Small Cars a Waste?

[Mr Nice]

Vilan,

Thats cause you are not like the BITOG member who bought a brand new Lexus only to say he couldn't afford Amsoil cause it was 'out of his budget'


As for me, I will always own a Civic and its not because I am poor or living in a ghetto housing project.

 

[asiancivicmaniac]

I should be driving a $1000 Civic with 150k miles on it but due to my dad and my impulsiveness I ended up in a new one when I was car shopping and it has and continues to serve me well. I think that even when I grow up a bit more that I would still have some sort of small car. Right now I'm really liking the BMW 1 series.

 

[moribundman]

The Audi A1, coming out in 2010 is tempting. It's a hybrid with a small turbo gas engine. Gets over 60 mpg, but can go up to 31 miles just on the battery. Will cost $22k and up. That's certainly not an econobox.


Audi A1

 

[Shannow]

That's rally clever using the navigation system to plan regeneration and power potential.

I like.

 

[asiancivicmaniac]

When that comes out it might take a bit to grow on me. I hope they don't keep the interior that way. It looks spartan and overly futuristic. The front looks okay but the rear is kinda weird.

I like the BMW 1 series because it resembles the old 3 series.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: moribundman
Yeah, good brakes and short stopping distances are an unacceptable liability.


Nothing wrong with drums, they seem to stop transport trucks OK

 

[PandaBear]

I'd say this opinion is paid for by the big 3 automakers, Toyota, and Nissan, who makes most of their money on SUVs.

 

[firemachine69]

Originally Posted By: OVERK1LL
Originally Posted By: moribundman
Yeah, good brakes and short stopping distances are an unacceptable liability.


Nothing wrong with drums, they seem to stop transport trucks OK

Drums are cheaper, and easier to maintain. As well, warping and cracking is much harder to do on drums, as opposed to disks. Our new MCI D4505 coaches came from the factory with disks all-around, but after a few *ahem* vigorous brake applications (think: using only the brakes on a two-mile long, 10% downhill stretch), most are being converted to a drum system, at least on the rear drive and tag axles.


Don't be brainwashed into thinking their on trucks for any other reason.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: firemachine69
Originally Posted By: OVERK1LL
Originally Posted By: moribundman
Yeah, good brakes and short stopping distances are an unacceptable liability.


Nothing wrong with drums, they seem to stop transport trucks OK

Drums are cheaper, and easier to maintain. As well, warping and cracking is much harder to do on drums, as opposed to disks. Our new MCI D4505 coaches came from the factory with disks all-around, but after a few *ahem* vigorous brake applications (think: using only the brakes on a two-mile long, 10% downhill stretch), most are being converted to a drum system, at least on the rear drive and tag axles.


Don't be brainwashed into thinking their on trucks for any other reason.


I wasn't implying they were superior; rather that they work just fine.

 

[firemachine69]

Originally Posted By: OVERK1LL
Originally Posted By: firemachine69
Originally Posted By: OVERK1LL
Originally Posted By: moribundman
Yeah, good brakes and short stopping distances are an unacceptable liability.


Nothing wrong with drums, they seem to stop transport trucks OK

Drums are cheaper, and easier to maintain. As well, warping and cracking is much harder to do on drums, as opposed to disks. Our new MCI D4505 coaches came from the factory with disks all-around, but after a few *ahem* vigorous brake applications (think: using only the brakes on a two-mile long, 10% downhill stretch), most are being converted to a drum system, at least on the rear drive and tag axles.


Don't be brainwashed into thinking their on trucks for any other reason.


I wasn't implying they were superior; rather that they work just fine.



Noted, and factual.

 

[Shannow]

The 4 wheel drums fitted to cars in the 60s and early 70s were utterly hopeless, particularly compared to the disks of the day.

 

[Vilan]

Originally Posted By: moribundman
Originally Posted By: Vilan
I don't drive it because I'm poor, I drive it because it's all I need.

I did not mean to imply that the choice of car reflected the owner's economic status.


No, but a certain someone from a recent thread might...

 

[moribundman]

Originally Posted By: Vilan
No, but a certain someone from a recent thread might...


His misconceptions are really his problem, right?

 

[oilyriser]

Originally Posted By: Shannow
That's rally clever using the navigation system to plan regeneration and power potential.

I like.


Still not finished. Use a topographical map, learning, and a good algorithm, and it'll even learn where the stop signs are.

 

[Shannow]

As I've repeated before, some good neural networks, and a hybrid could learn the best recharge commute

 

[oilyriser]

With enough experience, it could even look for patterns in gas prices, and tell you when to fill up.

 

[Gary Allan]

Originally Posted By: moribundman
The Audi A1, coming out in 2010 is tempting. It's a hybrid with a small turbo gas engine. Gets over 60 mpg, but can go up to 31 miles just on the battery. Will cost $22k and up. That's certainly not an econobox.


Audi A1


I will believe the $22k figure when I see it. Much like the Smart ..where the base is allegedly $12k+/- ..but the loaded Acme version is over $20k. The "livable" 60mpg version will be $30k+

 

[XS650]

Smarts don't light my candle, but the prices aren't as outragous now that they have an official import channel into the US.

If you don't need AC, the base Smart is livable at under $12k base price. The upscale model is nicely equipped with AC and some other fluff at $13,600

http://www.smartusa.com/smart-fortwo-passion.aspx

Whether you can get one right now without paying a dealer markup or not is another question.

 

[Steve S]

Originally Posted By: Tosh
If parts of cars are going to landfills
I wish I had nothing going on so I could worry about what is going into the land fill.

 

[John_K]

Originally Posted By: Steve S
Originally Posted By: Tosh
If parts of cars are going to landfills
I wish I had nothing going on so I could worry about what is going into the land fill.


And since when do cars go to landfills? Junkyards and used parts outlets are where most things end up.

John