What eco car are you patiently waiting to own?

[Xist]

UltArc, does that deactivate cylinders, or just twelve-on and twelve-off, because I am pretty sure that could cruise around town on two cylinders!

[slowmover]

So much of this question is dependent on answering how it is used. A homeowner or renter with a daily commute or a retired single person is not so different. Those who expect to make money with the vehicle, not just offset income may have a different take on the thread title.

Past the brand-new diesel pickups with DEF (mileage is back up as tuning is better with urea injection; about the same, IOW, as my ten year old pickup) I'd like to be able to completely re-tune mine with a different turbocharger and EFI map. A few more additions mechanically (more gears would be fun) and then some aero changes would see me solo at a solid 30-mpg highway, solo (non-towing) atthe usual 58-mph in the South Central U.S. (climate & terrain).

How well this would match up to the artculated rig HP/TQ problems is the really interesting question in my mind. 15-mpg at present, 16-mpg average is easy to forecast. Aero is a more important question for a 17k lb rig. Hitting 20-mpg would be hilarious in anticipating the calls of "liar, liar" from RV owners, but somewhere between 16 and 19 is really not hard to see (conditions dependent as climate & terrain figure so prominently).


As the spirit of the thread is as much about spending money as the ostensible desirability of saving money, let it be said that the successful completion of modifications and testing would be expensive. More than I have at present.

May the new year see us all make . . . and then make better decisions with what we then have.

.

[UltArc]

Originally Posted by Xist

UltArc, does that deactivate cylinders, or just twelve-on and twelve-off, because I am pretty sure that could cruise around town on two cylinders!

12 on/off, stop start- yea, I think two could pull it along just fine.

[P-hack]

in the $3k range I would "like" something electric with maybe 10 mile range that can climb hills at 35mph and get up to 45mph easily enough. Front bench seat would be nice as there are 6 folks in the house (4 kids), recharge on 110 when not in use. "Remote start" 110v cabin heater, battery warmer.

[jakobnev]

UltArc -

I think you should buy that car and do a 3-cyl Kubota engine swap to it.

Slap on a DIY turbo conversion and a cardboard&tape boattail and rule the roads!

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by RedDevil

My neighbor at work has a Fabia 1.2 TDI Combi as a lease car. Says it is a slug even if you rev it. He just got it for the space, drives it hard and gets maybe 18 km per liter, say 40 mpg US.

In spite of the forced-induction downsized engine, and the more advanced engine management system, it doesn't sound any better than a Volkswagen-powered old Suzuki Vitara an uncle of mine used to have. In spite of having worse aerodynamics, a driveline not so optimized for fuel-efficiency, and that 50hp 1.6IDI Diesel, it would get 18 km/l constantly, either in city traffic or highway. And my uncle is not a hypermiler, he actually enjoys speeding...

[Arragonis]

Would have to disagree, a Vitara is about the worst car I've ever driven - unstable, bouncy, slow, cr@p steering, awful seats, badly placed pedals and despite it's size there isn't a lot of room inside.

[UltArc]

Originally Posted by jakobnev

UltArc -

I think you should buy that car and do a 3-cyl Kubota engine swap to it.

Slap on a DIY turbo conversion and a cardboard&tape boattail and rule the roads!

I want the power though...I could see lowering the power if I could squeeze out better FE, but I couldn't see pulling out that Ferrari 12(other than so it doesn't catch on fire). And cardboard and tape?! This is OHIO! Wood, polycarbonate, and fiber glass

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by Arragonis

Would have to disagree, a Vitara is about the worst car I've ever driven - unstable, bouncy, slow, cr@p steering, awful seats, badly placed pedals and despite it's size there isn't a lot of room inside.

Anyway, since the 1.2TDI is a more modern unit and was fitted in a front-wheel drive transversely-engined compact car instead of a 4WD compact SUV we could expect it to get better mileage.

[freebeard]

What about you? Waiting for used prices to come down on something special?...(Try to keep it realistic...)

I'm content with the weekly driver I already have, but when this comes to market it would be a nice upgrade.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QBsA3UX69o

With tall/narrow Bridgestone Ecopias and a EV conversion.