25th Mar 2007, 12:04
That's what I really want, a hybrid 4x4. I was really excited about the hybrid Escape. I hope Ford keeps improving the technology and using it in more and more vehicles.
25th Mar 2007, 17:58
A recent test in a legitimate auto magazine of a Toyota Highlander hybrid returned 14 mpg. So which wonderful mpg will these new and exciting full size GM trucks be getting? Or are we all supposed to be in awe of 21 mpg highway?
26th Mar 2007, 08:39
12:04; In case you didn't know it, the people at Ford asked the people at Toyota for help with their hybrids. So, it's not Ford that's advancing anything, they're piggybacking Toyota's breakthroughs.
26th Mar 2007, 09:24
I am not concerned about gas mileage. I want a comfortable, good overall performar and bought a GM. They are great to drive and reliable. Its cheaper to buy gas then expensive import down time and mechanical repairs in my opinion.
26th Mar 2007, 10:30
A Toyota Highlander got 14mpg?? What surprises me is that a HIGHLANDER actually went 14 miles without a repair or safety-related crash. We test drove one of these rolling nightmares and couldn't get the piece of crap back to the dealer's lot fast enough. It has to be the WORST SUV made. We bought a smooth, reliable, fast and ECONOMICAL (we get 24mpg highway and ours is NOT a hybrid) GM SUV.
26th Mar 2007, 11:49
You mean you hope TOYOTA keeps improving the technology because that's where it's coming from. Ford only knows how to build gas guzzlers.
26th Mar 2007, 11:52
07:00's comments are plain ridiculous.
I see ONE person SUVs commuting all the time. These gas hogs STILL represent 60% of the market in the US, and you can't possibly tell me that ALL those people are commuting short distances. The reality is that ALL of these vehicles are used for single passenger travel the majority of the time.
You also neglect to mention that EVERY SUV spews four times as much pollution in the air than a normal car, whether the SUV is cruising or idling. And, since most of that pollution occurs during start up, an SUV that goes short distances actually pollutes even MORE than an economical car used for commuting.
26th Mar 2007, 13:08
07:00 Once again, I'm nearly speechless.
First thing's first. How do you know how far of a drive THAT I HAVE to work? For your information, my vehicle gets way better gas mileage than yours, AND I use less gas than you, because I'm the maintenance manager of an apartment complex that I also happen to live in.
As far as you are concerned, unless you tow something large everyday or haul a lot of cargo, you shouldn't buy something else that gets 15 mpg. Almost EVERYTHING on the road today does a lot better than that.
I understand that almost no one is going to rush out and buy the latest car with the best gas mileage every time one better comes along, but again, unless you need a truck with a big V-8 and you do a lot of serious hauling, there's no excuse for getting 15 mpg in a daily driver. We had better technology than that in 1975. Driving something with that bad of fuel consumption is reason enough to trade it for something else.
26th Mar 2007, 19:06
Our Honda had PERMANENT down time after 90,000 miles. That's when the engine blew up (after NUMEROUS other VERY EXPENSIVE problems). I drive Ford and GM now. ZERO downtime.
26th Mar 2007, 19:13
As someone who no longer drives lots of miles (I average about 5,000 miles a year now) gas prices aren't that big a deal to me. What amazes me, though, is people getting excited about a tiny hybrid SUV like the problem-plagued Highlander getting only 14mpg on the highway. Our large GM SUV gets 19mpg in the city and well over 20 on the highway, and it is NOT a hybrid. My V-6 Ford truck gets 18-19 in the city and 23 on the highway. Why buy a hybrid that burns twice as much gas as a larger, better built domestic??
27th Mar 2007, 13:16
Yeah I know about your down time. My 2002 Accord had down time for oil changes and car washes. HOW RIDICULOUS!!! They should never need oil changes and should wash and wax itself.
28th Mar 2007, 05:35
"07:00 Once again, I'm nearly speechless."
Perfect. Why don't you remain that way? You just don't seem to understand that the whole point is about using less gasoline. If you drive less, you use less gasoline. It is IMMATERIAL that your car gets better gas mileage. Driving less in a lower mpg car can use less gas than driving more in a high mpg car.
As for the 4X emissions from the SUV, it was already addressed, so why keep bringing it up? Even at 4X the emissions, driving less in an inefficient vehicle produces less emissions than driving farther in an efficient vehicle.
By driving only a short distance, I use less gas and produce less emissions even by driving an older, relatively inefficient vehicle compared to somebody making the average 100-120 mile round trip commute in a high mpg vehicle.
It is quite interesting to see your reactions when faced with facts. Apparently you have been taught to be so single-minded that "econo-box = good" that you are unable to accept even simple arithmetic that is contrary to your beliefs.
25th Mar 2007, 07:00
You wonder how driving a "gas hog" can use less gas? Okay, let's do the math. If you live close to work, your daily round trip commute is 20 miles. Compare this to the average round trip commute of 120 miles, for people that live 60 miles from work. 60 miles is the average one-way commuting distance in the US.
20 miles/day x 5 days/week x 52 weeks/year = 5,200 miles/year
5,200 miles/year x 1 gal./15 miles = 347 gallons of gasoline/year.
120 miles/day x 5 days/week x 52 weeks/year = 31,200 miles/year
31,200 miles/year x 1 gal./40 miles = 780 gallons of gasoline/year.
The point is that by living close to work, even driving something that gets 15 mpg uses LESS THAN HALF the gasoline that somebody living the average commute distance uses, even if they drive something that gets 40 mpg. Understand? The moral is that just because you see what you think of as a gas guzzler on the road doesn't mean you are necessarily in a position to judge them. Since I'm using less than half the gasoline that you are, do you still want to lecture me on driving a gas guzzler? Seems like you're the one who needs to make some changes.