Why did you choose your car? What did you have in mind when you chose a vehicle that gets exceptional gas mileage?

3/12/2011 10:51:47 AM

lolz exceptional

3/12/2011 10:53:14 AM

Not a Prius, but the main reason I keep my Civic is gas mileage + reliability.
In the summer I drive a 180 mile round trip to Lake Gaston nearly every weekend.
On the weekends that I'm not doing the 180 mile round trip I'm usually driving further to go to the beach.
In the last month I've done two spontaneous day trips to the coast.

If I had to do all that driving on my 4Runner that averages about 17 MPG (less right now because of winter blend fuels) I'd probably think twice about the cost and the mileage I was racking up. It already has about 155k on it. The Civic is in warranty, cheap to run, and cheap to maintain. I have to keep a vehicle that can tow my boat, so about the best single vehicle tradeoff I could do would be to sell both my cars and drop ~$22k on a newer generation 4Runner or something.

3/12/2011 11:11:22 AM

i drive a jeep so everyone knows i have a big dick.

3/12/2011 11:23:45 AM

i drive a jeep jacked-up truck so everyone knows i have a big dick.

3/12/2011 12:16:38 PM

i drive a scooter so everyone knows i got a DWI

3/12/2011 12:25:49 PM

also, why do you refuse to go above 55 mph?

3/12/2011 1:27:47 PM

Fair enough. Over the years I've just heard people buy fuel efficient cars for a multitude of reasons so I figured I would take an informal survey from TWW given the diversity of posters. Keep in mind this isn't intended to strike up a debate over Priuses vs. "manly" cars (whatever the hell that means). I just want to know what prompted folks to become energy conscious.

3/12/2011 1:29:08 PM

I traded my Dodge Ram 1500 with 5.7L HEMI for a 2009 Honda Civic Sedan because when you drive 160 miles a day after a job change, you really notice the difference between 17mpg on midgrade vs 34mpg on regular unleaded.

3/12/2011 1:46:35 PM

unless you drive more than 30K miles a year the Prius is not worth it

3/12/2011 1:55:49 PM

I traded my 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee (5.2L with all time 4WD) for a 2011 Ford Fussion Sport AWD. I went from 16mpg to 18mpg. I am so fucking green.

3/12/2011 1:59:30 PM

I bought a little Matrix, because I didn't want to pay much for a car (upfront as well as maintenance overtime). But I do like nicer, powerful cars/trucks .... I just don't feel like paying for them.

3/12/2011 2:00:51 PM

My car gets like 35-40 mpg not a prius not a hybrid not a manual, has plenty of space and doesn't run off vegetable oil or some hippie shit.

I'm AstralAdvent and i approved this message.

[Edited on March 12, 2011 at 2:30 PM. Reason : ]

3/12/2011 2:29:56 PM

Quote :

"What did you have in mind when you chose a vehicle that gets exceptional gas mileage?"

Answer:

Quote :

"EXCEPTIONAL GAS MILEAGE"

3/12/2011 5:08:45 PM

I just got a 2011 fiesta. It was ranked #1 out of 33 for small cars by US News. 29 city/ 38 highway

3/12/2011 5:32:46 PM

i absolutely want to destroy every fucking prius i see. i hate the cars and the people who drive them. those fucking cars are everywhere.

attn prius owner:
you aren't doing the environment any good by owning a prius. the batteries require lithium which is rare. way to go sucking the earth dry of lithium.
and you better sell the piece of shit before you have to buy batteries if you want to do your wallet any good.

buy a vw golf turbo diesel and profit by saving the earth and money you dumb liberal fucks.

3/12/2011 5:38:34 PM

Someone has drank way to much haterade.....



[Edited on March 12, 2011 at 5:48 PM. Reason : w]

3/12/2011 5:47:25 PM

I'm looking to sell my current 30-35 mpg car for a diesel VW, or if Subaru would hurry the fuck up, theirs.

3/12/2011 7:07:16 PM

Quote :

" EXCEPTIONAL GAS MILEAGE "

3/12/2011 8:13:23 PM

I like the little ninja because of the good parking and 60mpg.

3/12/2011 8:27:00 PM

3/12/2011 8:40:35 PM

I actually think a lot of people do it for appearances. Like, if you're in business or sales or whatever, and you have to replace your car every two or three years, they just go ahead and get hybrids just stay with it and whatnot.

The people I know who really care about gas mileage can't afford gas let alone a new car.

3/12/2011 8:48:22 PM

Quote :

"buy a vw golf turbo diesel and profit by saving the earth and money you dumb liberal fucks. watching your car burst into flames "

3/12/2011 9:22:49 PM

Quote :

"i drive a scooter so everyone knows i got a DWI"

3/12/2011 9:34:04 PM

Quote :

"i absolutely want to destroy every fucking prius i see. i hate the cars and the people who drive them. those fucking cars are everywhere. attn prius owner: you aren't doing the environment any good by owning a prius. the batteries require lithium which is rare. way to go sucking the earth dry of lithium. and you better sell the piece of shit before you have to buy batteries if you want to do your wallet any good. buy a vw golf turbo diesel and profit by saving the earth and money you dumb liberal fucks."

