would you buy this car??

[sdowney717]

You cant get it in the USA!
Everyone makes a BIG FUSS about raising MPG stds, and yet you can not buy this car here. OR others similar to this, made by many manufacturers.
The hybrid is not needed for fantastic mileage

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704026204575266382333854948.html?m od=WSJ_article_MoreIn

http://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/PJ-AV117_eyesRO_D_20100525180126.jpg

5-door ECOnetic model)

Engine:

1.6 liter diesel

Combined mileage:

76 mpg

CO2 emissions:

157 grams per mile

Price:

GBP 12,445 ($17,900)

[McRat]

Diesels are being held to a higher standard when it comes to emissions than gasoline cars it seems.

America is resistant to diesels, even when they are a better solution than the hybrids.

And hybrid diesels the best "in place" technology and infrastructure currently available.

[McRat]

PS - I was driving a gasoline 1990? Chevy Sprint and before that a 1980? Toyota Starlet. Both achieved over 50 mpg highway, and 45mpg with a mix, with aggressive driving.

This was before it was fashionable to have good mileage though. By a comparison, a VW Beetle seldom would hit 40mpg.

[sydbat]

would you buy this car??

No. It's just a larger version of the "Smart" car, and those are worse on gas than my 1994 pickup! (and significantly less safe)

Also, I used to drive tour bus (highway coaches) and those get better gas mileage than this car.

[KiwiNZ]

No wouldn't tow my boat

[seanelly]

would you buy this car??

No. It's just a larger version of the "Smart" car, and those are worse on gas than my 1994 pickup! (and significantly less safe)

Also, I used to drive tour bus (highway coaches) and those get better gas mileage than this car.

that's sure believable...

[LowSky]

Its a diesel, which isn't as availible as gas in the US. Americans are a bit scared of diesel cars for some reason.

America and Europe have different rule and regulations to car design, which might prevent the car from selling across the pond, including pollutant counts, which limits the sale of diesel engines. In fact only two car companies really sell diesel cars in the US that I know of currently sell diesel cars and that's VW and Mercedes (not including Trucks).

Fuel prices are much higher in Europe. Also the British (Imperial) Gallon is a different from the American Gallon, so I hoped the people who wrote that article knew that to correctly post the MPG in American values.
Which they didn't because I checked on Ford's UK site.
So knowing this:

1 Imperial gallon = 4.54609188 liters
1 US gallon = 3.78541178 liters
This means a US gallon is only 83% of a Imperical gallon

So the Milage would only be approx. 63MPG...which in most American cars would still be pretty nice.

Lets factor cost of diesel over regular gasoline
Current avg US Prices

GAS: $2.725
Diesel: $2.946

Cost to fill a 10.5 US Gallon Tank

GAS: $28.61
Diesel:$30.93

Based on the US model getting 40 HWY:


US GAS model cost $0.068 mile
UK Diesel model cost $0.046 mile


then lets factor the cost of the vehicle, with no taxes or whatever extra might be included

UK diesel: $19,900
US Gas: $13,320


Which means you could drive 67,264 US miles in the American version before the price becomes equal.


I'm getting bored of doing math so I don't feel like charting at what point the UK model becomes cheaper.

[Timmer1240]

Ya Id buy it good gas mileage comepared to my blazer and f150!Might trade my blazer for it but your not getting my Ford f150 4x4!

[KiwiNZ]

It would look silly with this behind it :p

[Dustin2128]

I always thought a biodiesel or ethanol engine inside a plug in hybrid (the ones where the gas engine charges the batteries which power the electric motors) would be a good idea for efficiency with existing infrastructure. Maybe even be carbon neutral (plants take in as much C02 as cars put out when they burn the plants). Kinda off topic but when they put 10% ethanol in U.S. gasoline they actually increased emissions significantly and reduced efficiency by 2-5 mpg. Someone needs to tell the people that decide this kind of thing that ethanol does not function in gasoline engines, they might as well have replaced it with 6$/gallon water.

[uRock]

It would look silly with behind it :p

Nothing like hitting the brakes and getting spun out or pushed.

If it has a Ford emblem, I'll drive it. They didn't need a bail out, they aren't the most stolen, nor do they have multi-million dollar recalls going on. I drive a VW Rabbit. It gets decent mileage when I'm not blowing the doors off Dodges and it has more airbags than most American minivans. The trick is to not get caught in a wreck between two larger, more solid objects.

I would recommend spending the extra 5 grand and getting the Fusion.

Hopefully this BP mess will finally push America and other nations to build better technologies.

[restorator]

The reason these cars are not available in the US is they do not meet US crash standards. Lets just say the smart car bought its way in for now. (and I personally have no problem with allowing these cars in or any other)

A brief bit of history may help this discussion. Remember after the 70's gas "crisis" autos were mandated by the US govt to get better mileage (and already had been mandated to get better emissions). Then on America's streets cars got smaller and lighter, then lawsuits and complaints about safety happened and then the US govt mandated higher safety standards. Then cars got bigger and heavier again. Now with the new gas "crisis" you see smaller and more mileage cars again. But there is still a minimum standard. And as far as diesels, US has been pretty receptive to them all along, but the older generation of them lacked enough "oomph" for most American buyers. But now with hybrids being the "in" thing I agree that a diesel/electric is very practical and may succeed this time.

