Why you can't buy a high mpg car....

[redpoint5]

Originally Posted by rmay635703

i also strongly disagree with the safety BS, rate them and put them on the road, if people know the rating their wallet will decide.

I agree, but it's never going to happen. The people of this country have allowed and even demanded we have a nanny state. There's hardly anything safety related I can think of that the government allows us to decide whether we participate in that safety option or not.

It comes down to a matter of perspective; are we property of the state (community, etc.) or are we self-owned. Increasingly, it seems people agree we are government owned (and cared for).

[jtbo]

You in US pay around 1/3 - 1/4 from fuel than we pay here, maybe fuel efficiency would play bigger part if fuel prices would be similar to our fuel prices?

But how many are going to demand higher fuel prices?


People in general like things easy and fail to think very much ahead of things, so they are sold to anything that makes things easy, so that they don't need to think, like safety, safe is great as one don't need to bother being careful, this has safety built in and someone else has thought about it, why should I.

That thinking has lead to gov control that is really frustrating, there is soon nothing you can do as it is controlled by gov and needs gazillion tests until you can sell it, so old companies don't meet new competition, people forget how to live by themselves.

For those that think by themselves and like to live their own life without much of gov 'help' it is then frustrating.

For fuel economic vehicles this of course shows up so that people don't understand to demand such vehicles, they demand lower gas prices instead and as gas prices are enough low there is not much improvement coming.

Of course there are other people that know better and know how to be in control of their lives, they know to demand fuel efficient vehicles and maybe even higher gas prices, but so minority are those that politicians can rather safely ignore them, give masses what masses think they want and you get elected for another season, or something like that it is that interest those that could make changes.

But your legislation is rather free about vehicle modifications, maybe it would be possible to get such 1.6D motor and put that to some light weight eco modded car? VW passat does weight a lot compared to Mk I VW rabbit, it is almost a double in weight, now imagine how good economy that would give with boat tail and all other mods made to it?

[mcrews]

Of course there are other people that know better and know how to be in control of their lives, they know to demand fuel efficient vehicles and maybe even higher gas prices, but so minority are those that politicians can rather safely ignore them, give

please, show me what that idiot looks like.........

That reeks of the liberal 'I know what is best for you' attitude!

You worry about saving europe and we'll worry about the usa........and quit calling us for help.

europe has higher fuel prices because of taxes. Tell me where all those taxes go????? To create better roads? NO. To support reseach into more fuel effecient vehicles? NO. To support socialist feel good programs? YES!

[UltArc]

Originally Posted by redpoint5

I agree, but it's never going to happen. The people of this country have allowed and even demanded we have a nanny state. There's hardly anything safety related I can think of that the government allows us to decide whether we participate in that safety option or not.

It comes down to a matter of perspective; are we property of the state (community, etc.) or are we self-owned. Increasingly, it seems people agree we are government owned (and cared for).

I don't agree with this at all. I fully respect your view, do not mean that in a confrontational way, and I do not know an answer. But I do disagree.

I feel that we are protected by the government, but over time it looses efficiency because of low drive at weaker levels within the department. - I will try to use an example. Say, a long time ago, a lot of cars were being made with sub par safety compared to the standard of the day. So the government tries to help, and starts something. But over time, it quickly loses it's luster.

I say that with a great influence from drivin being a priveledge. NOT a right.

Originally Posted by jtbo

You in US pay around 1/3 - 1/4 from fuel than we pay here, maybe fuel efficiency would play bigger part if fuel prices would be similar to our fuel prices?

But how many are going to demand higher fuel prices?


People in general like things easy and fail to think very much ahead of things, so they are sold to anything that makes things easy, so that they don't need to think, like safety, safe is great as one don't need to bother being careful, this has safety built in and someone else has thought about it, why should I.

That thinking has lead to gov control that is really frustrating, there is soon nothing you can do as it is controlled by gov and needs gazillion tests until you can sell it, so old companies don't meet new competition, people forget how to live by themselves.

For those that think by themselves and like to live their own life without much of gov 'help' it is then frustrating.

For fuel economic vehicles this of course shows up so that people don't understand to demand such vehicles, they demand lower gas prices instead and as gas prices are enough low there is not much improvement coming.

Of course there are other people that know better and know how to be in control of their lives, they know to demand fuel efficient vehicles and maybe even higher gas prices, but so minority are those that politicians can rather safely ignore them, give masses what masses think they want and you get elected for another season, or something like that it is that interest those that could make changes.

But your legislation is rather free about vehicle modifications, maybe it would be possible to get such 1.6D motor and put that to some light weight eco modded car? VW passat does weight a lot compared to Mk I VW rabbit, it is almost a double in weight, now imagine how good economy that would give with boat tail and all other mods made to it?

Heck yes, MK I rabbit with that 1.6d. That sounds good.