QFT

3/12/2011 9:39:08 PM

Quote :

"i absolutely want to destroy every fucking prius i see. i hate the cars and the people who drive them. those fucking cars are everywhere. attn prius owner: you aren't doing the environment any good by owning a prius. the batteries require lithium which is rare. way to go sucking the earth dry of lithium. and you better sell the piece of shit before you have to buy batteries if you want to do your wallet any good. buy a vw golf turbo diesel and profit by saving the earth and money you dumb liberal fucks."

3/12/2011 10:09:54 PM

I'm skeptical of any car with batteries in it coming anywhere near claiming to be "environmentally friendly". What happens to that 300lbs of spent materials when you're done with it? It's not like that stuff can be spread on fields and grow crops - it's highly toxic. And how do you think it was made? Indians picked it off trees and mashed it into a nice little cube for your car?

I'll stick to the high efficiency turbo diesels for the near future. At the very least it's highly recyclable. And you're not dead set on getting a butt-ugly cone to drive around. You can get a semi-ugly jetta or import a myriad of other turbo diesel models, like a Mercedes.

3/12/2011 10:22:39 PM

ITT the alternative is better but not perfect, so we shouldn't bother until it's perfect.

3/12/2011 10:29:54 PM

^^^

the only advantage to a prius is to impress your fucking friends from greenpeace or chapel hill. it doesn't even get that great of fuel economy. japanese econoboxes in the 90s were getting mid 40's, and a few today still do, and diesels can far exceed the economy of a fucking hybrid.

talk about being a poser.


^ evidence shows that it's not better at all.

[Edited on March 12, 2011 at 10:34 PM. Reason : .]

3/12/2011 10:31:54 PM

europe is laughing at you

3/13/2011 4:06:42 AM

Quote :

"attn prius owner: you aren't doing the environment any good by owning a prius. the batteries require lithium which is rare. way to go sucking the earth dry of lithium."

attn underPSI:
The Prius hybrid uses Nickel-Metal Hydride batteries. You may notice a lack of the word "lithium" in the name of these batteries. That's because they contain none.

Quote :

"What happens to that 300lbs of spent materials when you're done with it? It's not like that stuff can be spread on fields and grow crops - it's highly toxic."

None of the metals in NiMH batteries are considered highly toxic. While spraying battery innards onto fields might be the norm elsewhere, here in the first world we prefer this thing called "recycling." It just so happens that NiMH batteries are very easy to recycle.

Quote :

"To ensure that hybrid batteries are returned to Toyota, each battery has a phone number on it to call for recycling information. Salvage companies that want to get a battery recycled can present it to any Toyota dealer and receive a $150 core reward. Toyota has been recycling NiMH batteries since the RAV4 Electric Vehicle was introduced in 1998. Every part of the battery, from the precious metals to the plastic, plates, steel case and the wiring, are recycled or processed for disposal. At the recycler, the battery modules are separated from the wire harness, controller and metal shell (all common materials that are recycled). Using a first generation Prius battery as an example: * After the above mentioned parts are removed, there are 89 pounds of batteries. * The plates are removed from the cases leaving 11 pounds of plastic cases and 78 pounds of plates/chemicals/and absorbent materials. * The plastic cases (Polypropylene) are recycled similar to any other consumer plastic. * Of the remaining 78 pounds, we extract 32 pounds of nickel that is sold into the steel industry as an alloy to make stainless steel, four pounds of cobalt that is used in a variety of industries -- other batteries and super alloys, and five pounds of common alloy steel (terminals and intercell connectors). * The remaining materials and chemicals are processed for recycling or disposed in an environmentally friendly fashion following local, state, and federal regulations. "

http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9463

Quote :

"QFT"

QFL

[Edited on March 13, 2011 at 4:31 AM. Reason : l]

3/13/2011 4:25:52 AM

misinformation itt

3/13/2011 4:35:44 AM

its still assembled, flow, and shipped all over the world

3/13/2011 5:38:26 PM

Hybrids have starting pissing me off a bit. I love the concept, but it's been 10 years since they've been on the market, and they haven't gotten any damn better. In 2001 a Honda Insight could get 60-70 miles per gallon. A 2011 Honda Insight gets ... 40. wow, good job.
Weight and drag. Those are the two that matter, and no one pays a damn bit of attention to them.

3/13/2011 6:24:11 PM

^^ no fucking way! maybe next time they can grow them locally? and let's ignore all the local (i.e., MURRCAN) hybrids, right?

Quote :

"And you're not dead set on getting a butt-ugly cone to drive around."

not necessarily... lexus, mb, bmw, and audi make hybrids as well. not to mention, as far as non-luxury japanese hybrids are concerned, it is not just the dedicated hybrids (prius, insight), normal models also have hybrid versions (camry, altima, accord, civic, etc).

