Posted on 04/24/2006 7:15:44 PM PDT by TWohlford
This magazine marked the 20th anniversary of Earth Day in 1990 by exploring “future” technologies.
[snip]
VOLKSWAGEN JETTA TDI 7.0 gallons of B20 biodiesel at $2.749 49.9 mpg vs. EPA highway rating of 42 mpg
Our fuel station was offering up B20 biodiesel, 20 percent veggie oil, which means that from an environmentalist’s perspective the German diesel didn’t just beat the Japanese hybrids, it trounced them. Not only that, it had more than half of its 14.5-gallon tank left at the end—it could have made the same trip again without refueling! Our example was pretty much a stripper, absent even the usual VW trip computer, so we had no instant feedback loop on our performance. Maybe if we’d had that, we could have nudged the economy from 49.9 mpg into the 50-mpg range.
[snip]
At about 11 seconds to 60 mph, the Jetta’s published road-test numbers are not as good as the Prius’ (around 10 seconds, thanks to massive electric motor torque at 0 rpm), but at highway speeds its 177 lb-ft at 1800 rpm and 100 hp at 4000 rpm feel stronger than the Toyota and smoother than the Honda. The diesel spins harder than the Vette at 80 mph, running at 2500 rpm or so, but still it is a long-legged German car with autobahn-able credentials.
For comfort, quiet and highway handling, our drivers found the TDI had significant advantages over every other car in the test. It would have been our choice, in other words, for an easy daytrip on the interstates, regardless of fuel economy. And we topped the hybrids by driving with just a little attention to fuel economy, not making it an obsession.
(Excerpt) Read more at autoweek.com ...
My Sprint (may it rest in peace) used to get 60 to 65MPG. I got sick and tired of little put put cars and bought a truck.
You're gonna love it. I'm getting 46 in the city. Nice low torque, handles steep hills beautifully. Nice stearo execeptional handling once you lose the frog tires. 95 is (speed not road, is rather comfy. :)
Do it.
-Drill
How about a two-wheeled car? They're pricey, like hybrids, but a lot more fun, I would imagine.
http://www.peraves.ch/monot.htm
This is the turbocharged diesel car I've always wanted.
"In the course of 60 hours, four drivers established a total of 16 world records – thirteen of these applying to diesel-engined cars and three to cars in general, irrespective of their type of engine. During the tests, an average speed of 252 km/h was recorded, and Mercedes-Benz proved impressively that diesels also have sprinter qualities."
I hear ya. I'll stick to my 4500lb. extended cab Sierra that can blast from 0-60 in 6.4 sec.
>I would get a VW Jetta except for one thing... its a GAY car.
No, this is a gay car:
http://www.ux1.eiu.edu/~cflds/FrenchAd2_Hyundai.htm
>I hear ya. I'll stick to my 4500lb. extended cab Sierra that can blast from 0-60 in 6.4 sec.
And you'll watch the gas gauge as the needle visibly moves downward towards empty as you blast away. What do you get: 13-14 mpg?
I want one!
15.6mpg my last tank. I get 17 on the highway. I have to drive a truck though because cars don't have enough leg room for me. My last car was a cadillac that got nearly the same milage. ;\
>15.6mpg my last tank. I get 17 on the highway.
That's actually not too bad for a big Sierra. Last year I looked at a Tundra that got worse than that and so I passed on that deal.
You should go for a test drive. A fat torque curve at low rpm can be interesting.
The station wagons were made in Germany through 2005.
* Smells own fart *
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Biodiesel smells like french fries cooking.
An old saying:
"People buy horsepower and drive torque."
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