Justify to me Plz. Purchase of a Prius vs Fiesta. I think Fiesta wins hands down.

[aerohead]

My friend Gary's Prius III has returned an average 47.5 mpg for its two years and 60,000-miles of service.Gary doesn't hypermile or anything special.
For a 4-5 passenger car this seems pretty respectable at 'real' speeds.
I'm 6'-1-1/2" and can sit comfortably in the rear seat.
A professor I know at UT Arlington has seen up 83-mpg,hypermiling to campus during light traffic.
Until all traffic signals are synchronized the hybrid technology will a consumers (and other things') friend while in the urban landscape.

[Xist]

Originally Posted by aerohead

Until all traffic signals are synchronized the hybrid technology will a consumers (and other things') friend while in the urban landscape.

How do we make that happen? Making everybody stop every mile or two does not benefit anyone.

[Joggernot]

Originally Posted by aerohead

I may have goofed on the numbers.(gray and white matter going fast!)
I do remember a 43% engine waiting in the wings.It might be FIAT or Renault.
For Toyota,check out :
"Toyota's astonishing new Atkinson Cycle engine delivers,78 mpg,gizmagToyota's astonishing new Atkinson Cycle engine delivers 78 mpg

Got it! Thank you. Looks like most of them will be in Europe with the Aygo. Don't know if they will bring it to the USA in 2014, but the implication is there in the article. I'll keep looking.

[niky]

Originally Posted by Xist

How do we make that happen? Making everybody stop every mile or two does not benefit anyone.

Roundabouts.

Roundabouts... everywhere...




Okay... maybe not...

[aerohead]

Originally Posted by Xist

How do we make that happen? Making everybody stop every mile or two does not benefit anyone.

*Saving $62 for every $1 (1993 dollars) invested in signal light synchronization must somehow become important enough to municipal governments,whom currently benefit from fuel tax revenue from wasted fuel generated at their un-synchronized traffic lights.
*I met the chief of TEXDOT at the University of North Texas when Chris Paine was here with his 'Who Killed the Electric Car",and this P.hD.(Maybe from Texas A&M)was one of the scariest people (and I use that term loosely) I've ever met.
*A pure pedant.
*And his books are wrong-headed.
*Not a molecule of perspicacity.
*Perhaps of extraterrestrial origin.
*I wouldn't be surprised
*Education will be the key.We don't have any yet.
*"the things that pass for knowledge I can't understand", Becker & Fagan

[Xist]

Originally Posted by niky

Roundabouts.

Roundabouts... everywhere...

I remember one intersection in Washington D.C. where there was room for exactly one car between traffic lights. I am not sure how they could convert that to roundabouts, but they definitely have their merit.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAgX6qlJEMc

[kYLEMtnCRUZr]

Callahan brake pads would go out of business without stop signs!

I always wanted to find useless stop signs (such as the ones at the "top" of a "T" intersection) and figure out how many gallons of gasoline they waste. Make a sticker that says "wasting 8 gallons of fuel EVERY DAY from this useless stop sign!"

So when you stick it on the Stop sign it reads "STOP" wasting 8 gallons of fuel EVERY DAY from this useless stop sign!

[aerohead]

Here's a link to the article about Toyota's 43% thermally efficient engine:
Toyota targets 45% thermal efficiency for engines in next-gen hybrids

[aerohead]

I went back and looked some more and found no additional info about the engine.'guess it's hurry up and wait!

[SwamiSalami]

I couldn't agree more with your concerns regarding the cost of new vehicles, etc. The answer has become quite obvious to me...In the spirit of economic and financial guru Dave Ramsey, buy the cheapest and most fuel efficient used automobile possible and drive until the wheels nearly fall off! As soon as I'm done with the great white north I'm trading in the subee for a 90s corolla mt or something similar. I can certainly see the value in purchasing an older prius as well, but I'd prefer something as simple as possible.