Volkswagen promises a 94 mpg diesel vehicle - Page 2 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Diesel911 · #16 04-18-2008, 12:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by t walgamuth

Its the way of the future, folks!

As the prices of fuel keep rising we will all be downsizing. Little cars will gradually proliferate and these will be the rule not the exception.

Tom W

You would think that this would be the case but I cannot help but remember that in the 70s and through part of the 80s people wanted smaller cars. The next thing you know people are drive huge SUVs And Pick Ups.

rs899 · #17 04-18-2008, 12:34 PM

Quote:

What gets me is performance and good mileage are not mutually exclusive.

I agree

Quote:

You would think that this would be the case but I cannot help but remember that in the 70s and through part of the 80s people wanted smaller cars. The next thing you know people are drive huge SUVs And Pick Ups.

Also true. It's a shame that, at least in this country and possibly in Europe (though not nearly so much) we took our eye off the ball in the late 80's in continuing to work to improve fuel economy. We lost a generation's worth of improvements looking for bigger and faster. And now we pay in blood.

Rick

F18 · #18 04-18-2008, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cscmc1

What gets me is performance and good mileage are not mutually exclusive. I am VERY happy with the performance of my 98 TDI (it's chipped, so I'm at the Euro power levels and the intake is clean as a whistle). If I were so inclined, new nozzles would really get her moving. There are guys out there that have TDIs that will beat up on tuned VR6's. The power that can be made with the TDI engines is VERY impressive!

We are shopping for a car to replace my wife's Saab. It's so depressing to find that so few cars will do more than 30mpg on the highway.

I agree with the fact that a 30+ mpg vehicle should not be something special at this point in time. It should be the rule not the exception. I laugh everytime I see and ad for a vehicle (GM hybrid, Toyota, Honda, Saturn etc.) that uses the selling point that it gets 30-34mpg. ???? I already had vehicles in high school and college that could get that kind of mileage (60's - 70's).
I thought back then that we would be "light years" ahead of where we are now. We have not learned a thing............

cscmc1 · #19 04-18-2008, 01:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by F18

I agree with the fact that a 30+ mpg vehicle should not be something special at this point in time. It should be the rule not the exception. I laugh everytime I see and ad for a vehicle (GM hybrid, Toyota, Honda, Saturn etc.) that uses the selling point that it gets 30-34mpg. ???? I already had vehicles in high school and college that could get that kind of mileage (60's - 70's).
I thought back then that we would be "light years" ahead of where we are now. We have not learned a thing............

Can't argue with a word of that. Why on earth aren't cars that get 40+mpg readily available? It just makes no sense. Obviously, it can be done. VW is doing it very, very well with the TDI.

rs899 · #20 04-18-2008, 01:20 PM

I drove a really nifty Renault Clio3 diesel last spring in France that got way over 40mpg. I would be happy to get something like that (that isn't so crude as my boneshaking Rabbit).

I mean, if the French can do it....

And, like Pierre Hedary ( the local MB brainchild in Orlando who posts at mbca.org) signs off on his posts "Who needs more than 56 HP"? ( He drives a 220D). Well, I say 100 hp is just plenty for a "normal" (not-steroidal) car. I keep thinking an engine to develop 100 ponies could be made at 1 litre or so, with all the technology available today. But its going to take $6-$8 fuel to convince anyone within shouting distance.

Rick

TheDon · #21 04-18-2008, 02:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rs899

And, like Pierre Hedary ( the local MB brainchild in Orlando who posts at mbca.org) signs off on his posts "Who needs more than 56 HP"? ( He drives a 220D)
Rick

That's Pierre!

75Sv1 · #22 04-18-2008, 02:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vstech

I just saw a commercial on tv with an old vw beetle interviewing an astronaut and they talked about the mileage and navigating the globe, something about a world record, the gist of the commercial was that VW has more engineers than NASA... kinda funny. me thinks they is starting a mileage awareness trend toward VW... no car was advertised in the commercial, just it's world record of gas mileage.

