1. This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Learn More.

Motors The 65 mpg Ford the U.S. Can't Have

Discussion in 'General' started by Scirocco, 16 Sep 2008.

  1. Matticus

    Matticus ...

    Joined:
    23 Feb 2008
    Posts:
    3,347
    Likes Received:
    117
    Yeah all the newest mini's have 6 speed gearboxes. Which is why they are damn economical and still pretty quick.

    I can't understand the lack of small diesels if you have so many diesel filling points. Maybe they don't even have to be diesels at all, just small safe European and Japanese petrol cars that do good MPG. But saying that the polo blue motion diesel does a motorway average of 70+ MPG, but the petrol version does 45+.

    Start lobbying for diesels.
     
  2. Mother-Goose

    Mother-Goose 5 o'clock somewhere

    Joined:
    22 Jul 2004
    Posts:
    3,890
    Likes Received:
    6
    I drive a Fabia vRS which is a diesel and I find it's a brilliant blend between economy and fun, you can cruise comfortably along or you can cain it!


    From what I saw, alot of the diesel nozzles were big bore ones for filling trucks, the nozzles looked too big for a standard car.

    Plus the point made earlier that if the US goes Diesel then demand will force the price up and the savings will be small to none existant.
     
    Last edited: 16 Sep 2008
  3. Krikkit

    Krikkit All glory to the hypnotoad! Super Moderator

    Joined:
    21 Jan 2003
    Posts:
    23,925
    Likes Received:
    655
    Ford are completely insane imo - all of their European cars are good, and most of the range is literally brilliant.

    The Focus and new Fiesta are best in their class, the Mondeo has lead its class for years now, and yet Ford won't sell the Euro versions in the US. Instead it simply makes god-awful looking cars, and flogs 'em cheap over there.

    Surely in their current financial situation being able to cut down on the different models would be advantageous, as well as being able to sell masses of these new Euro models over in a US market which is crying out for fuel-efficient, smaller cars.
     
  4. Guest-16

    Guest-16 Guest

    Only if you live in the coldest outer regions - we get quite cold winters here in parts and I've never, ever heard anyone complaining their diesel motor won't start because the fuel is solid.

    You've also got to remember that in the US, the fuel is like water 88/90/92 Ron, not 95/98 like over here for Petrol. Also, it needs the refinery infrastructure to support it and diesels are still seen as "dirty" or slow cars I'd imagine.
     
  5. DXR_13KE

    DXR_13KE BananaModder

    Joined:
    14 Sep 2005
    Posts:
    9,139
    Likes Received:
    382
    some of these new diesel cars intake more pollution than the pollution they exhaust, what i mean is that they clean up the air.
     
  6. Xen0phobiak

    Xen0phobiak SMEGHEADS!

    Joined:
    8 Aug 2002
    Posts:
    3,847
    Likes Received:
    18
    I can say the same thing for my 2.0 TDCI mondeo.
     
  7. steveo_mcg

    steveo_mcg What's a Dremel?

    Joined:
    26 May 2005
    Posts:
    5,841
    Likes Received:
    80
    I tried that line with the chancellor, git still put my road tax up. :lol:
     
  8. modgodtanvir

    modgodtanvir Prepare - for Mortal Bumbat!

    Joined:
    28 May 2007
    Posts:
    1,960
    Likes Received:
    2
    Would you believe that I pay an annual road tax of £35 in my 1.5l Diesel Clio?!
     
  9. steveo_mcg

    steveo_mcg What's a Dremel?

    Joined:
    26 May 2005
    Posts:
    5,841
    Likes Received:
    80
    git.... ;)
     
  10. naokaji

    naokaji whatever

    Joined:
    8 Dec 2006
    Posts:
    1,879
    Likes Received:
    10
    Screw diesel, its too expensive due to taxes, once the demand rises for it in the usa you can be sure that the government there will do the same as european ones, increase taxes on it like madness.
     