[Edited on March 13, 2011 at 6:30 PM. Reason : ]

3/13/2011 6:29:46 PM

audi and bmw also make very nice diesels, too...

3/13/2011 6:33:22 PM

true. and MB is going to bring theirs to the US (or already has).

3/13/2011 6:34:39 PM

True

3/13/2011 6:36:45 PM

the manufacturing of materials for the prius is the worst in its class in all emissions categories; the production of the batteries, inverters, and motors have high non-methane hydrocarbon emissions

3/13/2011 6:40:44 PM

I got behind a pristine late 60's diesel s-class a few weeks ago on 74 in shelby, nc, headed to the mountains. I found myself drooling over the cleanliness, and wondering about his mpg, considering he wasn't missing a beat going up the hills.

3/13/2011 6:43:03 PM

i own a 91 civic. it consistently averages 30+mph (24 city when i was at NCSU).

- drives like a gokart
- Tires are $240 mounted & balanced
- oil changes are currently <$20
- most parts are cheap
- manueverability is awesome
- who cares if it gets dinged/dented?

3/15/2011 8:39:15 PM

My accord gets decent MPG. except it gets 0 mpg now since it needs a transmission.

3/15/2011 11:23:50 PM

i own a 93 mx3. it consistently averages 30+mph (26 city).

- drives like a gokart
- Tires are $300 mounted & balanced
- oil changes are currently <$20
- most parts are cheap
- manueverability is awesome
- who cares if it gets dinged/dented?

3/15/2011 11:24:49 PM

my friend recently bought a VW Golf TDI 2011, he drove from NC to philly and then all over the area without filling up the gas tank. He filled up right before driving back to NC and didnt have to fill up until a week later. I was impressed.

3/16/2011 8:22:35 AM

Quote :

"i own a 93 mx3. it consistently averages 30+mph (26 city). "

iswydt

3/16/2011 8:26:35 AM

Quote :

"I traded my Dodge Ram 1500 with 5.7L HEMI for a 2009 Honda Civic Sedan because when you drive 160 miles a day after a job change, you really notice the difference between 17mpg on midgrade vs 34mpg on regular unleaded."

Pretty much my exact same situation. Traded my 2003 Ram 1500 for a 2008 Civic Coupe when I acquired 110 miles per day commute. Just the difference in fuel efficiency has already paid about half of the cost of changing cars.

3/16/2011 8:54:20 AM

Quote :

"japanese econoboxes in the 90s were getting mid 40's, and a few today still do, and diesels can far exceed the economy of a fucking hybrid."

Perhaps the advantage of the prius is you don't have to drive a shitbox to get 50mpg.

Which non-hybrid cars get 45+ mpg on the highway? I don't see any here - http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/bestworst.shtml And what kind of mileage do they get in the city where the prius gets 50mpg?

Also if you view hybrids as a necessary step in the movement towards electric cars, are they really *that* terrible?

In general, nobody is forcing anyone to buy them, so why all the hate? I drive a car that averages 16-17mpg, but I can still respect other peoples desire to use less fuel, and am glad there are options for them to do so.

3/16/2011 9:04:01 AM

Quote :

"Weight and drag."

I think hybrids are over-hyped.

It is like the difference between multi-grain and whole grain. One is healthy, one is deceiving.

3/16/2011 9:06:41 AM

^^Over the life of the vehicle (including manufacturing) a Toyota Pruis uses more energy than a Hummer H3.

Pruis looks like an egg and is slow as shit.

And then there's this:

Quote :

"Inside autos: Hybrid break-even costs studied Gas prices would have to top $7 per gallon in order for some hybrids to pay for themselves, an automotive Web site says. An analysis of 43 hybrid models from model years 2003 to 2010 by CarGurus.com showed on average, they cost 17%, or $6,400, more than conventional models. "There are some good reasons to buy a hybrid, but saving money is not one of them," said Langley Steinert, CEO of CarGurus. "Consumers should know that the premiums they will pay to purchase most hybrids far exceed any costs saved at the pump, even as gas prices climb." Some extra costs for a hybrid were more out of whack than others. For example, the break-even point for the Cadillac Escalade Hybrid was found to be on average $15 per gallon. For the Nissan Altima Hybrid, it was $9.50 per gallon, CarGurus.com says. There were some winners, too. Toyota Camry Hybrid showed a break-even point of $4 a gallon. It sells for an average of $3,300 more than its gas-powered counterpart. Likewise, the Ford Escape Hybrid showed a break-even point of $2.50 per gallon. It is $3,500 more than the conventional model."

http://www.freep.com/article/20110313/BUSINESS01/103130433/1014/rss13

Diesel is the superior choice.

3/16/2011 10:44:09 AM

Quote :

"Not a Prius, but the main reason I keep my Civic is gas mileage + reliability."

3/16/2011 11:01:39 AM