at work away from home, then I'm working at home, just to pay the bills.

But I'm sure that if I had a hybrid or Tonka toy car, I could do the same thing but it would take more trips, hence waste fuel/power...

But maybe we should force all those, who want to force me into a hybrid, to ride bicycles only.. That would save lots of fuel/power.. But there might be an increase for the undertaker...

Heritagefarm · #**113** 03/26/12, 09:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bearfootfarm

It's amazing how you can simply see a vehicle on the highway and magically deduce all the owner's needs for it.

And when you see a souped up idiot's truck on a lift kit and metal balls hanging on the towball, that's obviously a hardworking person's truck that he really needs, right? And I see a lot, and I mean a lot of people driving SUVs and they're the only passenger.

beowoulf90 · #**114** 03/26/12, 11:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Heritagefarm

And when you see a souped up idiot's truck on a lift kit and metal balls hanging on the towball, that's obviously a hardworking person's truck that he really needs, right? And I see a lot, and I mean a lot of people driving SUVs and they're the only passenger.

So you can tell where that person lives/ or whether they require the vehicle, just because the truck is lifted?
Maybe they just dropped the kids off at school or some after school activity.
You see them for a few minutes on the road and can automatically tell whether they need the vehicle they are driving or not...

Amazing!

So all those Street Rods I see every year don't belong to "hard working" people, they belong to those people that just want to ruin the environment..

Thanks for the insight!

NOT!

Heritagefarm · #**115** 03/26/12, 12:04 PM

I don't anything against anyone driving a nice car. I didn't even mention street rods, although I cannot relate to the big-old car group very well; actually I could relate to the car better. So tell me, do all of the SUV drivers you know actually need one? Do all the truck drivers out there actually need their trucks? In the country, there are a lot of trucks, perfectly understandable. In the city, unless they are a construction worker or other industry, they don't need trucks either.
I never said anything about being able to evaluate people just by their cars. It seems more that you think you can evaluate people who drives hybrids, lumping them all into a single eco-nut category.

InvalidID · #**116** 03/26/12, 12:06 PM

Since when did need become a requirement to have? I have many things I don't need.

wendle · #**117** 03/26/12, 01:45 PM

The auto industry should be run mostly by supply and demand. If nobody wants to buy the suvs they won't make so many. This makes me think gas guzzlers out on the road today are mostly because of the consumer. There are cars out there good on gas, but people prefer all the conveniences. Generally those who buy new cars aren't on such a tight budget, so the fuel economy isn't as much of a factor. Personally I would like to see ATV's, gators, golf carts, or something similar made legal in certain areas. Not the highway, but maybe on side roads or in the city. Not much different from a motorcycle, just a few more wheels. Golf carts could probably use a bike lane. I would do that even if meant a little less space, more fresh air, and slower getting to where I need to go. Even though I appreciate the economy car, I have my 4X4 truck for farm use and pulling a trailer, but don't drive it much. The money I save in gas by driving the little car more than pays for the extra insurance and license. I do find it interesting that in 24+ years manufacturers have not come up with much on better mpg, but in many cases have gone the other way. I noticed the gas engine civic has gotten bigger, with lower mpg.

beowoulf90 · #**118** 03/26/12, 02:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Heritagefarm

I don't anything against anyone driving a nice car. I didn't even mention street rods, although I cannot relate to the big-old car group very well; actually I could relate to the car better. So tell me, do all of the SUV drivers you know actually need one? Do all the truck drivers out there actually need their trucks? In the country, there are a lot of trucks, perfectly understandable. In the city, unless they are a construction worker or other industry, they don't need trucks either.
I never said anything about being able to evaluate people just by their cars. It seems more that you think you can evaluate people who drives hybrids, lumping them all into a single eco-nut category.

The point is;

Who are you (or the Government) to decide what that person(s) need is?

That's the problem when others stick their noses in others people business..

You say that just because they have a lifted truck they don't need it and add that because they "personalized" it with some other items (you said metal balls), you again questioned their need for it...

Why?

If that is all that is needed to question someones need, then maybe I can question someones need just because of color of the vehicle... I mean why would anyone need a red vehicle? Red means fast and fast means wasteful..
See I can justify that as well as you can with the "metal balls"

Did you ever think that the Mini Coopers and such don't fair well with a Semi. Maybe the driver feels more secure in a larger SUV..

I have a problem when others and the Government continually keep trying to tell me what is best for me, when they haven't a clue what I do...

Typical of those who would violate our freedoms!

Maybe they travel to the "country" or "mountains" and need that lifted truck to get to their cabin and can't afford the cost of another vehicle.. I know there have been days when I needed more than my Dakota 4x4 could provide and I had to use the SIL's Lifted Ram 4x4.

But I guess I just love wasting fuel, because I'm in a truck or one that is lifted...

Oh and if you or the Government want me to drive a Tonka Toy, then you and the Government can pay for it along with the insurance and any and all costs associated with it.. Otherwise I will choose what suits my needs best..

beowoulf90 · #**119** 03/26/12, 02:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wendle

The auto industry should be run mostly by supply and demand. If nobody wants to buy the suvs they won't make so many. This makes me think gas guzzlers out on the road today are mostly because of the consumer. There are cars out there good on gas, but people prefer all the conveniences. Generally those who buy new cars aren't on such a tight budget, so the fuel economy isn't as much of a factor. Personally I would like to see ATV's, gators, golf carts, or something similar made legal in certain areas. Not the highway, but maybe on side roads or in the city. Not much different from a motorcycle, just a few more wheels. Golf carts could probably use a bike lane. I would do that even if meant a little less space, more fresh air, and slower getting to where I need to go. Even though I appreciate the economy car, I have my 4X4 truck for farm use and pulling a trailer, but don't drive it much. The money I save in gas by driving the little car more than pays for the extra insurance and license. I do find it interesting that in 24+ years manufacturers have not come up with much on better mpg, but in many cases have gone the other way. I noticed the gas engine civic has gotten bigger, with lower mpg.

That's an idea!

But they won't allow ATV's and such because they wouldn't collect enough taxes..

The Government loves taxes, cigarettes and gas are two of their favorites.. They claim to be against cigarettes and gas guzzlers/high gas prices, but that is the furthest thing from the truth.. If I remember correctly PA collected something like 792 million in 2010 from cigarette taxes. Does anyone honestly think they are going to give up that money?

I know I don't.. That is why they (the government) are so full of carp it isn't funny anymore...

fordy · #**120** 03/26/12, 02:35 PM

................I see just as many F150 type\size vehicles as I do of the SUV's . I'm driving an almost new 2011 F150 and they are as common as fleas . The engine in my xlt is a 302 v8 , 360hp , and gets 18 in mixed use and will or should get 21mpg on a long trip .
................I'd much rather have it than a Honda Pilot or the Honda pickup , and it sure didn't cost any $35,000 out the door . It can also pull 8,000 lbs with no trouble . , fordy