I like the one with David Hasselhoff. They went on how both were ibig in Europe and stuff. Then the VW say 'I'm big in Brazil'. Hasselhoff just grimaces. The VW say you can't be popular everywhere. But I'm sure KITT would bust it up.
I do agree that for most a 125hp or so car would do, 200hp for bigger cars. My 4cyl, Contour has 125hp motor, I have gotten 32-34 hiway many times with it. Thats higher than EPA rating. My SVT with 200hp gets me around 30 mpg highway. That is pure highway driving though. Friends say their Ford escorts and Saturins get in the mid to high 30's.
I wonder what the US car companies did with the money for the Ultra car?
Tom

Jeremy5848 · #23 04-18-2008, 02:46 PM

There are still too many people (Americans especially but not exclusively) who say "As long as I can get fuel [don't have to sit in line, no rationing, etc.] I don't care what it costs." Until those folks change their tune, we won't make any progress.

TheDon · #24 04-18-2008, 02:47 PM

I'd drive the Up! or w/e it is..

lietuviai · #25 04-18-2008, 02:50 PM

In order for a car to be safe, you need crumple zones to absorb the energy from a collision. These cars seem to seriously lack any.

zu! · #26 04-18-2008, 04:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lietuviai

In order for a car to be safe, you need crumple zones to absorb the energy from a collision. These cars seem to seriously lack any.

You know, I remember when I was little and we were in a car that was T-boned by a big honking Merc that ran a stop sign. My mother was driving (Right-hand drive) I was on the rear left, my brother on the rear right and my cousin in front left. That Merc hit us so hard that we spun, flipped and landed in a ditch sideways about oh...50 feet from point of impact. We were all taken to hospital in ambulances mostly for shock. I had not a scratch on me, and my mother had a scratch on her forehead. The Merc was destroyed. My dad had that little rear-engined car our ours pulled out of the ditch, hammered back into shape and back on the road in less than two weeks.

The car? A Singer Chamois that we continued to own until my Dad got an Opel. Crumple zones? Not likely! But I would not be here if not for that car's toughness!

Personally, I think crumple zones are overrated. A great marketing tool, but overrated. Perhaps people should start thinking of safety not as what you drive, but how you drive.

DeliveryValve · #27 04-18-2008, 04:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zu!

..
The car? A Singer Chamois that we continued to own until my Dad got an Opel. Crumple zones? Not likely! But I would not be here if not for that car's toughness!....

You taking about this car in the attached photo?

zu! · #28 04-18-2008, 04:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeliveryValve

You taking about this car in the attached photo?

Yeah...hey cool pix! Ours was British racing green. Next to the Ford Anglia...the Singer (yes the sewing machine guys) Chamois was one of the most sought after for off road rally's. The were pretty bulletproof little cars. Back then we didn't have seatbelts in front, much less rear!

imagesinthewind · #29 04-18-2008, 05:53 PM

I'd drive it!

t walgamuth · #30 04-18-2008, 07:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zu!

You know, I remember when I was little and we were in a car that was T-boned by a big honking Merc that ran a stop sign. My mother was driving (Right-hand drive) I was on the rear left, my brother on the rear right and my cousin in front left. That Merc hit us so hard that we spun, flipped and landed in a ditch sideways about oh...50 feet from point of impact. We were all taken to hospital in ambulances mostly for shock. I had not a scratch on me, and my mother had a scratch on her forehead. The Merc was destroyed. My dad had that little rear-engined car our ours pulled out of the ditch, hammered back into shape and back on the road in less than two weeks.

The car? A Singer Chamois that we continued to own until my Dad got an Opel. Crumple zones? Not likely! But I would not be here if not for that car's toughness!

Personally, I think crumple zones are overrated. A great marketing tool, but overrated. Perhaps people should start thinking of safety not as what you drive, but how you drive.

Crumple zones are NOT overrated in my mind. Your accident perhaps would not have benefitted by them but in a head on you would have wanted them for sure.

Tom W