IntenseDebate - binderme

14 years ago @ National Motorists Ass... - Fuel Economy: Here's W... · 0 replies · +2 points

Our current light duty diesel emissions ( car specific emissions rules ) rules don't give any clean air but they do block the highest mpg vehicles ever built from the US market. It is completely stupid to have these strict emissions requirements on vehicles that make up less than 1 % of the on road today fleet..........These over stringent emissions rules on vehicles that no one but VW has sold in the US since 1986 model year. Pickups sold in the US over the last 26 years haven't, still don't have to pass these emissions rules.......

Today in Europe you can buy a BlueMotion TDI Polo that has no trouble hitting close to 80 mpgUS in real world driving, A similar Golf BlueMotion that easily hits mid 70s mpgs US, A similar Passat BlueMotion that achieves high 60s to around 70 mpgUS. Every auto maker sells similar models to these everywhere else in the world. In countries where diesel offerings like described above are sold they can't give away hybrids of any type...........Why would anyone want an expensive hybrid of any sort when a diesel can easily beat their mpgs @ as little as 1/3rd the cost?????.......they don't......

14 years ago @ National Motorists Ass... - Fuel Economy: Here's W... · 0 replies · +1 points

The over rating well above reality today given to all hybrids gives them an unfair made up advantage over diesels and small displacement gasoline powered with manual trans models........

Today the epa is giving automatics of all sorts similar or higher ratings than manual trans versions of the same models, numbers that no one will ever see lowers real world CAFE by at least 30-40 % today.

And lastly giving SUVs and Pickups ratings that no one will ever get within 40-50 % of real world is allowing these gasoline wasting models to continue to be sold.

I wonder what the reaction of drivers will be this summer if we actually do hit the $5 or more mark for RUG this summer???????? I already drive a ~50 mpgUS diesel VW so the impact will not be that much to me. But the cost will be devistating to the idiots that still is under the illusion they can drive a 6-12 mpgUS real world SUV or Pickup as a passenger vehicle.

14 years ago @ National Motorists Ass... - Fuel Economy: Here's W... · 0 replies · +1 points

>Today diesels are rated at what is actually the real world mixed consumption for a highway rating. The epa ratings also ridiculously claim automatic ratings to be the same or higher than manual equipped models which in no way matches real world.

What the ratings should be on the current Passat TDI manual trans 35 city/ 45 mixed/ 52-54 highway. The Passat TDI DSG model should be 30 city/ 38 mixed/ 45-48 highway. The other diesel offerings from the other German auto makers are similarly under rated from real world. Having the window epa rating today be extremely low below what they actually should be is hurting sales to for people that would purchase a diesel if the epa rating actually gave a real picture of consumption.

14 years ago @ National Motorists Ass... - Fuel Economy: Here's W... · 0 replies · +1 points

The current epa rating when it comes to diesels like the VW, BMW, MB and Audi offerings is admitted to be low by a minimum of 25-30 % below real world. So this make the window sticker rating less than useless when it comes to diesel offerings. The Hybrid offerings rating are at least 25-30 % above real world. The automatic offerings of all type make the silly not backed up by reality claim that automatics can achieve close to or more mpgs than manual trans models. SUVs and Pickups are given ratings that are as much as 40 % above what will be ever seen real world.

14 years ago @ National Motorists Ass... - 2012 Fiat 500 Review · 0 replies · +1 points

this thing is pointless without a diesel option............

14 years ago @ National Motorists Ass... - Left Lane To Pass... P... · 0 replies · +1 points

I said "some" not all..............

14 years ago @ National Motorists Ass... - Left Lane To Pass... P... · 0 replies · +1 points

Do I wished they would actually post the limit at these speeds so I would have to play the stupid game of are they going to single me out for a speed fee( ticket ), yes. But today with most states allowing me to go as fast as I feel safe today ( 80-90 mph in many states ) I can live with being able to drive these speeds where they will let me with no regard to the actual under posted speed limit.

Now I would go a step farther, post reasonable & prudent limits for a large part of the rural America. I drove 10s of thousands of miles across Montana during the time this was their limit and can say that drivers, most drivers will top out in good weather @ ~90 mph on freeways and 75 mph on rural highways. They had actual limit in built up areas and traffic slowed to comply. But as soon as you cleared that area speeds rose safely back to the 90 and 75 mph range respectively but not above. I was always amazed by what would happen coming out of Wyoming into Montana. Traffic, and there was traffic would calmly and safely go from around 80-84 mph in Wyoming to around the 90 mph range.

14 years ago @ National Motorists Ass... - Left Lane To Pass... P... · 0 replies · +1 points

As far as the maximum legally posted limit across the US I agree with you that is set ridiculously low compared to what is in fact the safe speed today. But in allowed speeds today, actual enforced limits are closer to that zone you speak of. In many parts of the US today you can without a care cruise as high as the low 80s as long as you stay below 85 mph. In a few southern, midwestern and western states the enforced limit is around 90-95 on rural freeways.

14 years ago @ KEPR - Tri Cities, WA - Do police really care ... · 0 replies · +1 points

Our cars today in no way compare to what we were driving 50 years ago when Oregon's limits of today were conceived. Tires, brakes, steering, suspensions, are so far ahead of what they were 50 years ago that no real practical reason can be given for keeping out dated posted limits.

All around the world the adopted limits are 75-85 mph, (120-140 kph) which is comfortable and safe in today's cars. In many parts of the US today these are the allowed speeds and are safe. It would be nice if Oregon would take note and allow these to be the posted limits where they can safely be posted. Which would be on about 95 % of Oregon freeways.

14 years ago @ KEPR - Tri Cities, WA - Do police really care ... · 0 replies · +1 points

Another repeating of the same lie about speed by itself being dangerous, it isn't. The truth is that speed doesn't kill and isn't a danger but the difference in speeds between drivers does cause a danger to us all. Oregon is a prime example of what lower than practical and not reality based posted limits gives you, 99 % of the drivers on the road ignoring them. In states that have adopted higher limits more in line with the 85th percentile speeds the roads and freeways are safer per miles traveled. All across the west freeway limits are allowed as high as 85 mph and two lane rural roads are allowed as high as 75 mph.

If ~75-80 mph is the 85 % prevalent traveled freeway speed that is what is safest so should be posted. Trying to keep the limit posted, under posted in Oregon by 10 mph low at a minimum has only lead to it having no influence on travel speed, a fact backed up by 60+ years of DOT data. Stop the silliness of trying to enforce a limit that no one will pay any attention to...........

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