Quote:
Originally Posted by sid
There is one difference I haven't seen anyone mention. Even the same model vehicle gets better fuel economy in other countries than in the US. Why? The US has the strictest pollution requirements in the world, at least with regards to all recognized pollutants other than CO2.
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No. It's because US EPA numbers are some of the most pessimistic, since they've been revising them downward over the decades. While California regulations don't allow stratified lean burn (too much NOx) and force the use of urea injection, many non-direct injection gasoline cars aren't affected by this.
Economy numbers are relevant for their specific regions, specific fuel quality and specific speeds, and nothing else.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jamesqf
Then you perhaps aren't thinking about the situation, or don't drive where lights are timed. If you're at a light on a stretch of road where the lights are set for say 30 mph, then you need to get up to 30 mph as quickly as possible after the light turns, otherwise you miss the timing and get stuck at the next light, and the next after that...
Likewise, if you are entering a freeway, and can't (or don't) accelerate to match traffic speed before merging, you're creating a hazard.
And if you don't get going when a light turns green, you're delaying everyone behind you, which is inconsiderate.
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0-30 mph is dictated more by gearing and weight than power. I've got tables for hundreds of cars going from 0 to 60 km/h (37.5 mph). There is typically only a one second difference (often less) between something like a Mirage and your typical 8 second to 60 mph car. And only 2 seconds to something like a 300 horsepower sports car. Less if you skip the tire-shredding burnout.
Because ain't nobody doing burnouts from the stoplight unless they want a ticket.
And merging onto the freeway, hardly anyone does full-bore acceleration. What a CR-V or Civic will do from 40-60 mph at half-throttle can easily be matched by a Mirage at three-quarters throttle.
A light, small-engined car will suffer little performance deficit to a heavy, large-engined car untill aero comes into play, which is around 55 mph (this is the range where push typically starts to taper off, according to the V-Box). So European and Asian engine sizes should work for typical daily use in the United States with no problem. Unless you're on that rare off-ramp that actually requires full acceleration from a WRX STI to merge "safely" at a screaming 80 mph from a full stop in just a few hundred yards... in which case, 90% of the cars on the road would be "unsafe".