100 mpg possible in real world conditions?

[expat]

Two production cars seem to have managed that and a little more:

http://www.thegreencarwebsite.co.uk/blog...100mpg-ceiling/

Even a commercial Van achieved 77+ mpg

http://www.vansa2z.com/Vivaro-triumphs-in-MPG-Marathon-2012

 

[Voltmaster]

We can have near 100 easily with 9 spin transmissions + electric waterpump+ air condition , direct injection and turbos , lighter cars , good drives all put in one package

 

[Artem]

I think it really depends on the speed you're going. 45mpg in top gear, on a flat road with cruise control in my Civic shows incredible MPGs. The reality when doing 75mph on the highway however is much different.

 

[QuietPortage]

It's too bad we can't most of the diesels in North America. Booooo.

 

[Andy636]

Buy a Hyundai I20 with the 1.2 CRDI engine and you can have 62 Mpg all year around with day to day driving. On the other half good luck driving that in the US of A when a teenager in an F150 decides that is more important to check his messages instead of watching where he is going.

 

[OldSparks]

Originally Posted By: Andy636
Buy a Hyundai I20 with the 1.2 CRDI engine and you can have 62 Mpg all year around with day to day driving. On the other half good luck driving that in the US of A when a teenager in an F150 decides that is more important to check his messages instead of watching where he is going.


+1
And it's not just the teenagers. Got rearended when stopped at traffic lights this summer by a contractor who claimed he was 'adjusting the defroster'.

 

[earlyre]

Originally Posted By: Andy636
Buy a Hyundai I20 with the 1.2 CRDI engine and you can have 62 Mpg all year around with day to day driving. On the other half good luck driving that in the US of A when a teenager in an F150 decides that is more important to check his messages instead of watching where he is going.


That Model is not available in N.America. and almost no Diesel Cars. a few of the German makes bring small numbers of Diesel cars to the US, but over here Diesel is Largely just available in big trucks...

 

[kschachn]

Yeah, you don't have a lot of leeway when you are asking for 100 MPG. Calculate it yourself- see how much energy is in a gallon of gasoline and then divide that by 100 to see how much you get to propel you one mile. That's where the meat of the problem becomes apparent.

Like others mentioned, 40 MPH on a flat stretch of road not having to account for startup or acceleration is one thing but real world driving makes it a lot more difficult.

 

[expat]

Originally Posted By: Bandito440
It's too bad we can't most of the diesels in North America. Booooo.


That was my thought exactly.
Even the factory climed mpg rating is far beyond anything we can achive here.

The van featured is a GM product, What gives?

 

[expat]

Originally Posted By: kschachn
Yeah, you don't have a lot of leeway when you are asking for 100 MPG. Calculate it yourself- see how much energy is in a gallon of gasoline and then divide that by 100 to see how much you get to propel you one mile. That's where the meat of the problem becomes apparent.

Like others mentioned, 40 MPH on a flat stretch of road not having to account for startup or acceleration is one thing but real world driving makes it a lot more difficult.



I think the rules of this contest and route provide proximity to 'real world driving'
This is not just Laps on a test track.

 

[Kiwi_ME]

But it's worth noting that the gallon will be imperial not US.

So you're really looking at 83 mpg US.

Last year I was looking at buying a Ford Fiesta Ecokinetic. They have slightly higher gearing than the standard Fiesta diesel and a few weight-saving tricks like no spare tire and wind-up rear door windows. Apparently the 1.6 diesel engine is tuned for low-rpm economy, whatever that entails.

 

[Kiwi_ME]

Originally Posted By: Bandito440
It's too bad we can't most of the diesels in North America. Booooo.


Even more of a mystery to me is why VW don't offer their high-tech small gasoline TSI engines like the 1.2 and 1.4. These give the diesels a good run for their money in economy without the emissions complications.

 

[mechtech2]

Originally Posted By: Bandito440
It's too bad we can't most of the diesels in North America. Booooo.


Can't most of the diesels? Can't what?

