In the last three weeks..The traffic is almost nothing on the freeways in San Diego!!(cars have two,three people in them)......How about where you live??..........

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Matt (SD,CA)

1984 300SD.. White/Chrome Bunts..Green

1997 2500 Dodge Ram 5.9 Cummins 12 Valve 36 PSI of Boost = 400+hp & 800+tQ .. ..Greenspeed

2004 Dodge Ram 2500 4x4 Quad Cab Cummins 5.9 H.O "596hp/1225tq" 6 spd. Man. Leather Heated seats/Loaded..Flame Red....GREENSPEED

Global warming...Doing my part, Smokin da hippies..

Fight the good fight!......

It is a definate consideration. I think about which vehicle to drive on trips and do the math whether to drive the gasser or diesel. Right now the gasser is winning but only because my ac in my diesel is not up and running.

I also tend to drive slower if I can stand it.

I am also grannying and short shifting like crazy around town.

Tom W

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

Diesel is selling for $9.47/gallon here today. Traffic is worse than ever. I hear people complain but so far not much conservation has been going on.. Still one person per car mostly.

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Tomas, Sweden
1966 Mercedes Benz 230S with OM617.912, automatic. Disk brakes from W108
1983 Mercedes Benz 300TD grey, OM617.912 and 5-speed manual
1983 Mercedes Benz 300TD blue 7-seater, OM617.912 and 5-speed manual

Kinda, sorta, not really...



I was in LA, and made it from San Bernadino to Malibu in 45 minutes.

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-Justin

91 560 SEC AMG - other dogs dd
01 Honda S2000 - dogs dd
07 MB ML320 CDI - dd
16 Lexus IS250 - wifes dd

it's automatic.

Traffic is definitely lighter in Los Angeles lately and people drive sloooooowerr.

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1979 Black on Black, 300CD (sold), 1990 Black 300SE, Silver 1989 Volvo 780, 1988 300CE (vanished by the hands of a girlfriend), 1992 300CE (Rescue).

I cut back to only 65 mph, and increased my mpg by 4. This is in my DD Honda. I have to laugh at the SUV's I still see going by me doing at least 75. Can't be getting more than 12 mpg, and I'm now getting 38.5. I'll take the savings, thank you.

My 2000 Excursion (7.3 Powerstroke diesel) will get around 16mpg at 75mph with cruise. This is a little lower than it should get and I need to find out why and fix it. My '93 K2500 Suburban (7.4L gas) got its best at about 73mph cruise, air on windows up, on a long trip in Texas. 13.5 mpg. Not bad for that rig fully loaded.
While the laws of physics are still in play, there are factors that don't show up in politicians' sound bites. Most cars and engines I have driven seem to have sweet spots where they run very well, using less fuel. My '74 260Z barely got about 20mpg at 55 (the federally mandated speed). At 85 mph, it got 26.5 mpg. Last year, my SDL was doing about 26 mpg at 75-85 on trips. This year, not so good. Just picked up an air filter to try to get back to the better numbers. Ton of little factors seem to play a role in what you get. Even humidity can play a role in aerodynamics.
For those in government or others who wish to mandate a speed limit based on fuel economy, I say, make it 35-45 mph. Most cars really will get their best mileage in that range. Any call for higher is just arbitrary bull. For myself, I may go test drive a Smart.

I have been seeing a handfull of people slowing down, usualy they seem to convoy in the right lane at 60 or so. But other than that nope.

I blasted up I95 to Clinton yesterday running 75-85 the whole time. Today I rode by bike to balance out the fuel burn.

S class's don't drive slow, they are not built for it.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

I drove the SL600 today. Damn, that things got a sweet exhaust note.



I drove it 6 miles... Burned about 1/8 a tank of fuel,

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-Justin

91 560 SEC AMG - other dogs dd
01 Honda S2000 - dogs dd
07 MB ML320 CDI - dd
16 Lexus IS250 - wifes dd

it's automatic.

Stick it to the man, time to ride a bike.


.

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'07 Yukon 2500
'13 Subaru Outback 3.6R
'13 Orbea Carpe 9-speed

Currently Benzless
Formerly: 300TD, S600, E55, 560SEL

---= The forest breathes, listen.
-Native American elder

Not much difference here, but I'm waiting for it.

See, here's how I look at it (I drive a gasser, currently at about $4.19/gal for premium)

I pay $2.10 per gallon for premium grade fuel

The other $2.10 per gallon is to keep somebody else off the road, who won't pull out in front of me, park right next to me and leave me a door-ding, back into me in a parking lot, etc.

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'88 300SE | Midnight Blue | 237k
'09 Subaru Impreza | red | 0k

Still see Hummers and F-350 duallys on the road with driver only in the cockpit! Lots of big Texas money down here, so many don't feel the pinch...just us little guys.

I pull up to a pump and note the three-digit dollar purchase from a previous refuleler...only to wind up matching said dollar amount!

I may start contacting other soccer parents about carpooling to games. Any given weekend will require an 80-mile round-trip journey, just for local metroplex games. Significantly more miles and fuel expended for multi-game tournaments and out-of-town invitationals!

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2009 ML350 (106K) - Family vehicle
2001 CLK430 Cabriolet (80K) - Wife's car
2005 BMW 645CI (138K) - My daily driver
2016 Mustang (32K) - Daughter's car

CNN: March figures show steepest decline in driving since 1942

Maybe its time to invest in railroads and mass transit.

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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

I saw people with gas cans, walking down a stretch of inner city street, twice past week ... I wonder, how's that for start.

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How much public transportation do you have available in Sweden?

If I would live in any European metropolitan area, chances are I wouldn't even own a car. Attempting top drive one there is hopeless, not even mention 'parking'.

You can get anywhere and much faster with all types of public transportation.

On top of it, you get to see and to talk to people all the time ...

There is nothing like a romance on the train ... and maybe you even get off at the same station.

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