Dealer bites the dust

Yeah, scares me too. ALMOST as much as being one heart attack away
from Palin being president.

Bill

 

steady now, get a grip...

 

On shaky ground here.

 

Yeah - I supposed I might be a bit predictable at times. I'm just so tired
of that phrase "gas guzzlers", and it always seems to get thrown out there
for the effect, rather than a valid argument point. I do agree that it
seems we well ought to be able to expect mileage numbers in the 40's now,
without any radical designs. 30's was great for a generation of cars, and I
applaud GM for having lead the pack in producing as many cars as they did,
for as long as they did, that achieved that kind of mileage. But, like you,
I believe it's time to advance on that front. I really like both of the
Sonatas we own (04 and 06), and I have almost nothing but good to say about
them, but the one thing that struck me with each one of them was that the
mileage compared to my GM cars was actually somewhat off. Not so bad as to
make owning either one a bad experience, but it is hard at first to accept a
new car getting a couple/few less miles per gallon that what you owned
before it.

 

40-50 isn't really the norm in Europe, is it? I too believe that a car like
the Cobalt should be getting better mileage. It does not seem unreasonable
to me to expect to see upper 30's out of that size car these days - without
going to steps like putting a diesel in it.

That said, my daughter recently replaced an 00 Sunfire with an 05 or 06
Mazda 3. Granted, you don't mention Japanese cars above, but they are
generally touted as being superior to GM in every respect, and certainly in
the mileage department. (Not so, but that's what you hear). Her in city
mileage dropped significantly (an impact to her because she lives in the
city and does a large amount of city driving), and her highway mileage
dropped some. Not as noticeable a drop as the city mileage, but still a
drop.

The HHR is a design nightmare for mileage figures. I can see where that
would struggle to attain the mileage that a more aerodynamic design should
achieve, but its city mileage could be better, I believe.

 

I'm anxious to see more advances in electric, but in self-generating
electric. Diesel generator locomotives have advanced great strides in the
tonnage they can move on a gallon of diesel fuel, and it sure seems that the
technology they employ could be migrated to cars. I'm not at all interested
in seeing any more introductions that require the own to plug the car into
the wall to charge it up.

 

THE DEMOCRATS & REPUBLICANS HAVE YOU RIGHT WHERE THEY WANT YOU! FIGHTING
EACH OTHER SO YOU DON"T SEE THE REAL PROBLEM>THEY DON"T GIVE A ****
ABOUT YOU THEY ARE RICH AND GETTING RICHER WHILE YOU FIGHT AMONG
YOURELVES INSTEAD OF GETTING RID OF BOTH OF THEM>THIS COUNTRY IS
DOOMED>THERE IS NO CONSTITUTION ANY MORE.WE JUST HAD A TOWN USE EMMINENT
DOMAIN TO TAKE PROPERTY FROM ANOTHER TOWN??WATS NEXT>KEEP FIGHTING
ASSHOLES<YOU"RE DOING THE WORK FOR THEM >

 

whew... I FELT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO SHARE THAT BEFORE I DO MYSELF AND
EVERYONE WHO KNOWS ME A FAVOR AND PULL THE TRIGGER. NOW LET'S SEE,
WHICH END OF THE PISTOL GOES AGAINST MY EMPTY CRANIUM?

OH YEAH, I GOT IT NOW..

 

Second post was the ASSHOLE ADDY HIJACKER>

 

Oh, 50 mpg in Europe is quite normal now, BUT remember that 1/2 of the cars
are diesels! I'm retired now for 3 years but before that I spent TOO much
time in Europe on business and routinely rented MB, Fords, and Peugeots that
always gave me well over 50 mpg with as many as 4 people in them. Most of
the mileage was what I would term suburban driving in town or on the
Autobahn at 100 mph. The cars had surprising acceleration and passing
ability too.

 

I agree, Mike. any care that has to be plugged in is doomed to failure
until an infrastructure is well in place (which, I believe, will never
happen given our present form of government self interests).
One thing that makes the railroads so efficient is the fact that there is
almost no contact area between the wheels and the track reducing friction.
Once the energy is expended to get the mass up to speed, very little is
needed to maintain it. I guess also the NASCAR drafting syndrome plays a
part in moving a long train. Try that on the interstate!!! When I was
young and foolish, I did that on my motorcycle behind trucks. You could
almost close the throttle and be sucked along (while you prayed he didn't
hit the brakes!). Tire technology could take a giant step forward to reduce
rolling resistance too. I saw an ad for a new 'gas saving' tire but when
you do the math, it is more hype than actual help.

