The Survey Says

[dremd]

I drive by a particular spot each day; there is a woman sitting in a new expedition at the end of her driveway, idling while her kids stand outside waiting for the bus. I've caught her several times driving back in to the garage.
I've decided that until gasoline is to expensive for her to take part in her ritual, gasoline is 2 cheap.

[Lazarus]

Originally Posted by DifferentPointofView

Why? over 50% of the US auto sales are SUV's. I'm not surprised a bit. And it's mostly because of this
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Do you have a link to this info?

[DifferentPointofView]

It's somewhere here on ecomodder in some thread about SUV's. *searches through papers* but I can't quite find it... Search SUV's and see if you can find it.

[elhigh]

My car isn't the thriftiest, but my wife and I share the ride: instant 100% jump in man-miles per gallon.

If you can't afford the gas, don't burn the gas. However you achieve that goal is up to you.

[Big Dave]

You hit on the major case against small cars: "...the thing's too small. My knees hit the steering wheel." In my case, my head hits the roof and my knees hit the dash. We won't even go into what my belly runs into...

Let's face it. Lance Armstrong is an anomaly in the US. Americans are taller and fatter than the people these little cars are designed for. When just getting in and out take five minutes of gymnastics, the car is disqualified, even if it got 100 MPG.

This is why I say more progress can be made taking roomy 20 MPG cars and making them 30-35 MPG. This is what my ecomodding is all about.

I think a lot of cars, if equipped with a stick shift, righteous gearing, a little aero clean-up, and a diesel not choked down by Tier II, could give you over 35 MPG. I'd love to try one of GM's new 4.5 liter V-8 diesels in a GTO with its T-56 six-speed.

[Peakster]

Omg Big Dave! I've never thought of that. It's so true.

Whenever I see someone driving a massive truck, it's hardly ever the case where I see a 125 lb. person driving it. Same with the Geo Metro. I don't think I've ever seen a large football player drive one.

[RH77]

Originally Posted by Big Dave

...and a diesel not choked down by Tier II...

Woah, there's a big reason for that. The health of the public (latest article)! Clean Diesel tech is the biggest breakthrough in this segment since Rudolf figured it out.

I can't support a sacrifice in emissions for a few points in FE. Especially with Dsl.

RH77

EDIT: ...and the guy I quoted was average sized: 5' 10", ~200 lb. Not Yao Ming.

[Big Dave]

As a result of Tier II, my old 7.3 whips the socks off of newer truck diesels.

I mean by a 6 MPG margin. That's roughly 25-33%. A big price to pay for the fact they are 0.01gm/mile cleaner in PM2.5 than my eight year old truck.

If CO2 matters to you (it doesn't to me) you are faced with a trade-off. A lot more CO2 and a tiny bit less PM2.5 or a tiny bit more PM2.5 and a lot less CO2.

Ain't engineering fun?

[RH77]

Originally Posted by Big Dave

As a result of Tier II, my old 7.3 whips the socks off of newer truck diesels.

I mean by a 6 MPG margin. That's roughly 25-33%. A big price to pay for the fact they are 0.01gm/mile cleaner in PM2.5 than my eight year old truck.

If CO2 matters to you (it doesn't to me) you are faced with a trade-off. A lot more CO2 and a tiny bit less PM2.5 or a tiny bit more PM2.5 and a lot less CO2.

Ain't engineering fun?

I've sucked-down my fair share of non-turbo, E-350 Diesel Fumes (6.9L: '93-'96 Ambulance Conversion (regular job) + Firefighting vehicles on a more intermittent basis).

Getting behind a Clean-Diesel school bus really drives-home more than particulates and CO2. Another big difference is sulfur and its negative effects. Back to particulates: in urban areas (plus truck-stops and intermodal areas with excessive idling), the lowered PM reduces the risk dramatically for childhood Asthma and breathing disorders in older adults.

We each have our priorities, and I respect that. Mine is more for Public Health.

RH77

[Big Dave]

Almost all the diesel sold in the US now is ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) mandated to <25 ppm sulfur vs the 5,000 ppm sulfur stuff your father's Detroit 6-71 ran on.

According to the EPA's 2004 reoport to Congress, ambient concentrations of pollutants is now the lowest it has been in living memory. Sulfur dioxide is down 60% from 1970 levels. Lead has nearly disappeared. Particulates are down by over 50%.

I will trade on the very clean environment for public health purposes and concentrate on MPG.

Strange you mention asthma. After 1980, SO2 ambient concentrations declined but asthma cases have increased by the same margin. Maybe a whiff of SO2 has a therapeutic effect.