POLL - Who else has been a casualty of the high fuel prices?

[BigBlueDodge]

Well, I put that I drive less these days, but that has more to do with my career change than with my driving habits.

However, as I posted HERE, I also now have a Smart Car on order.

I did quite a bit of work in Canada over the past year, and those Smart Cars are all over the place (they been selling in Canada for years). They are itty-bitty. Initially I was interested in the idea as a car for my daughter, but honestly I was surprised at their fuel mileage. Yes, 30+ mpg is nice, but given the size of the car and size of the motor I really thought that they should be in the 40's city, and 50's highway. A Toyota Yaris or Corolla both get mid 30's fuel efficiency and cost similar, but seat more people. I certainly think there is room for improvement. But in 15 years, I think 20-30% of the vehicles on the road will be the size of the Smart Car, and a current small car would be considered a medium car then.

Just watch yourself. Make sure you don't get run over by one of these

[The Annoyed Man]

My daily driver is a 2002 Nissan Pathfinder. These cars have a poor reputation for fuel economy, mostly because they make VERY good horsepower and torque for a little 3.5 liter V6, and you have to burn fuel to make power. In March of 2005, I installed two SpiralMax units in it - one in the intake runner just upstream from the throttle body, and one in the exhaust pipe, just a few inches in from the tip (installation pictures). I immediately went from averaging 13-14 miles per gallon combined city/highway driving, to about 16 mpg... ...call it about a 2.5 mpg improvement. My highway mileage on extended trips went from about 18 mpg to about 21. The last time I drove back to California, I got as high as 24 mpg on one tank! (Since then, I've mounted a slightly larger set of tires, so the mileage figures are correspondingly lower, although the engine's efficiency has not diminished.)

The units cost $69.95 each when I bought them 45,000 miles ago, and they have loooooooooong since paid for themselves. You can install them yourself. All you need is a screw driver, and maybe a pair of pliers. There are no moving parts so they can't really wear out. They are made out of stainless steel so they don't react with any of the materials they'll encounter in your car. And, they do not void your manufacturer's warrantee. Results may vary from one model of vehicle to another, but given that gas pricing is never again going to go down to past levels, these are a viable alternative for those who don't want to give up their larger vehicles, but do want to do something to help their fuel economy.

(...and no, I don't get any commission. I just believe in the product.)

[BigBlueDodge]

So does getting rid of the truck mean you have to change your handle now?

Well, let me let you in on a secret. My current truck isn't even blue. This is part of my covert green beret/seal/ranger/ninja training to throw you off the scent of my trail :) But yes, it will require a change in my handle. Maybe next month you'll see me as LittleBlackTaco or LittleBlueRubicon. We shall see.

[The Annoyed Man]

I did quite a bit of work in Canada over the past year, and those Smart Cars are all over the place (they been selling in Canada for years). They are itty-bitty.

Same in Europe. I saw them all over the place back in 2005. Did you know that you can fit two of them in one parking spot? For rizzle.

Here is a study in contrasts in a picture I took in Paris on that trip, on the old street I lived on as a kid:

Notice that the passenger door and rear quarter panel of the Ferrari have not faired well in city traffic.

[mr.72]

Certainly optimistic to think a new Corvette is going to get 26mpg.

My Miata gets 24-26mpg and is over 500 lb lighter with less than half the displacement of a Corvette. Maybe if I kept it under 3K rpms 100 % of the time, adjusted the throttle cable so that it would not open more than about 50% and drove with the top and windows up it would get close to 30 mpg but nobody drives that way.

[Xander]

Certainly optimistic to think a new Corvette is going to get 26mpg.

Not really. Autoweek got 27.3, and that was with the automatic transmission. http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a ... 4466514443

One of my co-workers who has a 2008 Vette with the manual transmission regularly gets 28MPG.

My Miata gets 24-26mpg and is over 500 lb lighter with less than half the displacement of a Corvette.

But it doesn't have double overdrive, or the Vette's "Active Fuel Management" which shuts down half of the cylinders when it's cruising.

[KC5AV]

I paid my truck off this week, so gas prices don't bother me nearly as much.

[mr.72]

Not really. Autoweek got 27.3, and that was with the automatic transmission. http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a ... 4466514443

One of my co-workers who has a 2008 Vette with the manual transmission regularly gets 28MPG.

I suspect your coworker is stretching the truth more than they are stretching their fuel dollar.

That Autoweek test was on a road trip, that's purely highway driving and not indicative of real-world use of a vehicle for commuting or especially typical driving patterns of a Corvette owner.

