[Subscribe to Daily Digest] |
Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup
I've been commuting a long distance for the past several weeks and am happy to see my '88 900S get about 28-30mpg at 65-70 mph. I had thought about getting a newer car for the commute, but now really don't see the point.
I've noticed a number of billboards though on my commute that advertise the fuel efficiency of newer cars. Two taglines of note are "Saturn Ion: 140hp and 32 mph!", another "Subaru Outback, 28mpg!" If I can get near that fuel efficiency in my 18yo car, what in the world have car makers been doing for the last two decades (don't tell me safety - my 900 is statistically as safe as a 99 VW Golf)???
Here's my question. I looked around at Saab global and see that the United Kingdom 9-3 1.8t engine (150 hp, plenty of torque w/ a 5spd) gets about 46mpg highway! Why in the world isn't this gas engine available in the US??? I'd pay the premium for it!
I also notice that the tdi engine gets appx 60 mpg highway! Again, I know about the different sulfur standards and CA's restrictive particulate regulations...
To really compete in a market, it seems that you have to do something ENTIRELY new - that noone else has done. To my knowledge the only cars available in the states with better than 40mpg gas mileage are deathtraps ( Geo anything, toyota echo, etc) or use hybrid/tdi tech. Isn't the waiting list for a Prius something like 6-9 months? Locally TDI's never sell for less than sticker and are completely inaccessible when used. Why doesn't Saab move some of its european engines over to the US to capture part of this limited market?
The key point to me is that engines like this would have an increase in efficiency of 200-300% - improving fuel economy from 28 to 30mpg really doesn't impress me - nor is it economically persuasive to a consumer.
NT
posted by 63.228.46...
, Mon, 6 Jun 2005 04:23:30
, Sat, 4 Jun 2005 10:37:33
No Site Registration is Required to Post - Site Membership is optional (Member Features List), but helps to keep the site online
for all Saabers. If the site helps you, please consider helping the site by becoming a member.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
