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Consumer Reports Survey: Americans want better fuel efficiency--but don’t want to pay extra for it

Discussion in 'Other Cars' started by cwerdna, Apr 7, 2011.

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  1. spwolf

    spwolf Senior Member

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    Re: Consumer Reports Survey: Americans want better fuel efficiency--but don’t want to pay extra for

    typical GM... lol.

    Cruze Eco Forums:
    Chevy Cruze MPG : Real Life experiences - Page 27 - Chevy Cruze Forum : Chevrolet Cruze Forums

    People aint getting better MPG than with 4 speed Corolla, and they are definitely not reaching 6 speed Corolla ZR performance.
     
    #21 spwolf, Apr 8, 2011
  2. billnchristy

    billnchristy Active Member

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    Re: Consumer Reports Survey: Americans want better fuel efficiency--but don’t want to pay extra for

    I like the term "new car burning smell" that I have never heard before until trolling that forum.

    Sounds perfectly normal...
     
    #22 billnchristy, Apr 8, 2011
  3. krelborne

    krelborne New Member

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    Re: Consumer Reports Survey: Americans want better fuel efficiency--but don’t want to pay extra for

    To buttress the point that the Cruze ECO is a good example of this unwillingness to pay more for better fuel economy, see this article:

     
    #23 krelborne, Apr 8, 2011
  4. john1701a

    john1701a Prius Guru

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    Re: Consumer Reports Survey: Americans want better fuel efficiency--but don’t want to pay extra for

    42 mpg is quite misleading. That's only for the manual transmission, which most Americans don't favor. The automatic is 37 mpg highway, with combined 30 mpg and city only 26.
    .
     
    #24 john1701a, Apr 8, 2011
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  5. billnchristy

    billnchristy Active Member

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    Re: Consumer Reports Survey: Americans want better fuel efficiency--but don’t want to pay extra for

    Another reason I am happy with my Fiesta, 15k, 34mpg city...way cuter than a cruze...haha.
     
    #25 billnchristy, Apr 8, 2011
  6. sipnfuel

    sipnfuel New Member

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    Re: Consumer Reports Survey: Americans want better fuel efficiency--but don’t want to pay extra for

    How do you find the acceleration of the Fiesta vs a Prius in ECO mode?

    Do all Fiesta's have the automated manual transmission (Power Shift)?
     
    #26 sipnfuel, Apr 8, 2011
  7. SageBrush

    SageBrush Senior Member

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    Re: Consumer Reports Survey: Americans want better fuel efficiency--but don’t want to pay extra for

    I like using the UK fuel economy cycle as an example of what a gentle driver can expect. The VCDi 2.0 in the UK is rated 42 US MPG combined, 53 US MPG extra-urban. Very nice for people stuck buying GM. If (and that is a big IF) the Cruze turns out to be a reliable car, it is one of, if not the best in the GM stable. Of course that is not saying much.

    The irony of GM is spending decades brainwashing Americans to value big, fast and stupid and then hoping they will embrace a slow, small Chevy that requires some thought to eek out halfway decent fuel economy. Most of the camp of consumers that GM needs are Japanese car consumers now and for a long time in the future.
     
    #27 SageBrush, Apr 8, 2011
  8. billnchristy

    billnchristy Active Member

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    Re: Consumer Reports Survey: Americans want better fuel efficiency--but don’t want to pay extra for

    You can get a 5spd manual but with Atlanta traffic we chose automatic.

    Fiesta is a much peppier car than Prius though takeoff is probably close to equal in Power mode. The Fiesta corners like its on rails though and that is where I have my fun...I do have a strut tower brace coming for the Prius...can't wait for that!!

    The worst part of any ICE car is watching your hard earned MPG drop at redlights.
     
    #28 billnchristy, Apr 8, 2011
  9. sipnfuel

    sipnfuel New Member

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    Re: Consumer Reports Survey: Americans want better fuel efficiency--but don’t want to pay extra for

    Cool. I have the experience that Ford computed MPG is a bit optimistic. Is that your experience as well?
     
    #29 sipnfuel, Apr 8, 2011
  10. billnchristy

    billnchristy Active Member

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    Re: Consumer Reports Survey: Americans want better fuel efficiency--but don’t want to pay extra for

    Oh and you pay dearly for acceleration...way moreso than with the Prius.

    If I launch in Power-mode and accelerate to 55 in the Prius I might take a hit of .2mpg.

    If I do that in the Fiesta you are looking at .5 or more.
     
    #30 billnchristy, Apr 8, 2011
  11. billnchristy

    billnchristy Active Member

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    Re: Consumer Reports Survey: Americans want better fuel efficiency--but don’t want to pay extra for

    Unfortunately Christy didn't reset the trip computer so I won't know until next fill-up.

    I do know the car got somewhere between 380-420 mi on 10.8 gallons so it is doing well but I am not sure when the dealer filled (was a 210mi trip to me).

    I don't know if it is any more ambitious than the Prii computer.
     
    #31 billnchristy, Apr 8, 2011
  12. sipnfuel

    sipnfuel New Member

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    Re: Consumer Reports Survey: Americans want better fuel efficiency--but don’t want to pay extra for

    Cool. Do you like the power shift transmission?