My 24-26 mpg in my Miata is driving it mostly commuting, which is 8.5 miles of suburban/urban rush hour driving, mixed with my normal non-commuting driving again suburban in nature involving a mix of neighborhood streets and highways at 70mph. I can imagine that with the top up on a 350 mile road trip using the cruise control at sub-65mph it would top 30mpg but that's not a realistic normal expectation.

I subscribe to Car and Driver as well as Motor Trend. These magazine's reviewers routinely observe fuel economy almost exactly equal to the EPA city estimate, which I think reflects much more accurately how most sports car owners are going to drive their cars. In the case of a 2008 Corvette this would be more like 16mpg.

just MHO as a long time, multi-sports-car owner. You're going to get the EPA city number, or you'd be better off with a Kia Rondo.

[G.C.Montgomery]

Certainly optimistic to think a new Corvette is going to get 26mpg.

My Miata gets 24-26mpg and is over 500 lb lighter with less than half the displacement of a Corvette. Maybe if I kept it under 3K rpms 100 % of the time, adjusted the throttle cable so that it would not open more than about 50% and drove with the top and windows up it would get close to 30 mpg but nobody drives that way.

I'm not a qualified engineer. So, I can't give you the scientific explanation of why the 'Vette can and does routinely post 26MPG or better despite being 800lbs heavier than your Miata. I know there are some very scientific reasons that include things like specific fuel consumption and drag coefficients that goes beyond my current skill set to explain. All I can offer is the EPA fuel ratings and anecdotal evidence from folks I know who actually own 'Vettes. Of the eight C5 and C6 'Vette owners I know, only one reports getting anything less than 24MPG(I should say this is mixed mileage that involves commuting to downtown from Pearland, Friendswood and the Woodlands) and I think that has a lot to do with the fact his 'Vette is a 725HP Lingenfelter modified 'Vette with twin-turbochargers and fuel economy is the last thing on his mind.

[anygunanywhere]

A man losing his truck is a traumatic event. Be certain you seek adequate counseling.

We bought a third car, a Ford Escape 4-banger. We were going to purchase another vehicle anyway so I am not blaming the high fuel prices, although the high diesel prices are annoying at best. The other vehicles are a 1999 F-250 SD turbo diesel which can achieve 20+ mpg, and a 2003 Suburban. Mrs. Anygun is the Chevy lover and a full tank lasts her two weeks since she only drives 10 miles round trip to work.

My heartfelt condolences, BigBlueDodge.

Anygunanywhere

[BigBlueDodge]

A man losing his truck is a traumatic event. Be certain you seek adequate counseling.
My heartfelt condolences, BigBlueDodge.

Anygunanywhere

I appreciate the sympathy. I really love my truck, but economically it just doesn't make sense to keep it for my lifestyle. I don't tow, use the bed much, and only use 4x4 once or twice a year but it sure is a great truck. The 5.9L Cummins is legendary, and just music to my ears. But for my needs, it is certainly excessive, and financially there are better options to be had.

Also, I'm really surprised at the number of people that said they haven't changed their lifestyle.

[gregthehand]

My company issues me a brand new Chevrolet truck every two or so years. I can use it for whatever I want. I recently drove it to Memphis for one trip and to Decatur, AL for another about a month ago. I do have to pay them a little over $100 a month plus I have to pay taxes on personal milleage that is over 30% of the total milleage for that month. Right now I'm in a 2006 Chevrolet 1500 Silverado LS (power windows, door locks, etc but nothing too fancy). I just ordered a 2009 Chevrolet 2500 Silverado 4x4 LT (same package as the LS). It saves me a fortune. It makes me friends and family angry that I don't even bother to look at the cost of gas or worry about long trips. I just do it . My truck is pictured below and is nicer and more comfortable to me then a brand new BMW!

Oh and I had a truck and sold it about 5-6 months after I got the company truck.

[lunchbox]

im here to tell you that the MPG these cars get is pathetic
i know that they can do better but they have bought by the oil companies

[The Annoyed Man]

im here to tell you that the MPG these cars get is pathetic
i know that they can do better but they have bought by the oil companies

? ? ?

Sorry, I'm not making the connection.

[longhorn_92]

I did quite a bit of work in Canada over the past year, and those Smart Cars are all over the place (they been selling in Canada for years). They are itty-bitty.

Same in Europe. I saw them all over the place back in 2005. Did you know that you can fit two of them in one parking spot? For rizzle.

Here is a study in contrasts in a picture I took in Paris on that trip, on the old street I lived on as a kid:

Notice that the passenger door and rear quarter panel of the Ferrari have not faired well in city traffic.

That is the very same car that I was laughing at when I was on a mission trip in Portugal. I had never seen such a small car before....(this was 3 years ago). I never imagined that we would be seeing them here. Of course gas prices back then were much cheaper than they are now!

I've even looked at the idea of going with 2 wheels....