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The future of driving in the USA
pastmaster
Location: Alma, MI Todays and future transportation... ------------------------------------------------- I was pondering the future of driving in the Nation, and think that an exchange of ideas on how we are coping with it may be of help to us in general; a discussion if nothing else. From buying and riding bicycles to the same for a good Mule and wagon! Note: Redirects are in "Diesel Discussion", "Tech Help" and Links due to general interest and the expectation that most vehicles discussed will not be MB = the actual thread is in Open Discussion. All data directly related to this topic is welcome. Have a great day. Last edited by whunter; 04-25-2006 at 06:10 PM. |
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In the future all cars will have so many gadgets/gizmos that it will take ten years of training before you are even able to change the oil on them.
But if you own a shop and have connections with insurance companies, you will be rich!!
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Ralph 1985 300D Turbo, CA model 248,650 miles and counting... |
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-- Steven Harrison 1993 300E2.8 - 196K 2001 E320 4MATIC - 86K |
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The future is (should be) diesel.
The only "crisis" is now Americans must pay same as rest of the world. Kind of funny, actually.
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Kent Christensen Albuquerque '07 GL320CDI, '10 CL550. '01 Porsche Boxster Two BMW motorcycles |
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I suspect we will be learning lots of lessons from Europe. They have had high quality small cars for decades, whereas in the US small still equates junk. One thing is for sure: The future is NOT mass transit. After 15 years of subway ridership, I finally have a job where I don't have to take the subway, and I am not going back.
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1985 380SE Blue/Blue - 230,000 miles 2012 Subaru Forester 5-speed 2005 Toyota Sienna 2004 Chrysler Sebring convertible 1999 Toyota Tacoma |
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In Seattle, they're converting the three-stop underground bus tunnel into light rail, with one station just one block from my office downtown. If they'd connect central Kitsap county to it, I'd take that light rail in a heartbeat. There were plenty of small cars in the UK/Europe that are coming over here. I saw a couple of Toyota Yaris' (one of the cars that we were also considering, but went for the Honda Fit as mentioned above), and when mentioning to my relatives that I had a 'small 2.8 liter' engine, some of them revealed that they had 1000cc engines in their cars.
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-- Steven Harrison 1993 300E2.8 - 196K 2001 E320 4MATIC - 86K |
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We will learn not to commute so much, doesn't matter what in. Europe is way ahead of us, in spite of the fact that the US had the best mass transit systems in the world in 1950...
Watch for the mass migration back into the cities -- no way to get there from the 'burbs inside a decade. Peter
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1972 220D ?? miles 1988 300E 200,012 1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles 1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000 1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs! |
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86 560SL With homebrew first gear start! 85 380SL Daily Driver Project http://juliepalooza.8m.com/sl/mercedes.htm |
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1985 380SE Blue/Blue - 230,000 miles 2012 Subaru Forester 5-speed 2005 Toyota Sienna 2004 Chrysler Sebring convertible 1999 Toyota Tacoma |
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Public Transit
I used to ride public transit when I worked at CNN. It was a really enjoyable experience actually. I would drive my new Volvo to the marta lot (a whopping total of 2 miles both ways) and park it there for the day. Jump on the train and ride it all the way down to CNN center. It worked well because I lived near a station with parking and CNN center had its own train stop. The only mileage I put on the new car was personal mileage and the 2 miles a day to and from work. There were problems of course when I needed to go somewhere for work I could not just jump in the car out of the parking deck I would have to take the train to my car and then drive to where I needed and back to the station and take the train back.
The main problem with public transport is that most public transport systems are considered "low end". Most of the riders of the public transport system ride it because they cant afford cars. Therefore the public transport people have no real desire to provide a decent experience. Here in Atlanta the trains going to the airport and to other downtown areas are rather efficient while the rest of the system is total crap. I have considered doing public transit but there is not a train station close to me anymore. Additionally you do spend more time taking public transit then you do driving due to waiting for the train/bus and walking to your destination. Until we overcome the "low end" idea of public transit most people will consider themselves above riding it. For example take prepaid mobile phone service. Here in the US it has not caught on well because of the "low end" connotations and its being marketed towards buyers with sub prime credit. In Europe most mobile phone service is prepaid because there is no stigma attached to being frugal. |
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Diesel/Electric
There is a reason that trains use Diesel/Electric engines...scale: energy produced versus economy.
The U.S. is being forced to continue Enslavement to the same energy con- sortium that has profited from our needs since the 1890's. We can produce more than we need in fuel requirements ;wether "BIO" or "Syn" fuel in renewable resources.(From corn/soybeans/sugarcane OR..OR.. Synthetic from COAL [with the only by product being CO2 , which would be sold to the oil producers to pressurize the old wells to increase production] What's left of the AMERICAN farmers would love the opportunity to grow renewable energy . "F": The Idiots inside the Beltway in D.C.(Who are only looking for the next Jack or Jill Abromoff) Elected and Lobbiests,The oil consortium who seeks to maintain status quo,The IDIOTS at FORD and G.M. who refuse to give us SAFE fuel efficient vehicles{the jackasses didn't learn from V.W. in the '60s nor the Japanese EVER SINCE.} 'Call your U.S. Senator(s) and Congressperson(s) and tell them that they will be depending on their retirement (unless we can get lucky and revoke it!) |
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It will be interesting to see how future housing prices are affected by their proximity to a train stop.
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-Marty 1986 300E 220,000 miles+ transmission impossible (Now waiting under a bridge in order to become one) Reading your M103 duty cycle: http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/831799-post13.html http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/831807-post14.html |
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