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CarSpace Alternate RouteTurn off the nav system, crumple up that MapQuest printout, and let's find out where the next random turn may take us! Jun 29, 2008 - Smokey and the Gas Bandit
The AAA and Connecticut State Police are warning against extreme measures in "hypermiling," a practice in which unusual techniques are used to boost vehicles' mileage. They include rolling through stop signs, turning off a car's engine to coast down hills, overinflating tires to decrease rolling resistance against pavement and other techniques. One action that authorities say is particularly dangerous is called "drafting," tailgating big rigs in hopes of cutting wind resistance and being pulled along in a truck's wake. "Every one of them is illegal," Connecticut State Police spokesman Trooper William Tate said of the "hypermiling" techniques. He doesn't sound exactly like Buford T. Justice, but I'm certain a good scriptwriter can take care of that. Read the entire article at newsday.com
Jun 5, 2008 - Ease On Down The Road
I won't say that hybrid owners started it, but the term sure came into vogue once hybrids hit the scene... hypermiling. Getting rid of jack rabbit starts, learning how to slow down and stop with minimal brake use by not going so fast in the first place, generally being a little less agressive on the road. There are a bunch of little things you can do to squeeze more mileage out of your car. You can find some of these ideas and share your own tips right here in CarSpace in our forums discussion on hypermiling. Stop in and share your secrets and maybe you can start to get results like Wayne Gerdes who gets 60 mpg in his regular Honda Accord!
Feb 23, 2008 - Ask Dub Schwartz!
Well Useless, let me see if I have the facts straight. You have an 8 year old car that's no longer manufactured with 120,000 miles on it, and a warranty that's good for 8 years/80,000 miles, the company somehow honors that warranty and you avoid a $7000 bill that you probably should have paid, and you're upset? Be thankful that you didn't have to pay the $7000. That would fall under the "hybrid premium" umbrella if you ask me. Let me take a wild stab here. That lower mileage was on the first tank of gas after the repair wasn't it? Since the IMA was changed to reduce battery heating I think it's resonable to expect that the mileage performance of the vehicle might be affected. Maybe you should give it a tank or two, or better yet, wait until spring and nicer weather before you start claiming sabotage and a greater plot to make hybrids look bad... but the dealer probably likes diesels!
Sep 22, 2007 - Boon or Bane?
The story points out that "the average gas mileage of hybrid models available in the U.S. is 33 miles per gallon (combined city and highway). But Chevy's newest Silverado hybrid truck gets only 16 mpg. The newest Lexus LS 600h L hybrid sedan clocks in at 21 mpg, the 2007 Saturn Vue hybrid at 26 mpg." A J.D. Power study cited in the article found that "buyers expected hybrids to gain 18.5 mpg over similar non-hybrid vehicles." As much as hybrid enthusiasts want to ignore the "hybrid premium", the decision to purchase a hybrid for many doesn't come down to whether or not someone wants to "go green", but how much of their green it's going to cost. Many hybrid owners do squeeze astronomical mileage numbers out of their hybrids using hypermiling techniques, but setting those aside, and ignoring those people who drive like maniacs and complain that their hyrbid doesn't perform as advertised, you can sift through the real world mileage discussions on the CarSpace forums and find folks who are simply driving their vehicles to get a feel for the kind of mileage performance you might get in your average daily driving. Average Prius owners, for example, seem to be reporting combined driving mileage numbers of 48-50mpg. Price on the base 2007 Prius is $22,175. Price on my base 2007 Versa that I purchased in February was $13,675, and I'm getting 33mpg in combined driving. That puts me right in the range of that 18.5 mpg difference that buyers expect hybrids to get over similar non-hybrid vehicles. The Prius and Versa would seem to be vehicles of a similar class with regard to form and function. If my past driving habits continue, I'll be driving it about 10,000 miles per year and using roughly 303 gallons of gasoline. Had I purchased a Prius and was getting 50mpg, I could expect to use only 200 gallons over the course of a year, saving me 103 gallons of gas annually. Using $4/gallon gas prices to give me even more incentive to choose a hybrid, that's $412 per year still in my pocket. Price difference between the cars is $8500. You know the math. That's over 20 years to break even. And even the most loyal hybrid advocate doesn't expect that the hybrid battery pack won't have to be replaced in that length of time. Normal maintenance and wear and tear is going to be the same for both, so that's a wash. So other than to feel good about myself or tell people how much smarter I am than they are, where's my incentive to buy? Premium hybrid
Aug 15, 2007 - Speed Bump Day
One other item to mention about my recent visit to the Edmunds offices... I'm basically an East Coast guy. That means I grew up with the understanding that the streets are for the cars, and you watch out for yourself when venturing into their domain. Where this California notion comes from that you can just step out in front of traffic and they're going to stop is beyond me. So I'm wandering the streets of Santa Monica, trying to fit in. And I finally get the hang of stepping out in front of cars in the crosswalk and not giving away my amazement that cars are actually stopping while I continue on my tour of local watering holes, except for... The Prius Hordes of Wilshire Boulevard. You want to keep the planet green? Try not to spill my blood, please!
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