 

Its the economy left by King Clusterfuck.

--
"Naturally the common people don't want war: Neither in Russia, nor in
England, nor for that matter in Germany. That is understood. But, after
all, IT IS THE LEADERS of the country who determine the policy and it
is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a
democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist
dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to
the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is TELL
THEM THEY ARE BEING ATTACKED, and denounce the peacemakers for lack of
patriotism and exposing the country to danger. IT WORKS THE SAME IN ANY
COUNTRY."
 
--Goering at the Nuremberg Trials

 

The banks are paying back thier loans.

We all know how people like you just hate that.

--
"Naturally the common people don't want war: Neither in Russia, nor in
England, nor for that matter in Germany. That is understood. But, after
all, IT IS THE LEADERS of the country who determine the policy and it
is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a
democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist
dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to
the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is TELL
THEM THEY ARE BEING ATTACKED, and denounce the peacemakers for lack of
patriotism and exposing the country to danger. IT WORKS THE SAME IN ANY
COUNTRY."
 
--Goering at the Nuremberg Trials

 

Throw in a war to scam a pipline, complete with no-bid contracts and no
end strategy.

--
"Naturally the common people don't want war: Neither in Russia, nor in
England, nor for that matter in Germany. That is understood. But, after
all, IT IS THE LEADERS of the country who determine the policy and it
is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a
democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist
dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to
the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is TELL
THEM THEY ARE BEING ATTACKED, and denounce the peacemakers for lack of
patriotism and exposing the country to danger. IT WORKS THE SAME IN ANY
COUNTRY."
 
--Goering at the Nuremberg Trials

 

Yes, them Republickans are always shooting themselves in the foot, when
they are aren't pretending to be Cheney. LOL.

But....Nancy's Astrologer said everthing would be OK!

AMEN! ;-)

--
"Naturally the common people don't want war: Neither in Russia, nor in
England, nor for that matter in Germany. That is understood. But, after
all, IT IS THE LEADERS of the country who determine the policy and it
is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a
democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist
dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to
the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is TELL
THEM THEY ARE BEING ATTACKED, and denounce the peacemakers for lack of
patriotism and exposing the country to danger. IT WORKS THE SAME IN ANY
COUNTRY."
 
--Goering at the Nuremberg Trials

 

Is that kid knocked up AGAIN bu some jackoff loser asshole?

--
"Naturally the common people don't want war: Neither in Russia, nor in
England, nor for that matter in Germany. That is understood. But, after
all, IT IS THE LEADERS of the country who determine the policy and it
is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a
democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist
dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to
the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is TELL
THEM THEY ARE BEING ATTACKED, and denounce the peacemakers for lack of
patriotism and exposing the country to danger. IT WORKS THE SAME IN ANY
COUNTRY."
 
--Goering at the Nuremberg Trials

 

Dear Lazy Assed Top- Poster:

The UAW didn't make the decisons to design and manufacture shit cars.

The UAW didn't piss billions away on bad advertsing.

The UAW didn't buy private jets to fly to Congressional Hearings.

The UAW is not in bed with Saudis like the Bush family is.

--
"Naturally the common people don't want war: Neither in Russia, nor in
England, nor for that matter in Germany. That is understood. But, after
all, IT IS THE LEADERS of the country who determine the policy and it
is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a
democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist
dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to
the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is TELL
THEM THEY ARE BEING ATTACKED, and denounce the peacemakers for lack of
patriotism and exposing the country to danger. IT WORKS THE SAME IN ANY
COUNTRY."
 
--Goering at the Nuremberg Trials

 

The difference is that the first scenario is possible and the second is not.

 

What Sedona are you talking about? Certainly not the Kia. I had one
for a rental and it couldn't get 18 MPG.

http://www.mpgfacts.com/?did=806&year=2009

 

I believe the XFE has changes other than the transmission. I believe
the engine has been tweaked for fuel economy, it has low rolling
resistance tires (I wonder what those cost to replace?), etc., that I
don't believe are on the auto tranny version.

Matt