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Old 11-06-2008, 12:25 AM   #12 (permalink)
trebuchet03
MechE
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Orlando
Posts: 1,148

The Wagen - '00 Jetta GLS
90 day: 32.72 mpg (US)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jamesqf View Post
Why do people seem to think 40-50 mpg is good? To me, it seems rather like a 400 lb guy who went on a diet, and stopped to celebrate when he hit 300 :-) There's no reason in the world why they shouldn't have at least one model with fuel economy equal to my 8 year old Honda Insight.
I'm with Frank on this one. It comes down to the limits Frank posted.

Car talk did a similar exercise. What results in less fuel consumption, upgrading your 100mpg car to 200mpg? Or, pumping up the tires on your SUV to get one more mpg ? If driven 15K miles each...

15K miles/year
100mpg = 150g
200mpg = 75g
100->200 = 75 gallons saved

13mpg = 1153g
14mpg = 1071g
15->16 = 81gallons

It would be great to get people out of those vehicles in the first place... but the mind is the hardest thing to change... Products, on the other hand, are very easy For that reason, I'm not entirely against hybrid SUVs. If you're gonna do it, I'd much prefer you don't do it at 10mpg Arguing just solidifies their position....

And that said... If I lost 100lb (from 400 to 300), I'd be celebrating and setting my next goal (a reasonable one, of course ).
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