09-02-2018, 04:14 PM
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#21 (permalink)
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Master EcoModder
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: KY
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HCH1 is saw weight as my base model, no options Saturn Ion and a G1 Insight is still well under 2000lb...
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My current Ecotec project...
My last Ecotec project...
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09-03-2018, 12:07 AM
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#22 (permalink)
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It's all about Diesel
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
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Since you're a Honda guy, maybe it won't be so hard to find something that will easily fit (pun intended) into your preferences...
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09-04-2018, 10:21 PM
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#23 (permalink)
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EcoModding Apprentice
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Florida
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Anything with a Geo Metro (3cyl 1 liter) engine.
A Chevrolet Spark,
Nissan Vespa,
Personally I prefer turbo cars. They still have great gas mileage, and work really well in colder climates!
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09-05-2018, 01:44 AM
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#24 (permalink)
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Human Environmentalist
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Oregon
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I absolutely love rowing my own gears, especially the fantastic Acura TSX gearbox. That said, I'd avoid a manual like the plague in Seattle (actually I'd just avoid Seattle). Traffic is even worse than Portland, which is already a catastrophe between the hours of 6am-7pm, or just about any time on the weekend.
My process for buying a car always involves a spreadsheet listing the contenders, and all the stats that interest me such as rated fuel economy, 0-60 time, coefficient of drag, price, etc. Then I'll assign a value between 1-10 for how well a vehicle performs in each category. Finally, I'll assign a weighting to each category, so that things most important to me accumulate more points. Whichever vehicle scores the highest is what you want. You can then rest easy knowing you've applied the most rational process to your search.
BTW, I've used spreadsheets to decide if I'll keep a job or take another offer. You could even apply the method to deciding whether to date someone or not. "Follow your heart" is garbage advise. Tell your stupid heart to shut up.
Finally, I'll mention the Fusion hybrid as I always do. After having rented and driven many economy to mid-size domestic cars, the Fusion hybrid is my go to now. It will return 45 MPG while retaining normal acceleration, smooth ride, quiet cabin, and fine handling. It doesn't do anything the best, but it does everything very well. With all the gridlocked traffic, you might appreciate something that turns off the engine when stopped.
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09-05-2018, 07:29 AM
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#25 (permalink)
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(:
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: up north
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While following your heart may be garbage advice, ignoring your gut feeling is dangerous!!!
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09-05-2018, 11:04 PM
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#26 (permalink)
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It's all about Diesel
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ProDigit
Anything with a Geo Metro (3cyl 1 liter) engine
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Lots of such engines available in newer cars in my country, now IIRC only GM still didn't bring one here and relies on an ancient Opel-derived 4-cyl 1.0L engine locally. Well, I must confess I'm quite surprised Volkswagen doesn't offer the Polo there...
I guess you mean Versa, not Vespa. But anyway, this one is also available with a 1.0L 3-pot here.
Maybe another reasonable option could be the Mitsubishi Mirage, which IIRC is the only 3-cyl non-turbocharged car available in the U.S. at the moment.
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Personally I prefer turbo cars. They still have great gas mileage, and work really well in colder climates!
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Nowadays with direct injection they do save on fuel, plus it has led to easier cold starts even with ethanol...
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