New here, hello everyone

[tim3058]

My reason for getting into fuel economy: I'd like to buy a decent house with some land... driving a 5000+lb truck 40 minutes to work every day wasn't getting me there, especially when gas went to $4.20/gal here. I never got why people drove "rice burners" and subcompacts til i did the math and a Civic saves me over $12,000 over the next 5 years at today's gas prices, $18,000 if gas goes back to $4/gal. Thats my house down payment. Not to mention the truck would have been worn out by the time the loan was paid off. Tires for it are 2/3 the cost of the whole Civic too.
Never woulda guessed driving for max mpg could make a "game" out of a commute

[jmf]

Originally Posted by Frank Lee

I really should make an effort to assimilate with society and a good start would be to mortgage my entire existence to build a new McMansion 100 miles from my job, get an Expedition (Oh- I must remember to stop by the muffler shop on the way home from the dealer to put some open duals on there), a wife (short term, long term, who cares, they'll make more), and start filling the whole works up with kids (we're gonna NEED all the deductions!!! ). Actually she can have the Expedition; I'll get me a Hummer with rubber testicles for those inclement weather days and an open-pipe Hardley Ableson for the rest and go WOT at every opportunity. We'll both warm our engines up for at least 1/2 hour before use; hers via auto-start and mine by sitting there in the driveway blipping the throttle. (WHOA. Inspiration!!! My next million dollar invention!!! Autostarts for bikes AND trucks that blip the throttle for you while you wait!!! ) I'll instruct wife to treat the gas pedal as an on/off switch; she better be either flooring the gas or flooring the brakes, none of this in-between nonsense (she already knows this but as the Man of the House I want to make sure she is aware of my superior Guy Knowledge About Mechanical Things). We will both be using cell phones for the duration of any trips; if I can't think of any real business to tend to- that would be most of the time- I will call her up and discuss what's for dinner and who will walk our barking dog to where, and when. When the kids get big enough (6 months on up) I will start 'em on go-karts and dirt bikes, all with straight pipes, until they are big enough to handle ricermobiles.

I think i've seen a lot of people with that dream.

[beatr911]

I do it because I abhor waste. I love V-8s for the power and awesome sound, but cannot justify it for a daily driver. In my thirty years driving on the street 4 cylinders has done everything I needed with only a few exceptions. Track days and autocross with great handling 4 cylinder cars are a real hoot that just happen to use very little $ and resources.

Somewhere along the way I realized that our gas guzzling waste:
1) pollutes our declining air quality
2) negatively affects the environment
3) supports nations and ideologies that HATE Americans
4) puts our nation at greater financial risk to petroleum cost fluctuations
5) causes decision makers to send our sons and daughters to war

Honestly I can't think of anything good about wasting fuel, except for my selfish desire to be rippin' through the gears. I'm just kind of over doing that thing on a daily basis.

[Frank Lee]

I too enjoy a rip through the gears on occasion. That is why I have a fast bike. Why drag an extra ton of dead weight along when you're trying to haul the mail? And no matter how bad you abuse a bike, it'll likely return more than 30 mpg.

[Daox]

Thats not to mention that you feel like you are going waaaay faster on a bike. If you want the feel of it all, the bike really is the way to go. Not only do they make you feel like you're going faster, but they also actually ARE faster, and they teach you defensive driving too!

[k.civic.f4i]

why do we do it? good question.

speed n power = vanity n ego
.VS.
chasing higher mpg = practical,saves money(RECESSION)

i always wondered why tuners modded there civics for speed, only to attract negative attention from police and accumulating tickets(DEBT). for what? but i have to thank them though because without them there may not be a giant aftermarket(especially for civics). much of which can contribute to better mpg; carbon fiber parts, better flowing exhausts, lowering springs.

[beatr911]

I work at a major US Army Medical Center. Many times a day I see kids that are seriously physically and/or emotionally damaged. American families are paying a huge price in the wars we are now waging. We are also accumulating a huge overhead in taking care of these folks for the rest of thier lives.

I can't help but know that the root of our interests in these wars is the quest for price stability of oil.

It's a shame. A damn shame!