[minispeed]

Originally Posted by UltArc

I have never driven one or even seen in person, but on a driving simulator I had some fun with it, and they seemed to be pretty sweet. Being an avid lover of not being usual, I'd rather pay 100,00 grand for a vehicle like that than some vehicles costing TWICE as much, and similar performance.



Thanks for bringing this up. It's cool to see more to the story, although surely this there is even more not being included.

I don't see how a 19 year old vehicle is even a classic. I had a 1989 S10 Blazer which was fantastic, and I love that to this day. But that Blazer is not a classic, even though it is now 23-24 years old. I see the reasoning, and I understand why, but if we are going to be forgiving older cars for having terrible mileage, I would think our production models would have higher standards, now.

In Canada they don't actually use the term Classic, they pretty much looked at the numbers and said at that age the only people trying to import cars are doing it because they are, Classic cars, collector cars, special interest cars. They are not daily transport and the numbers are so small that they pose little risk to the public. The people who want those cars will drive them differently than the general public. However they have recently been talking about changing it. With the Yen the way it was and the Asian import/export market so closely connected to BC there has been a flood of Japanese exports. The maintenance safety standards in Japan are amazingly strict, compare that to Canada that has almost none. With no road salt the cars are in great condition. I would put the majority of Japanese 15 year old export cars as a better used car gamble than any 8 year old Canadian car. In ON you get a vehicle certified only to transfer ownership, you get a "drive clean" every 2 years for vehicles after 87 and you only have to pass the standard for the year. And that's only for the most populous part of the province. They have also talked about cancelling it. You can pretty much modify anything and if you never sell the car or you don't cause sparks going down the road no one will do anything about it. You could buy a car, never put a cent into it and drive it into the ground, until you crash no one will know. The only thing that has a chance of being spotted is anything a cop would notice walking up to give you a speeding ticket.

If I hadn't bought a brand new car I would have been looking at getting a BMW 1 series 2.0 diesel 5 door stick from Europe in the next few years. It's got everything I love, RWD, Hatch, Power and Fuel Economy!!!!
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classifi...1501?logcode=p

I LOVED my skyline, and I want another one. I paid $15,000 for mine with 60,000miles, it was in mint condition. You can get them as low as $10,000 now. Considering the size, the aero, awd, the power (mine was approx. 350hp) and the way I drove it (86mph avg hwy), I am pretty surprised they got 20mpg.

Now for the US you're only 2 years away from the 89 GTRs!!!! There are a ton of them up here in Canada already, save the freight!

[jamesqf]

Originally Posted by mcrews

and maybe even higher gas prices,

please, show me what that idiot looks like.........

Me, for one. Of course "demand" is too strong, but I do think I would be a lot better off in many ways if gas cost quite a bit more than it does. Wouldn't affect me personally: at $4/gal, I pay less per mile than your SUV/ovrsized pickup driver would at $1/gal.

Now what the government spends money on is a separate issue: if they don't get it from gas taxes, they'll get it from income taxes or something. Given a choice, I'd rather they taxed harmful & wasteful things, like tobacco or gas guzzlers, than people's income.

[user removed]

I prefer consumption taxes as they encourage conservation. At $7.50 a gallon it would cost me 10 cents a mile on my best MPG bike. I would probably get a leaf for most of our local driving, already have 220 in the garage.

The effects on the US economy of gas at that price would be devastating.

regards
Mech

[minispeed]

What's the newest oil refinery in north America? In not 100% but I think it may be the 70s, they are set up to refine the dirtiest, and cheapest crude (Venezuela Canada amoung others). Many of the worlds newer refineries don't like that crude. One of the reasons Canada makes less on our oil than other countries and all those savings get passed on at the pump. Part off the euro diesel love affair is.... Pardon the pun, fueled by tax incentives which many are calling on cutting and putting at par with gas as they say they do not serve the original purpose.

[Christ]

Let gas prices go wild. I'll keep burning used oil and such...

Even my Camaro gets ~28MPG regular driving with a 3.1/4AT in it. Once I install the lockup switch and finally get some time to work with it, I should be pulling 30+ regularly with that combination.

If I haven't sold it by the time I get the chance to, after I put a 6.5TD into my dump truck, I'll get another one and put it in the Camaro, backed by a 6 speed with >3.0 rear end.

[niky]

A consumption tax is way better than income tax. Stop taxing people who don't use the roads, and start taxing those who do.

Higher fuel consumption usually signifies a bigger, heavier vehicle which degrades the road more and which pollutes more... so take it out of the fuel they use instead of applying some set B.S. "gas guzzler" tax which means very little in terms of actual consumption or use.

EVs that drink off the grid should be similarly taxed.

As it is... what taxes go into roads in the US are apparently insufficient, so it has to come from somewhere. While I disagree in taxing something and putting the money somewhere else, I'm sure most of us would agree that directly applying a higher gas tax to road infrastructure is a good thing.