[Paqman]

The hybrid is not needed for fantastic mileage


The best thing for improving mileage is to reduce the size and weight of the vehicle, and therefore the size of the engine required. Big cars are inherently inefficient, given that they generally aren't used to carry proportionately more passengers than small cars.

Having said that, for a given vehicle weight a hybrid engine is bound to be more efficient, if only because of regen.

[KiwiNZ]

Nothing like hitting the brakes and getting spun out or pushed.

If it has a Ford emblem, I'll drive it. They didn't need a bail out, they aren't the most stolen, nor do they have multi-million dollar recalls going on. I drive a VW Rabbit. It gets decent mileage when I'm not blowing the doors off Dodges and it has more airbags than most American minivans. The trick is to not get caught in a wreck between two larger, more solid objects.

If I got a head wind I would go backwards

I will stick with my Landcruiser to pull it , even my Audi would struggle with its puny monococ chassis

[wilee-nilee]

I don't drive a car but If I had a choice, I would get this one, wont tow a boat, but you sure would get some attention.
Funny (http://www.neimanmarcus.com/store/sitelets/christmasbook/fantasy.jhtml)

[Paqman]

The reason these cars are not available in the US is they do not meet US crash standards.

Yes they would. The European NCAP safety rating system is modelled after the one used in the US.

[uRock]

If I got a head wind I would go backwards

I will stick with my Landcruiser to pull it , even my Audi would struggle with its puny monococ chassis

I towed the dual axle uhaul trailor more than 2000 miles with a V6 Dodge Dakota. I'll never do that again. Had to use the truck lane climbing the mountains in third gear. I miss my truck, but I don't miss the fuel bill.

BTW, is your employer hiring? I wanna get me an S8. http://www.caranddriver.com/news/car/08q4/2010_audi_a8_2011_audi_s8-car_news

[KiwiNZ]

I towed the dual axle uhaul trailor more than 2000 miles with a V6 Dodge Dakota. I'll never do that again. Had to use the truck lane climbing the mountains in third gear. I miss my truck, but I don't miss the fuel bill.

BTW, is your employer hiring? I wanna get me an S8. http://www.caranddriver.com/news/car/08q4/2010_audi_a8_2011_audi_s8-car_news

I am retired ( medical), However my wife works (IBM) , she keeps me the manner to which I have become accustomed.

[emarkay]

Nope - it's Wrong Wheel Drive and an oil burner.
Oh BTW, what's it's 0 to 60 and skidpad ratings?

[uRock]

I am retired ( medical), However my wife works (IBM) , she keeps me the manner to which I have become accustomed.

I know the felling, the wife brings the dough in my house, too.

[exploder]

I drive a 1999 Ford Explorer with a 5 liter V8. It is worth the money I spend for gas to not feel like I am sitting on the floor all cramped up in a little car.

I use high performance plugs, wires, synthetic blend oil and I drive it on the highway, not stop and go traffic. My gas mileage seems acceptable to me. Small cars are difficult to work on and seem to rust away pretty quick where I live. I paid $2500.00 for my Explorer, it looks and runs like brand new and the automatic traction control comes in real handy in the snow.

[sdowney717]

I like large cars trucks as well. You know there is talk to increase the oil tax like Europe has done to force conservation, the BP fiasco greasing the skids on it. I know it would be very bad idea for jobs and people's everyday life. Just imagine doubling your cost to fill up at the pump would do to you or most people. I hate to hear talking heads pontificating about how oil price is way too low in the US. And it also seems like European statism is being held up as the goal, so who knows what they will do.

[Dragonbite]

I don't know if all of my kids would fit in the back!

Otherwise, so long as the pickup is peppy and the handling is good I wouldn't mind it for my commute! Heck, I'd be down to 1 gallon of (diesel) fuel per work day (round trip = ~75 miles)!

[whiskeylover]

I like large cars trucks as well. You know there is talk to increase the oil tax like Europe has done to force conservation, the BP fiasco greasing the skids on it. I know it would be very bad idea for jobs and people's everyday life. Just imagine doubling your cost to fill up at the pump would do to you or most people. I hate to hear talking heads pontificating about how oil price is way too low in the US. And it also seems like European statism is being held up as the goal, so who knows what they will do.

I hope they do that. It will force the governments to build better public transportation.

I lived in Dallas for a few years. They have DART (http://www.dart.org) for public transportation. But the only people that use it are the homeless guys.

[Wee_Guy]

If I had the money to burn, yes I'd buy that car.
And then rant on end about how fantastically brilliant and reasonably priced it is.
Just to show the Americans what its like in the UK, where there's less stuff available to buy, and what is available is significantly more expensive than in the US.

[Dragonbite]

It reminds me of my Suzuki Swift. It had one more gerbil under the hood than a Geo Metro and it showed (at least when racing a Metro..). I was getting somewhere between upper 30's and 40's and this was 1992? (1993?).

Had over 200,000 miles on it when I sold it off, and it was still working pretty well.