[euromodder]

Originally Posted by 320touring

but by the same token, i can get these comforts in a 15year old s class merc, for less than the cost of a new car..

But it won't be as safe or clean as a more modern car.

Also, many of these creature-comforts creep down from top-range cars where profits are high enough to warrant excesses, and owners are willing to pay for something the average Joe doesn't have.
Later on, mass producing the excesses becomes profitable and they become optional extra's on Joe Average's ride.
Even later, they become standard fitment.

Emissions are a strange one- europe seems to favour small high output engines with their legislation, whereas the US has (had?) a leaning towards less stressed, larger engines.

In Europe, you have to figure in higher fuel prices, and higher taxes increasing with engine displacement.

The Yanks never really cared much about fuel consumption.

You can burn lots of fuel in a big engine, and still meet pollution standards other than CO2 output.

It appears that pollution assessment is NOT standardised, and as such, there must be additional expense to manufacturers regarding engine types for different markets?

There are different standards, even in the US California has tighter standards than the other states.

Obviously, the expense to comply with the tighter rules is higher than the cost of having multiple slightly different versions.

I also reckon that older cars are not as 'smoke billowing' as people think

It's not about billowing smoke as with a diesel or the white puff of a cold gasser.
You can't see NOx, or CO, nor the smaller HCs (though you will see the effects of the bigger HC, as in blue oily smoke)

i do however admit that newer cars have better emissions contol..however that comes at a price regarding servicing and parts reliability (hdi anyone?)

Yeah

You have a volvo-what elements of the drivE model should be transferred to all volvos?

LRR tyres; underbelly pan (C30 only now); deflectors in front of tyres ; R-design / T5 front spoiler, yes indeed, part of a sports package on an eco version; low viscosity engine and transmission oil ; closed grille ; shift indicator; making roofracks optional instead of an optional deletion;

[I'm as yet undecided on the heavy aero rims - time will tell wether they're helping, as my driving style has also changed.]

No matter what eco efforts a mfg. claims to be taking, not doing those simple things across their entire range means they don't really mean it.

Re the sports vs eco pack-i reckon there is room for both.. First and foremost i enjoy driving, so a well set up car is a pleasure-better handling means more momentum conservation round the twisties

There's no mutual exclusion in my reasoning.
Every car should handle well


Other than on a straight motorway, I'm not really going slow.
I'm faster than a lot of drivers thru the more challenging parts of the road - like many on EM, I have a history of going (too ?) fast.
The main difference with other drivers, is I usually don't speed up after a turn, nor do I slow down much when going into one