    Conventional automatic trannys feel "loose" or lurchy during shifts when they get high miles. Especially from 1st to 2nd.
     
    #32 sipnfuel, Apr 8, 2011
  13. billnchristy

    billnchristy Active Member

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    Re: Consumer Reports Survey: Americans want better fuel efficiency--but don’t want to pay extra for

    Powershift is like having a race-car driver shifting a manual for you. It is the fastest shifting tranny I have ever driven, it even blips the throttle when changing gears, you can watch the RPMs when you are decellerating.

    I have a feeling the dual clutch setup is going to be costly in the long run...I think the Hyundai hybrid uses a very similar setup though.
     
    #33 billnchristy, Apr 8, 2011
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  14. sipnfuel

    sipnfuel New Member

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    Re: Consumer Reports Survey: Americans want better fuel efficiency--but don’t want to pay extra for

    ^^ Twice as many things to go wrong, but they should each last twice as long (in theory right?).

    Maybe the computer can rev match better than a human can so they will last a long time.
     
    #34 sipnfuel, Apr 8, 2011
  15. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

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    Re: Consumer Reports Survey: Americans want better fuel efficiency--but don’t want to pay extra for

    Do the mpg-trip meters have the same number of miles on them before this test launch? If not, this particular comparison is invalid.
     
    #35 fuzzy1, Apr 9, 2011
  16. billnchristy

    billnchristy Active Member

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    Re: Consumer Reports Survey: Americans want better fuel efficiency--but don’t want to pay extra for

    Of course not. We tend to leave our white coats at home when we go to work.

    Obviously it is not hard science but I am talking at least half a tank in, not the insta-change first 100 miles of a tank.
     
    #36 billnchristy, Apr 9, 2011
  17. tpfun

    tpfun New Member

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    Re: Consumer Reports Survey: Americans want better fuel efficiency--but don’t want to pay extra for

    Sigh. You should really see the world sometimes outside your little box.

    To address your "question", that's because the current crop of "green" vehicles do not offer much beyond the econoboxes other than a better fuel economy. Full sized SUV's do.
     
    #37 tpfun, Apr 9, 2011
  18. cwerdna

    cwerdna Senior Member

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    Re: Consumer Reports Survey: Americans want better fuel efficiency--but don’t want to pay extra for

    Here in WA and when I lived in CA (San Jose, as a matter of fact), all too often, I see monstrosity class SUVs running around driven solo or w/minimal cargo and passengers. I'd say this holds true for at least 95% of the full-sized SUVs I see running around. It's ridiculous and even more so if they're driving uber-monstrosities like Hummer H2s or Ford Excretions.

    99+% of the time, they're not towing anything either. The proportion of full-sized SUVs running around where I lived in San Jose on the way to work was really bad, much worse than the Seattle although the mix seemed to contain a lot more Ford Expeditions than here.

    I understand that people need the space/room, esp. those w/families, but in most cases, a minivan, medium sized or large family car or a medium sized (or smaller) SUV would suffice. They're more efficient, don't have such poor accident avoidance capabilities and less of a danger to others on the right.

    As I've said it here many times before, people should be buying vehicles commensurate w/actual needs and that they should be better educated on our oil consumption and where the world's oil reserves. To expect everyone to buy econoboxes or Priuses isn't realistic.

    From traveling to other countries such as the 7 countries I went to in Europe, my 4 trips to Japan, a trip to South Korea and so on, they all get along fine w/o such monstrosities.

    Someone at my former work had 1 child. They bought a Tahoe. :rolleyes: I remember a story here of someone here that knew another that had a child and thus bought twin Ford Expeditions. :rolleyes:
     
    #38 cwerdna, Apr 9, 2011
  19. tpfun

    tpfun New Member

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    Re: Consumer Reports Survey: Americans want better fuel efficiency--but don’t want to pay extra for

    Regardless of how monstrous or ridiculous they seem to others, some owners perceive an added value, similar to how some here considers driving a Prius because it enhances their "green" status.

    Americans want better fuel efficiency but also want everything else.... you know, the commanding driving position, size however rarely it's needed, safety in mass etc...


    You are indeed well traveled, I apologize for the low blow.:D
     
    #39 tpfun, Apr 9, 2011
  20. macmaster05

    macmaster05 Senor Member

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    Re: Consumer Reports Survey: Americans want better fuel efficiency--but don’t want to pay extra for

    You have to dig deep, and I mean deep, to understand why Americans value SUVs and always will. Here goes;

    We're spoiled. We have it too easy. We've never seen true poverty. We've never suffered. We're divided. We're racist. We're too large. We're too spread out. We're individualistic. Egotistic. Arrogant. We want it all. And all means bigger cars. To us, it's fine to pay a huge amount of money for a monster SUV, after all you're getting more car.

    Now take a look at Germany or Japan. They were humbled by World War II. They've suffered. They're collective. They're united. They're close. They're not out to prove anything. They know bigger cars don't mean anything. So they do just fine without SUVs and big trucks. Construction? Still happens. Family vacations? Still happen. Life goes on for these people.

    Do Americans really need SUVs? The resounding answer is NO.
     
    #40 macmaster05, Apr 9, 2011
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