 

[earlyre]

Originally Posted By: expat

The van featured is a GM product, What gives?


well, yes, and no. I looked the model up on the Wikipedia, and while Vauxhall does build their models in England, and Opel Does have a version as well, it's a Nissan/Renault Design.

But they ALL have vans like that in Europe(that we can't get), and the models that do come over have more efficient engines (in Europe)that we can't get either...
frustrating it is.

 

[expat]

Originally Posted By: earlyre
Originally Posted By: expat

The van featured is a GM product, What gives?


well, yes, and no. I looked the model up on the Wikipedia, and while Vauxhall does build their models in England, and Opel Does have a version as well, it's a Nissan/Renault Design.

But they ALL have vans like that in Europe(that we can't get), and the models that do come over have more efficient engines (in Europe)that we can't get either...
frustrating it is.



more than frustrating, more like a conspiracy!
Where' my Tin Foil hat?

 

[Spazdog]

IIRC, the Litestar/Pulse was pretty close to 100mpg carbureted with a 2 speed Hondamatic in the early '80s.....

...but it's not technically a car. It had a CM450A SOHC 3-valve twin and two of the wheels were outriggers.

 

[expat]

Originally Posted By: Spazdog
IIRC, the Litestar/Pulse was pretty close to 100mpg carbureted with a 2 speed Hondamatic in the early '80s.....

...but it's not technically a car. It had a CM450A SOHC 3-valve twin and two of the wheels were outriggers.


Well, it was not really a car, did not have modern safty equipment (ABS, Air Bags, impact resistance etc.)
and did not attain near 100mpg in stop-go motoring against the clock on a road course over 370 miles.

Re; Litestar/pulse.
"The most outstanding performance characteristic is high fuel mileage. Owners report figures of 50-55 mpg when driving normal highway speeds. One customer claims 70 mpg using an oil additive to the gasoline. Test vehicles have achieved as high as 80 mpg under controlled conditions."

 

[Andy636]

Originally Posted By: earlyre
Originally Posted By: Andy636
Buy a Hyundai I20 with the 1.2 CRDI engine and you can have 62 Mpg all year around with day to day driving. On the other half good luck driving that in the US of A when a teenager in an F150 decides that is more important to check his messages instead of watching where he is going.


That Model is not available in N.America. and almost no Diesel Cars. a few of the German makes bring small numbers of Diesel cars to the US, but over here Diesel is Largely just available in big trucks...

The way I see it why you don't have a lot of options when it comes to diesel cars in the US is because even in this economically challenged period you guys still have it easy compared to the rest of the world. Cheap gas, cheap registration cheap engine oil and so on, so there is no real pressure put on the automakers by the buyers to develop/import diesel cars that have been available on other markets for years. I'd call it more of a "I wish" situation instead of "I need" since owning big trucks is still affordable.
Let's say I wanna get a brand new F-250 6.2 diesel where I live.
To register the car in my name I would have to pay 2988.6 Euro

Yearly registration fee would also be 990.61 Euro

Diesel price 7-7.5 bucks/gallon

And that my fellows yanks is why we love our small Mario kinda looking diesel cars

 

[earlyre]

but, but...
no arguments with your points, there are just many of us over here who would love to get our hands on some of those "Mario Looking" cars, and even more so if it had a diesel.
Many, Just not enough, the car companies would say to justify bringing them over.
they'll sell (some of) 'em in Mexico, just not the US.

and just for convenience sake: above figures converted from Euro to USD:
Let's say I wanna get a brand new F-250 6.2 diesel where I live.
To register the car in my name I would have to pay 2988.6 Euro = $3803.59 (US)
Yearly registration fee would also be 990.61 Euro = $1260.75(US)

 

[Cujet]

Here is a chart showing the speed/MPG relationship on a Prius. It's clear that MPG "kings" are driving very slowly. With 100MPG achievable at a steady state 22MPH. Not exactly practical. Can you imagine what kind of MPG reduction a 5MPH headwind would cause?