[NHRABill]

Reading through this thread you see what every auto manufacturer wishes they could do but simply cannot.

In Europe you have a whole different set of needs than you do in North America. It really is apples and oranges and cannot compare them in the same terms. Why? Emissions / Safety / and use

Lets start with diesel emissions... They pass in Europe but are considered too foul for NA (North America) Its pretty sad when the Mercedes-Benz ML350 Bluetec 4matic 6 cyl, 3.0 L, Automatic 7-spd, Diesel gets worse mileage than a Chevy Corvette. Diesel is finally starting to cleanup its act here but it still is far from being emission friendly. Smaller engines are not always better not when people want 1 vehicle instead of 3. I live in the state with the highest Auto insurance rates in the country for many years and $3,000 a year to insure your older Used car is not fun by any means. That is for a married couple who have not had any tickets or accidents in a couple decades of driving. Add a premium if you purchase a new car it can be mid $4k range with 3 cars with all of the safety discounts.

Safety is a big reason to purchase new and they have leaped ahead in this department more so than any other in my opinion in the past 2 decades than any other auto improvement. This has also made the cars Much heavier than they were. People also complain about finishes so the auto companies start making nicer interiors which also weigh more and by the time you are done that old lightweight car now weighs 600lbs heavier on the new model. Lets add in the Safety of AWD there is another 200+lbs but hey you want to be safe in bad weather right?

Under bely pans and many aero mods are in my opinion not safe for daily use. Why? 40 years ago it was tried and cars were getting lift off with heavyweight cars still lifting off at higher speeds. Personal experience here: 1968 Mustang I had 20 years ago 6cyl. was a nightmare driving home cause I lived on a barrier Island and I had to drive over a bridge to get home this 1.5 mile apx. 3 lane wide bridge had a drawbridge that was made out of metal grating when I drove over it on a windy day at 40mph. in a 45 mph zone the back end of the 3200lbs mustang would lift and slide out due to the updraft of wind imagine a belly pan. Plus radical Aero designs are not market friendly look at the backlash the 1st Gen Insight got when it was released people laughed at its shape and design even knowing the purpose of it.


Frank brought up the Ford F150 why is it a best seller? for 2 reasons Trucks are cool and trucks are Necessary. my brother owns a construction company and has 6 trucks several diesels which get pathetic mileage and a couple rack bodies along with a number of trailers. He purchases at least 1 truck a year because he needs them for many different purposes. I sold him my old 2002 Chevy S-10 as a estimate truck for his around the town trips better than driving a $55,000 6mpg diesel to give someone a price on a renovation.

MPG's are getting better finally and "Green" is Cool right now that is what will change the market nothing else. It was said already that whatever is cool sells. 10 years ago SUV's were cool couldn't see a person in Hollywood driving anything but a Hummer H2 now they all drive a Prius's sss ss s s or whatever the freakin plural of that car is.

Eco packages as an option may catch on for at least a while which is a great thing. Mainstreaming fuel economy and emissions as a responsible choice to purchase is the current trend and the Chevrolet Volt / Nissan Leaf / upcomming Focus and athe New Line of Buicks and cars for real average people like the New Buicks with E assist giving mid and full size cars 37mpg.

Buick LaCrosse eAssist | Future Vehicles, Future Cars, Concept Cars | Buick

Auto manufacturers are finally headed in the right direction. Will I buy New compared to used? well I am not an average person my poor choices in efficient cars is negated by the smart choice to use public transportation and only driving when necessary. As far as changing the minds of automakers they go with the trend if people continue to join groups like this and become educated what being more eco friendly can do for you then it is a start of a trend that may stay around for a while. We can't fix the world in a day it takes time and many small steps I am glad it has started.