  11. Xen0phobiak

    Xen0phobiak SMEGHEADS!

    Joined:
    8 Aug 2002
    Posts:
    3,847
    Likes Received:
    18
    How much is peanut/sunflower oil over there? ;).
     
  12. DXR_13KE

    DXR_13KE BananaModder

    Joined:
    14 Sep 2005
    Posts:
    9,139
    Likes Received:
    382
    considering we are going to start producing biofuel from seaweed... this car is going to be awesome, to bad for you yanks.... :p
     
  13. Nexxo

    Nexxo * Prefab Sprout – The King of Rock 'n' Roll

    Joined:
    23 Oct 2001
    Posts:
    34,731
    Likes Received:
    2,210
    Effin' A. Honda Civic (2007) 2.2 Diesel Type S here. Smiling all the way while doing 60 mpg.
     
  14. knuck

    knuck Hate your face

    Joined:
    25 Jan 2002
    Posts:
    7,671
    Likes Received:
    310
    ditto :D

    Errr ... have you ever been here ? We do have small (and safe :rolleyes:) petrol cars that do good MPG. Not everyone drives a big-ass pickup.

    You are right though, we should have more diesel cars because we do have lots of diesels filling points, at least in urban regions. I am not so sure about rural places.

    This is a myth. There are many ways of calculating the level of octane of a fuel, and uk and europe's way is just different from the states and canada.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octane_rating


    However I do believe that diesels seem like dirty cars. From what I have heard and smelled, all diesel cars sound like a 25 year old Ford Escort (that would still be alive, amazingly) and some even smell bad
     
  15. Krikkit

    Krikkit All glory to the hypnotoad! Super Moderator

    Joined:
    21 Jan 2003
    Posts:
    23,925
    Likes Received:
    655
    Modern diesels are much, much better than they used to be - they still sound, well, like a diesel, but they're certainly not dirty things anymore... :)
     
  16. knuck

    knuck Hate your face

    Joined:
    25 Jan 2002
    Posts:
    7,671
    Likes Received:
    310
    but the sound .... :(
     
  17. Krikkit

    Krikkit All glory to the hypnotoad! Super Moderator

    Joined:
    21 Jan 2003
    Posts:
    23,925
    Likes Received:
    655
    Exactly the reason why I hate diesels, they just don't sound right...
     
  18. Xen0phobiak

    Xen0phobiak SMEGHEADS!

    Joined:
    8 Aug 2002
    Posts:
    3,847
    Likes Received:
    18
    Mine sounds 'like a diesel' at idle, but sounds great as soon as the variable vane turbo kicks in. :D
     
  19. talladega

    talladega I'm Squidward

    Joined:
    18 Aug 2007
    Posts:
    5,258
    Likes Received:
    495

    Not sure how cold it gets there but where I live (20 Miles from United States border) it gets to -40C in the winter. At school a number of people drive diesel cars (VW's mainly) and starting around -35C they cant get their vehicles started or it takes a long time.

    Diesel trucks (besides Dodge im pretty sure) dont seem to have a problem.
     
  20. ufk

    ufk Licenced Fool

    Joined:
    3 Jan 2004
    Posts:
    760
    Likes Received:
    10
    The cold starting problems are because at low temperatures the diesel starts to "wax" and becomes thicker and harder to pump, that's why you have glow-plugs on most diesels that heat the fuel as it passes into the intake. Larger commercial vehicles tend to have a preheat built into the tank or filters to overcome this, either that or just chuck some unleaded or paraffin (just don't tell the taxman, in the UK paraffin is taxed as a heating fuel, use it as a road fuel and they double (at least) the tax) into the tank when you fill up, this lowers the viscosity at low temperatures. I've seen the military and hauliers burning a small paraffin burner under the fuel tanks at night to keep the diesel warm in near artic conditions and have no problems starting in the morning.
     
Tags:

Share This Page