Even With Cheap Gas, We Still Want Fuel Efficient Vehicles

[SVOboy]

Image: Oil prices over one year, NYT According to the Consumer Federation of America, it’s true. Even though gas is a little more than half as expensive as it was last summer, the same percentage of Americans (76%) have fuel economy their concern when buying a new vehicles. This shows not only that consumers aren’t forgetting [...] Related posts:

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[Bicycle Bob]

Any time I wonder if I should burn a gallon of gas, I imagine digging my garden with a shovel for want of that gallon. It will happen to many millions of people.
I have always thought it absurd for a car to weigh more than the driver and passengers. Imagine how different things would have been if racing had been limited by fuel? The one time F1 tried limiting only weight, the cars got scary-fast almost overnight. The "Index of Performance" at LeMans could have been good, except it was fiddled to make sure the host country always won something.

[RH77]

Just look at the Audi R10 TDI diesel, in racing. In '06 and '07, it won Le Mans championships in both 12- and 24-hour competitions. What was the main advantage? FE. Fewer pit stops to fuel = more time to win.

If I had to predict the next 5 years of a possible new vehicle cost-of-ownership (as a Joe Schmoe average American), I cannot predict or trust the powers-that-be that control fuel prices. Just check the garage: fuel prices are on the rise, again.

Plus, being "Green" has surpassed fad into a sense of cultural responsibility (for many). If a buyer can afford it, a new car will likely be "responsible".

At least, that's how I see it.

-RH77

[Frank Lee]

Don't see evidence like that here in Forever Idling Silveradoland.

If those automakers want to accomplish something useful with those 11 onboard computers it should be a function where the computers detect when operating temps have been reached and it shuts the stupid thing off.